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Land Speed

You are here: Home / Archives for Land Speed

Jody Perewitz – Land speed Motorcycle

April 4, 2017 //  by Horsepower & Heels

For some, passion for speed and power is hardwired into their DNA.   For New England native, Jody Perewitz, Land Speed Motorcycle racing was a natural-born evolution in her upbringing.  

Jody PerewitzBorn in Bridgewater, MA, Jody Perewitz has been on 2-wheels since she was old enough to walk.   Her father, Dave Perewitz, has been involved in automotive customization since the late 1960’s.   Opening his first shop in 1973, his focus shifted to 2-wheels as his lifelong passion of motorcycles became his calling via Perewitz Cycle Fab.  

“My dad started working and painting cars with a bunch of friends on the late 60’s. He quickly moved on to motorcycles. He opened his first shop in 1973. He is still painting in our booth and wrenching on bikes.”
Growing up, Jody would tag along with her brother Jesse in everything he did.   He had a passion for small engines, and Jody would often learn from him in his adventures.  
When we were younger we would race in the woods or fields around our parents property. A few times we would race at a local motor cross track. My brother was always will to teach me whatever he knew, whether it was how to ride or how to fix things. Still to this day my brother and I are very close and i look to him for advice and/or knowledge.
But as they got older, it was Jody who would possess the 2-wheel passion gene, living and breathing motorcycles like her father.   
My brother, Jesse, is a superintendent at a local golf course.  He also has a small engine repair business on the side.  He has helped my father with the business in the past, but motorcycles just aren’t his thing. He is very good at what he does and, like my father and I, he has a passion… its just that his is for small engines.” 
Jody PerewitzWhen Jody completed high school, she wanted her chance to make the jump into the family business.  But her dad had other ideas, and insisted on her attending school.   Earning a full scholarship from the University of Massachusetts, Jody pursued her bachelors degree in Political Science before jumping head first into the motorcycle industry after graduation.
My major in college was Political Science. My degree does not help me so much at work, but some business classes I took have been helpful. I like the fact that I can always fall back on my degree and even someday apply it to motorcycles. I am glad my parents pushed me to finish school.”

Now, she is an integral part of the family business, and has mentored under her father in the craft of custom painting.    Jody handles the marketing functions for Perewitz Cycle Fab, taking care of event planning on their Paint Shows and Bike Nights.  She also works on parts ordering and customer service.   But her heart is in the paint booth, and she tries to spend as much time as possible perfecting her craft when not taking care of the daily shop needs. 

I have done about half dozen full motorcycle paint job as well as tons of helmets, mugs, yeti cups, and other random things. I love being creative and artistic.” 

Jody Perewitz – Land Speed Motorcycle Racing 

Jody PerewitzIt wasn’t until 2011 that Jody Perewitz discovered Land Speed Motorcycle Racing.  Having only done some local racing against her brother, she entered the Bonneville Land Speed scene after purchasing a Christmas trip for her dad.    Once she surprised him with the trip, it was her dad who brought up the idea of racing herself.

 I bought my dad a trip to Bonneville for Christmas. He said ‘Well Jod, we can’t go to Bonneville and not race.’    So I said ‘OK, I’m riding it’!”

 Jody looked into the different records and class structures, and discovered that the record for the fastest female on an American made bike hadn’t yet reached the 200 mph milestone.  Making that their new goal, Jody and her father set to work finding some sponsorship partners to begin their first Bonneville Land Speed Motorcycle racing attempt.  

My first bike was 100ci supercharged twin. The class we were in was special construction frame, partial streamline, pushrod, blown, and either gas or fuel, 1650.  We worked feverishly for 2 months on building this bike. We have been building bikes for 30+ years, and don’t get me wrong, our bikes are built to ride, but also to look nice… this bike was not at all about looks. We needed function and SPEED. Something we weren’t used too… so it was a little challenging.  But we had really good resources, advice and help, and we made it happen.”

Her first Landspeed outing with the bike was at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine.    Setting up there to test the bike, Jody would get her first experience and much needed seat time in Land Speed racing trim.  It was her first time to even ride the bike, so after arriving, she rode around the track in normal clothes to get the feel of the new land speed machine.  

It was a beast! Definitely nothing I was used to, but I knew I could adjust and learn.”

After getting acquainted with the bike, Jody Perewitz was ready to put on her brand new racing leathers.  Having never worn full leathers before, the racing attire presented a new challenge for the rookie – trying to get comfortable in stiff protective clothing. 

