My Bonneville trip

[chimp koose]

Well , been there, done that , and going back next year ! I have been back almost a week and we have already made plans to return next year . From what I saw and have been told , the salt was not good . The long track was moved 3 times . Unusually high number of cars spun out , us included . One racer I talked to has had their roadster in the family and at speed week for the last 41 years with many drivers , this was the first year it has ever spun out . The road out to the short track was so pot holed that I had to build another steering stop as one on our car got pounded out of shape . I have been out of drag racing for 5 seasons now so it felt good climbing under a race car and fixing things . The car I was working on is an AFR  BBC/Lenco injected on methanol and we are well short of the 272mph record . About $60,000 short as one of the owners says.(a 30% load of nitro and taller tires might do it , but its not my motor ) We had a pit spot just before the 4 mile and it was a blast to set up each morning with Poteet and Thompson making 400mph pulls past our pit . We stayed at the nugget in Wendover and there was a car show there every night . I think I have seen enough rat rods now . One car even had a steering shaft made of rebar with a plate welded to it to mount the steering wheel . There were plenty of 'traditional' rods there as well . They are not my cup of tea but nice cars and pretty well built for the most part . I would rather put a decent paint job on them if they were mine but they are still quite interesting and full of character as they are . I am a bad guy to go to a car show as I have done too many years of NHRA tech inspecting to not look too deep at a car and not just enjoy the wheels and paint . There is no shortage of variety and innovation out on the salt , right down to the purpose built support vehicles . We are currently making plans to start building a belly tank car .

[sirstude]

Pretty addictive isn't it?  You did not happen to go down with Ted Allen did you?

Doug

[kb426]

 I was wondering how it would affect you.

[WZ JUNK]

It is an addictive experience and the experience of a lifetime.   One of the cars that I have worked on plans to run again next year and I would like to be there, but I think we will traveling during speedweek.  My wife has other plans for me.  I do intend to go back to the salt.

John

[chimp koose]

Yes I met Ted . He was pitted two cars over. They were having a bunch of trouble this year with odd things going on with the car . Ted is quite a nice guy .

[sirstude]

Yes I met Ted . He was pitted two cars over. They were having a bunch of trouble this year with odd things going on with the car . Ted is quite a nice guy .

Go check his north of 49 Racing facebook page to see what happened to his heads.

[sirstude]

BTW, I am probably headed back next summer.

[Carps]

I hear ya Chimp, we too were victims of the poor conditions, almost wrecked a car that's set three records since it's first Bonneville in 1991 and has never even looked like having a spin.  Here's our story:

Back in St Louis after the NSRA Nat's it was straight to work to get everything ready for the trip to Bonneville.



First challenge was the trailer, Garry had purchased new wheels and tyres, keeping the two best old ones for spares, so we shouldn't have any trailer tyre issues as we'd had previously.  Problem was, with the wheels off salt damage to the brakes was clear, so a quick overhaul was in order..

That done the electric braking system wasn't working, more parts and another overhaul, including a major rewire, because part of the problem was much of the wiring had gone completely rotten thanks again to the salt.  After a frantic thrash the brakes were OK but it took the rest of the afternoon and much of the evening to get all the lights working properly.



Now the focus turned to making sure the car was right to go racing.



With St Louis humidity and high 80 degree temperatures it was hot, sticky work out in the driveway.



Once reinforcements arrived jobs got completed, checked off quickly and with the engine dialled in, it was buttoned up and ready to go.





Since we were ahead of schedule a couple test run seemed like a good idea.  Just to be totally sure that everything was right.  Now you gotta remember here this is a blown and injected flattie, with a unique camshaft and cylinder heads and it really does sound more like a top fuel dragster.  In the quiet leafy suburbs of outer urban St Louis, it sounds even better.



Fortunately most of the neighbours were at work so no complaints were recorded and satisfied all was as it should be everything was loaded for three three day road trip.



Still ahead of schedule, we were on the road early.



Our first stop was around supper time and after gassing up and a good feed and rechecking everything that should be checked, we took a detour to avoid Kansas City, sending us directly to Lincoln.  Where we'd pick up another crew member, catch a few Zees and eat a hearty breakfast before continuing



......of course that required another photo session.





We caught up with these guys in a gas station, headed for their first Bonneville Speed Week.
For a bunch of Bonneville virgins, they appeared to have everything they needed to run fast.

.

Tis pair are almost my favourite shots from the road trip, but I think there's a better shot showing everybody awake but in the same seats as when they are dozing.





This was a cool place to stop for fuel and lunch.













We dragged the big black box through the night ....



.....saw a couple of lovely sunsets......



.....and a few more gas stations.

[/quote]

After all that......



.... we finally arrived at the edge of Lake Bonneville.......



....and headed straight out to unload and set up our pits.

[kb426]

Thank you for the pics! Sure would like to hear a video of the car running.

[Carps]

On Saturday morning the fly in crew arrived and it was time for a team photo.



The car passed thru tech without a hitch and then it was off to the driver's briefing.





