Russ Collins

[Dynoroom]

Russ Collins of RC Engineering past this morning.
Not so much a land speed racer but a true racer none the less. Rode the first 200 mph drag motorcycle. Evil Sorcerer I think it was called, 3 rows of 4. I had the chance to watch him run at Irwindale going through the lights with a high speed wobble on one of his 200 mph attempts.
Balls of steel...

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Honda 750-4s with blowers.  That must have been quite a sight - and sound!

[SPDRACR]

I was lucky enough to get really up close and personal with the triple about a year ago. Randy Nelson from the San Diego Roadster Club
restored the rolling chassis. Yep three 750's punched out 1050 each, no blowers on the triple butthey did run north of 75% nitro!!!!, Had all the stock transmissons cut off, and ran a single two speed Lenco. Balls of Steel is a understatment to say the least.
Sorry to hear that Russ passed, I know his son's were trying to get the restoration done before the "big C" got him.

[stay`tee]

sad news, my condolences to his family and friends, ,

never had the pleasure to meet him,, the big three, Russ Collins Hondas(tripple engine and V8), Tommy Christiansens twin engined Norton and Marion Owens twin engined Harley, ,

[Speed Limit 1000]

Russ provided inspiration for many racers. He will be missed. RIP my friend.

[Stainless1]

GodSpeed Russ.  Our condolences from my racing family to your family and close friends. 
We've unfortunately lost another one of our heroes.

[Duramax]

God Speed Russ.   

You kicked azz.

PS - Thanks for the pistons.

[racefanwfo]

In 1973, Collins built the revolutionary, three-engine, Honda-based drag bike he dubbed Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe – named in honor of the famous railroad line of the late 1800s. The monstrous three-engine Honda was featured in numerous motorcycle and drag racing publications and was perhaps the most famous drag bike of the 1970s. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe set numerous records and Collins rode it to the first seven-second quarter-mile turned on a motorcycle in Ontario, California, in 1973. It even became the first motorcycle to win NHRA's coveted "Best Engineered Car" award at the Springnationals in 1973. The bike was so powerful and heavy that it proved to be very hard to control and in 1976 the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe was destroyed in a horrendous accident in Akron, Ohio. i heard that the crashed remains of the ATSF where made into a coffie table that sat in russ's office. i do not believe that the bike spdracr saw was the real thing but a recreation.

RIP RUSS

[makr]

RIP

[WOODY@DDLLC]

Russ Collins [Action Fours?] was one of my heroes when I started turning wrenches [T-handles]. He had a Honda V-8 with a blower in the works as I recall. Sorry to hear he passed!  Condolences to friends and family!

[racefanwfo]

The movie TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT has a segment about russ and the Sorcerer drag bike

[SPDRACR]

Nope, I saw the real thing, and it was a coffee table!!! It was smashed up bad. I believe that Randy and I found the reason for the crash so many years ago.It collapsed one of the rear struts that centered the slick, it let the rear axle steer about 6-7 degres to the right?,(I'm roadster guy talking motorcycles),but it sure would have been hard to drive with the azz end trying to drive around the front!!!!!. Russ's sons were trying to finish the restoration before there fathers passing.One amazing man, engineering skills and riding talent.  RIP Russ

[WOODY@DDLLC]

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/r-c-engineering-ze0z1208zwar.aspx

[manta22]

That must have been an awesome machine; I'm sorry I never had a chance to see it run.

The old order passeth away.... RIP, RC.

Neil