Nationality American | Name Don Vesco | |
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Occupation Motorcycle racer and businessperson Known for Motorcycle land-speed record and wheel-driven land speed record Died December 16, 2002, San Diego, California, United States | ||
Don vesco the silver bird 1975
Don Vesco (April 8, 1939–December 16, 2002) was an American businessperson, motorcycle racer, and multiple motorcycle land-speed record and wheel-driven land speed record holder. He set 18 motorcycle and 6 automobile speed records during his life.
Contents
- Don vesco the silver bird 1975
- Don vesco the viper
- Speed records
- Other designs
- Honors
- Collections
- References
His accomplishments recognized by the American Motorcyclist Association include winning the United States motorcycle Grand Prix 500 cc class in 1963, operating a California motorcycle dealership that sponsored up to 60 racers at a time, and setting a number of motorcycle and automobile land speed records.
Don vesco the viper
Speed records
His motorcycle land speed records were set in 1970 at 251.66 miles per hour (405.01 km/h) in a twin-engined streamliner "Big Red", becoming the first person to ride faster than 250 mph; in 1975, when he pushed past the 300-mile-per-hour (480 km/h) milestone for the first time with "Silver Bird"; and in 1978 at 318.598 miles per hour (512.734 km/h) in a twin-turbo powered streamliner "Lightning Bolt", a record that stood for 12 years.
In 2001, just a year before he died of prostate cancer, he set the FIA wheel-driven land speed record of 458.440 miles per hour (737.788 km/h) in a turboshaft powered streamliner called "Turbinator".
Other designs
In addition to his own land speed record vehicles, Vesco had a consulting role in other streamlined vehicles. One was Max Lambky's Vincent-engined Lambky Liner streamliner. Another was the "Project 200" streamliner designed by his business partner, Matt Guzzetta, and speed tested by Vesco at El Mirage Dry Lake. Project 200 both competed in the Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge, and in 1983, performed an American coast-to-coast transit without refueling, sponsored by Motorcyclist magazine.
Vesco also designed aftermarket motorcycle accessories including extended range gas tanks for offroad motorcycles sold through Don Vesco Products, which also had a line of motorcycle fairings called "Rabid Transit" designed by Guzzetta.
Honors
Vesco was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, and posthumously inducted to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2004.
Collections
Vesco's "Big Red" #11 streamliner is part of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum collection. His #14 streamliner, with a fiberglass body molded around a 22-inch aircraft drop tank, powered by twin supercharged Yamaha XS650 SOHC engines, is on display at the National Motorcycle Museum in Iowa. The "Project 200" fuel efficiency contest streamliner was on display at the San Diego Automotive Museum as of 2011.