After several days of shipping delays, the race equipment and motorcycles have arrived on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia today, August 17. Teams worked feverishly throughout the day to get pits and track set up, bikes and equipment teched so that racing may begin tomorrow, Friday, August 18.
For competitor Al Lamb of Dallas Honda, this marks his third visit to Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, but the first time his container has arrived in time for the event. In 2017, the team had to last-minute air freight his bike ‘Big Red’ after the container did not arrive in time. In 2018, the container was lost completely and never showed. The third time is the charm for Lamb and the Honda team.
“We finally made it! Only took three tries,” Lamb exclaimed with a grin. “I’m excited, very excited. Everything inside looks good, so we’re in good shape.”
First-time competitor Jamie Williams was happy to unload his container filled with his three entries: one motorcycle—a turbine superbike, one four-wheel streamliner and one snowmobile. (Yes, you read that correctly!)
“We plan on running the snowmobile tomorrow, the one I have the most seat time in. We’re hoping to go over 200 mph,” said Williams. “Next is the turbine bike. We’ll probably run that next, actually. We’ve never raced it on the salt, and it’s an open record. We’re hoping 200 mph, but time will tell. And then we’re running the ‘liner.
“We’re excited. We’re ready to go out there and give ‘er hell.”
With pits and teams now set up and tech inspections underway, racing at the Bolivia Speed Trials will commence Friday, August 18, 2023. Stay tuned for news and updates from the Salar de Uyuni.
More newshere
Text and pictures Jean Turner