Round Two goes to the Salt 2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance My last post about the Spectre Performance "SpeedLiner" detailed THE PLAN. Everyone knew bringing 5 motors and trying to break 5 records was a stretch. Nobody'd argue that, but the team is motivated and prepared right down to the spare quick change rear axle they'd need after yesterday. Then "the salt" announced it's plan. The Cadillac bullet shown above sits sadly alone. Supplied by the Cad Company and owner-Cadillac-genius Courtney Hines out of New Mexico, the 434 cube heavy hitter had tons of potential coming off the dyno, but announced a "chirp chirp chirp" sound when cranking that said... "I'm done here." See what happened in Day 1 Results - click here. By the time I got done shooting the record certification runs for Sunday morning (guys looking to backup the runs made Saturday) Steve Schmalz and the extremely hard working crew from Performance Fabrication had the motor out and the new one ready to go back in. With the complexity of a setup like this, be impressed. Every trick, injected, electronic, data-logging gizmo availble's...

Salty Boneville Hot Rods 2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance   I'd like to tell ya I'm a great photographer. I'd like to even suggest that I posed these hot rods on the salt for a big-time photo shoot. I didn't. Truth is, Bonneville Speed Week brings out some of the coolest vintage hot rods you'll find. The coupe above is from Wrecked Metal. My buddy Josh Clason did a cool video at Wrecked Metal's shop featuring the guys who drove in from Idaho.     What else do you want? This trick little roadster was way different and way cool. Dig the triple carbed six cylinder, the swept back Duvall style windshield and look closely for the motorcycle-like gas tank out back. If you think this is a thrown together "rat rod" you're wrong. (Stop thinking that and seek help)     Speed Week brings out the hot rods. It's simple! When you see them out on the salt... tires caked with it, chunks sitting on the louvered roofs... it's plain to see: These hot rods are driven and the owners are having fun. That's enough...

Going to Impound - That's a GOOD thing! 2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance It's a thing of beauty. The 1969 Plymouth Barracuda built by Rad Rides by Troy. So imagine that everyone's happy they're off to impound! You should remember that when you run faster than a record, the car goes to impound, then the next morning you back up the record or start over. Review: Setting a Record at Bonneville The thrash is on! In impound, the team has 4 hours to make any changes and get ready for the back-up run. Blowfish is owned by George Poteet and nobody's more excited to see what the team has almost accomplished in the B/BFCC class. The record is held by a family everyone knows, the Burkland's. Tom Burkland set the record way back at Speed Week in 1985 with a coupe named "411 to Bonneville" at 294.868 mph. Blowfish ran 303 and change, so a new record, and a coveted blue hat (300 mph club) are within reach. Stay tuned for an update... Update! I caught up with Lawrence Laughlin, the shop manager from Rad Rides...

Round One goes to the Salt 2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance   My last post about the Spectre Performance "SpeedLiner" detailed THE PLAN. Everyone knew bringing 5 motors and trying to break 5 records was a stretch, but the team was motivated and prepared. Then "the salt" announced it's plan.   Things started well. The streamliner, still naked of it's lettering and B/BGS class was loaded on the trailer, first thing in the golden salt morning. In the 300 mph lane of the long course behind George Poteet's "Speed Demon" streamliner and the mustard rocket called the "Maro Special" (also a 2010 Baddest Hot Rod at Bonneville), SpeedLiner patiently waited it's turn.   Spectre crew chief Steve Schmalz tugs on driver Kenny Hoover's belts   The bell rings... the Spectre bullet is pushed down track until the 434 cubic inch Caddy motor drops into gear and starts making power. Like MMA, the first round lasted about five minutes.   What everyone hoped was a malfunction with the air shifter turned out to be this: What you're seeing is the shredded remains of a quick-change gear set....

