Dad's Bucket list #1: Bonneville

[Sleeper CP]

So my dad has always wanted to go to Bonneville since High School, last year at 73 he decided to to go with some friends. He knew on the first night he wanted to go back this year with a car. He tells my brother and me "I want to go to Bonneville to run 200, you guys want to come drive too? " So he goes and buys a running car from a guy he knows......

Long story....I'm not driving this year, but I will next year with a different car, I think this year will be limited to 190 +/-. Next year new car will top 200.

Finish packing tomorrow and headed out Tuesday:


360 rwhp: 342", 500hp smblk Ford, C-4 ( race auto)

Dad and brother headed out, if all works well I'll fly with a friend there on Saturday Morn and fly home Sunday afternoon.


I told him if I'm going 200 it's going to be in something with a longer wheel-base than a Fox body Mustang. A month later he shows up with this:

It will get my re-worked 409" 2004 Engine Master's Engine that made 657 Hp at 6,500 on pump gas. With new heads & cam and bored to 425" it will make 730-740hp at 7,400, it will run a Jerico 4 speed......Next year we'll top 200.

S CP

 

[Big Kahunaa]

LSR is the only racing that intrigues me

enjoy your guys salt fever

 

[Flyinbowtie]

I have some buddies that were there this past weekend...I am going next year, but jsut as a spectator.

 

[randyjet]

Been to Salt Lake once incredible but used to go to El Mirage a lot man you see some wild stuff out there. I saw a Studebaker coupe running in the 240's at El Mirage wildest thing I ever saw run up till he lost it in the shut down on like his third run or fourth run the car rolled for half a mile I bet.

 

[dread Pirate]

Way to go! Been on my bucket list as long as I can remember as well. Hopefully my kids will support that dream when they are old enough! Have fun and take lots of pics!

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Well I guess it is this coming weekend, not last weekend...they borrowed my enclosed trailer last Wednesday so I thought they were headed out then...I asked them to get me a cool b'ville Tee Shirt,

 

[rrrr]

I will be looking for you...I'd love to meet your dad, your posts about him have always been interesting and entertaining.

 

[Sleeper CP]

For the exploratory year we learned alot for next year:


Got Salt:

Dad at 74 ran 164 today on the 3 mile course, brother James ran 179.89 on the 5 mile course ( car ran 180 mph on the gps from mile 3 to mile 5) 6,300 rpm holding 55 psi oil pres. 342" Ford that makes approx 500 hp with a C-4 tranny.

Learned alot this year...we will be back to shoot for 200+ next year in a different car. There's more to get out of this Stang but this was a learning year, so I don't know how much more we want to put in it, but I think we can get it close to 200.

I went to just help this year and was going to get certified to drive next year. Yesterday we had sometime so I just got certified while there, made my rookie pass on the2 mile course at 135 mph ( 141 on the gps to speed) can't exceed 150 mph ( just run between 80-150) the water pump went out and the car over-heated so I couldn't make my speed pass over 150 on the course to get my next license to run to 175 mph. Got the pump fixed after the track shut-down, but I had to leave this morn so I didn't get a chance to run again.

We had a blast and learned a lot this year. Next year will be better yet.

S CP

Jon

 

[Tom Slick]

Right on man, good for you guys. I'm out here at the bend in the road with my old man right now and wish he was as fired up as your old man. I bet there's a rat rod in my dads future, but the race car will be up to me.

Do you guys have any plans to run at Elmo?

 

[FordRacing250]

Cool pics, congrats to you and your family on getting licensed and making laps. I definatly want to go out there for speed week soon.

 

[Sleeper CP]

Right on man, good for you guys. I'm out here at the bend in the road with my old man right now and wish he was as fired up as your old man. I bet there's a rat rod in my dads future, but the race car will be up to me.

Do you guys have any plans to run at Elmo?

Yes we will with this car and any new one we build.

Some of those rat rods were just killer. The tow truck was over the top.

S CP

 

[Sleeper CP]

Cool pics, congrats to you and your family on getting licensed and making laps. I definatly want to go out there for speed week soon.

Do so there is stuff out there you will see no-where else in the world.



S CP

 

[FordRacing250]

Do so there is stuff out there you will see no-where else in the world.



S CP

Ive always been a fan of LSR, Had Al Teague as a teacher years ago and been wanting to go since. Another would be to run the Silver State Classic. Ive been past the salt a few times, just always at the wrong time of the year.

 

[Big Kahunaa]

you got me thinking now i have a t bird just sitting but i would rather build some thing old

 

[ka0tyk]

lmao i couldnt imagine any of my old mustangs ive owned going 200mph. hell going 80mph was scary as hell.

