Phil Hicks

Speed Racer was one of my favorite cartoons growing up.

Either the TV show or comic book, it made no difference.

Fast forward a few (well, more than a few) years and we have our own Speed Racer in East Texas -- Gerald Jessup.

Instead of driving

The Mach 5, Jessup is into motorcycles.

But the need for speed is the same.

For the second straight year, the 72-year-old Jessup traveled to Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah seeking a record.

And for the second straight year, he set a record.

It was not the speed record he wanted, but nevertheless it was a record.

"I'm not as pleased as I could be," Jessup said. "I had some problems with the ignition system. I will have to be pleased."

Despite air density causing problems with his 1957 Triumph dubbed "The Heartland Express," he beat his own record of vintage motorcycles with a mark of 92.033 mph.

"It was the best salt I've seen," Jessup said of the famous Bonneville Salt Flats. "And it was the most problems I've ever had."

Last year, riding a heavily modified 1951 Triumph Tiger twin, Jessup broke the 500 cc displacement record of 78.163.

Despite suffering ignition failure, engine problems and challenging track conditions, Jessup set the world record of 86.845.

Jessup was hoping for more than 100 mph this year, but it was not to be.

It's quite an accomplish for the Flint resident. He wanted to hit the magical 100 mph marker.

Still, the record is special to Jessup because of all his well-wishers and sponsors.

"I'm fairly well pleased with the accomplishment," Jessup said. "There were so many people who helped me. I had more than 35 sponsors. I had people give me $20 all the way up to $1,500.

"The people who gave me $20 means as much to me as the ones who gave me $1,500. I appreciate it so much."

Jessup said to record a new mark, there's a complicated timing procedure that requires two runs, one in each direction, over a five-mile course. The two runs are averaged, and the runs must be made when the wind is less than 10 mph. The timing starts at the beginning of mile three, and lasts throughout the mile.

Once an entrant has made a pass, the motorcycle is impounded until the final (opposite direction) run. If a new world record is achieved, the engine is completely disassembled on the spot to ensure no cheating is taking place.

"They even control the fuel you can use by selling it to you at the track, and then they seal the tank," Jessup said. "They don't want you to add anything to it like old Burt Munro when he dropped his nitroglycerine heart medication into his gas before his run."

Munro was actually the inspiration for Jessup to set the record. He saw the movie "The World's Fastest Indian," starring Anthony Hopkins in the lead role of Munro.

The 2005 movie is a film based on the legendary speed bike racer from New Zealand. Munro set numerous land speed records for motorcycles with engines less than 1000cc at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the late 1950s and into the 1960s. Many of his records still stand today.

"Bonneville is the ultimate test of man and machine," Jessup said. "And even though I had retired from active motorcycle racing, this seemed like a great way to complete my 50-year racing career."

More than 300 entries were going for records at the Salt Flats and Jessup was proud to represent East Texas. He set the mark Thursday.

"I'm very fortunate to be able to do this," said Jessup, who battled back from a stroke he suffered in 1999. "My sponsors (lead sponsor Heartland Security Insurance Group) helped me so much.

"I thank God for these good people."

Notes: Billy Hibbs Jr., the chairman of Heartland, served as crew chief. Jessup's motorcycle business, Jessup's Sportcycles, is located in Flint. Over the years, Jessup has been a dealer for several motorcycle brands such as BSA, Hodaka, Ducati, Kawasaki, Bultaco, and Yamaha. He has three children -- Jagade, Russell and Jason. He and his wife Connie are active in the St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. Other sponsors of the world speed attempt include: C. Woods Company; employees of Broadway Power Sports; Terry's Repair; Back to Balance; Tom Mitchell Motor Sports; Tyler Radiator; Tucker Rocky Distributing; Pack Rat Storage, Domiracer; A.R.D. Ignition; Blair Landscape; Bill Day Tire Company; British Cycle Supply; BTW Racing; Carriage Craft; Eagle Plating; Bill and Jan Milburn; Charles & Linda Scholl; Clayton Kennon; David Francis, Frank & Linda Spangler; Glen & Petra McNamara; Jack Martin; Robert Sword; Ronnie Fix; Steve Jolly; Steve Voss;, and Wallace Kemp.

Phil Hicks is the sports editor of the Tyler Paper.
()