OK - time for some updates and to get back to work on the truck.
I now have 2 "full partners" on the race team. It's taken a while to work out the details, but we have some excellent sponsors, and solid funding.
The new team name is King, Hake, and Menendez, LLC. (Ken King, Darrell Hake, and Steve Menendez) I like the sound of a 3-name team, kind of like Stone, Woods, and Cook.
We have secured a fantastic amount of technical expertise and willingness to help from 2 Swedish companies, and one in Norway. We are proceeding with an upgrade to the 1.5L engine and trans. We are simultaneously building a new engine to chase the G/DT record. The new engine will be based on a 16Valve, 4 cylinder Mercedes diesel, transferring power through a 6-speed transaxle.
For the 1.5L engine, Goran Lindgren of Dieselmeken AB (Aneby, Sweden) is building us a new, higher output injection pump which will support more power than we hope to make in the short term. We will be aiming for the low 200's in terms of Horsepower for 2015 and beyond. If we get around to beefing up the engine internals, we may aim higher and with compound turbos.
With the 1.5L (H/DT), we plan to run at The Ohio Mile in either May or June of 2015, attempting to bump the H/DT record at Wilmington.
Fred Sundstrom of F-Tune Performance in Ronneby, Sweden is working on our 2 liter engine, which we plan to bring to the salt in 2016. This will be a de-stroked and sleeved Mercedes OM604 engine, capable of making more power than I care to talk about right now. (We are planning to need a parachute with this setup) The power will be transferred though a 6-speed transaxle. The injection pump will once again be provided by Goran Lindgren at Dieselmeken AB.
Petter Lonning (Alcaid) of Stavanger, Norway is supplying the turbochargers and related plumbing for both engines.
We have tapped the true "Cream of the Crop" in terms of high-performance small diesel guys in the form of Fred, Goran, and Petter. I am extremely fortunate to have all of their help.
The 2-liter drivetrain will require quite a bit of fabrication to work in the existing Rampage chassis. Most of that work is planned for the period after The Ohio Mile and before the salt flat season of 2016.
I'm excited to get back to work on this. My credit card has almost recovered from last year, and we have a pretty solid plan laid out for the next 2 seasons.
Steve.