A 44-year-old motorcycle racer who holds the record for the fastest world land speed on a conventional motorcycle died just before 10 a.m. Sunday from an accident at an annual time trial. Bill Warner, from Wimauma, Florida, was trying to top 300 mph when he lost control of his bike, flew off the runway, and slid 1,000 feet.
Warner was at an annual timed speed event called The Maine Event at the former Strategic Air Command base in northern Maine. Just after the accident Warner was conscious and able to speak, but when he was rushed to Carey Medical Center, he died a little over an hour later.
According to Star Tribune, Warner hit 311 mph on the same course in 2011 using 1.5 miles of pavement, which is what achieved him the world record. This time, he was attempting to beat his own record by achieving 311 mph using only 1 mile of pavement.
Bangor Daily News reports that over 400 spectators watched as Warner’s modified turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa slid out of control and flew into the air, throwing him off the course.
“He got maybe 4,000 feet or so, and where I was standing at the starting line, you could see a big dust cloud and then it got silent,” said Cole Theriault, who watched the accident happen. “The bike, from what I heard, was demolished, just in pieces. After a minute, all you could hear was the sirens.”
After his tragic death, the rest of the day’s event was cancelled.
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