Author Topic: SpeedWeek 2019  (Read 155944 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline desotoman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2815
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #240 on: August 18, 2019, 07:07:54 PM »
I miss Doc. Thanks SSS, Stainless and PorkPie for your efforts.
Much appreciated.

Tom G.

I love the USA. How much longer will we be a free nation?

Asking questions is one's only way of getting answers.

The rational person lets verified facts form or modify his opinion.  The ideologue ignores verified facts which don't fit his preconceived opinions.

Offline racergeo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 825
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #241 on: August 18, 2019, 07:17:50 PM »
   Tom, any hemi building activity?? If so how far.

Offline desotoman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2815
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #242 on: August 18, 2019, 10:32:16 PM »
   Tom, any hemi building activity?? If so how far.

George,

I am at a crossroads on the motor and have been burned before by rule changes.
New rule changes in the class have made it so that I cannot do what I had planned.
So I will continue but will not be competitive as I lost my HP advantage.

Claude Lavoie will be the one to watch in the AIR class. IMO he will set the record where it should be with a Early Chrysler Hemi. He is a nice guy and a fierce competitor, and I wish him the best.

Tom G.   
I love the USA. How much longer will we be a free nation?

Asking questions is one's only way of getting answers.

The rational person lets verified facts form or modify his opinion.  The ideologue ignores verified facts which don't fit his preconceived opinions.

Offline racergeo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 825
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #243 on: August 19, 2019, 12:03:41 AM »
   Tom, I'm out of the loop,so what new rule change prevents you from making H.P.  They didn't ban hidden NOS did they? Claude's Hemi is a ???? Why is it so superior to yours. Are they making changes. If so what.

Offline Calkins

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 651
  • On Any Sunday
    • Facebook
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #244 on: August 19, 2019, 12:13:57 AM »
I know there were much higher expectations from many racers, reading some waited 7 hours to run never feels very good, and reminded me of the mid 70's when that was the norm at the begining of any of the Speedweek at Bonneville. I looked to Thursday results listed on the SCTA-BNI page and found it interesting that it appeared to be like almost every Bonneville's week of making runs near the end of the week. I realize these will be short course but there were many vehicles making multiple runs as high as 10 by one competitor. This can only tell me many packed it in when car's/MC's under 175 could have learned a lot. Yes I know the course wasn't that good but seat time is important even driving on a "not so good track" will help especially multiple guys are trying to get a chance to get behind the wheel.

There are a lot more records under 175 than over and I feel guys gave up to quickly. Bonnevile has always been in the hands of mother nature and it does seen weird to me that and one day quick storm could do so much damage but we all know what we are up against..JD

On Monday, we asked a few SCTA bike officials if we could run the Rookie course, because all our rider was trying to do is maintain his license (he ran last in '16).  They said heck no, it was only for drivers and riders that were licencing (isn't that the same thing???)

Tuesday morning, we got in line at 5:30am on the blacktop.  Around 6:20am, Lands End opened up.  Within thirty minutes, we picked up our bike at the four mile and was in staging.  Looking back at the blacktop, the line stretched to at least the Bend.

We waited in line for just over seven and a half hours, at which time they closed the course due to crappy conditions.  We were the fifth vehicle from the starting line!

When we got back to our trailer, the crew pitted next to us claimed to have made four runs on the Rookie course.  That kind of rubbed be the wrong way.  They had three new drivers trying to get licensed.  Our rider was basically trying to do the same thing, and still couldn't run.

Anywho, Wednesday morning weather was amazing.  After about eight backup runs, two 300mph runs, and the four in front of us ran, we finally got our shot after nine hours of waiting in line.

Our rider said that after ten years of road racing, that single pass was the scariest ride he has even had.  Deep ruts and greasy.  His speed was down 10mph from his last pass in '16.  He accomplished one of the two goals we had for this year, the other was to bump up a class.  Maybe next year...

This made me feel a little better on Wednesday morning...

Justin Calkins - Iowa Falls, Iowa  USA

Offline Stan Back

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5879
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #245 on: August 19, 2019, 11:04:02 AM »
We had part of that mess figured out.  We would take the roadster to town on the trailer with the goal of going directly from Land's End to the starting line.  We only wanted to make one run (to get the driver an A license) and then go home.  We even pulled up the tarp in the pits so we wouldn't have to swim back to there to pick it up.

We then inspected the starting lines of 1 and 3 and gave it up.  It was obvious we wouldn't reach our goal any way.

