World Record-Holding Motorcyclist Killed in 285 m.p.h. Crash

LIMESTONE, Maine (TheBlaze/AP) -- A world record-holding motorcycle racer trying to top 300 m.p.h. died after losing control and crashing Sunday at an annual speed trial event in northern Maine.

The Loring Timing Association says 44-year-old Bill Warner of Wimauma, Fla., crashed during The Maine Event, a race being held on a runway at the former Loring Air Force Base.

(Credit: YouTube)

Race Director Tim Kelly says Warner was clocked at 285 m.p.h. before he lost control. He says Warner was conscious and talking as he was taken from the scene but died later at a hospital.

Warner rode a modified turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa. He previously hit 311 m.p.h. on the same course in 2011, using 1.5 miles of pavement. This time he was trying to hit 300 mph using just a mile of pavement.

Here's a clip of Warner's record-breaking 311.94 m.p.h. run at the Loring Timing Association Event on July 17, 2011, presumably shot from a camera on the motorcycle:

Warner says a few words after his 2011 record-setting run:

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