The Ravenna Garage D/Fuel Lakester is one intetesting piece of salt racing machinery. The shape is a tight tube style design and we were really blow away when we got up close with the rig as it sat in the staging lanes at speed week. Outside of the extreme low stance, long wheelbase, and rip snorting small block engine , there is an element of this car that may blow some of you away.What is it?
The driver cannot physically see out of the front of the car due to the extreme lay back driving position built into the lakester. What does the driver do? He gets his view from a series of mirrors that are aimed in such a way as to create a periscope effect and that provides the necessary view. Being that SCTA rules clearly state that the forward facing viewing apparatus must be mechanical and not electronic in nature, it is still jarring ride.
Just watching the driver strap into this thing is a trip to another dimension. He’s basically shoved into the “installed” position and then strapped down. As you will see in the photos, there is not a drop of extra room to work with when it comes to space management. Like many cars on the salt, the body size is pretty much dictated by the engine. This car is just wide and tall enough to swallow the entire motor under the body. Go ahead and measure a small block Chevy from valve cover to valve cover and then try to sit betters your marks while your mind races and your guitar solo beings. We love the fact that the hatch door is also the beginning of the air intake as well.
This is a car that has been on the salt for a long time and it has held and broken lots of records along the way. Here’s again to celebrating the creativity, bravery and downright fanatical devotion that the racers and crews have towards the Salt Flats. Now, go check out the photos below to see exactly what we are talking about!
Check out these photos below and then tell us if you would have the guts to drive this
Nope. No way to get out in a hurry if there’s a fire.(my biggest fear) How long does it take a safety crew to get to you? Actually surprised it’s allowed.
I’ll stick to drag racing where there’s paramedics and fire trucks on both ends of the track. They’re on you before you’re stopped.
That is crap my pants claustrophobia inducing.
Where do I sign up?
How in the world does he pass the MANDATORY emergency evacuation test? Would love to see that.
These are some older pictures. Not taken at the 2020 SpeedWeek event. Use of periscopes has been prohibited at Scta/Bni sanctioned land speed racing events for several years. How about you show me, where it says in the Scta rule book “Being that SCTA rules clearly state that the forward facing viewing apparatus must be mechanical and not electronic in nature ” Calling Major BS. Why show this now and make it sound like it’s from the 2020 even?
To make you talk