Getting on the bike became a challenge! My leathers were heavy and stiff, when I went to take off on the bike, I couldn’t get my feet up. The leathers were so awkward at first, I couldn’t find the pegs.”

Set up solely to race, the bike was also very different than anything Jody had ever ridden before.   Pegs and seating position were maximized for racing, and had the rider tucked in a race-hugging position on the bike.   Jody, an accomplished rider on the street, was far out of her element on a land speed motorcycle.   This created some apprehension and anxiety for the land speed rookie.

“I said to my dad, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t even get my feet on the pegs!’  I was worried at that point, but my dad said ‘Oh Jod, come on, you can do this, you just have to practice’.”

And practice they did.  Over and over, until Jody could confidently and consistently get her feet on the pegs quickly.   That encouragement and a little practice was all she needed, she was able to get much more comfortable on the bike. Improvements came quickly as their trip to Bonneville approached.   That early apprehension did nothing to deter Jody from her goals.

“I honestly think that has been the only point in my race career that I was nervous or upset,” she added, knocking on wood.   “But my dad’s confidence in my quickly washed it away. We set a land speed record at 164 mph with out the fairings on that weeeknd. At the time we were ecstatic at that speed!”

About a month after Loring, Jody and family headed west to Bonneville Salt Flats.  In addition to being the designated rider, Jody also helps out by cleaning up the trailer, driving the truck on the long hauls, and coordinating the parts and other sponsor efforts.    The bike, which they tested minus the body fairings during their Loring outing, was now finished and ready for the big Bonneville journey.  Her first time trial on the Bonneville Salt Flats would mark the first time riding the bike with a full fairing/partial streamline body.  

“I took some good advice from fellow racers about the wind and riding with a body. I got the hang of it immediately. There were a few moments of the wind pushing me, but I used the advice I was given and quickly adjusted. Bonneville is just a mystical place… Even if I stopped racing now, I will always be so proud to say I raced an American motorcycle that we built at speeds over 200mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats!”

But Jody rose to the challenge easily.   Her rookie attempt landed her as the fastest female on an American Motorcycle at 203 mph.   This earned her entrance into the prestigious Bonneville 200mph club, and the respect of her peers.  

When we first said we were going to race at Bonneville, and that our goal was 200mph, people would literally laugh and say good luck or I could just read peoples expression that they thought ‘Oh ya, sure you will’.  It became a point where I stopped telling people I was going to go over 200. I had complete confidence that we could do it! All of us working together including the weather/salt, we would do it. When we did hit 200 there was probably 25 people who came up to me and said ‘Wow, I never thought you would do it’.”

Jody has made the return to the salts several more times in the following years, and is in her 6th year of competitive racing.  She holds 15 total land speed records; 4 No. 1 AMA plates, the world’s fastest female on an American bike, a seat in the Bonneville 200 mph club, and other notable achievements.

Racing at speeds of over 200mph is the coolest! Also being able to say I have raced at the Bonneville Salt Flats is pretty unique. Last year, there was a little over 300 people racing and only 19 were females.   We are going back to Bonneville this year as well as some other races.  I want to beat the man’s record for fastest v-twin. So, it looks like I will be pushing to go 245 mph ultimately …that is, until they go faster!  We will get there, it’s just a matter of time! I am very proud that motorcycling is not just my passion, it’s in my blood.” 

Jody will return to the salt this year in the APS_PBG2000 category with a partial streamline, 315 horsepower, 120ci turbocharged v-twin with a 5-speed transmission.  Last season, she ran a smaller 100ci supercharged entry, and is looking forward to the push forward with the new powerplant.   The hardest part has been finding the funding to be able to compete each year, and thanks to the sponsors that have supported her, and the confidence of her father, she has been very successful in her quest.    As far as what it takes to chase her racing dreams, she offers this advice:

Hang in there! Don’t give up, it might take a little longer or a little more work but if you believe and stay confident it will happen.”

We can’t wait to see where she will end up next!

 

 

Category: Driver Features, FeaturedTag: Jody Perewitz, Land Speed, Women Racing

Desert Storage sponsors land speed racer Valerie Thompson

September 26, 2016 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Desert StorageDesert Storage is the newest sponsor to announce support for Arizona resident and seven-time land speed record holder, Valerie Thompson.

Redefining the self-storage business category with a variety of solutions for customers facing the challenge of moving and downsizing, Desert Storage provides air conditioned drive-in storage access, covered outdoor facilities for RV’s/boats/automobiles, wine storage, mailbox rentals and document shredding in a safe and secure environment.   A locally owned business headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, Desert Storage owns and operates 16 storage centers in Arizona and Nevada.

