Top Speed Shootout 2010

[Elmo Rodge]

Ray:

Jeff Beck is a very good idea...but The Pump isn't one of my favorites, although I could do it.  But what about A Brush With The Blues or Roy's Toy (with motor sounds)?  Or Dirty Mind featuring Imogen Heap (vocals)?

Big Block? Wayno

[theazoldcrow]

   Ray,  "I Flathead" by Ry Cooder?

[Freud]

While there are still a lotta' people online I want to give out some kudos.

Ray Therat has not been his usual posting self this event. Many successful racers can have a good event and the next time, everything

possible turns upside down. You shake your head, shout, hit things and all to no avail. That's been the story of a computer man that

has experienced many setbacks and he just has to "eat it."  Sometimes the "downer" is short lived. Sometimes it stays for a long time.

I hope Ray's batting average improves for the next event. I know that all of his images are securely stored and we will see them.

Ray, take a mild cathartic and come back soon.

Now I take my lashes and congratulate SSS and Nancy for the reporting they have done in the past few days.  It has become evident that they

really turned it up with their interviews, data gathering, and added a personal touch that was OH SO WELCOME.  Jon, even with your patrol duties

you have asked pertinent questions and conveyed the answers to us with feeling. You have posted many more fotos than usual

since Therat was on down time.

Being a racer dictates the approach of a reporter. Reluctant to stick you Pinochet nose in and interupt is not in your nature. Then you realized, I'm

also a reporter. That was an A paper decision.

Thanks to you all, Nancy, Slim and Ray Therat for a difficult job, covering at least 50 square miles of playing field and telling us what play would be

called next.  No doubt that they received an assist from the Cooks as well as the teams, but it's what was reported that satisfied us.

A side note......don't get comfortable 'cause you are still employed for World Finals.

obnoxious, but humbled, FREUD

[RayTheRat]

Ray:

Jeff Beck is a very good idea...but The Pump isn't one of my favorites, although I could do it.  But what about A Brush With The Blues or Roy's Toy (with motor sounds)?  Or Dirty Mind featuring Imogen Heap (vocals)?

Big Block? Wayno

I have no idea.  It's a tribute to Roy Brizio who built many of Jeff Beck's hot rods.  For those who don't know, Beck has what is probably the largest collections of deuces in the UK.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Here's what's new.  The Ack bike finally rides straight and Rocky's having fun -- but!  But, that is, the engines/trannys aren't happy, with first gear gone in one and the four-five series bad, so they're going to switch both motors out today.  But -- Mike Akatiff is no asking Cook to investigate if the Ack bike could run tomorrow.  Cook needs to see if he can get safety and everything else in place for another day.  Here's the executive meeting in progress at the Bobby Cleveland trailer.





Ain't it great to be a racer/writer?  Here's Rocky handing over to Murph an autographed copy of "Flat Out".



Follow Murph at www.wherethehellismurph.blogspot.com

A few shots of race cars.





Spectre is going to run soon.

What do you do at the timing tower between runs?









That's it for now.  Spectre crew is moving bits and pieces around in preparation - they're down at the far end and hope to run in less than 15 minutes.   I'll let you know what's what.

[RayTheRat]

The 2 runs that have been made tis morning:

Note the flames shooting from the exhaust of the Ack Attack.

George "cruising leisurely" back to the pits at about a buck-80.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Ray, you win the prize -- getting a shot with the flames shooting out of the exhaust.  Good work!


Spectre is readying to run -- we're in lockdown now.

Ack and Speed Demon have both asked Bobby Cleveland for permission to use the Saturday morning that he had reserved -- so both Ack and SD will run in the morning.  There's sad news from us, though -- our plane leaves SLC at 6 in the morning so we won't be able to be here for the fun.  Murph will be, though, and will be sending us updates (while we're in the air, no doubt), and I'll post what I can when we're sitting at the airport in Dallas (direct flight from SLC to Marquette, Michigan, via DFW and ORD) or O'Hare.  And you can also keep up with what's going on by visiting Murph's blog.  Sorry that we can't give the final day's coverage -- plans here changed and we can't move the flight around.  I'll see if American will let us change - but don't promise anything yet.

Spectre should run in about five minutes.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Spectre engine is running at the 12 mile.  We're ready to go!

Canopy is going down.  Course is locked down and clear for Amir Rosenbaum to make a run in the 485" Caddy-powered Spectre car.

[Tom Slick]

The 2 runs that have been made tis morning:

Note the flames shooting from the exhaust of the Ack Attack.

George "cruising leisurely" back to the pits at about a buck-80.

Once again RTR, great shots 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Spectre car is moving on the push truck.  

Car is through the zero -- the start line at the far end of the course.  By the way, the course is numbered in both directions -- so don't get confused.

Through the one mile.  By the two.Running rough at the four mile, chute now out at the four, shut off engine, through the five at about 200.

Coasting through the timed stretch at 168.  

I don't know for sure, but remember that turbo imbalance I talked about?  Maybe that's what happent -- maybe not.  Let's see when they get to the pit.  Sounds like the engine is running and he's trying to drive to the pits.

Yup -- drove it into his pit, switched off the engine right in front of us, had the chute out (that's why he had to power down to here).  He's on the tarp in his pit.

Scott Horner will be next -- waiting to hear when that'll be.

[RayTheRat]

Some Spectre shots from yesterday

[RayTheRat]

More of the same

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Scott's on the bike -- entry 197  kilo 194.5  mile  193.3   exit   192.

[RayTheRat]

And the Spectre liner on its last (aborted) run.

[nrhs sales]

so what has been the top speed of the meet so far?