Much of Saturday was spent getting everything dialled in and each time the engine was fired it was obvious it was loaded for bear.  Or so we thought.





The access route to the start line was in terrible shape and the huge potholes were shaking the car apart.  Even at walking pace it was rattling Garry's fillings out and he couldn't really see where he was being dragged.  Unable to avoid the ruts I decided to steer the van onto what appeared to be much smoother salt only to be pulled up and told I couldn't tow the car that way.  I protested telling the officials that if we kept towing on the marked route, we'd have no race car left by the time we got to the start line.  He admitted that was a problem and we were not the only ones to complain about it, but his hands were tied.   We made the decision to unhook the car, return to the pit to bring the trailer out.  It seemed the only way to get the car to the line without tearing it apart.  Unfortunately, some damage had already been done and for the first time since 1991, a front suspension rebuild was required before the car could be driven.



While the car was off the ground everything underneath was double checked just to be sure.



As a result everything on the car was checked and tightened whilst we waited in line for the first run.



After a long wait, Gary finally got underway.  The car hesitated off the line and started to misfire in mile 2, so Gary backed off and went thru the third mile at around 120 mph.  Not a good start.  Back in the pits it was concluded that we had a fuel pressure issue.  So the system was thoroughly checked and parts were procured to install a fuel pressure gauge so Gary could monitor it in order to avoid damage to the engine as a result of starving for fuel.





By now it was late and the lake was closed, so we had to pack up and head home for the night.



We arrived at sun up on Monday morning, filled the fuel tank, buttoned everything up and warmed the engine before heading for the start line.  Again we had a long wait because track conditions were not ideal, causing many cars to have problems which in turn slowed down proceedings.



Ambient temperature was climbing to triple digits meaning it was far too hot to get Gary settled into his office.  So that was left to the last minute.



It had to be well over 120 degrees in here.



Finally it was time to get Gary suited up and strapped in.



After what must have seemed an eternity sitting in the hot cabin, Gary was finally sent on his way.



The car came out of the hole cleanly with just a little wheel-spin......



.....and it was on the way with the engine singing a happy song.  



It ran strong, but the slick track meant Gary had to pedal in order to minimise the wheel-spin, of course that sapped a bit of speed and the timing ticket was not what we wanted, or what the car is capable of.



So again we called it a day, tidied up the car and headed for our motel around 8:00pm.

Tuesday morning we were ready even earlier in an attempt to make the start line before the track got got too chewed up even more.  Gary suited up and strapped in early so as to avoid any delays.



Everything was checked and double checked.



And we waited patiently in line.



Then came the starter's call.



This time the car came out of the hole sounding really angry and with almost nol wheel-spin.  





Gary was on his way and it sounded good.









Heading down the service road to pick up the car after the run we got a call on our CB telling us to cross the track as the car had gone off backwards to the right side.  We couldn't see but it didn't soundk good.

By the time we arrived, the safety crew had the car hooked up and were dragging it to where it should have finished.  Following, it was obvious that something had gone seriously wrong, as the rear end appeared to be trying to escape out from under the left side of the car.  It was seriously hurt.



Around the 2 ¾ mile the car lost traction and rotated 180 degrees.  The runoff road was rough like the access track and as the car bounced around it commenced a 360 pirouette, standing up on it's nose and coming down hard on the right rear tyre.  Gary said when the nose came up he thought it was going over.  Then it crashed hard into the ground.  The engine was still running when it turned around, but the pool of fluid dripping from the exhaust pipes and beneath the car suggested it had let go in a big way.



For us Speed Week was now officially over.  The car proved it could run the speed to improve on its existing record, but the salt was not playing nice.  In fact it was so erratic that one car could run a record and the following two or three would crash and burn, it was insane.



We loaded the car into the trailer and headed for the car wash in Wendover to blow off all the salt and crud.  That done we returned to the lake, packed everything back into the trailer and made it back to our motel before dark.  





Next morning the guys dropped me at SLC Airport and continued on back to St Louis.

[Carps]

Thank you for the pics! Sure would like to hear a video of the car running.

I had the Gopro attached to the roll cage but have no idea how to post video here.

[kb426]

I upload the video to youtube and post a link.

[Carps]

I upload the video to youtube and post a link.

I'm old, I have no idea how to do that.

I uploaded the video to Photobucket but I have no idea where it is in there, it seems to have vanished.

[GPster]

Thank You for testifying of the experiance. GPster

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Hi Peter,

Great travelog of the whole deal. Kinda sounds like the #974 deal last year. From our lips to God's ears....let's get the salt restored to it's former glory. Any idea how badly the coupe was wounded yet?

I'm planning to go next year with my pal Ross who crewed with us in 2016. We're going to go as spectators but may try to help the Montana Boys with their 4 cylinder roadster if they will have us. We also have some local to our area guys resurrecting a model A salt car with a banger engine. It's a decent car that should still pass tech without any serious problems but has never had a strong engine in it. Kinda waiting on them to decide what they are gonna do, but we're going anyway.

Charlie