Salt Flats or Bust

[ted johnson]

Rob, These were beasts all right! The "engine turned about 60,000+ RPM and was geared down to about 7300 RPM thru the gearbox, then fed to the diff. All on or all off was the problem, along with a very quick fuel burn. There was an Orlando local who had one mounted in his '62 or '63 Chevvy. He ran it many times at our local Valkaria FL strip and had a ball with it. The fuel was Thermolene. "Thermolene was the trade mark under which Turbonique Inc. marketed N-Propyl Nitrate. It was sold in 8 pound cans at a retail price of $ 12. A 475 pound drum would have cost you $ 437 back in 1966. In itself not more hazardous liquid than gasoline or kerosene, it had, nonetheless, far more energetic yield." This is from the http://www.almar.easynet.be/turbonique.htm website. Gene Middlebrooks was the founder of Turbonique in Orlando, and Gene and Ray Stivers were the guys with the converted kart, at least they had something to do with the bear, if memory serves. A lot of us saw the kart run at Valkaria. TJ

[Bill Hermsted]

Just read the USFRA site, and the news wasn't good. No more karts. They gave no reason. Could it be the small wheels, or just too many karts showing up?
bill

[Rob Voska]

Then do a minibike......

[Bill Hermsted]

Rob- Funny that you mentioned minibike! There is no mention of these, for or against, by the USFRA, or at least have'nt read any. I hope no news is good news. I've seen minis on the Salt- go on youtube and type, "minibikes bonneville". It seems they're allowed to mess around when there's nothing else going on.my road racer has been up and running for a long time, and it goes right in my trunk. That's what the Mc 45 is for. I just gave it a good going over, although the mini still has a PP ah58 on it. Either motor will have those four cycle jobs for lunch, at half the displacement!
The ah58 has a Reed intake with Homelite reed, my converted saw cylinder, one of the two fin high compression flatheads that have been in the works, and a Moss piston. The Mc45 is stock except for a Reed sloper intake and a nine port piston.
bill

[Tom Luttenbacher]

Bill,
First off I think you misunderstood what the USFRA Rep was saying and it's quite possible that person gave mis information, unless things have changed since 2004. I ran there for 8 years, seen many oddities take to the course, a 50cc motorbike was the smallest powered that I remember so I am speaking from my experience.

Here are the courses as I remember and the USFRA uses the same as the BNI/SCTA; The "short course" is 5 miles in length, the first 2 miles are build your speed with the first timing traps at the entry of the 2nd mile, then the 2 1/4 mile traps and the last traps at the back door, meaning the entry to the 3rd mile, from there to the end of the 5th mile are your shut down miles. I did not ever witness anyone who ran on the short course run out of shut down miles and there were many who managed to get close to 200 mph and then transferred to the long course.

One must attain a speed of 175.001 and back that up on the short course to gain entry to the "long course" which is 7 miles in length with 3 sets of timing traps 2/3/4 with the last 2 miles to shut down. I witnessed many a pass on the long course of +300mph and a few of +400mph and there were a few who used all the 2 miles to shut down and wound up in the mud at the end of the 7th mile but at that time the salt was pretty thin way down there do to mining, for the most part tho all vehicles had plenty of length in the remaining 2 miles to shut down, unless brakes and parachutes failed! Tom

[Bill Hermsted]

Tom- Thanks for that great info! What did you run there?
I'm sure some of the best motors we're running can do a-ok in the right vehicle. The only thing missing would be a rotary valve. What stands out from all the info on Bonneville so far is the enthusiastic atmosphere
bill

[Tom Luttenbacher]

Bill, I think I was in error on the shut down miles on the long course beleive it to actually be 4 miles not 2!

I ran a special construction framed Harley Evo Big Twin in the 1650cc AP/G class. I managed to get my Class D License before having to stop going for economical reasons! BTW "D" means breaking into the 150+ mph and "C" starts at 175+ mph. I met a lot of great folks and the machines I seen were awesome, the most spectacular being a helicoptor turbine engine drivin streamliner and an old International truck powered by tandem V-8 Detroit Silver 92's. The Streamliner busted 400 mph and the Truck went 237 mph! It's an experience of a lifetime to be there as well as be a Participant. I wouldn't trade it for anything! Tom

PS. Mazda I am sure was there, just cannot remember in what vehicle...Did they put a Rotary in a car?

[Bill Hermsted]

Tom- yes, the Mazda RX 7 sporty car was rotary powered. A guitarist friend drove one many years. Fast!
Special Construction, eh? Sounds like you really worked something over beforehand, and didn't just roll a stocker off the trailer and race. Did you stretch the frame?
Your handling must have been super at those speeds, especially on two wheels.
bill

[Bill Hermsted]

Tom- I'm so grateful for the posts from someone who rode the Salt. I am curious about whether a vehicle with no suspension, like a kart or mini, can handle the surface, although a minibike with a 100 cc Parilla ran 115 mph back in 1969. Talk about big shoes to fill! My guess is that the biggest hurdle would be what the officials require in terms of tires. The ones on my mini are 4 ply Goodyear sawtooth that say "not for highway use." Uh oh. At least they're not knobbies or dry rotted!
I am up on hardware quality and safetying, though, thanks to the jets.
bill

[Jeff Campbell]

Bill or anyone,
Where are all the kart / mini-bike speed records posted? I sure would like to look through them.

Jeff