Back to Battle Mountain - WHPSC 2008

Out to the course at the crack of dark for the qualifying runs (the orb in the sky is the moon, not the sun). Every vehicle must make a qualifying run to be sure that it is mechanically sound and safe, and to establish a seed time for the challenge runs on the full course. Unlike prior years, qualifying is being done this week on a shorter section of the Rte 305 five mile challenge course. This is nice because it has a much better road surface than the I-80 Frontage Rd. that was used previously.

The weather was actually very nice in the morning - much better than the last two years, when the wind howled and it was cold. Today it was chilly, but very calm, and warmed up quickly when the sun got high enough above the eastern mountains.

Eleven bikes and thirteen riders showed up at the qualification course (one tandem and a bike with two different riders). Everyone qualified except two; one had brake problems and was unable to stop in anywhere near a reasonable distance, and the second was unable to make a successful start - falling more than once in the attempt.

Once again, the launch cart made for a smooth start for Larry and Tom. They ran something over 54 mph, which gave them the fifth-fastest run of the morning. They were really happy with the performance of the bike, though there was still a hint of a tire rub when they went over bumps and the rear tire flexed more than when rolling steady. This made for a little more grinding in the afternoon, after naps all around. Even I had to take a nap, and I didn't do much except get excited for them.

The weather was fantastic for the first evening's challenge runs. Nine machines ran the course. All started successfully and made it all the way down. From the chase truck behind Larry and Tom it could be seen that they were much more comfortable than during the morning run - not nearly so many wobbles and direction changes. Watching the speedo, it looked that they were well over 60 mph by the 1.5 miles-to-go marker, and held around there till through the time trap. Their stop and catch were very smooth. There was a scent of something hot and rubbing, which turned out to be the brake disks, after stopping over 400 pounds of bike and riders. I have no pictures because I was busy - maybe tomorrow.

When extricated from the bike, it was clear that they were well spent. Their official speed was reported to be 64.12 mph. This puts them squarely in fourth (4th) position on the all-time list of personal bests for a tandem vehicle - not bad for the first day of the event, after a run in the morning. The tandem record is 68.91 mph, set in 2002.

Results:
Sam Whittingham (current World Record holder) - 79.76
Fred Markham (former record holder, now 51 years) - 70.02
Hans Wessels (Dutch race winner) - 68.48
Warren Beauchamp (60 mph Club member and Recembents.com webmaster) - 57.76
Ellen Van Vugt (former women's record holder, also Dutch) - 57.70
Aaron Williams (Cal Poly student) - 49.74
James Schroeder (camera trike that resembles a hammerhead shark) - 49.33
Richard Meyers (at 72 the eldest rider ever on the course) - 40.28