Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => SpeedWeek 2018 => Topic started by: kustombrad on August 19, 2018, 10:37:32 AM
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Here's a great story on Danny's trip to the salt...
https://roundsixpod.com/2018/08/12/the-challenger-becomes-the-champ/
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Yes, pretty cool, indeed. Congratulations again to Danny and the Challenger II crew. I wonder what's next for Danny and the car. Might it be headed to Wilsonville?
In the story it was stated that the record had to be broken by at least one percent. I don't know that such a rule ever applied to SCTA-BNI rules. It used to apply to FIA-sanctioned records, but even they did away with that requirement a few years ago.
Jeff in Boise
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SCTA does NOT have a 1% rule.
DW
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Yeah, I had that discussion with Alex and it's all good. Too much NHRA on the brain...
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George is going to WOS to get the piston speed record back.. hmm
bob
Kenny will be busy fixing motors.
I may join the party.
We need to test more, anyway
Time will tell.
bob
Bob,
I could be wrong but I think you guys had the fastest quarter speed of any piston powered car at 351.719 mph and Danny was right behind you at 351.583 mph and that was on his run that had a 446.605 mph exit speed.
You guys are on a roll and if you can keep the blower belt on everyone better watch out.
Good luck,
Tom G.
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I’m pretty sure Danny’s first run was 372.675 at the 2 1/4
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I’m pretty sure Danny’s first run was 372.675 at the 2 1/4
According to the SCTA-BNI website, on Danny's first run, he had 351.583 in the quarter and 372.102 in "Mile 1", which is actually from Mile 2.0 to Mile 3.0.
Jeff in Boise
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The time slip I saw posted:
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa150/Sleepercp/DT20record20downrun_zpsbegxw9gn.jpg) (http://s201.photobucket.com/user/Sleepercp/media/DT20record20downrun_zpsbegxw9gn.jpg.html)
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Yep - but that's the "Record" or second run on 08-12/2018.
Jeff in Boise
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George is going to WOS to get the piston speed record back.. hmm
I may join the party.
We need to test more, anyway
Time will tell.
bob
Hello...
Where could someone ( me) find the specs on your car ?
Looks awesome
Jon
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Almost off subject . . .
Everyone should make a copy of those time slips as they fade to unreadable thru the years (just like our memories).
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Yep - but that's the "Record" or second run on 08-12/2018.
Jeff in Boise
That 372 at 2.25 is just GETTING WITH IT.
Just puts a smile on your face reading it
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Danny's use of billet block engines was a choice that many people said would never work and I think that it probably would not work for setting an FIA world record because of the one hour turn around time requirement. I understand that Danny was running 85%+ on his last runs and was hurting rod bearings. Pretty hard to change rod bearings in two motors that are in a car that has to have a lot of disassembly before you even get to see the bottom of the engines! Danny's set up was perfect for the SCTA record setting proceedure which provides sufficient time to do major maintenance on the engines. My bet is that Danny is planning to retire the car as he has spent a pile of money to get the record and much of it was his. He has done a fantastic job of proving the potential of the design of his and his dad's car and I sure he is ready to take some time off! Without a big injection of horse power (and money) the present car configuration is probably very close to its maximum potential and I doubt that the engine combination would be reliable with 95%. One thing that I was really glade to see was the elimination of the up swept rear spoiler panels that he ran last year. That concept works well on 200 mph sports cars but is nothing but a very inefficient method of generating down force for a 400 MPH+ streamliner.
Great job Danny!! Hard work and determination are always successful. I think we were all behind your effort because of your "hot rodders" approach.
Rex
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Has anyone seen the in cockpit video of his record return run? I've watched it several times and keep wondering why that red light comes on and stays on in the lower left corner. You mentioned that the bearings were getting ruined on that last run so I can't help but wonder if it was an oil pressure light??? Clearly it didn't matter! Congrats to the Thompson family and the entire team!!!
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That red light is a "lift" light.
Willi
aka Count timula
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That red light is a "lift" light.
Willi
aka Count timula
Indeed it is.
I think it was SCREAMING at him
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I don't know what a "lift light" is. :?
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Netherworld Danny! He definitely knows what the right pedal is for! Rex
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I was going to ask whether anyone knew Danny's plans (WoS, FIA records, etc.) but thought I first ought to check his web site and other reliable sources of information.
Turns out he has answered all my questions (and more :cheers:) at http://thompsonlsr.com/news/.
Quoting at length (because I think these are fine words):
When I took the Challenger 2 out of storage eight years ago, I had a chassis, some bodywork, and a lot of half-baked ideas about how to resurrect my dad’s old car as a world class streamliner. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and it would have been impossible without the support and enthusiasm of racing fans all over the world. You helped me find my team, drove media interest, and made it clear to sponsors that we were a horse worth backing. My wife Valerie calls C2 the people’s car, and that’s exactly how I feel about it. You all came on this journey with me, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
I consider myself a pretty lucky guy, but the best piece of good fortune I’ve had is stumbling across my crew. These guys are the best in the world at what they do, and for the past four years, every single one of them has been a volunteer. They sacrificed their weekends, holidays, and pocketbooks to chase this dream with me, and I quite literally trust them with my life. When they strap me in and tell me the car is ready, I know I’m good to go. We made a quick video about most of the team members a year or so ago, and I hope you’ll watch it if you get a chance. These guys and gals are the real deal.
