Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => World of Speed-specific stuff => Topic started by: saltfever on February 07, 2009, 04:30:31 PM
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Very few "laymen" understand that you must set a record (or reach a minimum) for entrance into the Two club. Many assume all you have to do is go 200 mph for a hat. The difficulty increases by orders of magnitude when consider the existing record holder applied motivation, money, intelligence, and various talents to set a record. You have to equal and better that effort, which is no small task. Surly Al and the others informed Jessie of the distinction. However, true to typical Hollywood "pandering to the ignorant" the producer choose to not educate but titillate in the usual nauseating manner. The accuracy of any TV episode is as suspect as any Internet posting. Entertainment doesn't require truth only imagination.
Many don't want to go to the trouble, or have the skill, time and money, to enter an SCTA event. That is why the USFRA exists. You can just rent a Corvette and run a number to put a piece of paper on your wall to feel good about yourself. For many the only labor or talent they apply is signing checks. SCTA "paper" stands for an entirely different culture that only a select few understand or enter.
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This reply would be a good post the the Russ Wicks thread.
DW
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Saltfever, let's narrow that comment about the USFRA down a bit. I treasure my record certificates from them -- just as I do those from SCTA/BNI. That is -- USFRA rules ARE the SCTA rules, so a record from one of the groups is just as difficult/easy, just as impressive, as from the other.
I presume you're referring to the USFRA's 130 Club and the 150 Club as being less restrictive and easier for the "layman" to earn a certificate. But from what I've heard and read -- entry to those clubs is not a piece of cake, either!
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Come on Jon . . . stop trying to be politically correct. You know exactly what I mean. In the 130 club (or any of the other numbers) you strap on a helmet, climb into your Lincoln, and motor off to the number. How do you compare that to trying to break a 130 mph Vintage 4 banger record or any other SCTA record for that matter! USFRA created the "numbers" club for all the wannabees that want to hang a piece of paper on their wall. I doubt many of the "drivers" know what a left hand thread is or could even fix a flat on their bicycle. I am not disparaging USFRA. They identified a group of people and provided a venue. But as far as a talented mechanical exercise it is not even par with an SCTA "time-only" :-P
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Right... so every one of those SCTA record holders and time-only runners wrench on their own vehicles? No jockeys, no ringers, no "pro" pilots, just wrenches that drive/ride. :roll: right.
Debbie
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A timeslip or record from USFRA is just as good as SCTA and last time I qualified for a return run they allowed less time to work on the cars than SCTA.
As far as the 130-150 clubs they need the additional income to run their meets.
We'll all be glad they're there if speedweek gets rained out.
JL222 :-)
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I stand by my comments -- that the USFRA records parallel the SCTA records in the same classes. I also restate that the 130 and 150 Clubs are different -- but they are not all that is the USFRA. Let's not be rude to a club that helped keep the Bonneville Salt Flats from being "taken away" from the racers for lack of activity.
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Slim is correct ... for this to continue, we need every entry ... Bikes , cars, BA57's.
Joe
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I'm guessing our H/BFL record set at WoS will show up in the scta records. I like the fact that the USFRA provides a venue for beginners. I would recommend the WoS to anyone.
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Come on Jon . . . stop trying to be politically correct. You know exactly what I mean. In the 130 club (or any of the other numbers) you strap on a helmet, climb into your Lincoln, and motor off to the number. How do you compare that to trying to break a 130 mph Vintage 4 banger record or any other SCTA record for that matter! USFRA created the "numbers" club for all the wannabees that want to hang a piece of paper on their wall. I doubt many of the "drivers" know what a left hand thread is or could even fix a flat on their bicycle. I am not disparaging USFRA. They identified a group of people and provided a venue. But as far as a talented mechanical exercise it is not even par with an SCTA "time-only" :-P
Saltfever,
I suggest you strap on your helmet, climb in your Lincoln and run the 130 and 150 club.
Then you will actually know what you are talking about.
OK now I've got to figure out how to get this left handed nut off so I can change the tire on my bicycle before I go work on the lakester.
