Speedweek 2018

[Iceaxe]

Live from the Bonneville Salt Flats...

Lots of records are going to fall this week as the salt has not been this fast for at least 15 years. The salt is smooth, solid and yielding 10 miles of race track.

[Iceaxe]

A few pictures of the motorcycles...

[Iceaxe]

More cars....

[Iceaxe]

From Saturday nights hot rod show in Wendover....

[Iceaxe]

What do you do Sunday at Speedweek after you break your toys on Satuday? You spend the day fixing them so you can break them again on Monday.

[Iceaxe]

And today Danny Thompson set the World Record for a piston powered vehicle in his AA/FS of 448.757 with today's 450 mph back-up run in Challenger II.

[oldno7]

always cool shots, I should have run up there last weekend.

[Iceaxe]

#715 Speed Demon just ran 452 mph, if he can back up the run in the morning Danny Thompsons worlds fastest piston powered record lasted a whole two days.

Speed Demon did it with a single small block Chevy. Challenger II is running two monster hemi's. Two radically different approaches to skin the same cat.

[rockgremlin]

This looks like Burning Man, but with cars.

You mentioned the "salt is faster than it has been for the last 15 years." What makes salt "fast"? How can it be "faster" than other years? Is it just more compact, or what?

Are you part of any of these pit crews?

[Iceaxe]

I have a lot of friends on the salt so we are usually helping someone like the #59 roadster that was swapping engines yesterday. Often we are helping complete strangers as the starting line gets pretty hectic and some of the smaller teams will take any experienced help they can get. Lots of husband/wife teams that are a little overwhelmed staging and get pushed off with all that has to happen, helping them out just takes a little pressure off the driver. We also make a lot of friends this way.

The salt is fast this year because it's a little thicker and more solid then past years so the salt doesn't break up and become rough. Also they have 10 miles of track this year, which is two miles more then they have had the past couple of years.

Iceaxe with the Big Red Camaro. If you don't know the story of this car look it up. :-)

[Iceaxe]

You can live stream Speedweek here:
https://www.meridix.com/channel/?liveid=landracing#/

Best time to listen is in the morning from about 7 to noon. Things slow way down in the afternoon when the heat rises. We'll have Speedweek live streaming in the office all week.

If you attend live the race is broadcast on FM 89.3 at the Salt Flats.

[Iceaxe]

#715 Speed Demon just ran 452 mph, if he can back up the run in the morning Danny Thompsons worlds fastest piston powered record lasted a whole two days.

Speed Demon was unable to back up his speed on the second run so the record remains with Challenger II for the time being.

However.... Turbinator just ran a speed of 463.038 mph at the 5 mile with an exit speed of 470 mph!!! That is hauling ass!!! This is top speed of the meet so far, but the car is turbine powered.

[Iceaxe]

Here is a good article on the fastest Speedweek in history with nearly 170 records set.

2018 Speedweek is one for the record books

https://roundsixpod.com/2018/08/23/2...-record-books/

[Iceaxe]

FWIW - LSR Racing can get expensive...


Climb-Utah.com

[oldno7]

that's not gunna buff out.....

looks like the crank could fall out.

[Iceaxe]

I was thinking maybe some JB Weld and it would be good as new...

[jdn1221]

Now that’s a failure!

[Iceaxe]

World of Speed is happening out on the Salt Flats this weekend and Rick Vesco just put down a run of 483 mph.

That is incredible....

[Iceaxe]

Land Speed Racing!!! I didn’t think it was possible but the salt is even better than it was at Speedweek. The salt is much drier, smoother and harder than a few weeks ago and the timing slips are the proof. Team Vesco ran 482mph and 483mph. Chet Thomas ran 250mph in a street roadster. John Levie ran 305mph in a motorcycle streamliner with a side car.... And it’s only the second day of racing....

Climb-Utah.com

[Iceaxe]

World Finals on the Salt Flats October 1-5. The salt has not been this fast in over 20 years. The salt is even faster then it was for Speedweek and the cool autumn air will increase the speeds. If you attend World Finals you will see cars run over 400 mph. There is an excellent chance you will see Danny Thompson and Challenger 2's all time record for a wheel driven car of 448 mph fall. This is a record that was just set in the August heat at Speedweek. There is a reasonable chance you might even see the first ever 500 mph run of a wheel driven car.