Take A Detailed Tour Of The Challenger II Streamliner With Danny Thompson – This Thing Is A Marvel Of Packaging And Engineering


Take A Detailed Tour Of The Challenger II Streamliner With Danny Thompson – This Thing Is A Marvel Of Packaging And Engineering

Bonneville is just over a month away now and we’re gearing up for our most comprehensive Speed Week coverage ever from the salt. This year marks the 100th birthday of racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats, which is cool in and of itself but the thing that really has us freaking out is the supposed list of really, really fast stuff that is rumored to be showing up. This could be one of those Speed Weeks that people are writing about 20 years from now because of the quality and quantity of fast streamliners that will be showing up. From the cars we already know like the Speed Demon to newly constructed air piercing arrows like Danny Thompson’s Challenger II, we cannot wait to bring you a week of coverage featuring speeds over the four hundred mile per hour mark and all of the other associated cool stuff that happens on the salt. But we digress…

Recently Danny Thompson had the Challenger II out at El Mirage and made some shakedown runs with it to test the various systems on the car and to make sure it was going to act appropriately (at least through part of the acceleration phase…these were not 400mph tests). The results appear to have been positive as the car was able to accelerate and Thompson was able to control it on the dusty surface that hot rodders have been attacking for the purposes of making speed for a LONG, long time. Upon his return from El Mirage, the people from National Speed Sport News caught up with him at his shop and he gave them a literal end to end tour of the ‘liner with the body off.

If you are a gearhead of any stripe, this will blow you away. Yes, the twin nitro burning hemis are something to see and gawk at but the real story (for us, anyway) is packaging. When you see how much stuff is crammed into how little space there is available under the body of this car you’ll freak like we did. The old saying about putting 10lbs of “stuff” in a five pound bag is a quaint notion when you see how much safety gear, how many mechanical items (the jacks, engines, transmissions, transfer case, etc) are stuffed into the tight confines of the chassis so that the lithe body will cover it all tightly and remain am aerodynamic dart that can slice through the air, your eyes will bug out.

Our favorite part of the whole thing? The light coating of El Mirage dust that remains on the vehicle. Why? Because that’s a sign of progress and success. That film of silt means that this thing runs. It means that Thompson has driven it, and it means that he is very close (relatively speaking) to hammering down the seemingly endless expanse of the Bonneville Salt Flats with those two hemi engines bellowing and the spirit of his legendary father riding on his shoulder. We don’t get teared up much, but we have a feeling that when we see this car leave the starting line, we’ll have to rub some dust out of our eyes. This is going to rule.

PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE DANNY THOMPSON GIVE A TOUR OF THE CHALLENGER II –


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4 thoughts on “Take A Detailed Tour Of The Challenger II Streamliner With Danny Thompson – This Thing Is A Marvel Of Packaging And Engineering

  1. GuitarSlinger

    Challenger I was a thing of beauty back in the day . Challenger II being the perfect logical progression . Its obvious that Danny inherited a whole lot more than just the name . Two thumbs up ! Break a leg [ entertainment idiom for good luck ] Keep the shiny side up … rubber side down and make us all a bunch of happy Gearheads Danny ! We’re rooting for you !

    As to that tear Brian ? For me it’ll be an ear to ear s*** eating grin that’ll take at least a week to wipe off . Being of a certain age and all 😉

  2. ratpatrol66

    I hope Danny runs a big number. The July test and tune is in a few weeks. Speedweek can’t get here soon enough!!!

  3. James Banfield

    Danny,, Good luck on the run. I wish that Mickey were here to see it. We CAme so close to having the “Mickey Thompson Memorial Speedway” a reality, but the California Speedway in Fontana beat us. Blessings to you and have a great Run! James Banfield

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