Don
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I would recommend the WoS to anyone.
I was unable to attend Speedweek this year and went to the USFRA meet instead and had a great time and still raced against the same record I would of had I gone to Speedweek..........I see myself going back to the USFRA meet again.
Scott
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Many like the WoS event. Smaller turnout = shorter lines, cooler weather, I think the hotels are reasonable too. Same records, same certification officers so you know your record is on a par with all SCTA records. Very friendly officials who are glad you are there and want you to enjoy the experience.
I had coversations with some bike people who had run BuB prior to WoS and found the latter meet to be better run and promised to be return in 2009.
DW
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"I had conversations with some bike people who had run BUB prior to WOS and found the latter meet to be better run and promised to return in 2009" DW.....................................................................
That is great.......the amount of riders for the BUB Meet got to the point that there was talk
in 2008 about putting a restriction on entrees.
With some racers who prefer the WOS Meet
hopefully will prevent BUB having to restrict
entrees for 2009..........................................................
It looks like there are enough races to keep everybody happy..................................................
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I havent been to WOS in a long time but I remember enjoying the cooler weather,available rooms and cheaper. If the price of gas remains reasonable, whatever that means :-o, we are going to run Speedweek and WOS.
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Bob,
A couple of years ago the limit entries at Speedweek idea was batted around. Remember the lotto system and other ways to determine who would be allowed to compete? The SCTA decided that everyone who wants to race should be allowed to. I am not sure limiting the entry list is in the best interest of both the organizer and the racer.
DW
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"Running the number" is a cliched term used to describe bracket / index racing that some sanctioning bodies still insist on calling drag racing.
"Running the number" at USFRA's World of Speed 130 Club doesn't compare. Undoubtedly some people have shown up, 'run the number', (or more likely failed to), then went home to cross Bonneville off of their 'to do' list and never come back. Not typical. We've been there twice .... been denied twice and find ourselves hopelessly hooked, trapped, sucked in! This isn't a line item on some list, it's a lifestyle, and so much more satisfying than the circuses with sideshows and clowns we're fed on commercial TV.
We'll be back this year with a different approach, but the same desire to see more, listen more and learn more ..... stepping stones to deeper involvement with more serious equipment.
Don't take the USFRA, their event or their participants lightly. They're as valid as any on the Salt.
DonS
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"We've been there twice .... been denied twice and find ourselves hopelessly hooked, trapped, sucked in! "
Don,
That is the intended purpose of the 130 club exercise. A am sure the USFRA appreciates your kind words and participation.
DW
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saltfever obviously knows nothing about World of Speed. The 130 Club was started to get folks a feel for salt flats racing. There are several 2 Club members today who cut their salt racing teeth on the 130 Club. There's folks who have run the Silver State races with times in the 145 mph category who were very surprised that they couldn't run over 130 on the salt. Watch the TV show Wreckreation Nation on the 17th on the Discovery Channel to see Dave Mordal drive in the 130 Club in John Stahmann's Audi S4. That's a 150 Club car complete with roll cage and other requirements including some safety extras that are not required by the rules. It's not bracket racing or running against a time class, it's intended to give folks with a street legal car a chance to see just how fast their car is ... or isn't. My brother-in-law couldn't break 130 in his 32 highboy coupe that was the quarter mile drag race winner in the Rod and Custom Magazine, Asphalt o Rama competition they had a few years back. SB Chev, supercharged but the rear end gears were just too low. He had a blast even without reaching the 130 mph speed.. He built the car in six months from ordering the frame rails in early January to entering it, finished and painted, in a car show on the July 4th weekend. Don't disparage something or someone you know nothing about. At least try it before you knock it. You may be VERY surprised.
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Many don't want to go to the trouble, or have the skill, time and money, to enter an SCTA event. That is why the USFRA exists. You can just rent a Corvette and run a number to put a piece of paper on your wall to feel good about yourself. For many the only labor or talent they apply is signing checks. SCTA "paper" stands for an entirely different culture that only a select few understand or enter.
This is a late reply but needs to be seen.
