Author Topic: Bonneville anyone??? (Read 3657 times)

KeithTurk · « **on:** June 09, 2010, 11:13:28 AM »

754 and I started to chat about Bonneville on another thread... thought we could start our own here....

I've been racing there for 14 yrs and I'm also one of the organizers of the race at Maxton NC. with the East Coast Timing Assn. ECTA

We've never set a seriuos record with a bike but we hold 11 records at Bonneville from 225mph to 261mph with the Camaro and another modified sports car we used to own... My racing partner is the Editor in Chief of a Magazine called Hot Rod... he builds the engines and I build the car...

I might be able to find some pictures somewhere... I'll post them up when I do...

KeithTurk · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2010, 11:20:44 AM »

fastbroshi · « **Reply #2 on:** June 09, 2010, 11:45:15 AM »

I think I just got a little jizz in my pants

Don R · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2010, 07:45:53 PM »

Way too cool. I always thought when I get done drag racing, convert the RED to a lakester and just have a go. It has rear suspension but no front. How smooth is Maxton? I was told it's no fun without suspension.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2010, 07:49:36 PM »

it's fairly rough... But it doesn't take a full on suspension as much as it takes a Compliant suspension.... You really only need about 1" of total travel... so nothing fancy... and a Rear Engine Dragster is a perfect candidate for a Lakester chassis.... and Maxton hasn't had a lot of Lakesters so you'd clean up on points...

K

KeithTurk · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2010, 07:51:45 PM »

forgot to ask what the wheel base was..... LONG is GOOD.... and with rear suspension...the front isn't that critical... Nice but not a show stopper...

Don R · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2010, 07:57:44 PM »

235" wheelbase, curently running a 567" Steve Schmidt BBC carbureted with BMF heads on gas. VW diesel rabbit radiator might be a little small for a long run.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2010, 08:00:13 PM »

water in the block???

Yeah... a fella might want to add a WATER TANK... or put that Radiator in a water tank to do my Water to Water cooler... ( I use it at BVille to maintain water temps for the Sports car... )( the Camaro just uses a MONGO radiator and a 5gal tank...

K

Don R · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2010, 08:02:39 PM »

I've seen the Camaro in Hot Rod right?

754 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2010, 08:04:02 PM »

Keith, a few things stick out from SPEEEDWEEEK..

A kid near us in the pits had an 80s or 90s F-bird with an ebay purchased ex Nextel V-6 (3K , I think

).. that ran a bit over 200 I think first time out.. he even had his high school shop teacher, helping him tune.. The shop teacher admitted to me that they were not really close.. but he asked him if he wanted to come along and help tune!.. so he said sure.. Then he said, I really dont know ANYTHING ABOUT THESE ENGINES, BUT I CAN MAKE ANY ENGINE RUN GOOD.. ..

.. I just thought that was pretty cool, we had to go look at it, to see what it was.... As they revved it, it sounded more like a bike engine..

The other thing, nearly right beside our pits, the blonde lady from Montana with the ex Burkland Stude.. she had run 180ish the previous year, and bumped it to around 217..

.. Her smile was as wide as the sky, she was having SO much fun.. Verrry nice Lady, that one..

The other thing, Tech guy by the name of Green, helped out a lot with the liner.. he is from up here in BC.. Had some VERY interesting conversations with him.. he ran a turboed CB 750 in the 70s that I recall seeing in a magazine..

I been telling & telling the guys on here.. they really do not know what they are missing by not going..

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2010, 11:07:11 PM »

There is a dedicated forum for people that like going very very fast.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=61934.25

Welcome back Keith, I had noticed you posting again.

Sam

KeithTurk · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2010, 03:45:01 AM »

The Camaro has been featured in Hot Rod.... quite a bit.... ( pretty standard for a magazine project car )

Here's it's second feature article http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/113_0501_bonneville_national/index.html

It's one of my favorites as it's the first article with the cars name changed the "Hot Rod Magazine Spl. "

The Last 6 yrs has been a really good time.... David Freiburger has been the driving force behind what class's we run and after he builds the motor I usually fly out to LA and do the install in the car and get it ready....then we meet up on the Salt and make it happen....

Hey Sam.... it's good to see you again too.... Looking forward to your nappy butt showing up at Maxton...

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2010, 06:13:37 AM »

I might just do for a bit of fun, is there an Honda automatic class for old men.

Sam.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #13 on:** June 10, 2010, 06:39:01 AM »

Ahhh no... but I know the Race director.... maybe we can get him to build us a class....

Keith Turk
Race Director
East Coast Timing assn.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #14 on:** June 10, 2010, 07:04:53 AM »

I heard he was an OK guy, any relation?

Sam.

Don R · « **Reply #15 on:** June 10, 2010, 10:09:14 AM »

Lets see, the rear end is too narrow, There are some 9" ford housings in the crawl space and a nos set of 2.90 gears, 31 spline N case with a blueprinted traction lock, spool required? a spare set of wilwood stock car calipers and brackets, I'd need rotors, narrower tires and wheels for the back, Chute's OK, nah new chute, Lockup converter? Lower that scoop to get the flat face down out of the wind, nah K&N aero scoop, New firesuit -15? taller windshield, drop the coilovers a hole or 2, Just dreamin out loud.

