Land Speed Racing

[gearspeed]

I've been interested in racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats since the early Sixties when Mickey Thompson amazed us all with a 406-mph run in his four-engined Challenger One at the Bonneville Salt Flats back in 1961.

Every kid needs a hero, and when I heard what he'd done he became mine. Who could possibly control a race car at 400 miles an hour? Mickey did. I built a model of his car, and spent hours just looking at the thing, completely fascinated. To this day I've never lost my respect for him.

I hope to eventually become a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and the El Mirage 200 MPH Club. I've been collecting parts to put together a big block Chevy-powered 1932 Ford roadster which I'm determined to get out on the salt flats. The car should be done in about twenty thousand dollars' time.

For many of us, racing at Bonneville and El Mirage represents the last area of motorsports where people are encouraged to come up with their own ideas and try them out, without the need for million-dollar sponsorship deals.

No matter what you'd like to build and race, at Bonneville and El Mirage there's bound to be a class for you to race it in. Dream it, build it, race it.

Another aspect of the sport that appeals to a lot of us is its lack of commercialism. This is racing that's put on by racers, for racers. You won't find any corporate suites or posh restaurants overlooking the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The atmosphere at one of these meets in some ways resembles what you find at many other motorsports events — teams helping each other, working hard and having a good time. What you'll find at Bonneville and El Mirage that's a rare commodity is the tradition involved. Where else could you find people competing in race cars that were originally built up back in the Fifties?


Bonneville racers and teams

Art Arfons' Cyclops Streamliner
342 mph in 1962
http://www.mshf.com/
The Bean Bandits Racing Team Streamliner
http://members.aol.com/beanracers/

Rick Byrnes
The world's fastest four-cylinder Production Sedan
http://www.rbmotorsports.com/

Malcolm Campbell
http://www.racingcampbells.com/

Jack Chisenhall and the "Cool 200" '53 Studebaker
http://www.vintageair.com/

The Danny Boy Streamliner
http://www.dannyboystreamliner.com/

Dempsey's World Record Associates' White Lightning Electric Streamliner — 245 mph on batteries
http://www.dwra.net/

The Dreamliner III Streamliner
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/2078/

Chauvin Emmons' Fuel Modified Roadster
http://www.roadsters.com/chauvin/

Darrell Ferguson and the Black Radon Engineering Blown Fuel Altered '68 Firebird — 259 mph
http://my.cybersoup.com/blackradon/

Steve Fossett's ex-Breedlove Streamliner — looking for 800 mph
http://www.stevefossett.com/

Andy Green and the ThrustSSC Streamliner
http://www.roadsters.com/750/

The Hoffman / Markley Streamliner
382 mph with 309 cubic inches
http://www.hoffmanmetal.com/

The JCB Dieselmax Streamliner
World's fastest diesel
http://www.jcbdieselmax.com/

The Hot Rod Lincoln
http://www.hotrodlincoln.com/

Kugel Komponents — the first stock-bodied production car over 300 mph
http://www.kugelkomponents.com/

Ron Main's Flatfire Flathead-powered Streamliner — 295 mph
http://www.flatfire.com/

Mallo Racing's 1928 Ford roadster
http://www.malloracing.com/

Dave Mann's Reprosteel 1932 Ford A/Gas roadster
http://www.roadsters.com/32/

McBride & Moreau Racing's One-Liter Streamliner — 224 mph
http://www.oneliterlandspeed.com/

Rosco McGlashan and the Aussie Invader III Streamliner
http://www.aussieinvader.com/

Russ Meeks and the Finishline Coatings Modified Roadster
http://www.finishlinecoatings.com/

Ky Michaelson — The Rocketman
http://www.the-rocketman.com/

The Nish Motorsports Streamliner — 345 mph with a small block Chevy
http://www.nishmotorsports.com/

Richard Noble and the ThrustSSC
http://www.roadsters.com/750/

The North of 49 Bonneville Racing Team Street Roadster
http://www.fsra.org/n49/

The Phoenix Unlimited Diesel Truck — 221 mph
http://www.phoenixdiesel.com/

The Racing Beat Mazda RX-7
http://www.racingbeat.com/

The SO-CAL Speed Shop Belly Tanks and Streamliner
http://www.so-calspeedshop.com/

Waldo Stakes and the Sonic Wind Rocket Sled
1,000 mph on ice?
http://www.www.sonicwind.com/

Strasburg Racing
http://www.strasburg-racing.com/

John Streeter's S&H Landspeed Racing Gas Streamliner
http://www.saltfever.com/

Summers Brothers
http://www.summersbrothersracing.com/

Al Teague — 432 mph Blown Fuel Streamliner
http://www.alteague.com/

Danny Thompson and Mickey Thompson
http://www.thompson-motorsports.com/

The Tom Thumb Special II D/Fuel Competition Coupe — 227 mph
http://www.bryantauto.com/

Don Vesco and the Team Vesco Racing Turbinator Streamliner — 458 mph with a turbine
http://www.teamvesco.com/

Ken Warby
In 1978 his boat went 317 mph with 6,000 HP.
Now he's built a new boat with 9,000 HP.
http://www.kenwarby.com/

The Y Be Normal Turbocharged 1989 Pontiac Trans Am
http://www.ybenormal.com/

Rick Yacoucci and Jack Costella's Nebulous Theorem II Streamliner
http://www.yacoucci.com/

