Seven-time motorcycle land speed record holder earns her Red Hat with a 208 mph run to become one of the newest members of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – September 15, 2014…Motorcycle racer and team owner, Valerie Thompson, set her 7th land speed record on her CTEK sponsored BMW S 1000 RR during the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association’s 28th Annual World of Speed event September 6-9 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover Utah.
Thompson spent a month in Utah to compete in the three most prestigious land speed racing events held at the famed Salt Flats, including Speed Week, the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials and World of Speed. Speed Week was canceled due to heavy rains. Weather and track conditions during the Motorcycle Speed Trials prevented Thompson from setting a new record despite making a strong 203.77 mph pass.
Thompson’s patience paid off during the World of Speed event where her BMW S 1000 RR was fast right out of the trailer. Six out of eight of Thompson’s passes were over 200 mph. On her last run of the event, Thompson enjoyed her best speed on the salt with a first pass at 209.85 mph and a return run of 207.71 mph, setting a new MPS-G 1000 record at 208.81 mph. The new record earned Thompson lifetime membership in the prestigious Red Hat Club, recognizing her 200+ mph performance.
“I’ve wanted the 200 MPH Club Red Hat since I started racing on the salt, so it’s an awesome achievement for me. I can’t thank my team enough for their outstanding fight to the end. Ray Garcia did an incredible job of making all the right calls on the bike’s set up. Now I can focus on setting more records and going faster with the Red Hat,” added an ecstatic Thompson.
According to USFRA secretary, Ellen Wilkinson, more than 150 teams pre-registered for the event, which was cancelled last year due to rain. “This was my first time racing at an USFRA sanctioned event and I was very impressed. Everything went smooth and we got a lot of runs in. I can’t wait to come back next year,” said Thompson.
Valerie Thompson Background
Valerie is a seven-time land speed record holder and owner/driver of the Valerie Thompson Land Speed Racing Motorcycle Team. She set a personal best top speed of 212 mph on her CTEK sponsored BMW S 1000 RR during the March 2013 Texas Mile competition. Thompson is an official member of the BUB Speed Trials 201 MPH Club, Mojave Magnum 200 MPH Club, Texas Mile 200 MPH Club, ECTA 200 MPH Club and a lifetime member of the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club.
