Burklands' 411 Streamliner

[Dynoroom]

Ray the Rats photos of the event. As you can see, the highway was getting close...

[TrickyDicky]

No, it was a down run on a two-way for the Shootout - '09?.

24 September 2008.

Booking past the pits at about 100 (it looked like).  Tom revving the dickens out of the motor trying to get into lower gear to stop it. Darn near locked 'em up trying to stop.  Stopped about a quarter mile from the zero.  LOTS OF EXCITEMENT!  Engines wouldn't shut down, so Tom waited -- then made the decision to stick a fire extinguisher into the air scoop, squeeze the trigger, and that stopped the engines.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

A locknut on the throttle linkage that let go, wasn't it?

[kiwi belly tank]

Didn't they run out into the mud one year and a bunch of people pulled it out by hand? Or was that some other liner.

That was someone else.

GH you are correct, that was prior to the rebuild with the clam shell tail & I think before Tom broke our AA record. The timeline get's a little fuzzy all these years later when you had your face buried in another liner.
  Sid.

[TrickyDicky]

Didn't they run out into the mud one year and a bunch of people pulled it out by hand? Or was that some other liner.

That was someone else.

GH you are correct, that was prior to the rebuild with the clam shell tail & I think before Tom broke our AA record. The timeline get's a little fuzzy all these years later when you had your face buried in another liner.
  Sid.

2000 World of Speed?  The fastest run to date.

341.154 in the quarter, 361.043 in the 3rd mile, 405.282 in the 4th mile, 438.815 in the 5th mile and terminal speed 450.225. This was TOP SPEED OF THE MEET. BOTH risers on the high-speed parachutes broke and the low-speed parachute tore all of its panels, so the car ended up about 2-3 miles past the end of the race course stuck in the mud. The rear fenders were damaged by the mud, so we were unable to run again.

See http://www.ugofadini.com/burklandstory2.html.

[NathanStewart]

Didn't they run out into the mud one year and a bunch of people pulled it out by hand? Or was that some other liner.

That was someone else.

GH you are correct, that was prior to the rebuild with the clam shell tail & I think before Tom broke our AA record. The timeline get's a little fuzzy all these years later when you had your face buried in another liner.
  Sid.

I may be mistaken when it comes to 411 getting stuck but there was a liner from So Cal that went off the end of the course and got stuck in the mud at a WOS event not too long ago.

[Elmo Rodge]

Skip?

[jdincau]

I may be mistaken when it comes to 411 getting stuck but there was a liner from So Cal that went off the end of the course and got stuck in the mud at a WOS event not too long ago.

I think Skip Hedrich has been into the mud.

[hotrod]

I remember during one of the shoot out events listening to Betty Burkland talk about them getting it stuck in the mud, but I believe it may have been on the older build before the current configuration.

[B-A-R]

I was a participant at W.O.S. in 2000 and filmed that fast run... i have photos of the liner in the pits after they pulled it from the mud at the 11mi (?) Damage from the mud prevented a backup run...

[JR'S PAPA]

I was one of the group that spread and moved the plywood sheets and slogged in the mire for hours freeing the liner. Once we got it up to the more solid area and the wreckers' cable reach I took off to the State Line(Nugget, now). Beat up! When I snuck into my room, at about 8:45 PM, I stood and sat in the shower with all my clothes and shoes on and let the water rinse most of the mud and goo into Wendover's sewer. I did not clock the event, but I know I was in the shower for an hour. About 10:30, I greeted a bunch of other helpers as they slogged into the casino from the parking lot. My god, they were a  filthy, muddy mess. I'm sure they went up to their rooms and did exactly the same thing I had.
For awhile, at the start, I thought we could never move, let alone free that heavy, heavy, monster. I remember the relief we all felt just being able to inch it onto that first plywood sheet. Gene acted like it was just one more thing. I knew Betty was relived and Tom was Tom, unflappable. I still feel a bond with all the people in that bunch, that evening.

[kiwi belly tank]

Good story there JR. I know we ran at least one more pass close to 400 while you guys were slopping in the pudding down there & as we were strapping Al in, to calm his nerves I said don't run over the Burklands! I'll never forget the look he gave me.
  Sid.

[Bob Drury]

  Pop, that is a great story and one more reason this site has made Us all more informed about Our sport. :cheers
                                                                                                        Bob
  p.s. just a reminder to us to send a little cash to Slim....  Whoa I was just about to hit post and got the warning that Sid had posted... another classic story.
    My favorite story ever came when I spoke to Gene and Tom (at different times) about the Tire Testing Machine they built and used to test the M/T 600 mph tires.
  Believe Me, there is a reason they are not sold as M/T 650 mph tires!!!  The machine itself is worthy of a documentary movie as it is the "ultimate High Tech" test unit.
  I don't know how it was built without a CNC multiple axis mill!!!!
  ( Tom, if You read this it would be cool if You could post a picture of the tester....)       Bob

[TrickyDicky]

I notice that '411' is on the SCTA's list of expired vehicle numbers.

[floydjer]

Anyone save that wonderful pic  RTR shot of Tom sailing  through the pit area in a spray of water/salt??