They will probably run within several hours.
To see the fotos go to
www.target550.comSunday Report (a day late)
Ya, I'm at Bonneville.
Yes, they are going to run
Will it go 500? Not today.
Sunday started as usual. Morning comes early. There is a routine that is followed and there are many check points. One of the final ones is the warm up of the engines. Les is in the cockpit and controls the throttles. Marlo and Korey are the start team. The engines actually are started on Propane. That eliminates any chance for spilling fuel and having a fire.
The rear engine started just fine. The sound rumbled your ears until they hurt if you had no ear protection. The fumes make your eyes water and your nose and throat burn. They disconnect the propane line and move to the front engine. Same procedure and a different result. The engines are coupled together by the drive shaft but the two engines are running at different speeds. This can happen but it's not supposed to. Someplace in the drive system something is broken.
Long story shortened.........the tail shaft of the front transmission broke. It probably happened when the quick change gears stripped and the car didn' run under power after that.TNow the question.....what about the back transmission. So both were removed. It's obvious about the front one but can the back one also be damaged? The place for the final answer was B & J transmissions in SLC. They gave it a clean bill of health. Back to reinstall it and replace the front one. To replace them and do the hook up of all the items that were removed to get that deep requires a few hours. Then the usual pre race procedure starts and that is several more hours.
Monday morning.
The transmissions have been installed. They are half way thru the reassembly process and it's 10:30 in the morning. Still 3-4 hours before it's possible to head to the starting line. I'll be there when they get in line to run. This morning is high overcast and a gentle breeze. The long course was re-groomed overnight. Maybe it will be easier to get traction and a smoother ride. When I know I'll tell You.
Course condition? I had a call from the timing slip tower. Poteet just ran 429 MPH. Good course or bad course.....George did it again.
The car's picture and a story in the Wendover Times newspaper had a quarter of the front page.
Mind you, this is Bonneville Speed Week edition.
FREUD