...
...
It’s hard to believe, but the C2 has only made 10 passes on a full length course. I’m not going to lie—I’m very proud of these numbers. As a competitive streamliner, the car is, for obvious reasons, pretty old fashioned. It’s difficult to service, the dual-engines are a nightmare for turnaround, and we’re missing a lot of safety features like traction control. For the record, had I built a car from scratch, I would have changed all of that. But that wasn’t an option, so my team and I made on a bet on old-school, balls-to-the-walls horsepower, and I think it was a good call. If you’re going to be pushing a stick through the air, you might as well push like hell. And we did.
People often ask me how fast I think the car could go under ideal conditions, and the fact of the matter is, I don’t know. If you look at the bottom line of the spreadsheet, it’s pretty clear that our last run was by far our fastest ever in terms of acceleration. If I hadn’t been sliding all over the course after the four, I think the final number would have been even stronger. In short, by walking away from the car now, I may very well be leaving some speed on the table. That said, I am walking away, which might not be the case if I go for another lock-to-lock joy ride at 430mph.
So is that why I’m retiring the car? No. It’s more prosaic than that. It’s the money. I should have stopped two years ago. If I was really smart, I probably wouldn’t have started. Our sponsors have been incredible, but like a lot of racers, a significant portion of this came out of my own pocket, and not in a way that was sustainable. A huge thank you to my wife Valerie for tolerating that. Dreams come at a high cost, often more than you think or planned for, but I strongly believe they’re worth pursuing. If you’ve got a bucket list, get started emptying it. I’m 69 years old! It’s not too late.
So what did I get out of this whole thing? As of today, the Challenger 2 is the fastest piston driven record holder. Which isn’t really a thing by the way. It’s not a class, or an official title, or something you get a trophy for. But it’s what I’ve wanted from day one of the project, because it’s what MT and I believed the car had the potential to be. And if someone breaks the 448mph average tomorrow, that’s perfectly fine, that’s racing, that’s as it should be. Bonneville is the greatest amateur sporting arena in the world, and we’re all chasing speed like our lives depend on it. I’m going to be on the sidelines now, rooting for everyone. And based on some of the numbers that came out of this year’s Speed Week, there’s a lot to look forward to.
I’ve got to end with a word about family. I was supposed to rebuild the C2 with my dad. We didn’t get the chance to make that happen. But I know he was with me in the cockpit, and his name was right next to mine on the canopy. And when I broke the record, my mom, my wife, and my son were outside the car waiting for me. So let me say it one more time: thank you.
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Thanks for posting that TD. :cheers:
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After reading that heartfelt overview of his accomplishments and genuine show of appreciation I can only say to anyone who has a bad thing to say about Danny is "shame on you".
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After reading that heartfelt overview of his accomplishments and genuine show of appreciation I can only say to anyone who has a bad thing to say about Danny is "shame on you".
AMEN!!
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Furthermore...
I study (and admire) every vehicle on the salt, quietly appreciating the thoughts and efforts put into all the unique construction and detailing particulars, but no detail stands out more to me than the simple yet moving homage; "Drivers: Mickey and Danny". I was moved when I saw it, and those who know, know, and those who don't know will never know.
GW
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(http://)
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Total inspiration. Thanks for that post.
LSR is an all consuming thing. It sucks you in, IMO!!!.
What does Danny do now????. You spend your life focused
on this dream and there must be some kind of anti climax
emotion involved. Great guy who stuck with the program.
God Bless Him. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
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I think he is going to build a Street Roadster and try to piss off Stan Back! or not.... He talked about wanting to build the car in his head but who knows.
He achieved a dream... does he have another one in him... time will tell :cheers: :cheers: Danny
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I'm sure Danny and family are very glad on his accomplishments for his life goals, we all are very proud of Danny and crew, it take courage to drive that fast on the salt that feels more like snow or ice at those speeds, Danny you showed a lot of guts and courage to do what you did, glad I had a chance to video you at the 5 mile back in 2015 at Speed Week, Now that you have retired your Streamliner I suggest you take a look at having it at the "World of Speed" Museum in Wilsonville, Oregon. I have donated my Bonneville Avanti to the Studebaker National Foundation and they have loaned my ex-car to the "World of Speed" museum for 2 years, they already have your dad's streamliner with the 4 Pontiac engines there and other cars you Dad had, and I love this museum, so your streamliner added to the other ones in the Land Speed section of their car museum makes good sense, take care Danny and again congratulations on what you and crew accomplished, Dave Bloomberg (retired Avanti Kid Racing) :cheers
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Danny was in So Cal last week and we met at Donut Derelicts when I was walking around about 6:30 am. I didn't even see him and was surprised when said "Hey JD". As we talked no one came up as he just kinda blended in with everyone else....I did notice that every time a roadster drove by he looked.... If he would have had a Black Hat on it might have been different but he had left it in his other truck.
After being in his pit Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Bonneville I and my wife Jean can only tell you what a "Class Act" he, his family, and whole team was and is. .
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One of Danny's crew told me there is a sensor under the nose that detects if the front gets too light as the fuel ran down.
That may be the lift light.
Sam
#6062
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... detects if the front gets too light...That may be the lift light...
Thank you.
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Danny must be color blind - I didn't see or hear no lift! :-o :-D :cheers:
Danny & crew are a class act - glad I got to see it first hand! :cheers: :cheers: