BONNEVILLE UPDATE 1


Well here we go again and somehow you made it to our update list. If you don’t want to go along with us just tell me.


We leave for Bonneville this Saturday and we’ll arrive Sunday evening in Wendover, Utah. We set up Monday and begin racing Tuesday, September 2-8.


In 2006 we set the Bonneville Nationals land speed record for a 1000cc production motorcycle at 185.882 mph ( 299.149 kph)


In 2007 we set the American Motorcycle Association 1000cc record at 187.900 mph (302.396 kph)


This year we go for the FIM World record and we look to improve our AMA record. We’d like to think we’ll go 200 mph + (322 kph) this year. The we is Rosey Lackey who set the previous records and myself who qualified last year at 184 mph. Rosey will go for the FIM and I’ll go for the AMA.


Rosey gets preference because he’s my idol. Anyone 71 years old going for 200 miles per hour is either crazy or is in the .oo1 club who understand the great things in life. No question that he a member of the club! AND being the oldest teenager you have ever met (64) its nice to do this without having ask the permission of your parents!


So why do this? Having been involved in all forms of racing in my life and having participated in it directly, I think I speak for Rosey in saying that Bonneville is our Mecca. Bonneville is the last bastion of amateur racing where the word “fastest” means something. There is no prize money and the major competitor is yourself…and the damn salt! Just when you figure it out you haven’t. But what a ride and what a thrill! You’d have to be there to understand and maybe by being part of our updates you’ll get some idea of what it is like.


Why MV Agusta? Strictly personal. First of all it’s Italian. Doesn’t get any better than that. 110% emotion and passion. Second, Massimo Tamburini their designer. I have followed his career from Bimota to Ducati and now MV. He’s a genius of motorcycle design. And given the incredible heritage of MV Agusta…..wouldn’t it be fun to give them their first world record for the new company???


With the largest collection of vintage MV’s in the world today it just seems natural for me to want to become part of their racing heritage. And do it myself!! Now that’s a rush!


You’ll ask what all the signatures on the bike are for. Well for all intensive purposes my company Fine Art Models (www.fineartmodels.com) is the sponsor. We don’t need much exposure because we sell everything we can build. But watching the race bike being built I was struck by the passion and pride of the workers in the small company of 250 people. Here we are taking on the Japanese giants and going faster. It dawned on me that these workers were the real sponsors so as the bike was completed I asked all the workers to sign the bike. Talk about emotion! It just doesn’t get any better. And in the end we take nothing with us except our experiences and this year promises to add yet another world class experience to my travels through life. I set an around the world speed record in a plane and I think it would be nice to have a land speed record to go with it…..on an Italian masterpiece.


This year we have some really great sponsors. TechnoResearch writes software for MV Agusta in Italy and it took Joe our UPS guy to tell us that we were located three doors away from one another in Royal Oak, Michigan. That led us to Microtec who makes a world class ECU for racing purposes and SR Tuning who will dial the bike up for each run so we are assured of getting peak performance. The lead sponsor is Jeanrichard Swiss Watches and they are there because their leader really “gets it” from a marketing perspective. Jeanrichard creates world-class watches with a line of MV Agusta inspired chronographs. Then we have the Legend of the Motorcycle. Talk about get it…..their event is the premiere motorcycle event in the world today and I’d help them promote the event any way I can. They have a vision in a world of people playing follow the leader.


What you see in all these people is the same passion you see at Fine Art Models and MV Agusta. An overwhelming desire to be the best.


And…….back to Bonneville. FASTEST (VELOCISSIMA) says it all.


The weather forecast has highs in the mid 80’s and no sign of rain. It just could be a very fast track!


Asked what it is like at 184 mph on the equivalent of wet snow and the only answer can be is that it is where terror meets ecstasy and there is no winner. If you aren’t frightened then you shouldn’t be there. If you aren’t enjoying it at the same time then you shouldn’t be there.


So two grandfathers are going to try and go very fast….and that’s a rush! And we’ll do it in the company of some really great friends. Doesn’t get any better than that.


Gary Kohs


PS: I am told that MV Agusta is creating a special page on their web site to
post daily updates and photos from Bonneville.


MV Agusta http://mvagusta.com/_vti_g2_0.aspx?rpstry=28_


Gary Kohs




Riders
Rosey Lackey (Dryden, Michigan)
Gary Kohs (Birmingham, Michigan)
Crew Chief
Ken Sperry
Pit Tootsie
Laura Scaccia
Crew
Ralph Pitlock
Norwood Skill
Frank Reckneberg
Mike Kaptuch
Gary Martin
Jim Bulin
Evan Scaccia


Sponsors:


MV Agusta http://mvagusta.com/_vti_g2_0.aspx?rpstry=28_
www.cagivausa.com


Fine Art Models www.fineartmodels.com


Jeanrichard www.GIRARD-PERREGAUX.com www.JEANRICHARD.com




Technoresearch www.technoresearch.com


Microtec www.microtec.cc


SR Tuning http://www.sr-tuning.us/


The Legend of the Motorcycle http://www.legendofthemotorcycle.com/




2007 Bonneville Videos


http://www.motorcycle.com/events/mv-agusta-at-bonneville-bub-speed-trials-75728.html


http://media.freep.com/roseylackey/index.html


Gary


Fine Art Models
4838 Leafdale Blvd.
Royal Oak, MI 48073
Ph 248 288 5155
Fax 248 288 4412
www.fineartmodels.com
gk@fineartmodels.com