Carl Heap.............

[1FATGMC]

   

I am really sorry to say that Carl Heap, owner and driver of the Phoenix  diesel record holding truck, passed away on July 8th.  

Last year Carl was aware of his time table with cancer and tried very hard to get the Phoenix over 300 mph.  If I remember right he raised his previous year's 250 mph speed to 285 mph.  That is truly amazing.

In my mind he has run way over 300 regardless.  I always looked forward to Teague's and Carl's runs more than any other at Speedweek.  What he and his crew/family did was just awsome.  My thoughts go out to them.

Here is the link on Landracing.com:

http://www.landracing.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000075

His son posted that the truck won't be there this year, but a number of the crew will be.  

c ya, Sum

[sodbuster]

Yea, I saw that on the landspeed board also, and all I could see was black smoke..........

Godspeed Carl to the great salt in the sky......

Chris Nelson
Kansas

[Dusty]

I met Carl last year, and had quite a long chat with him the day they blew the head on the push truck...

It's amazing what those guy's did with Diesel trucks...Imagine your push truck, pushing you up to 150 MPH for a mile, then you let out the clutch on your racer and you have 2 trucks blowing Black Smoke across the Salt.  
I remember him saying he sure was gonna try for 300 this year because next year is not here yet.  I had no idea at the time what he meant.....Now I do.  I'm so glad I got to meet Carl last year.  My thoughts go out to his family....

Benny
Orange, Texas

[purplepickup]

Carl and his family's efforts at Bonneville define what makes land speed racing so special.  The Phoenix was one of everyone's favorites.
Bye Carl.....

[enjenjo]

I'm going to miss him and the truck this year. :cry:

[Roadstar]

Sorry to here about his passing.

The big Diesel rigs are some of the coolest rigs I have ever seen.

I remember the anouncer at Bonniville last yearsaying not to be alarmed there is no fire, It was a deisel rig being pushed by a deisel push truck....Talk about some black smoke!

My condolenses to the family and friends