We’ve just returned from our first salt season at Bonneville, bringing back not just a wounded car but also invaluable insights into what’s required to achieve the speed record we’re after.
Speedweek – August 2024 🚀
Our first event was Speedweek, kicking off in early August. Andrew Sinclair, the car owner/driver, completed all his licensing passes with ease, setting the stage to pursue the 249 mph record in the A/CBFALT class. Here’s a quick breakdown of the class specifics:
A – Engine size: 440–500 CU-IN
C – Classic body style with limited modifications
B – Blown (supercharged or turbocharged)
F – Fuel of choice (we run on Methanol)
ALT – Altered class, allowing for a larger engine, closed-off front grille, and other specific modifications
We successfully qualified for the record with a 251 mph run! However, to officially claim the record, we needed to back it up with another qualifying run. Unfortunately, the organizers closed the original track overnight, forcing us to use a less optimal surface the next day. On this rougher track, we struggled with traction and only managed to hit around 230 mph—a reminder of the challenges that come with racing on the salt flats.
World of Speed – September 2024 🏎️💨
The second event, World of Speed, took place over four days in early September. Despite our efforts to improve drive traction and high-speed stability, we couldn’t fully resolve these issues. Nevertheless, we qualified for the record again, achieving over 250 mph.
However, during the attempt to back up this run, the driveshaft—a Pro-Modified 2,500 HP drag-race unit—failed in 2nd gear. This failure also damaged the rear gearbox housing and tailshaft, cutting our event short.
What’s Next? 🛠️
Racing at Bonneville has been a tough but enlightening journey. With each challenge comes an opportunity to fine-tune the car and strategy, and we’re more determined than ever to break the record. We cannot thank the team at Volk-Nish Racing for the use of their race shop and all their advice and mentoring – they are legends!
We’ve got some amazing shots from the salt flats, including the car in action and the broken driveshaft that ended our final run—because sometimes, even in defeat, there’s beauty in the journey.
