Day 2 – Speedweek 2011 at Bonneville Salt Flats
August 15, 2011 by GreaseGirl · 3 Comments
Speed Week 2011 Results – Bonneville Salt Flats
Out at Bonneville Salt Flats there’s been racing all weekend as Speed Week 2011 is well underway.
The days are flying by during Speed Week 2011 as land speed racers race all types of vehicles down the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Streamliners make up some of the wildest (but fastest) record breakers of the bunch.
Cars that have more of a stock body (or modified like this one) are common as well. This 1953 Studebaker is one of my favorites – but then again I’m a little partial since I drive a Studebaker myself.
Seeing these cars is one thing – hearing them is another. In case you’ve never experienced Bonneville Speedweek for yourself, check out this video. It gives you a sample of starting line take-offs – the Studebaker, a streamliner, and a motorcycle.
One of my favorite kind of racers are belly tankers, like this one. This belly tanker is especially unique in that the driver is fully enclosed. The driver nearly lays down inside and looks down past their feet and out the clear part you see at the nose.
Roadsters are a popular land speed racing car as well. It’s when I see these roll down the line that I’m reminded of the pictures I’ve seen of the early days out on the salt flats.
Not so nostalgic is this exotic Ferrari. Its cool to see an exotic out here at Speedweek, but I’ve gotta admit that overall these fans would favor a hot rod.
As the racers shift their way down the course, they hope for record breaking speeds. They also hope not to break anything, read all about that by clicking here.
If they’re lucky enough to get record breaking results, they’ll head over to impound. Once there, they have four hours to fix or modify anything needed and then it sits there until the following morning when they’ll make a second pass to confirm their record. This Salt2Salt record-holding Studebaker is at it again…we’ll see what the results are Monday morning!
The preparations for Poteet and Main’s streamliner “Speed Demon” look a little more complex as they disassemble these turbos inside impound.
Of course not all the cars out on the Bonneville Salt Flats are there to race. It feels like you’re in car heaven to see all the amazing spectator’s hot rods floating across the salt to and from the pit area. Check out more spectator rods by clicking here.
Not everyone is into rat rods – but I think this Salt Flat Rat roadster is fantastic!
Whatever’s racing off the starting line, it’s fun to watch. I’ll be out of bed at sunrise tomorrow to catch the record-breaking runs…and getting even more salty.
Until tomorrow – happy trails.
Day 2 – Bonneville Speed Week 2011 – Spectre Performance
August 14, 2011 by pikesan · 2 Comments
Round Two goes to the Salt
2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance
My last post about the Spectre Performance “SpeedLiner” detailed THE PLAN. Everyone knew bringing 5 motors and trying to break 5 records was a stretch. Nobody’d argue that, but the team is motivated and prepared right down to the spare quick change rear axle they’d need after yesterday.
Then “the salt” announced it’s plan.
The Cadillac bullet shown above sits sadly alone. Supplied by the Cad Company and owner-Cadillac-genius Courtney Hines out of New Mexico, the 434 cube heavy hitter had tons of potential coming off the dyno, but announced a “chirp chirp chirp” sound when cranking that said… “I’m done here.”
See what happened in Day 1 Results – click here.
By the time I got done shooting the record certification runs for Sunday morning (guys looking to backup the runs made Saturday) Steve Schmalz and the extremely hard working crew from Performance Fabrication had the motor out and the new one ready to go back in. With the complexity of a setup like this, be impressed. Every trick, injected, electronic, data-logging gizmo availble’s installed and needed to be disconnected. The plywood you see is so the engine hoist doesn’t dig into the salt.
About 3-4 hours later, I get a call saying, “We’re back on the line, come on up!” So I hustled the six miles from the pits back to the start. Six miles. Yea, the pits, in total, are about 3-4 miles long and nearly a quarter mile wide. If you ever visit, don’t plan on walking!
At the starting line, the Spectre Speedliner’s one of the heavy hitters. When you’ve run over 300 mph before (they’ve run over 400!) you have the option, once-a-day, to get into the 300 mph line. That takes you right to the front and the starters, the nicest group of people you’ll meet, will let you run when you’re ready. If you’re thinking, “HEY! That’s cutting!!” It is. Nobody complains cause they’re ready to see (hear really, nobody at the start can see the finish) a big, BIG mile-per-hour number go up.
Here’s one of the way teams are making more power:
Ice! Lots of it!! The Spectre Performance Speedliner runs twin turbos with a massive air to water intercooler. To get the maximum power, in the end, the colder (cooler really) the air charge, the better. Without an intercooler, hot exhaust gases are compressed by the turbo – which makes them hotter- then stuffed into the engine. But… with a setup like this, similar to what almost every boosted car’s running, the charge is cooled enough to show a 200 horsepower improvement on the dyno. Ice is cool in that way…
How much do you put in?
