Shootout 2009

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Okay, okay, Junior -- we're here.  In fact -- he knows it -- just handed us our FM at Land's End.

So -- Indeed, the P0teet/Main Speed Deomn is moving to the north end for the first run.  They're about at the three right now -- will go to the 12 to start.  We've got a little while before they're ready to run.

Other stuff:

The Mormon Missile pit is set up right across from us in the south pits, so that's good -- I had heard that they might have hurt the motor too much at WoS to run here.  Glad to see 'em.  The Buckeye Bullet is out on the salt for a video/interview right now.  Bub streamliner is next to the trailer, but can't run yet -- because they want 3 mph or less wind, and it's 6-12 mph just now.  The snowmobile crew is set up right next to us -- starting to work on the vehicle.  No sign of the jet bike.

There's your good morning internet report.  Ray the Rat's Suburban is over by the BB crew doing the interviews, so I expect we'll have photos soon, too.

Later...

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Poteet/.Main at the 12 and buttoning up the car -- wind is 4-8 at a 45-degree to downcourse.  No hassle according to Main.

Gotta go lock down the pits -- be back in a minute to tell you that the jet bike is about 12 hours away by road -- on the way, be here tomorrow.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Poteet starting the engine
  Pushing the car off


car is under way

Misfire at the car -- hold on  (Cook's words -- not a fire)

Engine stalled in gear -- they're trying to restart.  The crew's mostly down here at the pits to be ready for the 1-hour turnaround -- let's see what they all do. 

In the meantime, the wind here at the pits has dropped.  The flags here were showing about 10 mph down course -- which would be a headwind on a return run.  But they're slowing -- so that's good, assuming they fire up the motor and get down here.

Nothing new -- no report on the engine starting yet.

Okay -- found a problem, pushing the car back for a restart.

It was a little electrical problem -- shut off the motor, found a little electrical issue, are pushing back to the start line and will be ready in five minutes or less.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Speed Demon on the way!

Through the 10, moving faster.

Accelerating at the 9

through the 8

Mile speed was 198  heading for the pits -- almost stopped at the 3 1/2.  Dan Warner heading for the car.

No issues reported -- no smoke, o fire -- not sure what's the problem.  Stay tuned, but for now -- do some work to make your boss happy!


Okay -- the car is in the pits, having been pushed back here at walking speed.  The crew will download and look and tweak and see if they can make a run in the other direction.

In the meantime, the snowmobile team just radioed that they'll be ready to run in an hour or wo.  It's about 10 'til 10 here -- I'll let you know what else is going on when I learn it.

[RayTheRat]

Good morning!  Happy to report that the wind has died down a whole lot.

To start: I'd planned to leave Taylorsville (home) in the early afternoon yesterday (Sunday) but ended up doing a major thrash on a buncha stuff and didn't get here til 9 pm or so.  Not really a problem, but later than I'd hoped.  First photo is of the Great Salt Lake at sunset.  I just liked it.

When I got to Land's End, I visited with Lynda (and Don and Larry) for a bit  At that time the wind was around 25 mph from the south.  It was windy all night...kept waking me up as it rocked the Hotel Suburbia (my Burb.)  Much better now.

A great job has been done on the salt ramp at Land's End.  It's pretty smooth...don't know how long it'll last, but it's nice now and avoids the salt ponds...I wasn't crazy about drivin thru all the brine at WoS.

When I got to the pit area, there was a bit of a photo/video op with the Buckeye Bullet.  Looks great.  I hope it runs as good as it looks.

More in the next post.

[Glen]

Jon, thanks for live updates.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Let's see - the snowmobile will start at about the four -- needs only a mile or so to build up to maximum speed.  They're going to set up a pit somewhere near the mid-track so they can do the two-hour turnaround without having to go all the way to the "real" pits and then back to the 8 mile (or whatever).  Cook and others are looking for a spot right now -- to set up that temporary pit for them.

Other stuff:

The Speed Demon was running sans turbo, I heard in their pit.  I guess it was a run without to shake down and also have a shot at the non-blown record -- but this is only my surmise.  I overhear this stuff -- but don't care to interrupt the crew when they're busy inside (any) vehicle working.  So anyway -- they'll be putting on a turbo now and will go back for runs with that on the motor.

