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Land Speed LegendsAuthor: Allison Volk Dean
Conversations with men & women who make land speed racing legendary! Language: en-us Genres: Automotive, Leisure Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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From Matchbox Cars To The Bonneville Salt Flats...The Legendary Randy Speranza Explains How He Built A 200 MPH Sidecar Harley.
Episode 50
Tuesday, 14 April, 2026
Send us Fan Mail200 MPH on a sidecar Harley with a pushrod motor is like a tall tale until you hear how Randy Speranza actually did it. We sit down with Randy to trace the full arc: a kid in Chicago reading about Bonneville in an old Hot Rod magazine, a first heartbreak visits when the salt is underwater, and then the long, stubborn journey that turns curiosity into real land speed racing results. We talk through the hands-on years that build a racer, from street cars and drag nights to joining a lakester team and chasing records at El Mirage and the Bonneville Salt Flats. Randy breaks down what keeps him hooked, how the land speed community shares knowledge instead of hiding it, and why records are “on loan” no matter whose name is on the page. If you love motorsport history, grassroots engineering, and the practical reality of going faster on the salt. Then the conversation gets personal. Randy opens up about the moment he finally breaks 200 mph, the family emotions tied to that red hat, and the terrifying day his aorta dissected at Bonneville. He walks us through the life flight, surgery, rehab mindset, and what it means to come back to racing with stents, scars, and a different sense of purpose. We also get into what he’s chasing next, including goals on two wheels, three wheels, and four wheels, plus helping his wife Diet build her own speed story. Subscribe for more Land Speed Legends, share this with a friend who lives for Bonneville land speed racing, and leave a review with your favorite moment from Randy’s journey.Support the show
