A little history about Don Vesco - Hell of a guy
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Don Vesco bio taken from their website
http://www.teamvesco.com Don Vesco, driver, and co-creator of the Turbinator with his brother Rick Vesco.
Don currently holds 18 motorcycle and 6 automotive records and held the Motorcycle LSR record for 19 years at 318.598 MPH.
Don has turned the fastest time in history in a motorcycle at 333.117 and the fastest time in a wheel-driven vehicle at 459.021.
1955 -- First ran a motorcycle at Bonneville Salt Flats at age 16.
1961-1962 -- Road raced RC 161 Honda 250cc, 4 cylinder for American Honda Co.
1963 -- Won the 125-mile U.S. Grand Prix Open Class at Daytona Beach, Florida on a Yamaha 250 cc, providing Yamaha its first ever American victory.
1963 -- Became a member of the exclusive Bonneville 200 MPH Club in John Vesco's (Father) # 444 Offy powered 4 wheel streamliner with a 222 MPH average.
1970 -- On Sept. 17, Don was the first person to drive a motorcycle at more than 250 MPH, with a two way average speed of 251.924 MPH over a measured mile, in this motorcycle streamliner powered by twin Yamaha 350 cc engines.
1973 -- Don added 40 inches to the middle of the 11 streamliner and replaced the 350cc engines with two Yamaha 750 cc engines.
1974 -- On Oct. 1, Don set a new AMA record with an average speed of 281.702 MPH at Bonneville, with a motorcycle streamliner powered by twin Yamaha TZ750 road racing engines.
1975 -- Sept. 15, Don was the first motorcyclist to exceed 300 MPH, setting a new AMA record in the Silverbird of 303.928 MPH for the mile and 302.657 for the kilometer.
1978 -- Aug. 25, set a new record at 315.892 with two 1015 cc turbocharged Kawasaki modified KZ-900 engines. On Aug. 28, the record was raised to 318.598 MPH during filming ofABC Wide World of Sports TV special. On Sept. 27, during Speed Week, Don turned the fastest speed of the meet, including cars, at 333.117 MPH.
October 1978, Don crashed the Lightning Bolt I at El Mirage Dry Lake after setting a record at 209.302 MPH. Most of streamliner body was destroyed but Don wasn't injured.
1980 -- Built motorcycle streamliner with two turbocharged 6 cylinder Kawasaki 1300 cc engines. Had aluminum wheels and timing belt driven drive train.
1982 -- Constructed a 4 wheel(6) streamlined vehicle for world record attempts using a turbocharged Drake-Offenhauser Indy engine. Had 2 rear wheels, 2 side wheels and 1 front wheel. Front of vehicle used the drivers compartment from the Lightning Bolt I. Rain canceled meet at Bonneville.
1983 -- Rained out at Bonneville. In November, set a record at 210.280 at El Mirage Dry Lake in Elliott Estrines fuel streamliner powered by a 1015 cc turbocharged Kawasaki modified KZ-900 engine.
1984 -- In June, set a record at 188.679 at El Mirage Dry Lake in Elliott Estrine's fuel streamliner powered by a 960 cc turbocharged Kawasaki modified KZ-900 engine. At Bonneville, made four runs with Skytracker using a 2600cc turbocharged Drake-Offenhauser engine. Speed of 235 was attained before meet was shut down due to rain.
1985 -- Qualified for record runs with Skytracker at 318 mph. Blew a rear tire on record runs and crashed end-over-end 5 times at estimated speed of 350 MPH. Car was destroyed, Don received slight concussion and broken bone in right foot.
1986-1987 -- Joined forces with brother Rick on the construction of a new twin engine car.
1988 -- The new twin engine car's first runs reach 285 MPH.
1989 -- Car was clocked at speed of 351 MPH with air speed indication over 390 MPH.
1990 -- Was hired to test drive and trouble shoot Chet Herbert's 4 engine LSR streamliner.
1991 -- Drove car #111 TeamVesco streamliner with twin 160 cubic inch turbocharged Drake-Offys to a speed of 372 MPH.
1992-1995 -- Hired by BMW Motorcycle Co. to ride as a team in a series of races called The Battle of The Legends, a race that attracted 52,000 spectators at Datona in 1995.
1996 -- Raced the legend series with BMW Motorcycles including a race in Hockenheim, Germany. First runs of TeamVesco gas turbine powered LSR car at Bonneville.
1997 -- Turned 349 at Bonneville Speed Week in Turbinator car. Problems with drive train prevented further runs. Turned 439 MPH in kilo at World Finals. Set Bonneville Nationals gas turbine record at 400.833 MPH.
1999 -- Inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in July. Set new Bonneville gas turbine record and Land Speed Record at 417.529 MPH in August at Speedweek and 427.832 MPH in September at the World of Speed.
2001 -- Turned 459.021 at Bonneville Speed Week in Turbinator. Broke Donald Campbell's gas turbine record of 403.135 while setting new International Land Speed Record (FIA) for wheel driven vehicles at 458.44 MPH.
