After a lifetime of preparation resulting in two AMA Land Speed Records it was time to attend the AMA Championship Banquet held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Riders 8 to 89 were presented with hard earned #1 plates and plaques garnered during the 2009 season while participating in over 30 different racing series including Bonneville Land Speed Trials.
After spending one helluva restless night, I loaded my 2004, record-setting Dyna and rolled toward Las Vegas. It was early Wednesday. I spent a few days with my riding partner Steve, and had the pleasure to pick up two Land Speed Racing awards at the banquet. Steve and I met this summer while riding across country on our hot rods. Each one is powered by similar R & R motors. Steve has a 117, while my Dyna runs a 124-inch motor with over 145,000 documented miles.
Billed as the “2009 AMA Racing Championship Banquet,” Friday night's event at the Hard Rock was SOLD OUT! It was next to impossible to turn around and not bump into record setters of all ages from past champions to the class of 2009 newbies, that's me.
The staff allowed me to display my 2004 Dyna inside the Hard Rock during the AMA event. After a final cleaning by the AMA motorcycle wranglers my Dyna was parked between the BUB Streamliner (367.382 mph ) and Leo Payne's , Turnip Eater (196.512 mph ), and I thought the Bonneville impound was like dyin' and goin' to heaven. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end just standing among these two-wheeled legends.
Leo Payne was born in St.Louis, Missouri, March 10,1931. From the '50s through the '70s Leo set a multitude of records from drag racing on his Sportster to a Land Speed Record set in 1969 at 196.512 mph. Leo's top speed was 201 mph during the meet, that made Leo the 1st rider over 200 mph on a non-streamlined motorcycle. Leo died from cancer Sept.18,1989.
While attending the event I had the honor of meeting and spending time with Leo's best friend and mentor, Melbourne J. “Mike” Wilson, and his lovely bride of over 70 years, Margaret M. Wilson. The Wilsons are 89 years and counting. They spend their time flying one of two airplanes in their stable, one is a fighter plane the other a four place Beach aircraft. Mike was a WW1 fighter pilot as well as an avid motorcyclist. Mike and his wife are an incredible team.
When the Land Speed Record category was announced my heart skipped a beat. About a dozen of us gathered stage left while waiting for our names to be called. I was hangin' out with the fastest two wheel man on the planet, Chris Carr.
The class of 2009 included “Sturgis Broken Spoke” Jay Allen, Las Vegas H-D Hirohisa Koiso, and myself Ray C Wheeler, sponsored in part by Bikernet.com. It's without a doubt that my dream of setting a Land Speed Record began the moment I sat on my first motorcycle in the early '60s on a bad ass Truett & Osborne Sportster. It was a de-tuned drag strip prepped stroker for the streets. We were unbeatable from county to county in the middle of Kansas.
It was another wonderful day, another dream come true. Many thank go our to my sponsors including Bikernet.com, Avon Tyres and D&D exhaust. My2010 goals include records a 200 mph pass aboard my “Dedicated to Burt Munro Special.” See you at the Salt Flats.
–Ray c wheeler
raycwheeler@gmail.com
Wheeler Racing
FABIO TAGLIONI
Born 1920, graduated from University of Balogna in Italy as an engineer in 1943. Fabio Taglioni's 's graduation thesis was on a method to bring poppet valves back to their seats without using springs.
Shortly after graduation he was drafted into the Italian armed force where he worked as an aircraft and motorcycle mechanic.
In 1954 Ducati decided to create a team of designers and engineers to make race bikes. Within 6 months Fabio had built the first true Ducati race bike.
For 50 years Ducati followed the Taglioni philosophy: lightness and compactness opposed to sheer power as well as mechanical and combustion efficiency.
Fabio Taglioni died in 2001 at 80 years old.
Wheeler Racing Sponsorship Thanks
Thanks to the following sponsors, we have forever etched our name in the AMA Bonneville ledger with 2 Land Speed Records in 2009: Amsoil www.amsoil.com, Avon Tyres www,avontyres.com, Bikernet: www.bikernet.com, Corbin Saddles www.corbin.com, Daytona Twin-Tec www.daytona-twintec.com, D&D Exhaust www.danddexhaust.com, E.T.Performance Products www.krankvents.com, Gold Rush Signs www.goldrushsigns.com (Geet), Hardtailz San Jose, Ca., Horsepower Inc. horsepowerinc.net, Hypreformance Motors www.hyperformancemotors.com, Race Tec Suspension www.racetec.com, R&R Cycle www.rrcycles.com, Rocky Mountain Custom Bikes www.rockymountaincustombikes.com, Supermax www.supermax.net, Sputhe www.sputhe.com, Storz www.storzperf.com,and last but not least Yankee Engineuity www.yankeeengineuity.com.
2010 GOAL: 200 MPH, think slippery and real-fast.
Thanks again for a fantastic 2009, and we wish you a yours a successful 2010 riding and racing season.
–Ray C Wheeler
raycwheeler.com
Stay tuned for Technical in-depth articles on Bikernet pertaining to all major components represented, from long-hard road testing, full throttle drag strip launches to the infamous Bonneville Salt Flats.