Bonneville Salt Flats -Speedweek 2011 I wasn’t sure I’d be able to come to Bonneville this year. Studie didn’t get to come with me, but by 3pm Thursday afternoon my boyfriend Ethan and I were headed out of So Cal. By 9pm we were zooming across the empty desert underneath a full moon. By 3am we’d passed through Wendover and found an empty space at “The Bend”(the aptly named bend in the road just before getting to the Bonneville Salt Flats.) Early the next morning the sun woke us up to the sight of an amazing sunrise out over the salt flats – it was time for Speedweek 2011 to begin. Although the racing doesn’t begin until Saturday of Speedweek, Friday is full of activity as salt fever builds toward its breaking point…exploding as each participant racer zooms away from the starting line. Here’s some of the things I found going on in the pits as I wandered around on Friday… As racers arrive they register and begin lining up cars to get through tech inspection. This year has seen a number of safety changes – from head restraint...

2011 Bonneville Speed Week - What Could Go Wrong? 2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance Cruising onto the salt for the first time this year at just past 6AM, I'm greeted with this stunning sunrise. My new friends from Spectre have some big, BIG goals, but with a start to the morning like this, I'm thinking, "What could go wrong?" Then, standing in the media line chatting with the Hot Rod Magazine crew, I can just hear a racer explaining, "... and then it spit this out right onto the salt!" I turn around to see him proudly holding what's left of a twisted exhaust valve. Ahhhh... it's like a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut in my still warm coffee. This 1969 Plymouth Barracuda owned by Paul Ogden of Redding, CA looks fabulous in the still low sun. Similar to the 69 Cuda from George Poteet and the Rad Rides by Troy crew, this AA/BGC features an unlimited size motor and retains it's factory shape. Things are looking up! I'm ready for a fabulous day on the salt. It's not too hot, there's some clouds adding variety to...

Bonneville Salt Flats -Breaking Records 2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance Any time a land speed racer says what they're "planning" to do, they better be smiling! As a warm up for the record breaking session this year at Bonneville, I stole 15 minutes with Amir Rosenbaum, the founder of Spectre Performance and driver of the "SpeedLiner" race car shown above. He was smiling... The plan is to break five records! Record #1 - B/BGS: When the SpeedLiner hits the starting line of the long course on Saturday, stuffed inside the long lean frame rails will be a 434 cubic inch Cadillac motor. For those of you keeping score at home, that's a B-class motor  at 373-439 cubic inches. They're gunning for the B/BGS record of 337.197 mphcurrently held by Vesco Racing's D. Spangler. Record #2 - A/BGS: If things go well, (isn't the "if" redundant!!) the B-class record's in reach because SpeedLiner already holds the A/BGS record at 356.645 mph. A-class allows 440-500 cubic inches, so they're working a plan they already know fairly well. (there's that word plan again!) Record #3 - AA/BGS: One word:...

Bonneville Salt Flat Racing Vintage Studebakers Speed Week 2011 is quickly approaching! And you know what that means...Salt Fever! It's reminded me that I still have many Speed Seeking Studebakers to add to the series I started after last year's Speed Week. In fact, there's 11 more racing Studebakers I have to bring ya. Rounding out a total of 14 Studebaker racers on the Salt Flats I caught last year (and I'm sure I missed a few!) If you missed #1-4, begin here - All Speed Seeking Studebakers. To start with is this wicked 1953 Studebaker Coupe owned by Bob Drury and Old Stud Racing running in the A/cF ALT category with top speeds of 225 mph. Also a '53 is this more highly modified body, #974. With an extreme chop and a hood scoop to match the roof height it's an extreme looking Studebaker salt flats racer! In 2008 this Stude set the class record at 249.945 mph. Another highly modified and chopped coupe is this #749. They're not ALL '53 Coupes. There's always a good showing of Avanti's also..of course! Speaking of Avanti's, keep an eye out for...