MORE! Crew member Greg Hoffman looks on as team owner and driver Amir Rosenbaum literally stuffs in more ice. By the end of the run the tank contains, just under ambient temperature, water. The energy of the ice has been turned into salt pounding engine horsepower. First Law of Thermodynamics satisfied, the day continues…
As I’m writing this, it’s already time for another update. They’re coming! Hang with us. Grease Girl’s and I will have tons more coverage, including 2011 Bonneville Speed Week record results along with the results for Spectre Performance. So far however, the results for my new friends at Spectre aren’t great…
Catch up on Speedliner’s record chase here: Bonneville Record plan and check back soon for more. The A-fuel motor’s in and the team’s still gunning for top speed of the meet, or at least to bust up the record
Hot Rods of Bonneville Speed Week 2011
August 14, 2011 by pikesan · 6 Comments
Salty Hot Rods
2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance
I’d like to tell ya I’m a great photographer. I’d like to even suggest that I posed these hot rods on the salt for a big-time photo shoot. I didn’t. Truth is, Bonneville Speed Week brings out some of the coolest vintage hot rods you’ll find. The coupe above is from Wrecked Metal. My buddy Josh Clason did a cool video at Wrecked Metal’s shop featuring the guys who drove in from Idaho.
What else do you want? This trick little roadster was way different and way cool. Dig the triple carbed six cylinder, the swept back Duvall style windshield and look closely for the motorcycle-like gas tank out back. If you think this is a thrown together “rat rod” you’re wrong. (Stop thinking that and seek help)
Speed Week brings out the hot rods. It’s simple! When you see them out on the salt… tires caked with it, chunks sitting on the louvered roofs… it’s plain to see: These hot rods are driven and the owners are having fun. That’s enough for me to make all of these feature stories, but I’ve got 5 miles of pits and 300 and hopefully 400 mph race cars to chase. So for now, just enjoy these pictures.
Blowfish Swimming Upstream – Speed Week 2011
August 13, 2011 by pikesan · 6 Comments
Going to Impound – That’s a GOOD thing!
2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance
It’s a thing of beauty. The 1969 Plymouth Barracuda built by Rad Rides by Troy. So imagine that everyone’s happy they’re off to impound! You should remember that when you run faster than a record, the car goes to impound, then the next morning you back up the record or start over. Review: Setting a Record at Bonneville
The thrash is on! In impound, the team has 4 hours to make any changes and get ready for the back-up run.
Blowfish is owned by George Poteet and nobody’s more excited to see what the team has almost accomplished in the B/BFCC class. The record is held by a family everyone knows, the Burkland’s. Tom Burkland set the record way back at Speed Week in 1985 with a coupe named “411 to Bonneville” at 294.868 mph. Blowfish ran 303 and change, so a new record, and a coveted blue hat (300 mph club) are within reach.
Stay tuned for an update…
Update!
I caught up with Lawrence Laughlin, the shop manager from Rad Rides by Troy. He filled us in with some extra details:
“We were not able to back up our 315 qualifying run. Due to a transmission issue we pulled out of impound. Monday morning, we changed the trans. Monday afternoon, we ran a 314.5 and qualfied on the record again. Tuesday morning we had a the best run of the week underway when the engine laid down just after the four. The final mile was still slightly over 300. We were able to push the record to 307.339. We belive it was a headgasket that let go, but we will not know for sure untill it get disassembled. The boss decided that we had accomplished what we wanted to. So we packed up and got off the salt on Wednesday.”
So in the end, they killed a 25 year old record, and did it with one of the most beautifully built cars you’ll ever find. Congratulations to the team from Rad Rides, George Poteet and Danny Bourrows for multiple 300+ mph runs at Speed Week and your new record.
There’s a cool video at Rad Rides’ home page of the record breaking run. Check it out.
Day 1- Bonneville Speed Week 2011 – Spectre Performance
August 13, 2011 by pikesan · Leave a Comment
Round One goes to the Salt
2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance
My last post about the Spectre Performance “SpeedLiner” detailed THE PLAN. Everyone knew bringing 5 motors and trying to break 5 records was a stretch, but the team was motivated and prepared. Then “the salt” announced it’s plan.
Things started well. The streamliner, still naked of it’s lettering and B/BGS class was loaded on the trailer, first thing in the golden salt morning. In the 300 mph lane of the long course behind George Poteet’s “Speed Demon” streamliner and the mustard rocket called the “Maro Special” (also a 2010 Baddest Hot Rod at Bonneville), SpeedLiner patiently waited it’s turn.
Spectre crew chief Steve Schmalz tugs on driver Kenny Hoover’s belts
The bell rings… the Spectre bullet is pushed down track until the 434 cubic inch Caddy motor drops into gear and starts making power. Like MMA, the first round lasted about five minutes.
What everyone hoped was a malfunction with the air shifter turned out to be this:
What you’re seeing is the shredded remains of a quick-change gear set. Most of the teeth on both gears are gone, and look closely to see the cracked case. (click to see the picture full size)
Only a dentist would be happy seeing almost every tooth ripped out. Only Royal Purple gear lube filled with metal fillings and bits remain. This one’s junk. BUT! We have a spare!
In the end, the team discovered that the boost controller, well, wasn’t. As the 1-2 shift point neared, the boost shot out-of-control causing the motor to rev 2000 rpm over redline. The result is a 3-race old gear set having less teeth than ol’grandpa slobber jaw and the B-motor spun a bearing. It’s done for the week.
So out goes the B-motor and in bold move, the team will install the A/BFS motor or Record plan #4 for those of you scoring at home.
Stay tuned!! It wouldn’t or couldn’t be a great story without a little drama…
