Today was a challenging day on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The only thing you need to know to understand that is the fact that there are only four cars who will be running for records on Tuesday. So what happened? Well there’s the mechanical failures, the pesky issues that prevent the types of runs that teams need to make to qualify for records and then there was the wind. Mother Nature threw some big guests at us on Monday but then at 4pm the event ground to a halt when a sustained wind set itself upon the salt at 4pm and never let up. Awnings and easy-ups flew, people put stuff away, and race officials recognized the threat that the wind presented and stopped competition on a temporary basis but the wind never went away and that was that.
Here’s the scoop on the four cars that are prepared to pound the salt in the morning!
V4F/Blown Fuel Roadster – Current record holder – unknown – Current record – unknown
Car: 1928 Dodge Roadster
Driver: John Ballantyne
Engine: Dodge Fast Four flathead four banger
Qualifing speed: 141.993
G/Classic Gas Altered – Mark Ortiz – Current Record 113.131mph
Car: 1966 Karman Ghia
Driver: Chris Mursik
Engine: VW air-cooled flat four
Qualifying speed: 123.735
AA/Blown Street Roadster – Current Record – Thomas Walsh 232.621
Car: 1932 Ford roadster
Driver: Chet Thomas
Engine: 600″ Ford big block
Qualifying speed: 232.858
F/diesel streamliner – Current record holder: B. Snyder 199.019
Car: custom built streamliner
Driver: Burton Brown
Engine: Mercedes turbo diesel
Qualifying speed: 214.053
