1st Goodguys Spring Nationals 2010 Street Challenge Autocross

Goodguys Spring Nationals, March 12-14

Street Challenge Autocross

To see all the juicy event details, check below.  What we are excited about and wanted to point out to you readers is the new event they’re having this year.  The “Street Challenge Autocross”!  Take your hot rod and bash some cones and yank that steering wheel around and put a hurtin’ on your tires and brakes.  Check out these 2 hot rods showing you how autocross is done!

 

Check out this CRC Vette getting it on in the twisties.  Man that looks fun!

…or maybe Corner Carving Muscle is your thing, check out Bryan Frank’s Trans-Am. 

I’d love to see some lead sleds or kustoms out on the course.  Or maybe a 32 roadster! 

Details of the event below:

The Goodguys Spring Nationals is a new hot rod and custom car festival featuring the Southwest’s premier custom vintage automobiles! The event will feature over 2,000 1972 & earlier hot rods, customs, classics, street rods, muscle cars, & trick trucks as well as manufacturer and vendor exhibits, a swap meet and cars for sale area, special “themed” parking areas, model car & pedal car expo, kids play area and lots of fun for the entire family.

A special Autocross will also be featured, allowing event participants to test their car’s performance levels on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 12, 13 & 14. Event hours are: Friday and Saturday 8 am to 5 pm and Sunday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Where: WestWorld Equestrian Park, 16601 W. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ, Tickets: General admission: $18 per day, Kids (7-12) $6. $5 spectator parking fee charged by WestWorld. Phone: WestWorld 480/312-6802 or Goodguys: 925/838-9876. Web: www.ggspringnats.com

Event Highlights: Outdoor Show n’ Shine: The Goodguys Spring Nationals officially kicks off Goodguys’ 23-event 2010 season. With an outdoor show n’ shine of over 2,000 vintage classics through 1972, WestWorld will be landscaped with acres of gleaming, candy-colored cars. Lil’ deuce coupes, hot rod roadsters, lead-sled 50’s Merc customs, ‘55-’57 Chevy’s, Camaros, Barracuda’s & Mustangs and other timeless beauties will fill the entire outdoor acreage of WestWorld.

Street Challenge Autocross: Hot rods and muscle cars will be in action both Friday and Saturday making runs through the electronically timed “Street Challenge” Autocross course. The course is approx. 1000 ft in length and features tight turns with rapid acceleration and deceleration. Speeds average 20-30mph while testing to extreme limits the vehicle’s performance capabilities. Winners receive gift certificates from sponsors including tires and suspension equipment and other performance goodies.

Commercial Exhibits/Swap Meet/Car Corral: Commercial and vendor exhibits will fill a large circus-style tent and the areas outside the tent. The swap meet and cars for sale corral offers unlimited bargain hunting and shopping for rare car parts.

Special Feature Areas: Held on Saturday from the 8 am to 2 pm, these areas will include: Timberland PRO’s Homebuilt Heaven, Young Guys—(for participants 25 and younger), Mighty Muscle (1955 through 1972 muscle cars), Ya Gotta Drive ‘Em (for participants who’ve driven their car more than 500 miles to the event), and the Trick Truck Corral for pickup trucks. The Goodguys “Builder’s Choice” area will feature the event’s top cars vying for 10 special awards.

Model Car Show: On Saturday, Revell Monogram will be sponsoring the Make n’ Take session at 1 pm. Model car kits will be available for the kids to build the kits and take them home. A full scale model car show and vintage pedal car exhibit will also be featured. Entertainment: Rock & roll music will fill the desert air all weekend long. Awards Ceremony: The culmination of the weekend will be Sunday’s official awards ceremony which takes place at 2:22pm. It’s a great way to see the best of the best! Additional Event Info: Visit www.ggspringnats.com or call 925/838-9876.

Chandler Car Show Shines Downtown

Overcast skies and the threat of actually having to wear a jacket didn’t deter a great crowd from downtown Chandler, Arizona on February 27, 2010. For all the pictures I took click here.