 

[Moneypit]

Bonneville is a whole different world. I have been around speed and engines and such for going on 50+ years, and Bonneville still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up... A different, very different lifestyle of the "hardcore" SLR racers... Vehicles with the fenders falling off from years of driving on the salt, (pushcars/trucks, not LSR vehicles) These old vehicles are perfect mechanically, just body parts eaten up over the years... I once ask my buddy how long I had to get the salt off the undercarriage of my truck before it did any damage, he smiled and said "Yesterday"....... East Wendover Ut. becomes a thriving metropolis:champagne: for 2 weeks during the summer, once in August, SCTA, and once in September, USFRA... My first time there I saw trailers with cases of "PAM" cooking spray stacked up... Hmmm, going to be one hell of a BBQ later... Then I saw crews applying it to the undercarriages of the racers... Seems it helps prevent the LRS cars, coupes, lakesters, streamliners, from accumulating considerable amounts of salt spray, spray that can add huge amounts of weight to vehicles built just heavy enough to keep them on the ground at outrageous speeds... Yes, Bonneville should be on any "gearheads" bucket list. Go once, and you'll likely go back, but you'll for sure never forget it....
Ray/crew on a 2 ltr streamliner

 

[pronstar]

That's really awesome that your Dad is able to get into something new at his age :thumbsup

One day I definitely want to go to Bonneville...as a spectator

lmao i couldnt imagine any of my old mustangs ive owned going 200mph. hell going 80mph was scary as hell.

No kiddin'...I'd want something with a little longer wheelbase, and/or wider stance, to run 200 mph.

Vehicles with the fenders falling off from years of driving on the salt, (pushcars/trucks, not LSR vehicles) These old vehicles are perfect mechanically, just body parts eaten up over the years... I once ask my buddy how long I had to get the salt off the undercarriage of my truck before it did any damage, he smiled and said "Yesterday".......

Salt is absolutely terrible for cars...everyone "knows" this, but then I cringe when I see guys taking their trucks thru the water at places like Baja or Pismo.

We rarely do shoots on the salt, but if we do, the cars are basically written-off.

 

[Sleeper CP]

lmao i couldnt imagine any of my old mustangs ive owned going 200mph. hell going 80mph was scary as hell.

actually the car was dead stable at my 141 top speed and my brother said it was a cake walk at 180 mph from mile 3 to mile 5.


S CP

 

[Sleeper CP]

Bonneville is a whole different world. I have been around speed and engines and such for going on 50+ years, and Bonneville still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up... A different, very different lifestyle of the "hardcore" SLR racers... Vehicles with the fenders falling off from years of driving on the salt, (pushcars/trucks, not LSR vehicles)

Where else will you see a '48 straight 8 Buick ( turbo-charged) in a XJ- Jaguar that runs 199 mph?

Or a 159 mph 3 ltr. VW bug ?

or the tt-1,000 hp Enzo (car was destroyed in a race and re-built for this) I think it runs 260+

The people out there are just awsome.


S CP

 

[OutCole'd]

I've been twice. Words really don't describe that place. Just amazing checking out the people & the pits.

Very cool you're able to this with your Father!!

Keep the pics coming.

 

[Sleeper CP]

Downloaded a few pics:

About 1,500 ft up

The Jag with the '48 straight 8 Buick....

This poor guy from England has this Mustang built in Texas he spent 3 days in tech and the car still wasn't approved to run. Hopefully he got to run today

1/2 of a 351 Windsor in a 240 Nissan

Spirit of Rett's power plant..... I want to say 581" but something tell's me I'm wrong: It sucks down a mega nos shot for 50 seconds

Me in car:

Already planning next year.

S CP

 

[FordRacing250]

Badass pics. Did you post more on yellowbullet also?
Sucks to hear about the guy from england, hope he got to run also.

 

[TomD]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.:thumbsup

 

[Sleeper CP]

Brother spinning at 170mph peak speed was 181 on the GPS: The chute on the car was wrong...to short and to big it lifted the rear end when it was deployed: the black markers are every 1/4 mile, the orange markers are mile markers

[video=youtube;p12016pDT0k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p12016pDT0k&feature=email[/video]


Two hrs and $360. later we had a new Chute on the car. Then I went out to quailfy and it didn't open at 141 mph, so I had to re-run my rookie pass and then the water pump broke.

S CP

 

[rrrr]

Downloaded a few pics:

Spirit of Rett's power plant..... I want to say 581" but something tell's me I'm wrong: It sucks down a mega nos shot for 50 seconds

S CP

It's a 484 CI GM Pro Stock based engine. We upped our own A/Gas Streamliner record from 350 to 354 MPH, and the A/Fuel Streamliner record from 348 to 379 MPH.

The car is back at the shop, tomorrow we will start installing a new 484 CI Reher-Morrison bullet that will use even more nitrous...plans are to be back at Bonneville in September for the Mike Cook/FIA Shootout and run 400+ in A/FS.

I enjoyed meeting you...you were bigtime jazzed on the runs you made, congratulations on making the grade.

I have some photos I'll post in a couple of days.

 

[Baja Big Dog]

Bonneville is rarely a "Once in a lifetime" event, once you go, you WILL be back...

Wanna go in Sept...should be some faster cars...