No rental cars at World of Speed in the 130 and 150 Clubs. When you read the rules and attend a USFRA meet please contact me to make your apologies. USFRA was started to save SCTA's Yewt when the BLM wanted to discontinue all racing on the salt due to low usage. There are several years when the top speed at WoS was faster than Speedweek or World Finals.
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Sorry to bring back an old thread but I was on travel last week and was surprised to see the end result of this thread. We have all seen “thread drift” before. All it takes is a single word misunderstood or left out and the thread heads off in a different direction. In this case, I was amazed how fast it became negative and/or defensive. I hesitate to post this but hope it is clearer. There were some very good counter-points made causing me to reflect on what I wrote.
To be perfectly clear, I support all things LSR and all LSR organizations. Further, I volunteer my time and money. As pointed out, the USFRA has played a pivotal role interceding with the BLM in saving Bonneville for racing. They are great people and have helped me in the past. I clearly stated I am not demeaning USFRA. My biggest mistake was not clearly indicating I was talking about the 130 club in particular and not USFRA itself. See my edit in red below.
Many don't want to go to the trouble, or have the skill, time and money, to enter an SCTA event. That is why the USFRA 130 club exists (new edit) . . .
The last I checked all you need to run the 130 club is a $23 driveshaft loop and a fire extinguisher. You can borrow a helmet, and street tires are legal. By design, the class was created to eliminate burdensome requirements and get you on the salt and that is a good thing. Compare that with SCTA’s requirements of a full cage (about $5,000 pro installed) racing seat $1,000 and an SFI driver suit. In addition, many street cars may fit into a class where a 200 MPH record already exists and you therefore need $2,000 in tires even if you go 130 mph. Maybe you can get a dispensation from the tire requirement for licensing runs less than 200 mph but you would have to lobby hard for it. You may fudge the numbers up or down but $23 vs. $8,000 characterizes a different kind of commitment. You may quibble with a $5,000 cage and do it yourself for $350 in tubing but that requires welding skills, personal time, tools, and machines, etc. That is what I was talking about when I said about the 130 club; “many don't want to go to the trouble, or have the skill, time and money . . .”. That is a true statement. If you think it is negative that is your judgment call. My ludicrous exaggerations should have been obvious when indicating you could rent a Corvette or a Lincoln Luxury car! I was making a point (and not a very good one) about the difference in racing venues (the 130 club vs. SCTA).
Call it what you want, the 130 club is a bracket race. It takes 27.692 seconds to run a 130 mph mile. And that is the bracket you are running on. The object is to get as close to that as possible. I’m not saying it is easy. In fact it is almost impossible! In the first place you must have enough horsepower in reserve to not only get to 130 but to slightly exceed it so you can make midcourse adjustments. I’m sure the precision needed, plus the always precarious salt conditions, makes it a lot of fun (or even stressful) for many. But it is completely different from trying to set a maximum effort record. Whether it is a ¼ mile or 1 mile, running a bracket is different from a record attempt. I’m not saying it is not difficult. Even with rally clocks, or precision GPS, trying to get within .001 MPH is an extreme activity and requires total concentration.
Don (reply #30) I completely agree with you. The salt is difficult to drive on. It makes no difference what association is in attendance. Salt conditions are the determinant, not the club that collected your entry fee.
Debbie (reply #25) you make a good point. I would be naive to think none of it exists. However, it is more common to see a loyal and hard working crew member get a ride. I remember seeing a team trying to break a record for 3 years. They finally did get a gas record by about 2 mph. They then bolted on a front air dam, covered the headlights and ran altered. The owner offered the car to a good friend, his long time crew member. He set an altered record and got a hat. You have never seen a smile so big. This person had no money invested, only years of his personal time, a good friendship, and a love for the sport. I can’t describe how happy I was to see him wear that hat.
There is an old document in the National Archive that states “. . . among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. We are all guaranteed the pursuit of happiness and that is why we are on the salt. Different strokes for different folks.