“When I needed a secure storage facility to keep our motor coach in Scottsdale, Desert Storage was an easy choice. They offer the widest variety of services at the best price,” said Thompson. “Scott Brawn and his staff at Desert Storage are very professional and attentive. They are my last stop after every race since they provide a well-lit cleaning/sanitary dump station and covered parking for our motor coach and motorcycle hauler. I never have to worry about security or access. They really take the hassle out of storing our most critical equipment,” added Thompson.

Thompson is an independent team owner/driver, fielding a record setting BMW S 1000 RR land speed racing motorcycle with plans to compete in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class in 2017. In addition to 7-land speed records, she is a lifetime member of six-land speed racing 200 MPH Clubs, including the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club and first female member of the Colorado Mile. She earned the title of world’s fastest female motorcycle racer with an average one measured mile speed of 304.263 mph and exit speed of 313 mph at the 2016 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials.

Anosh Vasani, Director of Marketing for Desert Storage, says, “We are really excited to support Valerie in her endeavors. She is a great athlete and we look forward to her breaking even more records.”

 

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Land Speed, Sponsors, Valerie Thompson, Women Racing

Project Speed: Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed Record

July 27, 2016 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Project Speed Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed Record

Project Speed: Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed Record

Motorsport hot shoe Shea Holbrook will join fifteen USA national Cycling champion Denise Mueller in attempt to be the first woman in cycling history to break the paced bicycle land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats.  Holbrook will pilot the pace car in which Mueller will draft, to bore a hole through the wind at very high speeds.  In what they are calling Project Speed, the duo of Holbrook and Mueller will  attempt Land Speed Record run this fall.

Project Speed is one woman’s story of athletic empowerment.  The spirit of Project Speed began in 1899, when Charles “mile-minute” Murphy paced the world’s fastest train-the Long Island express- to 60 mph on a single speed track bicycle.  Newspapers of the day reported “women fainted at the news!”  In the 117 years since that feat, the ultimate bicycle speed record has changed hands eleven times, always by men.

That final bastion of male dominance ironically may fall at the hands of one of the most powerful cyclists in the world, who happens to be a woman who has never fainted.  Denise Mueller owns fifteen USA Cycling national championships and is gunning for the ultimate paced speed record of 167 mph set nearly 20 years ago by world motor pacing champion Fred Rompelberg of the Netherlands.

Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed RecordTo complete the powered by women theme, the Range Rover Sport SVR pace car will be driven by professional driver Shea Holbrook.  The 26-year-old is a 6-time Pirelli World Challenge winner and has competed in the International Hot Rod Association driving a jet dragster at 278 mph.

“Denise has unbelievable athletic ability and willpower like none other I’ve seen.  From the moment we spoke over the phone there was an unexplainable connection and I knew I wanted to be a part of what will be a historical moment.  I’m ecstatic to take on the responsibility of being Denise’s pace car driver.  Ultimately, I will drive the car that literally bores a hole through the wind and allows Denise to draft at very high speeds. Something I cannot wait to do,” a thrilled Holbrook said of the opportunity.

Denise Mueller, equally as thrilled to have Shea Holbrook as part of the female team explained Holbrook’s importance to Project Speed.

“Shea fills the gap we were searching for making what I believe, a dynamic duo. Her expertise behind the wheel, ability to engage and fully understand what it will be like for me behind the Hoehn Range Rover and overall charisma fuels us toward achieving this goal,” said Denise Mueller.

Since 1899, motor pacing records have had a long tradition in elite cycling. Fewer than a dozen people have tried, all have been exclusively men that have accomplished the feat. Some attempts have ended in near disaster.  Fred Rompelberg set the current paced record of 167 mph behind a modified race car in Bonneville, UT.  He nearly died in the attempt, and needed three years to recover after initially crashing on the salt at over 140 mph.

Project Speed:  Holbrook, Mueller, HowardMueller and Holbrook will be coached by 3-time Olympic racer and cycling Hall of Famer John Howard. Howard set the world record of 152 mph in 1985 at Bonneville. In addition to being Mueller’s coach, he’s also her biggest supporter.

“Denise has extraordinary power, the highest wattage I’ve seen from a female. She is also an amazing bike handler, having made the podium at the worlds in downhill mountain bike racing,” Howard said of his athlete.