Sure was fun seeing all our friends any way.
Past (Only) Member of the San Berdoo Roadsters -- "California's Most-Exclusive Roadster Club" -- 19 Years of Bonneville and/or El Mirage Street Roadster Records

Offline mc2032

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 158
  • Reliability and performance are highly overrated.
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #246 on: August 19, 2019, 11:42:37 AM »
We got with in 6 feet of the staging lanes sign before they closed racing on day one (we were apprx 100 back in line).  Took Stainless's advice and brought our own 80 s.f. of shade and made a few friends in the 8 or 9 hours we were in line.  Parked the truck in line overnite for the day two.  Had a min. 3 hr wait on day two to make a run only to find the course wet and rutted.  Turned out at the two and headed for the pits without stopping to get a time slip.  Milled around for awhile, heard Jim Knapp was headed to the rookie course with the streamliner and figured if it would hold his car it should hold my bike.  He did not run but we did.  The rookie course was not too bad.  Made a few runs to the mile, collected data for next year and earned the right to wear the participant shirt in public.  Thank you SCTA for putting on a meet in spite of the conditions. 
#1032 1350 A, APS-PBG & F, #1000 I/BFL.  My number is 241.273.

Offline deepindebt

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 141
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #247 on: August 19, 2019, 01:21:09 PM »
We did the same,hauled the race car to the hotel with us and got a great spot in line at the long course the next morning,one of 8 to make it to the 4 mile the first day.Boy what a ride,then we hung it up and are hoping WOS will be better.
327,B/GR

Offline SteveM

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1483
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #248 on: August 19, 2019, 02:33:03 PM »
We managed to "bump up" an existing record in G/DT class.  It took a total of 5 runs, and putting the little truck into impound on 2 separate occasions to get the job done.

Conditions were not the best, but a bad day on the salt is better than a good day just about any other place.

We did find ourselves wishing that we had brought some wider, flatter tires, in an attempt to "float" on top of the mushy areas.

Steve
1/2 of the Rampage Brothers

Offline desotoman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2815
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #249 on: August 19, 2019, 02:35:13 PM »
   Tom, I'm out of the loop,so what new rule change prevents you from making H.P.  They didn't ban hidden NOS did they? Claude's Hemi is a ???? Why is it so superior to yours. Are they making changes. If so what.

George,

Sorry no hidden NOS on anything I will run. Claude's hemi is based on 1951-1958 Chrysler. For the class size at 372 cubic inch, early Chrysler motors are just a better match for the class if running a Hemi motor. I will not go into a long winded dissertation as to why.

As far as the rule change I first saw it in the 2018 rule book in bold print under American Iron Roadster. These rules are more prohibitive than Production car rules as far as what you can do to the head. Heck most if not all Vintage Ford Flathead V8 motors running in XF classes can run a Billet head if you want to, they don't have to run a stock head, exception might be production class.

The Pro Stock drag racing class started in 1970 and people were welding and using epoxy everywhere in their heads, so nothing new. I think someone wanted to protect their particular engine in this class, but that is just my opinion.

If this class was made to get all of the old roadsters back out on the salt, it should also have include the stance of the roadsters that ran back in the day (Highboy) and make the roadsters running in the class that are on the ground illegal.

I will probably make the switch to the roadster class, as those rules have been beat to death over the years and are not likely to change. Hopefully.

Tom G.
I love the USA. How much longer will we be a free nation?

Asking questions is one's only way of getting answers.

The rational person lets verified facts form or modify his opinion.  The ideologue ignores verified facts which don't fit his preconceived opinions.

Offline racergeo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 825
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #250 on: August 19, 2019, 03:09:51 PM »
    Thanks Tom, good explanation on everything but hidden NOS :lol: :lol:

Offline trimmers

  • Jeff in Boise
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 543
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #251 on: August 19, 2019, 06:51:15 PM »
We managed to "bump up" an existing record in G/DT class.

Did you get that record on Friday, 8/16?  SCTA still hasn't posted any speeds for that date, which I believe were return runs only.

Jeff in Boise
------------- 1 of just 3 in all 3  -------------
USFRA 130 MPH Club 09/18/2008 136.757
USFRA 150 MPH Club 09/17/2009 152.162
Bonneville 200 MPH Club 09/15/2019 218.600
Best Run: 253.080 MPH 09/14/2019 #6556

Offline Sumner

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4078
  • Blanding, Ut..a small dot in the middle of nowhere
    • http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #252 on: August 19, 2019, 08:40:34 PM »
We managed to "bump up" an existing record in G/DT class.

Did you get that record on Friday, 8/16?  SCTA still hasn't posted any speeds for that date, which I believe were return runs only.

Jeff in Boise

Usually on Friday they do returns for Thursday and then run qualifying runs and backup returns on the same day before closing the meet down.  I wasn't there but that is probably what they did.  So you can qualify and back it up all in one day on Friday,

Sumner

Offline Elmo Rodge

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1653
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #253 on: August 19, 2019, 09:00:19 PM »
Sum, all they did this time was return runs on Friday. No qualifiers.
Wayno

Offline Billy @ AHG

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 257
Re: SpeedWeek 2019
« Reply #254 on: August 20, 2019, 12:15:22 PM »
Has the SCTA posted new records yet ? I can't seem to find anything on their home page .
Salt Junkie