I figured I’d lead with this Willys gasser. I waited for a few minutes to snap this shot with just a few legs in still walking by. It was pretty big crowd! Even stacked with great cars, I picked this one as my favorite just for it’s sheer gasser badness. Those who disagree are simply wrong!

While you’re looking at this picture, notice the air scoops on the front of the hood. These scoops fed the cross rammed big block Chevy. Cool setup.

Besides the Willys that stopped me in my tracks, I found this car. A 1954 Darrin confirmed by trusty Google! I shot one of these up at Barrett Jackson 2 years ago. A perfectly restored piece that went for big bucks and was worth it.  The sliding pocket doors on these are so different, you’ll know these when you see’m. Now I’ve seen 2 of the 435 ever built.

An unusual car, no doubt, but look under the hood. At first I thought he’d put in a run-of-the-mill fuel injected small block. Maybe that’s all he SHOULD put in there given the body’s fiberglass and dig that stylish but tiny opening for cooling air. I wanted to ask the owner if it runs hot, but he was busy answering, “What’s that?” Then I saw what’s really stuffed in there:

Squint and you can see “Ram Jet” and 502. Get some.

Adding a little pedigree to the show, this is “Double Trouble” fresh from purchase at the Barrett Jackson auction. Also included on this definition of a hot rod’s pedigree is a trip to the Grand National Roadster show as an “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster contender. I dubbed this one America’s Most Bitch’n Roadster. It is.

It was designed and sketched by my friend Jimmy Smith from right here in Arizona. Here’s the sketch.

Making a, uhh… subtle transition from Double Trouble, dig this hot rod. I always hesitate to call it a rat rod, but maybe alot of people would. Hey guys, it may just be unfinished! With the detailed rear suspension still visible and the trick side draft carbed straight six Chevy it ran, I’m just gonna say bad, crowd pleasing hot rod let you decide what you want to call it.

Finally, this is my man Branden’s ride. (He’s a member at MyRideisMe.com so look at his garage here.)

I don’t think Branden minds if we call it a “rat rod”. With the spikes on the headlights, the rusty water pump and general lack of shine, I think it fits. But if you look really closely, there’s alot of well thought out planning shown. The pickup bed features a couple artillery cases for storage and this thing’s Branden’s daily driver so it’s solid.

Branden’s wife’s been fighting cancer since I’ve known him but he told me today she’s now cancer free. Right on!! When you see him shake his hand or give him a hug for goodness sakes!  His family’s been through alot and survived it.  I’m sure they’re all stronger now.

From the positive reaction other cancer patients have had to his car, Branden suggested a run out the the hospital to try and cheer up the patients. Who’s up for a ride to help out some folks who could use a smile?  More info to come soon on a cruise to the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Goodyear.

Ending on a positive note then, check out all my pictures from downtown Chandler. We’ll see you around town!

-pikesan

Mustangs and Muscle Cars in Mesa, Arizona

Lance and his website HotRodPlanet.com is becoming quite a car show promoter in Arizona.  This is his latest effort and I’m sorry to get this up late for THIS WEEKEND 2/13/10.  Here’s the info you’ll need. (Click on the flier to see it full size) The show is SOLD OUT, but you can still take in the 200+ cars and the Air Museum.

Mustangs & Muscle Cars – Car Show at the
Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing Aviation Museum February 13, 2010

The public is invited to attend the Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) Arizona Wing Aviation Museum’s Mustangs & Muscle Charity Car Show, sponsored by Berg Ford on Saturday, February 13, 2010. This shows theme features WWII P-51 Mustang fighters, along with both classic and new cars. The car show is open to all makes, models and years of muscle cars, street rods, 4X4’s, Exotics, Imports and motorcycles. Come see the cars cause this show is SOLD OUT.

Mustangs & Muscle Charity Car Show will be held at the CAF Arizona Wing Aviation Museum located at Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, AZ. The Museum is located at 2017 N. Greenfield Road. Doors will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Warbirds on display for the car show include the B-17 Sentimental Journey, B-25 Mitchell Bomber, North American SNJ/T-6 and Stearman trainers, and many more. Exhibits displays Include a tribute to the B-17 Chow Hound, honoring fallen Airmen and the 91st Bomb Group, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Flying Tigers, the China Burma India Theater and Women in Aviation, including the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS) of WWII plus others.

