The third and final day of the World Speed Trial Australia, Monday 19 March, started with a dramatic turn of events when Valerie Thompson and Team 7 Racing made an early morning attempt that ended in a stunning crash. Thompson lost control of the “Bub 7” streamliner, but fortunately was able to walk away from the wreck with only minor injuries. Following the heartbreaking end to Team 7 Racing’s effort, racing resumed and by the end of the day, three more FIM World Records were set.
Conditions were ideal in the morning, as anticipated, and Team 7 Racing set out to make their assault on the all-time FIM World Record, aiming for speeds near 400 mph. Thompson had passed the four-mile marker and reported being at 553.1km/h (343.7 mph) when disaster struck. Chase vehicles saw the tail end of the streamliner come up in the air, which prompted the chutes to automatically deploy. The chutes helped stabilize the streamliner in the subsequent crash, which left a trail of wreckage nearly a mile long.
“Today didn’t go as planned,” said Thompson. “I always said that crashing was not on my bucket list, but I did it. It doesn’t feel very good because at 343 miles per hour, standing here talking to you is pretty, truly amazing.” Read more.
