Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is about as far as you can get from anywhere. But it is also the world’s largest salt flat, formed by a prehistoric lake that dried out and left behind 11,000-sq.-km of land speed racing heaven – or hell – depending on which way your luck swings. If the name rings a bell it’s because the Dakar is no stranger to the massive open salt flat.
In 2017, the inaugural Mike Cooke’s Land Speed shootout proved the Salar de Uyuni is the best location on earth for a crack at the motorcycle world land speed record which is presently held by Rocky Robinson in the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner at 376.363mph (605.697km/h). The Mike Akatiff-owned team made the pioneering trip to Bolivia last year hoping to better its own record set in 2010. The team left empty-handed – but they learned a lot, and now they are back with the record and the 400mph mark firmly in their sights.
Following a few delays with shipping, four teams and all the FIM timing equipment are now on the salt, but the weather is refusing the come to the party – so the waiting game begins.
The Cook’s Top Oil Land Speed Shootout is an FIM World Record event. The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, at approx. 11,000 sq-km (4200sm mil) it dwarfs the Bonneville Salt Flats which is just 110 sq-km (40 sq-ml).
Regular AMCN contributor Jean Turner is presently at Salar de Uyuni and explained that the challenges of running the event at such a remote location are many, including; just getting to the location and the altitude – a horsepower-sapping 12,070 feet above sea level. “It’s also winter, so the temperatures are freezing, the days are short, and there are no outside resources,” Turner explained.
All four teams taking part in this year’s Land Speed Shootout took part in 2017, so they have learned from, and built on, their 2017 experience.
Top Oil-Ack Attack
Streamliner motorcycle
Rider: Rocky Robinson
Goal: 400 mph and all-time two-wheel land-speed world record
Rider: Ralph Hudson
Goal: 300 mph and fastest sit-on motorcycle
Rider: Al Lamb
Goal: 300 mph and fastest sit-on motorcycle
Riders: Erin Sills and Trev Richter
Bikes: Two BMW S 1000 RR motorcycles – WSBK-spec engines, one w/ nitrous
Goal: Regain the record of Erin Sills’ late husband which was broken in Bolivia last year.
Look out for regular updates from Jean on the AMCN Facebook page over the next throughout the event.