In addition, there will be Hot Wheel racing for the kids, sponsored by KMJ Diecast, as well as music provided by a local DJ playing hits from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

Admission Price – Ages 13-Adult $10.00, Seniors 62 and older $9.00, Ages 5-12 $3.00, Ages under 5 free. Rides are also available on WWII B-17, C-45 and SNJ/T-6 trainer. Gift certificates may be purchased for flights on Sentimental Journey or other warbirds. The museums gift shop has many aviation gifts available for that unique gift. Food and drinks will be available.

The CAF Arizona Wing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to celebrating our heritage of freedom through flight, education, exhibition and remembrance. For more information on The Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum please call 480-924-1940 or visit our web site at www.azcaf.org.

Rockabilly Reunion in Lake Havasu, AZ

Get set for the Second Annual Rockabilly Reunion this weekend February 12-14, 2010. How often can you get Rockabilly music, a pinup model contest and Rockabilly music all for FREE for you and your ride?

Voodoo Swing is set to perform at the event held on the shores of the Colorado River at Windsor State Beach in Lake Havasu, Arizona. “We’re thrilled to be playing three days of music along with other great acts for some of the biggest rockabilly music fans in the country who truly appreciate what we do”, said Voodoo Swing’s front man Paul “Shorty” Kreutz.

The Rockabilly Reunion is free to spectators of all ages and there is no charge to enter a car for display. Voodoo Swing plays throughout the weekend along with multiple rockabilly acts. The band is scheduled to play a welcome party at Nautical Inn Resort on the island at the beach in Lake Havasu City at 9pm on Friday evening following the poker run held at Windsor State Beach in Lake Havasu City on both Saturday and Sunday.

Carnival rides for all ages will be in place throughout the weekend. Additional features include the annual pinup contest, beer and food garden, vendor corral, used parts swap meet, used car corral and pin striping contest. A Brian Setzer Series Hotrod Gretsch guitar will be auctioned off during the weekend. The guitar has been provided by event sponsor Gretsch and can be viewed at the Gretsch booth near the stage.

A portion of proceeds from the high bid will be donated to America Home Dream, a non-profit organization that assists families of children with cancer.

For the Pinup model contest sponsored by Gretsch guitar, there’s $3000 in prizes available so get in touch with brendaleepinup@yahoo.com to enter.

Fresh LeMons with ahhh… Strict Rules – For FUN!

Call them “lemons” or piles of crap or simply junk. Still, can you argue these guys are having fun racing them!?

I first heard about the Concours d’LeMons and took note because it was part of the super prestigious and maybe super “snobby” Monterey Concours Week including the world famous Concours d’Elegance. Dating back to 1950, we can’t hate on the big-daddy of Concours Week in Pebble Beach because they now include class “U” Hot Rods: Lakesters and Bonneville Racers. Gotta hit that show one of these days!

The 24 Hours of LeMons, an obvious play on the 24 Hours of LeMans, the worlds oldest endurance sports car race, the “Lemons” used in this race are cars worth not more than $500.  More than anything I’m wondering, what kind of cars get entered and when can I see this first hand?  Turns out, I’ll show you the cars here and see’m first hand in Phoenix at the kickoff event for the LeMons series at Firebird Raceway.

Dubbed the Auction-Weekend Gavel-Tap GP in honor of the slew of high dollar auction that are part of Arizona’s Auction Week, the race is held on the 1.1 mile west course at Firebird. The gates open early Friday, January 22nd for tech inspection, then race session 1 starts Saturday at 10AM continuing with session II at 9AM on Sunday.

If you’re thinking, “So what, junk cars racing, I see that on my drive to Maricopa every day.” then you should have a look at some of the rules and how they’re written. If the racing environment is even near as fun as the rules, this is a must see.