Buckeye Bullet is still on the Salt and not quite in the pit.  I don't know what their plans are.  Speed Demon is all the way in the pit, front end off the ground, I hear the generator and compressor running.

Lynn Goodfellow is sitting around next to the Missile -- telling Curt to make some less-than-full power runs to get some good data before going balls-to-the-wall.  Things break at full-twist, and Lynn wants some smooth runs in.

The Bub crew just heard that the wind is up to 18 at the tower -- so no runs for them, for sure, for sure, 'til the wind slows.  Cook reminds them that the wind will die down, don't worry.

[RayTheRat]

Next victim: shots of the different teams' "compounds." 

First is the Mormon Missile.  Don't know if they can get the motor fixed in time time to run or not.  I'll find out what I can and report.

Next: Poteet & Main.  As I understand, they're at the mountain end with the intention of making a run, but that was 30 minutes ago and I haven't heard anything else.  aybe if I listened to something beside the blues on my stereo I'd know more, huh?  Ya think?

The Lamtrac snowmobile.  It  runs a 1000cc motor, supercharger and alcohol/nitro fuel.  It's run 210 before.  Otta be sorta interesting.

Finally, the BUB 7 liner.  The team seemed to be preparing for a run fairly soon.  Chris Carr (pilot) is pretty careful when it comes to wind, so it will have to be under 3 mph all along the course (I think) before they can make their run.

The course is laid out pretty much like last year: running from the freeway end (Mile 0 is about 1/4 mile...maybe less...running northeast to the mountain end.  The course runs thru the middle of the pits like last year, so that little issues like Tom Burkland's hot pit entry shouldn't be a problem.  I'll include a map in the next post...right now I spose I otta go do some snoopin and shootin.

[mkilger]

maybe JR can take a ride in Speed Demon later in the week?that would be cool.

[836dstr]

Jon and Ray,

Live updates! GREAT job guys!!!

It's almost like being there.............well not really.

Tom

[McRat]

Hopefully the Mormon Missile gets back up and running.  

They are running a normal pickup truck engine, but have turned it up to about 4 times the factory output on pump fuel.  Kind of like taking your 09 Corvette and turning it up to 1600+ HP with the factory block and heads and running it off of regular unleaded.  While diesel racing is becoming more popular, racing parts can still be a problem.  You can't just call Summit and have them send you a set of racing heads by NextDayAir.  

Thanks for the coverage Ray, Slim, et al! 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Poteet/Main should be ready in another 45 minutes, Missile is getting close.  Buckeye Bullet sent the motor to SLC for some checks (while they work on other stuff in the car) so they won't run 'til either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.  Snowmobile engine is running but they haven't left the pits yet.  Jet bike due tomorrow. 

There's your update.  I'll get back with you soon -- shopping for some jewelry for Nancy online right now.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

The Speed Demon's engine has been started -- nice sound after too long quiet here in the pits.

The snowmobile gang is driving their porta-pit to their start line now.

Wind is still too high for my taste -- no numbers, but it looks like at least 12-15 right down the track towards us.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Snowmobile rider is getting his outfit on right now.  8 mph down-track wind.  Putting helmet on now.  Main/Poteet past the stretch of track where the snowmo will run, so the track is clear.

The flies out here today are VICIOUS!  Ray's headed to the truckstop to see if he can find some flypaper -- DEET isn't doing anything, he says.

Ooops, crud -- gotta get the electric gun to remove the body from the snomo -- will be on hold while they do that and the wind picks up again -- 11 mph right now.  Gotta be below 11 for FIM approval.

Okay-- engine running, FIM Charlie is happy with the wind, engine is running.

Wind back to 14.  On hold again.

Engine running, rider on the smomo, waiting for a break in the wind.  When Charlie says go -- they're going.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Smomo is under way.  10 minute wind average is 9 mph.

Through the five.  Into measured mile at 185.

kilo  162   still running at exit.

Mile speed was 159

130 exit speed.

Left no tracks whatever on the Salt per Mike Cook.

9-10 mph wind on the run.  I don'tknow what's next -- but P/M is trucking to the far end.  They'll be ready fairly soon, I suppose.


The snomo rider says something is broken, but no parts are hanging out.  They'll do a quick sweep -- maybe a belt let go.


P/M is off the trailer at the far end.

Main radios they'll be ready to run in about five minutes.


The snomo broke a belt in the transmission -- NOT the drive belt.