Retrobike

HEAVEN ON EARTH

LONGTIME salt racers say there is only one constant in land speed racing, and that is that every meeting is different. The surface is always changing, and that perfect tune one year will be lean or rich the next. And then there’s the weather — perfect one day, not so great the next.

This year it was the wind that came and went. For spectators the breeze was a godsend which, together with high cloud cover for much of the week, held temperatures down to liveable maximums and also seemed to help keep the flies at bay. It was even quite cool some mornings. For competitors, however, the breeze was a bastard, especially when it was blowing across the track. One moment it would be almost still, the next strong enough to push you off your line, which can be character building down at the deep end when you’re on full throttle with your tacho needle nudging redline in top gear.

“THE WIND CAME AND WENT, A GODSEND FOR SPECTATORS BUT NOT SO GREAT FOR COMPETITORS”

The vibe of Speed Week also fluxes

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