First off, it costs $500 to enter and $100 per racer.  Not too bad if you’re in the race for a 3 days for a little over a grand. But what’s that get you?  The usual things, plus, “sweatshop-made commemorative crap, and anything else we come up with by then.” That sounds worth it…

Continuing down the rules, I was curious how they figure out the $500. What’s that include and not include? In straight forward Enlgish rule 4.1.1 explains:

Lame-Ass Rationalizations: Cars that “should be” worth $500 don’t count; cars that “were worth $500″ before you spent another $2000 to fix them don’t count; cars you’ve owned for 20 years and spent more than $500 on during that time don’t count; “it would have been worth $500 if it didn’t already have a cage” doesn’t count. Five hundred dollars means five hundred frickin’ dollars.

To keep things safe, quite a few safety items are exempt from the $500. That includes Wheels, tires, wheel bearings, and brake components, so that helps, but from the pictures, it doesn’t look like folks are spending alot on high performance wheels.

Just in case any questions come up or a team is just over the limit, the rules include a “BS Factor”.  At the end of the day, teams are trying to win by finishing the most laps, same as most endurance races. So the BS Factor penalizes 1 lap for every $10 over the $500 race car limit. The BS Factor panel of judges run a tight ship and as for appeals, “Get real. There’s no appealing this decision. You’re boned.”  You gotta go read the rules where you’ll also these fun rules:

• 2.4: Whiner Eligibility.
  • “Whiners are not eligible to compete. If you believe that you might be a whiner, please check with a domestic partner, guardian, or health-care professional before getting the rest of your team kicked the hell out of the race.”
• 6.1: Individual Lousy-Driving Rule
• 6.2: Team Lousy-Driving Rule
• 6.3: Why Am I Upside-Down?
• 6.4: Touching a Temporary Barrier
  • “An automatic Lousy Driving Offense With Extreme Prejudice. (You don’t even want to know what that means.)”

See!!??

The final couple rules keeping things honest is the “Claiming Rule” (self explanatory) and rule 1.6: Your Car May Be Destroyed at Any Time.  Through a blind ballot of all teams, one car is selected to be immediately and completely destroyed, right there at the track!

Who knows why you’ll get picked but as the rules clearly state: “It could be your car. It probably WILL BE your car. You’ll have 30 minutes to yank out any safety items you want to rescue, and then it’s toast. Them’s the breaks. Don’t bring it if you ain’t OK with losing it.”

For the $20/day or $30/weekend general-access paddock passes, this sounds like fun on wheels like we haven’t seen since your church’s demolition derby.  Can you make it? See ya there!

Top 10 Ways to Fail at an Arizona Car Show

This is how you do a car show! Complain as you might for a big annual show like Goodguys: the cost, the crowds, the waiting to get out when it’s all over, but that’s still a bigtime show and one I look forward to every year.

Compare that to this past weekend’s show at Beaudry RV put on by Roddin’ and Racin’s Jerry Hutchcroft. I did not attend the show, but I got a first hand account of what went on, and bottom line is: That’s a great example of how NOT to put on a car show.

Top 10 Ways to Fail at an Arizona Car Show:

#10: Don’t supply the advertised “Cruise Lane”

#9: Don’t put on the much anticipated and always fun Burn-out or engine “Rev-Up” contest

#8: Have a goodie bag filled with a small box of Tic-Tacs and a pen that doesn’t work

#7: Have poor facilities planning: Not enough garbage cans, a weak PA system and no as advertised preferred parking area

#6: Don’t have any car show class voting and trophies as advertised

#5: See “NEVER less than 20-30 cars backed up line” that at times were, “backed up all the way to the freeway” and don’t make a change to get people in quicker

#4: Show up late to your own car show when you advertised the gates would open at 6:30AM

#3: Dont’ supply a dash plaque, t-shirt or anything at all for the early registration, “Bonus Package”

#2: Advertise and collect pre-entries for a 2 day show, then change it to a 1 day show.

#1: Make a lame apology on your website claiming, “I didn’t know” the event would be so successful as the reason why it failed.

Giving some credit, this was a show for charity, although I haven’t heard how much they donated.  In addition, there were a reported 200 men that took advantage of the free  and the very important PSA screening for prostate cancer. (Get checked! I did at the Orange County “Crusin for a Cure” show)

But come on Jerry. The people who attended your show read your magazine and watch your TV show and have done so for years. The show you delivered for the $25 or $35 registration fee sounds like it was worse than the totally free, weekly Scottsdale Pavilions show.

