Sean Mathison of Belwood set a land speed record at an East Coast Timing Association event in Wilmington, Ohio on Sept. 29.
Mathison drove his 101 cubic inch/1670cc Yamaha MT 01, which he mainly built with his dad, down a 9,000-foot runway and peeled off a 132.8-mph run.
This set the record for the M/PF-2000-4 class, which is for modified push rod motorcycles running on fuel up to 2000cc.
“Next year I’m hoping to take all four records. I’ve set some goals,” said Mathison.
The big push rod class is dominated by Harleys, so the Canadian-only model Yamaha caused quite a sensation in the USA. The model was never sold there.
Mathison has been doing a little drag racing in preparation for the event, running in the 11.5-second, 115mph range.
Over the winter he and his father will be further modifying the machine for a full landspeed racing season in 2014.
The ultimate objective is to run the Bonneville Salt Flats event and take all four regional records.
“You can’t go fast on the streets,” said Mathison. “It was an opportunity to get on the bike and go as fast as I could legally.”
