My name is Blake Axelson, and this is my story about our journey to Bonneville. Let’s start from the beginning, so throughout the summer before Bonneville we were having ignition problems with our motorcycle. My dad built a custom rigid bike, with a Buell XB9 engine in it. In my opinion, it is one of the cleanest looking bikes out there on the salt.
I went to bed early because it was going to be a long drive from Colorado to Bonneville. The next morning I woke up really early because we were trying to get out of there before 7:00. I grabbed myself some breakfast then we loaded up the back of the truck and made sure we had everything, and then we headed out.
A little side note: my Grandpa is 87-years-old and is probably in the best shape I have ever seen anyone that age. So, we went and parked the truck and then went to check out the rooms. My grandpa and I slept in one room and my dad and his girlfriend in the one next door. We grabbed dinner and then scooted off to bed because it had been a long day.
The next morning we woke up at 3:00, so we could roll quickly to a good spot on the salt. We sat in the asphalt line leading to the salt and mingled, because no one was allowed on the salt until 9:30. I hope everyone interested in speed has the opportunity to check it out, because it is indescribable.
Everyone helps each other out as much as possible, and I can’t leave out how amazing the sunrises are in the morning. Anyway, 9:30 rolled around. It was time to check in and grab a location in the pit area, so we hurried up and rolled out there. We set up our pit right next to our friends from Japan!
It is really cool to have such a diverse community out wrenching-away on the salt. Next, we went and waited in line to register and get the bike scrutinized or inspected for racing. There was no racing that day because everyone had to get set up.
The next day we got out there around 7:00, which was average time and once we, got out there we jumped straight into the pass line. So, once it was my dad’s turn to take his run we went back to the pit and listened. So, the record at this point for his class was only “110 mph” for the world record. So his first run he easily broke that with a 132 average.
After this we he had the option to keep racing or tear down his engine and get it inspected. We convinced him to get it inspected and sealed so he didn’t have to deal with it again. They seal the engine to insure no modifications are made until the record is confirmed.
How could this be? So, when she came back to the pits she broke the news to all of us. All the hard work and extra money spent trying to break a previously achievable record was now further out of reach. As the week went on there was no sign of getting the record because the rear wheel lost traction and started spinning, and there were problems with the gearing so the bike was never getting to its full potential.
I hope that next year we can come out and crush the record. I also hope that I get to spend time with my family again like this year. All in all, it was an amazing time on the salt and thanks to all the great people that I met out there and the fine times.
I can’t wait to return next year!