Bonneville Salt Flats Streamliner Well it's gonna be! Right now, it's a lesson in patience. Take a look at the "Maro Special" a dedicated Bonneville Salt Flats streamliner race car if there ever was one. Like most race cars on the "Great White Dyno" aka Bonneville, this one's got a great story and Bobby Moore is the perfect gentleman to tell the story. Just like with the World's Fastest Corvette owned by Bobby, going fast takes time. Bobby Moore was 15 when he built his first car, a 1933 fenderless Plymouth five window coupe that he found in a field. He's always enjoyed the thrill of speed and the many friends made during his racing career. So naturally, in 1996, Bobby was drawn to Bonneville as driver of the Hoyle-Dickenson-Moore A/FL (A size engine'd lakester). Then later in '96 he bought the old 219mph Doc Jefferey's A/GT Corvette. The team campaigned the car in 1997 where Bobby got alot of seat time and learned many humbling lessons at Bonneville. With the hardest speed lessons learned, in '98, he joined the 200mph Club with a record of 234.162 in A/GMS...

Auto Meter STACK for Bonneville Salt Flats Racing From the analog data of "Old School" and to accuracy, speed and ease of digital data logging. That's the simple goal here. From there, the Volk Brothers Racing 1929 Model A roadster is looking to use the data at the race track to modify or update the engine setup to ultimately go fast and break a record. Then, the reality of salt flats racing steps in... Photo courtesy of SCTA website Backing up a step, Auto Meter Gauges, Volk Brothers Racing and MyRideisMe.com teamed up for Speed Week 2010 and World of Speed for some high speed runs down the Bonneville Salt Flats.  Our salt infested friends, the Volk family, run a Ford roadster with a fuel injected big block Chevy engine. They compete in the B/GR (373ci-449ci engine/Racing Gas, Roadster) class at Bonneville during Bonneville Speed Week and the Utah Salt Flats Racing Associations World of Speed. "...all while trying to keep a 200 mph rolling brick on a straight line for 5 miles." The Volk family salt flat racing pedigree includes (what seems like) 200 mph club membership for...

Bonneville Salt Flats Race Car Say hello to the "World's Fastest Corvette" Maybe you're wondering how I make the "Baddest Race Cars" list? Could be any number of things, but a sure formula is SPEED!  Be the fastest in your class, or classes and maybe world's fastest - You're a lock! In other words, go out there and set a record.  Add to that a welcoming smile and a generously given chat with up-and-comer MyRideisMe.com and you're just starting to see why Oklahoma's Bobby Moore and his Moore Boys Corvette is certainly one of the BADDEST! (Other hot rods from Oklahoma) With a helping hand from crew member and friend Rudy Heaton Bobby's patiently waiting inside for a run. Bobby's story about how he started racing isn't that different from others stricken with salt fever! Racing started at Bonneville in 1996 with a trip to the salt as the driver of the Hoyle-Dickenson-Moore A/FL (that means, "A" class engine, running fuel, lakester style body). That's all it took... From there, Bobby bought bought the 219 mph Doc Jefferey's A/GT Corvette. The following year, the Moore Boys Team made several...

Bonneville Salt Flat Racing Vintage Studebaker The moment my Studebaker and I drove out on to the salt this year during 2010 Speed Week, what was the first thing I did? Look for other Studebakers of course! And what was the first one I found but Gord Driedger's Blue Beauty. This 1953 Studebaker Coupe looks like she was born on the salt! In fact, this was her first time there - as well as Gord's! People end up on the salt from every corner of the earth it seems, and with all sorts of fascinating stories about how they got there. For Gord, his timely meeting with Blue Beauty happened while on vacation... in Napa of all places. Sitting on the patio, basking in the California sun, enjoying Napa wine, when suddenly Gord and his Wife's peace was disturbed by the loud sound of a racing engine. With salt flat racing on his bucket list, Gord went a-searchin'. The search led him to a neighboring garage. Not to the Studebaker, but to the guy who would put him in touch with #653. As it turns out, Blue Beauty was...