260 mph Bonneville crash

[river1]

from inside the car

During the October 2010 Bonneville World Finals, Danny Thompson (driver of the world's fastest mustang) lifted off of the salt at approximately 264.7 MPH. Insufficient downforce sent the car flipping end over end into the air. It travelled over eleven hundred feet before touching down again and continuing to tumble. Danny suffered no injuries, nor did his iPhone 4, which was tucked into the front of his uniform. It was a testament to safety equipment and the astounding work performed by the crew at Hajek Racing

later jim

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I donot see him reaching for the chute as the cars gets loose

[phat46]

I donot see him reaching for the chute as the cars gets loose

"I can save it....."   Funny how the impacts seemed to get worse as the car slowed.

[wayne petty]

add to check list... snap visor down...

i wonder what would happen if one installed vacuum gauges with tubes running from various surfaces of the car...    even if they are only monitored by a video camera....

knowing how much down force measured in vacuum under the car.. might be interesting...

perhaps some spring loaded flaps like nascar uses..

perhaps some kind of latched in spring loaded flaps near the back of the car... speed brakes... that slide back and then out... to increase the drag on the back of the car...

either that... or start the fabbing of the car... with a sheet of one inch plate..   cut holes for the tires... bolt the engine and both axles to the top of the plate..  then the cage on top of that... then some kind of body bolted down around the edge... instead of flat liner... call it the plate liner..

glad he was OK...

my auto shop instructors were both members of the 200MPH club..  roger gates and monte wolfe...   i think roger also drove the howard cams top fuel dragster back in the early 70s.

[wayne petty]

sometimes LSR cars just don't get any respect...

http://thatwillbuffout.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/funny-car-photos-what-were-you-loading.jpg



or do you think he is getting a speeding ticket... for looking like its going 800MPH...


or perhaps a lack of business license ... the officer thinking its some kind of street cleaning vacuum machine...


what i really want to know... did the officer park his car.. directly behind the car...    and was it toasted / roasted when he got back to it...