Car show promoters and organizers, please listen: It’s the cars and the people driving them that make a show. Take care of them or they won’t be back.

How’d it go so wrong Jerry? I welcome your comments as well as any rants and any possible raves from people who attended the show. Anything I said not completely true? Let me know…

2009 Goodguys Southwest Nationals Picture Wrap-up

If you can’t wait until summer time Goodguys Gazette, scratch that now-time itch and check out MyRideisMe.com’s pictures from the 2009 Goodguys Southwest Nationals! Did we shoot your car?

Have you’ve ever worked at something and thought you were making progress improving your skill, then found out you were still way behind? That’s happening to me with my photography. I didn’t shoot alot of pictures at Goodguys, but I shot a few and thought a couple of them were pretty good!

But then, just after I sent the, “Hey Swanee, you gonna load your shots?” email, I noticed he’d already loaded them in the events picture gallery. You’re good people Swanee! ‘Cept for the fact that your images kill mine, that is… You can tell by the logo, that slammed Caddy riding on twenty-plus wires photo above is from our Alaska-raised Director of Photography.

Shown here is one of my best shots. This is the 1957 Chevy Custom that won the Goodguy/Grundy Kustom of the Year. Sunset in Arizona is frequently a, “Damn it’s good to be alive” event and this Saturday evening in Scottsdale made for some great shots. Learn more about this car from an article by our friends at Goodguys. More about the 57 Chevy Custom

Here’s a few more from Swanee’s lens.  The complete collection (sounds official don’t it?) is available in the Car Show and Events Picture Gallery under Goodguys Southwest Nationals.

As you can see, the sky and reflections from the low setting sun do it for me on the Tall T and Mercury Cougar.  Ford genus Puma concolor like this on are on my short but growing list of cars that didn’t TOTALLY SUCK from the 1970’s.

Striking back, I got some of that low-lying sun for myself shooting some other “of the Year” winners that always make their way to Scottsdale, the last show of the year for Goodguys. This is also the start of the, “That guy’s a MyRideisMe.com member” shots.  These first two shots are Kirk Johnson’s Truck of the Year-late 1968 F100. Kirk’s from my old stomp’n grounds in Sacramento, CA and a new member, so go say hi and learn more about his truck. He’s got another F100 he calls, “The Beater” shredd’n some rubber.

Swanee grabbed a few more member ride shots including this 1967 RS SS Camaro from Mesa.

Not sure what award this  supurbly detailed Camaro won, but with the Shafiroff built 540 large-block churning out a ridiculous 700 ponies through a Tremec 6 speed, don’t be fooled. This baby’s show and GO!

Swanee snapped a few members running their classic trucks at Goodguys, too.  On it’s near maiden voyage, Rob’s bumper-scrap’n ‘burb got pinstriped and broke-in some driving in from Mesa with his son riding shotgun. I know Rob, like me, loves it when the boys get involved.

Then up in the winner’s area, the “Unbound Scout” was collecting a prize. This truck’s made heartfelt impression on the IH guys who are coming over from some devoted forums to see the pics and build info.

Another fun and sunny Goodguys Southwest Nationals comes to an end. As usual, we had perfect weather and over 2400 cars.  The Goodguys folks took note that AZ’s the place to be when it’s too cold to be anywhere else and scheduled another show for Scottsdale in March. Now AZ’s got the first and last show of the year!  Anyone planning to come in from out of town, book your hotel NOW! March’s prime golf weather when the greens are frozen across the US, so Scottsdale hotels fill up quickly.

We’ll see you there! Make sure to Join MyRideisMe.com so we can feature your car next time!

Any comments?  Which shot is your favorite? Leave comments below. (Or I’ll assume my writing’s perfect and every word’s spot-on!)

Best Pinstriping Pictures from Goodguys Southwest

As always, MyRideisMe.com is on the lookout for pinstriping at races or car shows so you can see what’s out there and decide what to do on your own ride.  Here’s a few from the Goodguys Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, AZ.