PS: Wes: I have ridden in Tony's 32 coupe a few times. Nice car. :-)
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Call it what you want, the 130 club is a bracket race. It takes 27.692 seconds to run a 130 mph mile. And that is the bracket you are running on. The object is to get as close to that as possible. I’m not saying it is easy. In fact it is almost impossible! In the first place you must have enough horsepower in reserve to not only get to 130 but to slightly exceed it so you can make midcourse adjustments. I’m sure the precision needed, plus the always precarious salt conditions, makes it a lot of fun (or even stressful) for many. But it is completely different from trying to set a maximum effort record. Whether it is a ¼ mile or 1 mile, running a bracket is different from a record attempt. I’m not saying it is not difficult. Even with rally clocks, or precision GPS, trying to get within .001 MPH is an extreme activity and requires total concentration.
Saltf, I'm not sure we all understand the club races... it takes more than 27.692 seconds to run a 130 club mile... the trap speed at the end of the mile must be 130. No VHT for traction like at the drag races and you can't go over 139. 130 club participants only get 1 mile, not 1 mile of timing. They don't get push trucks and they must be street legal vehicles. Think of all the vehicles that run the short course for LSR, a lot of them would not qualify for 130 club membership... speed wise... :-o
150 clubbers get 2 miles and the average from the 2 to the 2 1/4. While these are low buck races in perspective, they are accomplishments for the participants and usually get them hooked. If they are just working their life list, that is OK too, they are keeping the salt alive.
No, I have not run in any of the club races, but I know a lot of folks that have, and a lot of them are not in the clubs yet.
Thread divergence is inevitable... Maybe the part of this one that deals with the club races should be moved to the USFRA board... Jon ?
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To run the 150 club you also need an approved rollbar, harness, tires, and firesuit. The entry fee is the same for a regular class. Once successful, then many will step up to make their car legal for a class and try for a record.
For me the 130 club was more of a challenge than the 150 club. In the 130 club the GPS lag gets you because of the acceleration and not having time to stabilize.
When I ran, the GPS was reading in the mid 130's [probabily 140,s due to lag], being greedy I pushed a little harder and the next readout I saw was 151, I immediately took my foot off and coasted through at 145. I dutifully received my reprimand, paid my entry fee again, and after half a dozen more runs I finally hit that narrow window between 130 and 140 twice.
Saltfever, thank you for explaining yourself; yes, it is less expensive to run in the 130/150 club, but still some of the successful cars are impressive and many are owner built.
Don
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This thread should have a different title if your gonna talk about all this other crap!
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I dunno if I can move part of a thread -- to, in this instance, the USFRA-specific WoS thread. How about this: if you folks want to keep talking about the 130 (and 150) MPH Clubs -- start a nice new thread and let this one either morph back to Monster Garage -- or die. How's that?
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Jon,
That would work for me.
Sorry about the hijack.
Don
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I dunno if I can move part of a thread -- to, in this instance, the USFRA-specific WoS thread. How about this: if you folks want to keep talking about the 130 (and 150) MPH Clubs -- start a nice new thread and let this one either morph back to Monster Garage -- or die. How's that?
Yes you can!
First you do a Split Topic (button on the right side of the post where you want to start the split for Mods & Owner only).
Then you do a Move Topic (Button at the bottom of the page Mods & owner only).
I did this one for you! ;) Feel free to rename it! I don't always do so good picking a new name for a split topic!
Debbie
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Also, very sorry about the hijack. But thank you all for your experience and understanding. I'll be moving onto other topics. :cheers:
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Thanks, Deb. I wonder if I'll remember that. I guess, in retrospect, that I have succeeded in splitting topics before -- but could I remember the trick last night? Noo-oo-ooooo.
I think the title you've appended is dandy enough. Best regards to what's his name, too.
