Our final event of the season, the World Finals, took place in late September and early October. We were lucky with mint weather and perfect track conditions once again, with the cooler fall air making things a bit more comfortable.
With the car repaired—gearbox fixed, new driveshaft installed, slight chassis adjustments, and extra rear ballast added—we rolled out, now weighing in at over 5,000 lbs. On the salt, weight is your friend—it adds traction and stability. Of course, getting that weight up to speed is a challenge, so it’s all about finding the perfect balance. No two salt cars are identical, which makes every setup unique—this isn’t your typical race series.
Record Runs Only 🏎️💨
On the salt, every run counts as a potential record attempt. There are no warm-up laps, no brake bedding—you strap in and send it. On Sunday, during a qualifying run, the car became unstable at around 240 mph (386 kph) and spun. While sliding sideways, it hit a mile-marker, which damaged the left rear rim and rear quarter panel.
After reviewing the in-car video and data (with input from some seasoned drivers—and some not-so-seasoned ones 😜), we concluded that the right rear wheel hit a patch of soft salt, causing the car to weave out of control. There was no saving it from there.
The damaged wheel was sent back to Salt Lake City that night, repaired by Monday morning, and driven back to the pits. We gave the car a thorough inspection, hastily fixed the quarter panel, and prepped it for another attempt.
On Track for 260 mph 🏅
We qualified once again, hitting just over 250 mph—that’s over 110 meters per second! After qualifying for a record, the car was sent to Impound.
To put "Impound" into context, when you qualify for a record, you have a strict 4-hour time limit (not a second more) to prep the car for the record back-up run. Most of the time, you cover the car and return at sunrise to make the run. However, depending on how the event is progressing, it’s possible to attempt the back-up run later the same day you qualified.
We adjusted the tune for the cooler morning conditions, debriefed the driver, and prepped for the run. At sunrise, we were 13th in line (lucky us... 😅). The run started perfectly—we were 20 mph faster than ever at the 2 1/4, 3, and 4-mile markers. It looked like we were on track for a 260 mph run.
But at around the 4 1/2-mile mark, disaster struck—we suspect a head gasket failure, which filled the cylinders with water, ending the run.
Big Kudos to Landon Motorsports 🛠️
The Hemi engine, built by Warren and Dean Landon of Landon Motorsports in Tauranga, has been an absolute rockstar throughout this journey. It’s made all the power we needed and performed flawlessly. However, early in the build, we were limited by a shortage of high-quality aftermarket cylinder heads. We had to make do with what was available to complete the engine on time.
At this point, any ideas on what caused the failure would be pure guesswork. Once the engine is stripped and assessed, the Landon team will provide a full diagnosis—cause, effect, and the fix. Then, we’ll be back on track and ready for the next run!
The Journey Continues 🚀
It’s no wonder that the record we’re chasing has stood for over 20 years—this sport demands precision, grit, and a lot of heart. We expect the car back in December, ready for more fine-tuning and future record-breaking attempts.
Below are a few photos:
The damaged rear quarter panel from the spin-out
The car partially stripped down to remove every last grain of salt 🧂
The mighty Hemi engine that powers our journey
