Buell-Powered Project Leviathan Secures Category B Land Speed License in Demanding Bonneville Maiden Outing

By: Published on 21 September 2026

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — September 4, 2026 — Buell Motorcycle Co. and Buell Advanced Designs and Strategic Solutions Lead Jacob Stark concluded their maiden Bonneville Speed Week campaign aboard Project Leviathan, advancing from a rookie E-license to an official SCTA Category B competition license.

Powered by Buell’s production-based 1190cc ET-V2 platform, Project Leviathan’s turbocharged build faced challenging conditions at this year’s Speed Week. Jacob Stark, Jessie Brown (JB-Tech Racing), and the Leviathan team adapted quickly to the salt in a series of runs that highlighted the team’s problem-solving and durability checks for next year’s Category A qualifications.

Putting Project Leviathan to the salt generated approximately 25% wheel slip across the measured course. This means that telemetry logged rear-wheel speeds exceeding 225 MPH in achieving the verified 178.531 MPH that would conclude the team’s successful Category B licensing run.

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Bonneville Licensing Regulations

SCTA licensing regulations require competitors to complete a controlled pass without exceeding the top speed threshold. All bikes aiming for Category B licensing at this year’s Speed Week needed to keep between 175 MPH and 199.999 MPH. This meant that any teams or competitors logging 200+ MPH while aiming for Category B were disqualified from the run, forfeiting that year’s licensing pass eligibility.

A Week on the Salt

After clearing technical inspection and locking in an initial D-license checkout run, Stark and the team worked through trackside challenges that included an ECM shift lockout and a turbo inlet mesh choked by flung chain grease. Once the intake was cleared and the ECM reprogrammed, Stark lined up for the Category B qualification pass.

In the final licensing run, Jacob noted speeds as high as 188 MPH on the dash. Stark made the executive decision to remain topped out in fourth gear, as grabbing fifth gear on the 400- horsepower turbocharged machine would have exceeded Category B speed requirements and disqualified the team. It was this final pass that verified 178.531 MPH, officially securing Project Leviathan’s Category B competition license, allowing Stark and his team confirmed access to Bonneville’s 5-mile Long Course and setting the stage for Category A licensing runs next year.

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“So I would say this event was primarily a learning event – learned to ride the salt, learned the bike, and got prepped for the next stage in this build …I anticipate quite a few changes to the technique and how everything gets prepped and readied for next year,” said Jacob Stark.

“I am really looking forward to refining our processes and getting an actual attempt at the record. Everything’s there: It’s powerful, it’s fast, and now we get to work on preparing for Category A next year.”

Preparing for the Long Course in 2027

This year’s milestones at Bonneville Speed Week laid the groundwork for Project Leviathan’s next campaign—a debut made possible by an incredible roster of technical partners.

A big thanks from Stark and his team to the following companies and individuals: CO-BUILDER