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I attented the WOS last year on a fact finding mission. Didn't want to show up this year not prepared. As a new guy to LSR, it was my intent to start slow, try to not make mistakes, and have fun. I have been involved in motorsports since the early 60s, except for a 28 year period that involved flying for Uncle Sam. Since retirement, I have slowly been drawn back into going fast on the ground. After watching the WOS last year and asking 10,000 questions, I returned to Florida and made a commitment to do the 130 club. So I took my SCCA 1988 Camaro, and the 2008 rule book, and told myself that this car would have to become a LSR/Road racing car. It already did 160 on paved roads and corner at more than 1 G. So, we completely tore this Camaro apart. After $1000's of dollars to make this car street legal, registered, and insured, we were on our way. We spent 100 of hours working all new body panels and installing them so that there were zero vortex generators forward of the doors. I installed new doors (with Windows) and had to completely wire, with the help of Ron Francis, the entire car. We changed anything on the car that was even remotely questionable. SCCA and SCTA rules are different. When conflicts appeared, I went with the stiffer requirement. I have full halo seats. A full roll cage. Full fire system and all the safety gear. I have more suspension mods than ever should be done to a car. We have spent hubdreds of hours ducting and moving coolers around, and I could go on for pages. Car has just been painted and it looks great. Tomorrow it will go to race tech and spend this week on the suspension dyno and the chassie Dyno to establish base lines and altitude compensations. To date, I have spent approximately $25,000 to run and participate in the 130 club. So myself, and 2 of my best friends, will try to all get into the club. Not sure if we will make it, but we're sure going to have fun trying. I know my drag ratio, my cofficient of drag, and friction. I know my frontial area and have tufted this car many times this month, but still don't know for certain if we will make it. I have done this build with the idea that just maybe we will swap engines and transmission next year and add a chute and buy some of those really expensive tires and try to lay down some bigger numbers. I am a new guy, but in all fairness, I feel that I am coming with a car that is better preparded than some "real" racers I observed at the WOS. So in 52 days I am off to the road racing season. But in Sept my friends and I will be at the WOS. You can't miss us as we will be in a big black 40-foot trailer with Recatcher Motorsports on the side and three grease covered old guys. Please come by, we are friendly and enjoy all racers. We have worked very hard to participate so I think some of these remarks on this thread were not very well thought out.
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It sounds as though you should be thinking about the 150 club. You didn't need all that safty stuff for the 130 club but it sure won't hurt. Now that you have it I think you should shoot higher.
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It sounds as though you should be thinking about the 150 club. You didn't need all that safty stuff for the 130 club but it sure won't hurt. Now that you have it I think you should shoot higher.
I agree, sounds like a great car. How about some pictures of it and some of the mods now until we can see it in person in Sept. :-),
Sum
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I would love to post pictures. How do I do that. Sorry I am not great with this computer . I know !!!
Bob
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After watching WOS last year and wanting to tech and run three people I decided that 130 would be safer. Three and half days and the lines are shorter. The safety gear is required in open road racing, When there was a conflict I adjusted to the higher standard. Which in most cases was SCTA. Like I posted earlier we did this build with higher speeds in mind. There are old test pilots and bold test pilots but there are no old,bold test pilots. Crawl,walk run. that is the plan.
Thanks
Bob
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I would love to post pictures. How do I do that. Sorry I am not great with this computer . I know !!!
Bob
When you post right to the left of the window where you type in your message and a little below it is "Additional Options" . Click that then there is a small window "Attach:" with the "Browse" to the right of it. Click on the Browse and find your picture and add it there. They have to be under 500KB and you can do up to 4 at a time.
See if that works for you,
Sum
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interior
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bad try again
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The workmanship looks great,
Sum
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As someone who got interested in land speed racing BECAUSE of the existence of the 130 club, I have some comments:
Comparing the run for the 130 club with a record in a class which is in the 130mph range is apples and oranges. AN "expert" ought to know that. If that is the prevailing attiude of SCTA, I don't think I need to bother attending speedweek.
Going for a record IS a big deal. I understand that there is a huge learning curve for someone like me, who is thousands of miles away, to even make an effort at a record. DO you not think it is a good idea, to attract more interest in the sport, to offer a challenging but achievable means of gaining experience? That is certainly my goal. Not to claim a "speed record" but to learn and gain experience on how things are run, safety and tech issues, and just the general etiquette of an event.