The goal is to get Mueller to beat her coach John Howard’s record by reaching 153 mph and Fred Rompelberg’s paced record by reaching 168 mph. Passion, precision and persistence will all be required to set Denise up for a wildly successful ride across the salt flats. With a best in class team on her side, Denise and Shea are poised to take the salt by storm in September, 2016.

Follow along as Holbrook and Mueller attempt Land Speed Record and learn more on how to get involved at www.TheProjectSpeed.com and/or www.SheaRacing.com.   Project Speed is a special program of Perimeter Bicycling, a nonprofit organization (501c3) 100% of your contributions will go to Project Speed & is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Category: Featured, Women in Racing NewsTag: Denise Mueller, Land Speed, Shea Holbrook, Women Racing

New 200 MPH Club Members

April 29, 2016 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Kerry Alter, Loretta Flores, Lisa TaylorKerry Alter Land Speed Racing teammates, Lisa Taylor and Loretta Flores, became the most recent members of three different 200 MPH Clubs at the Mojave Magnum speed event April 8-10 in Mojave, California. The event has separate speed clubs based on distance raced. The Mojave Mile is for 1-mile runs and the Mojave Magnum is for 1.5-mile runs.

Retired Scottsdale motorcycle officer and event rookie, Lisa Taylor, earned membership in the Mojave Mile 200 MPH Club with stout run of 215.7 mph on her Kerry Alter prepared Suzuki Hayabusa.  To top her new personal best one-mile speed, Taylor raced the same Hayabusa on the 1.5-mile course to a blistering new personal best 1.5-mile speed of 226 mph, earning her membership in the Mojave Magnum 225 MPH Club.

Loretta Flores, a 24-year old motorcycle technician from Tempe, set a new personal best top speed of 204.2 mph on Alter’s 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale, earning her membership into the Mojave Mile 200 MPH Club.  Flores top speed at last year’s event as a rookie was 195.6 mph.

Kerry Alter Land Speed Racing was formed in 2008 by Phoenix-resident and 17-time land speed record holder, Kerry Alter. The team races three different bikes tuned by Alter, including a Suzuki Hayabusa, Ducatti 1299 Panigale and a BMW S 1000 RR.

“I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of both Lisa and Loretta for their outstanding performances at one of the fastest race courses on the West Coast. Both worked hard and smart to meet their objectives,” said Kerry Alter, team owner and driver. “We set a lot of goals for this event and achieved all of a them. The bikes responded well to my tune-ups for both courses and we lucked out with the weather,” added Alter, who did not race due to recovery from injuries from a non-racing accident.

The next Mojave Magnum event will be held October 8-9, 2016 at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Land Speed, Lisa Taylor, Loretta Flores, Women Racing

Valerie Thompson at Grand National Roadster Show

January 21, 2016 //  by Horsepower & Heels

 

Valerie Thompson at Grand National Road Show

Grand National Roadster Show | Quest for Speed

Seven-time speed record holder, Valerie Thompson, will be a featured celebrity racer at the 67th Grand National Roadster Show at the Fairplex in Pomona.  Hand picked from a group of accomplished land speed racers, Thompson’s record setting 200+ mph BMW race bike will be displayed in a special tribute area dedicated to the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) named “Quest for Speed.”

Over 500 show vehicles will compete for awards within the Fairplex buildings. Another 400 – 800 vehicles will join the event over the weekend for the 11th Annual Grand Daddy Drive-In event.  The Grand National Roadster Show is now in its 67th year. Formerly known as the Oakland Roadster Show, it is the longest running indoor car show in the world. This marks the 13th consecutive year of the show being held at the Pomona Fairplex.

I’ve always had a passion for land speed racing. Competing on the Salt Flats of Utah and dry lakebeds of California as an independent racer always reminds me of the unsung heroes who made American racing what it is today. This special invitation to appear at the most prestigious rod show just blows me away. More importantly, this exhibit will be used as a fund raiser for the SCTA, a non-profit organization that makes racing dreams possible for all competitors, no matter the size of their pocket book,” added Thompson.

Thompson formed her own land speed racing team in 2012 and recorded a personal best top speed of 217 mph at the 2014 Texas Mile. In 2015, Thompson became the first female member of the Colorado Mile 200 MPH Club on her Quicksilver Powersports Lubricants/CTEK BMW Motorrad and is now a member of six-land speed racing 200 MPH Clubs, including the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club. As a result, she is often referred to as “America’s Queen of Speed.”

 

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Land Speed, Valerie Thompson, Women Racing

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