All Photos by my man and Director of Photography at MyRideisMe.com, Swanee…

To see all of Swanee’s pinstriping pictures from Goodguys, please go to the Pinstriping Picture Gallery

This Arizona Pinstriper Joel from 1320designs.com doing his thing on MyRideisMe.com member Mr. Freeze’s slammed Suburban he recently picked up. Joel’s rates are very reasonable for striping and he’s also an up-and-coming designer as well. Make sure to check out his website and let him know MyRideisMe.com sent you!

What do you think? If this is YOUR pinstriping work (or your car!), please let us know and we’ll say so next to the picture.

Leave your comments below and don’t forget to see all the pinstriping pics in the:

Pinstriping Picture Gallery

Bonner’s Bad Berkeley: A 310 MPH Sports Car

…oh ya, and its FRONT WHEEL DRIVE.  Tell that to the “wrong wheel drive” haters!

Pikesan and I first met Dr. Bonner Denton, Professor of Chemistry and Geosciences at the University of Arizona, in the starting line at Speed Week 2009.  His crew was performing the final preparations for a speed run.  He gave us his whole land speed racing’s history in about 10 minutes.  The more he explained the workings of the Berkeley, the more interesting it got.

Racing on the Salt Flats is a funny thing.  Bonner Denton, owner/driver of this record bearing 1959 Berkeley sports car describes racing on the salt similar to driving on 1-2 inches of wet snow.  Try putting 2400-2500 HP’s of twin turbocharged 540 cu in of  Donovan V8 goodness to the salty ground.  Nope, he doesn’t need a push truck either.  This baby drives off the line under its own power.

Going back to 2000 when Bonner first started running this particular Bad Berkeley, it replaced his Bocar.  The Bocar set the record at 264 MPH with an A motor in 2001.

The first thing you notice about the Berkeley is the super elongated nose, which gives it a streamliner-esque look. Rule changes allowed the wheelbase to be lengthened and the nose streamlined for the Modified Sports class.  Bonner describes in his own words: “That’s where science and technology comes in.  You have to be knowledgeable about aerodynamic forces.  What you have to do is build a car that will NOT fly.  We hope not to fly, but quite frankly, I never intended this car to go much faster than 300 mph.”

Although the Berk’ has run as fast as 310 MPH out the back door as its called, the 3 records held by the car are still in the 200’s.  They are A/BGMS (440ci – 500ci engine size, Blown Gas Modified Sports) at 264.007 MPH set in 2001, AA/BFMS (501ci and larger engine size, Blown Fuel Modified Sports) at 272.232 MPH set August 2009, the AA/BGMS (501ci and larger engine size, Blown Gas Modified Sports) at 298.983 MPH in 2008.  That’s fast.  “Bonner’s Bad Berkeley” is THE fastest Sports Car!  And he’s not done yet.  He has his sights on a record over 300 and the infamous Blue Hat.

Check the engine specs Bonner sent me.  The car makes an estimated 2400-2500 HP at about 20 psi of boost with the AA engine.

Class AA	540 cu in Donovan 4.5 x 4.25
Heads	Dart
Cam	Crower (Custom Grind)
Rods	Carrilo
Crank	Lunati
Pistons	Ross
Turbos	Garrett Air Research Custom
Intake	Modified Hilborn/Fast electronic
Headers	Custom
Class A	493 cu in Donovan 4.5 x 3.875
Heads	Dart
Cam	Crower (Custom Grind)
Rods	Carrilo
Crank	Lunati
Pistons	Ross
Turbos	Garrett Air Research Custom
Intake	Modified Hilborn/Fast electronic
Headers	Custom
Frame	1-5/8 x 0.125 1020 DOM space frame
Differential	Coleman quick-change modified for FWD
Transmission	4L80E Lockup Converter

Let’s take a look at some images that will show you the ins-and-outs of the car.

Here’s a pic of the Berkeley in its skinless state.  Pretty straight forward chassis design, at least from the untrained eye.  Looks very beefy.  Interesting to see the quick change in the extreme front end of the car.

Here’s a look at the large exhaust.  I love how the exhaust pics up salt from inside the body from the front wheels.  Those Garret turbo’s are Large and In Charge, that’s for sure.