A racer is a racer. Let's not put down the efforts of those who seek to add to and build up any form of motorsport!
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"DO you not think it is a good idea to attract more interest in the sport?"
No
Why?
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Attitudes like Stan's are one of the reasons why World of Speed gets more popular every year. The enthusiasm at the starting line for the 130 Club is contagious. Lots of high fives and alternate drivers having a great time. The sourpusses stay away and that's fine with the folks over at that track. Fun times are had by all. There's lots of racers who had their first taste of salt racing in the 130 Club. They don't bother the "serious" racers on the long course or delay runs on that course so it's a win-win either way..
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Ask Ed Van Scoy -- a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club -- about his start in LSR. It was the 130 Club. I doubt he's the only one that's moved through the ranks -- and I bet he doesn't have regrets about his journey.
I've never run the 130 Club or the 150 Club. But if offered a chance to take part -- heck, yes, I'd do it. Driving/riding on the Salt is something that is unforgettable no matter what the venue/event.
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An indelible memory is Linda standing over a pile of their luggage as Ed made his 130 Club runs in their new Corvette.
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Nice!!!
I plan on running the 130 & 150 clubs with my first trys at racing for myself. Then Stan won't be so mad at me when I try Speed Week. I shouldn't be a salt virgin then!
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I think the 130 and 150 are both great! My only problem is that I don't think we need make a great effort to attract more people to our events as they're overtaxed at present. Even with 3 courses (if possible) at SW, the wait is getting longer (I know, I know "we made six runs in 3 hours on Thursday . . ."). El Mirage and Bonneville could go back to what I guess they did before the war -- run the same class in heats. Probably wouldn't work for the bikes, with an average of 1.3 per class.
Stan
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1.3 would work out just right for the sidecar classes willie buchta
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.... My only problem is that I don't think we need make a great effort to attract more people to our events as they're overtaxed at present. Even with 3 courses (if possible) at SW, the wait is getting longer (I know, I know "we made six runs in 3 hours on Thursday . . ."). El Mirage and Bonneville could go back to what I guess they did before the war -- run the same class in heats. Probably wouldn't work for the bikes, with an average of 1.3 per class.
Stan
Well Stan when all the old farts are gone is that when LSR should end.... Any sport that does not attract new people dies.... is that what you are looking for... your records will stand forever because no one is racing any more.
I remember waiting all day in the late 70s to the late 80s for one run a day, unless you were fortunate enough to make 2 runs in the morning... and since you must know the numbers, what is the average of cars per class... 1.4? or less...
But since the club races are at WoS, it shouldn't make any difference to you if it attracts new folks...
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I think we should all support all forms of Land Speed Racing At Bonneville ( SW, USFRA,WOS, Bub etc..) Elmo, Texas, Maxton, Loring... heck any place we can get a mile or more to run a meet.
Some folks comments seem to be counter productive to us being an "inclusive community of racers", using quick little barbs and sarcasm... to each his own,,, but I feel that does not promote the spirit the majority of us would want to project...
But to those of you/us that have dreams to race on the salt,,, keep the faith, finish the builds and see you on the salt or whatever venue you choose..
OK off my soap box now...
Charles
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Here's one driver's response to the 130 Club:
http://handsonacamera.org/Tvideo1.html
Her brother did the video as a school project at BYU.
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Anyone know how late you can go before signing up to do the 130 club? My schedule changed and i can now go.
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I think you can still sign after tech. You'll LOVE it!
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For the 130 Club you may sign up on the salt. 150 Club is the same price as the regular long course cars. In other words if you sign up before July 15 you save money but you can sign up on the salt. There's some racers who wait until after Speedweek to see if they have an engine left or if they can repair what is damaged. There are several who just wait to run at World of Speed for the cooler temperatures, less expensive and more available rooms in Wendover and just because it's a more laid back, enjoyable meet. See www.saltflats.com for details. You can call Ellen or me for help ... our numbers are listed on the site.
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I am planning on entering the 130 this year as a salt virgin and have a few questions for the veterans...