BLUE71TURBO · « **Reply #16 on:** June 10, 2010, 11:05:53 AM »

Hello mr. keith Turk. I suppose you know old man CHARLES " SCOTTY " Scott from Scotty's Muffler. I'm a friend of the family. I live here in San Bernardino, Calif. My friend Tom Face now own's Scotty's muffler shop. Scotty was the first open wheeled car to run 200 mph back in 1953 ! He still holds a few records at other places. He was a hell of a man all the way to 91 years old. They use to store the roadster in thier shop behind my best friends motorcycle shop " NORMS CYCLE ". I had the pleasure to help work on the roadster alot. Crazy stuff !

Here's and old picture of another roadster they had ......

KeithTurk · « **Reply #17 on:** June 10, 2010, 03:58:54 PM »

Don it's all working for me..... for Maxton you need Drag radial's.... 28" would be fine.... wider rear would be good... Windscreen is fine as long as you don't get buffetted to much... then you raise it... not till then.... same with the scoop....make it prove it's wrong....

Look into a torsion bar style RED front suspension set up.... it would be fine... but again... I'm not sure I wouldn't drag my junk to Maxton just to see how it did....

Tranny needs to be an in and out box but your current gay ass Auto will work for a starter kit.... ( I really think God said we need to drive sticks.... ( I asked him.... and he said so ))

Don R · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2010, 08:03:28 PM »

I checked the rear and it is wide enough to get the tires outside the body line, Maybe there is a lakester in there somewhere. I told my wife were going top speed racing she smiled and said OK. Then she waits till I get over it. Maybe not.

Gay ass auto? Sam, was he talkin some smack here? Yeah, like I'm gonna run a stick in Super Comp.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #19 on:** June 11, 2010, 01:27:41 AM »

Nahhhh I'm just baggin on the Auto.... they are great for drag racing... which I rag on pretty hard.... ( even though I do Drag week every year ).... in Land Speed Racing.... you don't want anything to slip... it all needs to be Hooked up or locked up.. however they are great for folks who only have one arm and such..... it's like owning a Hondamatic and not being a school girl...

Don R · « **Reply #20 on:** June 11, 2010, 12:28:24 PM »

It's all good fun. I understand about the slush box. And I'm really diggin the pictures, more would be OK with me. I'm turning a little green with envy. Every race project starts with a dream. Right now I'm dreaming about push bars, clutches, bellhousings, rule books, I have a friend that went once, there was a flathead liner that Garlits drove, He helped with that. oooh flatheads. I always wanted an offenhauser in a belly tank too.

scottly · « **Reply #21 on:** June 11, 2010, 09:43:46 PM »

Quote from: Don R on June 11, 2010, 12:28:24 PM

And I'm really diggin the pictures, more would be OK with me.

More pics would be OK with me, too!

Slightly OT, BLUE71, were you in San Berdoo in the 60's,? If so, ever hear of a guy involved in drag racing named Ron Roseberry?

BLUE71TURBO · « **Reply #22 on:** June 11, 2010, 09:52:47 PM »

I came to San Bernardino in 68. I was only in the 3rd grade. Dad was stationed at Norton AFB. He was a loadmaster.
His name sounds familier though. I've met alot of old racers through the years here.

754 · « **Reply #23 on:** June 11, 2010, 09:55:50 PM »

Well, if you feel that way..

I have a 6 pack of sorta rough wingtanks stashed nearby....

scottly · « **Reply #24 on:** June 11, 2010, 10:04:28 PM »

Quote from: BLUE71TURBO on June 11, 2010, 09:52:47 PM

I came to San Bernardino in 68. I was only in the 3rd grade. Dad was stationed at Norton AFB. He was a loadmaster.
His name sounds familier though. I've met alot of old racers through the years here.

Thanks, it was a long-shot, anyway. He was one of my mentors in the early '70s, when he moved in next door in Santa Maria. I remember a picture on his mantle of a mid '60s white Mopar coming off the line...
Any more vintage pics?

?

Don R · « **Reply #25 on:** June 13, 2010, 11:04:35 AM »

In case nobody else noticed, there is a cool article in the new August issue of HOT ROD mag featuring Maxton and the very Keith Turk that started this thread! Pictures included. Page 74.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #26 on:** June 14, 2010, 03:32:09 AM »

Thanks for the Nod Don....

The Top Speed Challange that Hot Rod puts on each year is a favor from them for Tonya and I doing Drag week and it's also because Freiburger Loves Land Speed Racing....

Bill McGuire who wrote the article had never been there before and it was a HOOT... seriously a hoot to watch him take in the place... He had Fun.... then blamed it on me.... LOL

K

Don R · « **Reply #27 on:** June 15, 2010, 09:41:33 AM »

Are the rules online like NHRA or do you need to get a book? I was also told the bonneville rules lean toward mild steel not chrome moly.
Maybe my 40 chevy coupe would be a better way to get my feet wet. It's a small block, 4 speed and it would be easy to swap rear gears in the 9" Edsel rear.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #28 on:** June 15, 2010, 05:33:46 PM »

there are some limited rules on line under the Top Speed Challange part of our website... www.ecta-lsr.com

I've not looked lately to be honest... just to dang busy with crap.... But the Coupe can run in the Street car class with nothing but a 3 point belt as long as you don't exceed 135mph...

