When a motorcycle crashes at 285 MPH, death is usually close behind. Sadly, that was this case this weekend when record holder Bill Warner lost control of his Suzuki Hayabusa at the “Maine Event” at Loring Air Force Base.
Warner, who set the world record when he reached 311 mph on a 1.5 mile track in 2011, was hoping to top his record this weekend. Warner was attempting to hit 300 MPH on just 1 mile of pavement when he lost control of his motorcycle at 285 mph and ran off the runway .
Tim Kelly, race director of the Loring Timing Association, said that Warner was conscious after the crash but passed away about an hour later at a nearby hospital.
Kelly said : “No one will touch Bill’s achievements or be the type of racer he was. He was a personal friend, and the land-racing community is less for his loss.”
Nearly 400 spectators turned out to watch Warner try to set a new record. Warner got his motorcycle up to 285 mph but then started to veer right and eventually ran off the runway.
Spectator Cole Theriault told CBS : “You could see a big dust cloud and then it got silent… The bike, from what I heard, was demolished, just in pieces. After a minute, all you could hear was the sirens.”
Warner hit 311 MPH in 2011 on 1.5 miles of track. That is considered the land speed record for a conventional motorcycle.
The Loring Timing Association also released a statement shortly after Warner’s passing.
The LTA writes: “We at the LTA are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our friend Bill Warner on Sunday, July 14 th 2013 at the Maine Event. Bill’s easy smile, gentle nature, and friendly competitiveness will always serve as the bench march by which we measure all other competitors. Our thoughts and prayers go out the his family, friends, and the LSR community for the loss of an icon and while there is little we can do to assuage their anguish, I will share the words of Walt Whitman:
“All goes onward and outward,nothing collapses. And to die is not as anyone supposed, And luckier.”
Here’s a video of Warner’s record setting run from 2011.
[Image Via Brocks Performance ]