The car: 2005 Pontiac GTO twin turbo. I'm running relatively low boost (~7psi). The car made 523 RWHP, and 508 RWTQ on a Dynojet 248 (corrected). Transmission is a 4 speed automatic with 3.46 rear gears. The car weighs in at approximately 4000-4100 lbs with me and fuel. 275/35-18's on the rear, 235/45-18's on the front. I've had the car on the salt twice now, for two Speed Week events as a spectator, but it's so hard to get a feel for what it will really take going 55 mph on and off the salt.
Mainly, my goal here is (obviously) to get in the club... But more importantly I want to get a feel for how the events are run, what the salt is like at speed etc. The real plan is to put together a Vintage 4 car at a later date.
How much power do I realistically need to do this on the salt? I'm pretty sure I have enough, but if I need to I can dial in a little more.
What do I need to watch out for safety wise?
Can you enter the car more than once with more than one driver?
Thanks for giving the new guys a place to start!
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MY guess, you probably will spend the first run learning to control wheelspin. You have plenty of power to do it, traction is always the issue on the salt. Good luck with your fun, my condolences to your wallet if you decide to build something...
See ya on the salt, we'll be there with the little car... 8-)
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I wanted to say "you won't make it" - cause it isn't easy.
I "lucked into it" because my Miata was perfect for it, not because its more car than anyone else or I'm a better driver.
Be safe, have fun, make new friends! You CAN do it, we'll be rooting for you. I'll bet there will be some envious folks to congratulate you when/if you do.
Best of luck!
I am planning on entering the 130 this year as a salt virgin and have a few questions for the veterans...
The car: 2005 Pontiac GTO twin turbo. I'm running relatively low boost (~7psi). The car made 523 RWHP, and 508 RWTQ on a Dynojet 248 (corrected). Transmission is a 4 speed automatic with 3.46 rear gears. The car weighs in at approximately 4000-4100 lbs with me and fuel. 275/35-18's on the rear, 235/45-18's on the front. I've had the car on the salt twice now, for two Speed Week events as a spectator, but it's so hard to get a feel for what it will really take going 55 mph on and off the salt.
Mainly, my goal here is (obviously) to get in the club... But more importantly I want to get a feel for how the events are run, what the salt is like at speed etc. The real plan is to put together a Vintage 4 car at a later date.
How much power do I realistically need to do this on the salt? I'm pretty sure I have enough, but if I need to I can dial in a little more.
What do I need to watch out for safety wise?
Can you enter the car more than once with more than one driver?
Thanks for giving the new guys a place to start!
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My guess is that a stock GTO (have one) would go 130.
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MY guess, you probably will spend the first run learning to control wheelspin. You have plenty of power to do it, traction is always the issue on the salt. Good luck with your fun, my condolences to your wallet if you decide to build something...
See ya on the salt, we'll be there with the little car... 8-)
Wheelspin, yeah... That's going to be a problem. For SW '08, I tested the waters with BFG KDW's on the rear. That was an adventure... lol This year for SW, I had on a set of BFG Super Sport A/S, and the traction was much, much better. But still, if I really lean on it, the back end tries to pass the front end.
I will definitely be building something. I've had a knack for building low budget record setters in NHRA Stock Eliminator, and I am hoping to carry that over here. We'll see though. ;)
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My guess is that a stock GTO (have one) would go 130.
I think there is a possibility that a stock GTO will be attempting it too. Just generally chatting with some local car buddies, I found out that they were also considering coming out for the 130 club. So far, I know a fox body Mustang is already pre-entered, and the GTO is seriously considering it.
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I'm the fox body guy!
Plan is to run the 130 club to start then if my car tech's out do the 150 next year, I already have a 6 point rollbar installed and harness's.
The car makes 570rwhp on Methanol but since I can't use it, she's slightly detuned to about 530-540ish. I'll be running on narrower 235/55/17 tires. I'm hoping I don't do a mile long burnout. The car is a 5-speed with 3.55 rear end gears. It runs low 11's in the 1/4 @ 120-123mph and is primarily setup for road racing/auto-x.
I look foward to meeting everyone and getting some salt time in.