Topic: Top Speed Shootout, 2012

[RayTheRat]

The penultimate meet of the year starts this morning.  It's called the "Top Speed Shootout" and is run by Mike Cook and his company, Land Speed Enterprises.  This is an invitational (more or less) meet and only the "top guns" will be running. 

The big one will be the Speed Demon streamliner fielded by George Poteet and Ron Main.  George is the dude in the yellow hat; Dave Petrali, the USAC/FIA rep is on the left.



This is the Speed Demon in a state of "dishabille" (ok, nekkid  )  They're going after 3 FIA records and I heard the engine builder/tuning guru say that with the "big motor" they otta be good to run 475 mph.  The car's run 462 before, so I think they have a real good chance of a record over 450.



Strangely enough, my Burb really is red.  It was white a few days ago, covered with salt. 



I'm gonna add one photo here so it'll show up in the list.  It's the Rice & Vegant lakester with a Hayabusa motor.  They are shooting for a record over 200.

Photo and text coverage will be here:
http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,11756.0.html

Enjoy,

RtR

[RayTheRat]

Some stuff from today in the form of attached photos. 

The Speed Demon did about the same thing that it's done on every run (or every backup run) for the lasr 2 years...although it has set some records.  It kinda had a little problem with one of the cylinders in the small V8 motor (5 liter)...apparently the fuel injector failed, causing it to run lean and overheat to the point of blowing a hole in the headgasket and the head (first 2 photos.)  The exhaust gasses passing into the cooling system ballooned the coolant tank and broke welds at most of the corners.  They put the bigger motor (6 liter) and will try it tomorrow...the bad head is going to Salt Lake for repair and they'll try it on Monday (they're a little optimistic, I think) 

The Rice & Veagant lakester made 4 runs over 180 (on a 150-something record) and got the two Rice brothers in the record books, one for the mile, the other for the kilometer.  I dunno how they did it, but apparently they worked it out.

There were some other runs including a lakester powered by 3 Suzuki GXR motors and bent a shaft in the drive train, but plan to get it repaired and run again. 

I'm gonna go get dinner.  More tomorrow.

RtR

[Otto Puzzell]

I'm lovin' this thread - thanks for sharing!

[Otto Puzzell]

Happy birthday, Ray!

[RayTheRat]

Happy birthday, Ray!

Thanx in advance, Otto.  Here are a few photos for ya (I'll have to fill in the data later):

Al Lamb, Honda 1400cc partially streamlined

Speed Demon, fastest car of the meet Top speed 453 exit speed, 449 record average.

And he shredded the tires while doing it.

Rice & Vigeant lakester, bumped the class record from 150-ish to over 200.

[RayTheRat]

And a few more.

Kim Krebs, fastest Australian lady on 2 wheels (maybe more)

Brandon "Sparky" Miller, new electric bike record holder at over 100 mph.

Two shots of Steve Strupp driving Jack Rogers' 68 Camaro Altered Coupe which never got completely sorted out.

We have one more run to go before the event is over...a return run by the "Barnyard Bearcat", a streamliner running 3 1000cc Suzuki GXR motors.  He just qualified near 300 mph, he'll try for a faster return to get the vacerage above 300.

[Ultra]

Great stuff.