K

scottly · « **Reply #29 on:** July 09, 2010, 09:50:21 PM »

So any more vintage pics? Stories?

KeithTurk · « **Reply #30 on:** July 10, 2010, 04:27:24 AM »

My favorite Bville story is 2008....

in 07 we'd set 5 records in different classes... with 4 different drivers.... and all but Tonya got over 250 in the car.... So Freiburger built her an engine for 08 that was easier to control.... single carb with a Vortex Supercharger... down a tick on HP but it was like 1160hp Vs the 1300 we had with the Roots blower. Anyway.... we started out with a soft record around 217mph with one of our crew members in the car... ( we were trying to get him into the two ).... We made some modifications and stuck Tonya in the car with "ALL" the HP and she had a down run of 245mph on a 230mph record.... Perfect... off to Impound we go...

While in impound the front air dam on the car was protested by some weenie that held the record in the previous class at 209mph.... when we read the rule the way he was reading it... we agreed and went to tell him thanks and to generally cool things off.... While talking to him, he said our car should be "technically right" and that even though the infraction did not gain us an advantage... right is right.... we agreed and informed him that we'd fix it and the record he'd set...which was a lot like a record only SLOWER.... By the time we got back to the pits... we had 7 cell phones buzzing every single junk yard in a 500 mile radius of Bville.... and we found a Camaro just like mine in Idaho.... ( to repair the issue we had to change the nose of the car and rebuild the air dam ) and OFF we went...

We put Tonya to bed as she had to do her return run at 6am the next morning, the rest of us piled into the truck and headed for Idaho... We get to this place... pull the Junk Camaro into the shop... before snatching the nose off the car we built the new air damn or got pretty close... and then drove back to Bonneville..... arriving just in time to wake Tonya up and push her off on her return run........ So she runs 249mph in the 5th mile and goes out the back of the course at 251mph... ( which means she gets her Double AA Lic.... big deal in our little world ).. and puts pretty big numbers on the record.... and while the car gets back in line to have the engine checked and Tonya to certify her record.... all the guys are all over the nose of the car in line.... by the time we got back to the pits the car virtually had a new nose.....

My Partner ( Freiburger) jumps in the car after we took the Blower off and David goes out and runs 226mph on that poor fella's 209mph record.... lots of fun....we backed it up the next day and ultimately got to mention to the guy that next time he should bring is "real" race car... ( he and his crew were the first to congratulate us on the effort ) The Smack talk was hysterical.... not a soul took offense and everyone... even the weenie that lost the record had a great time....

scottly · « **Reply #31 on:** July 10, 2010, 09:21:49 PM »

Quote from: KeithTurk on July 10, 2010, 04:27:24 AM

While in impound the front air dam on the car was protested by some weenie that held the record in the previous class at 209mph.... when we read the rule the way he was reading it... we agreed and went to tell him thanks and to generally cool things off.... While talking to him, he said our car should be "technically right" and that even though the infraction did not gain us an advantage... right is right.... we agreed and informed him that we'd fix it and the record he'd set...

So he was a weenie for informing you your car was not legal? Which you agreed with???

( he and his crew were the first to congratulate us on the effort ) The Smack talk was hysterical.... not a soul took offense and everyone... even the weenie that lost the record had a great time....

Sounds to me the "weenie" displayed proper sportsmanship.

tgtint · « **Reply #32 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:00:39 PM »

Wow, love anything bonneville related. This forum is getting cooler and cooler!

traveler · « **Reply #33 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:50:51 PM »

So...are you as Liberal or a Conservative Keith?

KeithTurk · « **Reply #34 on:** July 10, 2010, 11:20:54 PM »

Hey I'll run over and answer that question on the Political forum....

Don R · « **Reply #35 on:** July 11, 2010, 01:57:28 PM »

Fun story with a fun ending. I'm investigating tires, hoosier (what I currently have) has a no LSR policy on their tires, not sure why, but I bet goodyear has something. I've heard of nitro funny car front tires being used bit they look small.

KeithTurk · « **Reply #36 on:** July 11, 2010, 02:12:54 PM »

Tires in Land speed racing are a bit sticky... No manufacturer wants to certify that a tire will go XXX mph simply because they can't control the circumstances under which the tire will perform X speed....

Bville requires High gross weights to gain the traction required to overcome Drag... and the tires are skinny to focus the maximum amount of Pressure on the contact patch.... So we're asking these folks to give us a Skinny tire that will hold up a 5000lb car.... at 300mph ( plus or minus )

Bottom line... Mickey Thompson makes a Bville tire in several sizes starting at around $500 bucks a piece and Goodyear has a Front runner with added ply's and it's around 400 each....

At Maxton we're allowing folks to run Drag Radials.... and we've had good luck to 241mph...

K

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Author Topic: Bonneville anyone??? (Read 3657 times)

traveler