Boost is the only way to get 2500 HP right?  I wonder if that exhaust aids in forward propulsion?  That’s gotta have some force behind it…right?  Maybe it works as a stabilizer, liked vectored thrust?

This shot was taken in the pits.  You can see the Laptop downloading run data sitting on the “dash”.  This interior is all GO.  You can see the Ignition switch with permanent marker to point you in the right direction.  The big tach right in front of your face.  Not sure how much you’re looking at that at the 3rd, 4th and 5th mile marker.  The Salt is smooth, but not that smooth.  I can’t imagine what its like to go 300 MPH!?  You can also see the blue Bonneville stickers from years gone by.  These blue stickers are proof that these guys have been around the Salt awhile.

Here’s a drivers view to his left.  You have the shifter engaging the 4L80E transmission.  Be careful not to bump the Fuel cutoff shift to the “OFF” position, also in permanent black marker.  Keep it simple right.  Looks like a fire extinguisher  at the ready in case of emergency.  Bare aluminum seat holding Dr. Bonner down during his runs.  Again, super spartan here, no cushion?  Crazy!  That is hardcore!  Throw in some ziptied roll cage padding and its off to the races!

So, with the body off the Berkeley, I found this view interesting.  First, you wouldn’t think this was a race wheel.  It’s different than the pic above in Bonners shop.  That’s a beefy 6 lug bolt pattern too.  Emphasis is certainly on strength and durability as opposed to lightweight or looks.

Check out that “salt flap” behind the wheel.  Can you image how fast that tire turns?  Then imagine the force at which the salt flings up off the tire and hits the salt shield/flap?

This last pic was taken at the end of the day.  Preparation for the following days runs continues until about 7pm when they kick everyone off the Salt.  You just leave your racecar and trailer on the Salt over night.  But back to this picture, Bonner is at the Laptop downloading data while his crew is nose-to-the-grindstone with their individual tasks at hand.  These guys have to be total Salt Heads and dedicated friends to come all the way out from Arizona to slave away in the heat and salt (its everywhere and sticks to everything) in support of Bonner’s Bad Berkeley.

There you have it!  A 300 MPH Sports Car!  Good luck next year and here’s hoping to seeing you with a Blue Hat in 2010.

Hechtspeed

Click To Enlarge the Pictures

“Run to the Pines” 2009 Car Show and Cruise for Charity

Run to the Pines – 2009

The 26th annual “Run to the Pines” car show was this past September 25th, 26th, & 27th, up in Pinetop, Arizona. It’s a great getaway for a fun car show up in the cool pines. We had a good time, as usual, and the weather was perfect! The car show was fully booked again. The limit is 550 cars, so it fills up pretty fast. Even though most of the cars are from Arizona, there is a pretty good showing of cars from New Mexico, as well.  Money from this show goes to local charities in the White Mountain area. The Run to the Pines car show has donated over $220,000 over the years, to special needs in the community.

The event kicks off Friday afternoon with a “Cavalcade of Cars”, where car show participants meet up at a place in Show Low, then cruise from there and parade through Pinetop to the Hon-Dah Casino, just outside Pinetop. Once there, they have a “Welcome Party” with free Bar-B-Q, door prizes, music, and live entertainment.

Saturday is the main “Show & Shine” with lots of cool cars, trucks, & other unique vehicles to see. If you want, the Hon-Dah Casino has a shuttle bus that runs between the car show, the Casino, and the Fall Festival Arts & Crafts show. There’s something to do for everybody. They always have a Poker Run on Saturday afternoon, which is fun for a lot of people, too. On Sunday, till Noon, it’s the Show & Shine, then at Noon they give out the raffle prizes & trophies.
It’s a great show, and the money goes to great causes. If you want to go, you gotta book early! The show fills up fast, as well as all the local Hotels, Motels, & cabins. The dates for next year are… Sept. 24th, 25th, & 26th. 2010. Maybe we’ll see you there!

Here’s the full Picture Gallery from the Run to the Pines Event!

By Devin R. Squire (aka-“Rebar”)

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