Motorcycle land speed record racers
Ron Cook
http://www.pureguts.com/

Corbin — Harley-Davidsons
http://www.corbinracing.com/

Don't Be Scared Racing — Kawasaki
http://www.dontbescaredracing.com/

Mark Fillebrown
http://www.flattracker.com/

Denis Manning and the Bub Enterprises 3,000cc Motorcycle Streamliner
http://www.bubent.com/tenacious/

Carl Morrow and the Carl's Speed Shop Harley-Davidson
http://www.carlsspeedshop.com/

Joe Petrali — 136 mph on a Harley Knucklehead at Daytona Beach in 1937
http://www.mshf.com/

RB Racing — Harley-Davidsons
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/

S&S Cycle — 239-mph Harley-Davidson
http://www.sscycle.com/

Sportster List Racing Team
http://www.lsr.sportster.org/

Team Cooked Goose — Moto Guzzi
http://www.cookedgoose.org/

Team Elves — racing a Buell at Bonneville
http://www.teamelves.com/

Team SNART Racing — racing a Sportster at Maxton
http://www.snartracing.com/

Jon & Nancy Wennerberg — 247cc and 1,270cc Kawasakis
http://www.infodestruction.com/

Sam Wheeler's Ez-Hook Streamliner — 1350cc Fuel Streamliner
http://www.streamliner.com/


Land Speed Racing Schedules

Bonneville Salt Flats

SCTA / BNI Bonneville Speed Week
August 11-19, 2007, with tech inspection beginning on August 10th

Speed Trials by Bub (for motorcycles only)
September 2nd to 6th, 2007

USFRA World of Speed
September 12-15, 2007

SCTA / BNI World Finals
2007 dates to be announced
Last year: October 11-14, 2006, with tech inspection beginning on October 10

SCTA / BNI Web site: http://www.scta-bni.org/

SCTA / BNI information: phone (805) 526-1805

Speed Trials by Bub Web site: http://www.speedtrialsbybub.com/

Speed Trials by Bub information: phone (530) 272-4310

USFRA Web site: http://www.saltflats.com/

USFRA information: phone (801) 583-3765

El Mirage Dry Lake
2007 dates to be announced


Lake Gairdner, South Australia

2007 dates to be announced

Maxton, North Carolina

March 31 and April 1, 2007

May 19 and 20, 2007

June 23 and 24, 2007

September 22 and 23, 2007

October 20 and 21, 2007

ECTA Web site: http://www.ecta-lsr.com/

ECTA information: phone (828) 684-3009


The Texas Mile

Texas Mile events are held in Goliad, Texas, at the Goliad Industrial Airpark.

March 24 and 25, 2007

October 6 and 7, 2007

The Texas Mile Web site: http://www.texasmile.com/

Texas Mile information: phone Deanna Lewis at (817) 243-2286

Link: http://www.roadsters.com/racing/

[Jun aka Pekto]

If you're interested in the 200 mph club, there's also the Silver State Classic in Ely, Nevada and not too far away from the Bonneville Salt Flats. There, many racers can hit 200 mph. But not many can sustain it over 90 miles of public highway.

The main web site seems to be down (seems normal for this time of the year). But, it's an exciting and unique racing event with snippets like this:

"One of the first cars to come down the highway was Chuck Shafer in his ’93 Chrysler LeBaron, which broke the land speed record with an average speed of 197.99 mph and a top speed of 223 mph! It took this car about 20 minutes to go from start to finish."

Here's that article:
Mustang 5.0 magazine

[Jun aka Pekto]

I forgot to add the main web site. Looks like they changed it:
http://www.sscc.us/

[gearspeed]

Land Speed Race at at El Mirage Dry Lake in Southern California. will be held on June 9-10 2007 (June 9th is for Tech Inspection, then June 10th is Race Day.)

GearSpeed Motorsports will try to break the record of Nissan300ZX 155mph sponsored by AEM by using a Mitsubishi Eclipse tuned by our proud member.

[gearspeed]

GearSpeed Motorsports hits 174.084mph at El Mirage Ca.

Karlo a proud member of GearSpeed Motorsports and a Filipino said Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T Spyder ran 174.084 mph at a distance of 1.3 miles w/ minimal traction from 1st to 3rd gear at El Mirage. It’s probably the Fastest Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T Spyder in the World. The next goal is to be at the 200 mph club at Bonnevile salt flats.
The record is 175mph.

[Jun aka Pekto]

GearSpeed Motorsports hits 174.084mph at El Mirage Ca.

Karlo a proud member of GearSpeed Motorsports and a Filipino said Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T Spyder ran 174.084 mph at a distance of 1.3 miles w/ minimal traction from 1st to 3rd gear at El Mirage. It’s probably the Fastest Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T Spyder in the World. The next goal is to be at the 200 mph club at Bonnevile salt flats.
The record is 175mph.

GS-T? No AWD love with the GSX? Actually, I prefer the GS-T because the AWD system adds around 300 lbs to the curb weight.

174 mph...... Man, I was happy to reach 155 mph (then immediately dropping back to 140 mph) with my 1G Laser RS Turbo. It has the HKS Stage 4 which pumped up hp from the stock 190 to 280 bhp.

What's the specs on that GS-T?

[gearspeed]

4G63 turbo engine.You can see it at GearSpeed Motorsports forum.

[Horsepower]

Dude, next time, don't pass off other's words as yours. That's plagiarism.

At least state that you got the words here:

http://www.roadsters.com/lsr/

[gearspeed]

Huh?
I have a link below.

[gearspeed]

Land Speed Race a El Mirage
1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T Spyder
Tuned by KBR Performance Tuning
Kbr who is also a international member of GearSpeed Motorsports

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCAgRoSKvjM"]YouTube - Land Speed Race at El Mirage[/ame]