Mecca of Speed

[BMFScout]

I laughed my ass off about the Nuge, I want to see the rest next weekend. We had to get out of town today didn't have time. When he goes back next year to back up/break his own record I want to go.

[agjohn02]

I laughed my ass off about the Nuge, I want to see the rest next weekend. We had to get out of town today didn't have time. When he goes back next year to back up/break his own record I want to go.

you had "cat scratch fever" and "stranglehold" on your voicemail. too bad you were too drunk to remember it.

[BMFScout]

I remember it, but it just sounded like noise

[agjohn02]

We went through tech inspection on Friday with flying colors.




The rest of the core team got there Friday evening and we started to race on Saturday.



We ran a record qualifying run on Monday and backed it up Tuesday morning. The way it works is, you run all day until you make a pass faster than the current record. You then go to impound and have four hours to work on your vehicle. Your vehicle remains in impound overnight and first thing next morning, you back it up with another run. If the average of the two runs is greater than the existing record, you set a new one.

We ran in the "partially streamlined" (APS) class as well. We didn't have the aero to set a record in that one. I saw the bike that held the record and it's fairing was heavily modified from the stock one we were running. The fact that we beat the same guys record without a fairing tells me we had more power that him, but poorer aero. With more time we could have worked on it some, but alas you must leave something to do for next year. With some time in the wind tunnel and more time on the dyno, we will definately be back to up the ante next year.

As a spectator, I say go to Speedweek. It is big and there is a large variety of cars there. As a competitor, it sucked having to wait in line 3 hours to make a run. From what I hear, World Finals in Oct has fewer competitors and you don't have to wait so long to make a run. Bonneville is definately spectator friendly. You can walk through the pits and all up and down the side of the courses, about 300 yds from them. You can also walk through the starting lanes and stand right next to a vehicle as it leaves the line for a run.

[agjohn02]

This is the three bike builders. Others helped though, Matt Howell with welding, Shaun Lide with data acquisition.

(R->L) Billy Wiese (engine builder, highly renowned race bike and 2-stroke tuner), Me, Dr. Make McDermott



This is the whole group minus Doc and Matt Howell.
(R->L) Scott McDermott (Doc's son), Phil Tutt, Josh Tutt, Billy Wiese, Me, Shaun Lide, Larry Cox (my dad)


I'll post up some of my favorite pictures, but most of them will be in the album when I get them up. I'll put the link in the first post.

[agjohn02]

At the motel, cool guys, we stayed up late and drank beer

[Reckless]

John, I envy you. I know what im doing with my 1 week vacation next year.

[agjohn02]

I stayed too busy most of the time to get to look at the stuff I wanted to.

Here's one example, shot this while driving to get in line to make a run. Saw him pass by the pit several times.



This guy was banking




This belongs to a guy Krebs and I know. His name is Hans and he's a MET graduate from A&M. He lives in Norway, i think, and came over to crew chief a car. The team he was on had several BAAAAD big blocks and were swapping engines out all week and setting records. He flew over, bought the truck in Tenn, trailered it to Houston, serviced it, then drove it from Houston to Bonneville. It seems that I'm the only person I know that thinks its cool. Even Hans only wanted it for the drivetrain. Its somewhere in Bryan now.

[agjohn02]

More of what I have dubbed, the "Ratpackard"







Video of it running
http://tamor.us/members-rigs/Speed-Week-2007/100_1156


cool pic out on the salt

[agjohn02]

Anybody know where I can get a front right fender for my stude?



I wanna do this... 193 mph last year. I don't know how much faster this year.

[agjohn02]

Blowfish


Turbo'ed (BIG turbo) 4 banger, including at least one dropped valve, boo




That's Troy Trepanier in the yellow shirt. He was talking business with someone so I didnt get a chance to speak to him. boo again.


Cool thing about this pic is the glass is tinted. The flash just lit it up well enough inside to see. It had an interesting suspension set-up that we never truely figured out. Basically, a wishbone five link. Two LCA's, one UCA, and a wishbone with a sliding link. The front is a MacPherson strut.

[mudtoy67]

Very cool. Man, that bike is small! And the supercharged straight-8, that's just crazy!

[Doug Krebs]

I thought Hans had a MEEN degree?

That old crapper panel RV is at my buddies shop in bryan along with 3 other cars Hans just bought. Him and his wife must bank it in norway.

[Sharpe]

The fact that the exchange rate sucks for us cant hurt either...

[agjohn02]

Scott told me MET, I'm not sure.