RIP: SAM WHEELER 1943–2016

Innovative veteran motorcycle land speed racer succumbs to injuries sustained in practice crash at Bonneville

KENT KUNITSUGU

Longtime respected motorcycle land speed racer Sam Wheeler of Arcadia, California, died as a result of injuries sustained in a practice crash at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on Monday, July 25. Piloting his mostly self-designed and self-built EZ-HOOK streamliner powered by a Vance & Hines-built Suzuki Hayabusa engine with turbocharging by Mr. Turbo’s Terry Kizer, Wheeler was participating in a private testand-tune event. The amiable Wheeler was on his first shakedown run of the day when a malfunction occurred somewhere after the 2-mile marker. Unfortunately, because of an undetermined reason, the drag chute that slows the streamliner after a run and helps prevent rolls and flips in a crash did not deploy. Witnesses said the streamliner flipped 15 feet in the air during the resulting crash. Wheeler suffered…

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Sport Rider (Digital) - 1 Issue, October - November 2016

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