From: Wally Plumley [wplumley@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2001 7:42 PM
To: 928
Subject: [928] RE: Holbert numbers and Kim's comments

At 04:46 PM 12/21/01, Jim Bailey wrote:
>Kim , Thank you for the nice comment....so they tried both transaxles but
>apparently used the 2.20 which would make some sense to run closer to the
>peak torque for what is essentially an extended brake (resistance)dyno run
>against a constant force. (air resistance ) Which is very different than an
>acceleration run on a Dyno jet or any inertial dyno. Holbert would have been
>at wide open throttle for sometime before the beginning of the measured mile
>and held it there for the entire mile (just a bit over 20 seconds ). They
>were also required to make a return run the opposite direction within one
>hour as I recall to negate any headwind tailwind issues for an "official"
>record .

At the normal Bonneville record runs, you must qualify for a license to 
match your projected speed. Holbert would have had no problem with a 175 
mph license, based upon his past racing experience. If you start from 
scratch, you must make a 125 mph +/- 5 mph run to get a 150 mph license.

Then you have to qualify for a record run. You get two miles to get up to 
speed, and you are timed thru the first quarter-mile of the third mile, and 
the full mile if you want to stay on the throttle. To qualify for a record 
run, you must beat the existing record by at least 0.001 mph thru either 
the first quarter or the full mile. You can make as many qualifying runs as 
you want - you just get back in line. It can take from minutes to days to 
get back to the head of the line. We made about fifteen runs the first time 
we went!

If you qualify for a record run, you must be in line by 7:00 am the next 
day. When you get to the head of the line, you get two miles to get up to 
speed. At that point, you hit the start of the first measured mile, and 
trip a clock for the first timed mile and for the first quarter-mile of 
that first timed mile.

If your speed is below 175 mph for that first quarter-mile, you are timed 
for that mile, the next mile, and the next mile (independent timing for 
each of the three measured miles). The fastest mile is counted.

If your speed is above 175 mph for that first quarter-mile, you are timed 
for the next five miles (independent timing for each of five measured 
miles). The fastest mile is counted. (Since Holbert was below 175 mph, he 
would have been one of the slower cars, timed on the short course!)

If you are above the record, or close enough that you can average above the 
record on your second run, you have two hours to make a return run. The 
cars are impounded at the far end of the course - you are allowed to work 
on the car in the impound area. Return runs are in order of the first runs.

To set a record, you must average above the record on the same physical 
mile or relative mile - i.e., you can average faster for the first measured 
mile in each direction, the second measured mile, etc., or you can average 
faster than the record for the same physical mile.

Bonneville is a blast! It is the world's largest vintage race car show. 
Everyone should go at least once.

Wally Plumley
I/MS LSR, 1992 - 1995



From: Wally Plumley [wplumley@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2001 9:06 AM
To: 928
Subject: [928] RE: Holbert numbers and Kim's comments

At 02:10 AM 12/22/01, Tony Harkin wrote:
>OK..perhaps i need to learn how this works?
>
>Bonneville is a set up facility with timers..markers..traps etc etc for 
>these kind of speed runs?

The salt is Federally controlled, with several agencies involved. The SCTA 
(Southern California Timing Association) has been running speed trials on 
Bonneville for well over fifty years. They move onto the salt twice a year, 
with the Bonneville Nationals in August and the SCTA World Finals in October.

After the meet is over, EVERYTHING must be removed - the BLM doesn't want 
to be able to tell that they were there. No oil stains, no cigarette butts 
- nothing.

In addition, they run at El Mirage Dry Lake six times a year. This is a dry 
lake bed - dirt, but flat and smooth.


>They have workers that staff it, like a race track?

Large number of volunteers, some of whom have been doing this for fifty years.



>Do you pay a fee and go for a "run"?
>
>Can anyone show up and drive there cars as fast as they can along the set 
>course and receive an "official" time/speed?


You have to join BNI (Bonneville Nationals, Inc.), or one of the twelve 
member clubs of SCTA.

Lots of info at

http://www.scta-bni.org/

Anyone who wants to run for the record:
B/GT (6.11L - 8.00L) - open
C/GT (5.01L - 6.11L) - 212.694 mph
D/GT (4.27L- 5.0L) -  186.082

This means that Don H. or Susan T. could set a Land Speed Record very easily!

Wally



From: Wally Plumley [wplumley@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2001 9:15 PM
To: 928
Subject: [928] Bonneville

At 08:51 PM 12/22/01, Mark Reifenberger wrote:
>Hi Wally,
>
>Very cool details in those last two posts.  What about the surface though?
>  It is hard packed salt from an old glacial lake/sea bed?  Is that right?
>How often do they have to drag it, or grade it, in between runs?  It looks
>rather dusty from all the television footage I've seen.  I've always
>wondered what exactly do they have to do to maintain the surface for
>proper/ideal high-speed conditions.  Also, how long do you have to wait
>between runs so you don't injest the last guy's salt dust?

The salt is the dried remains of Lake Bonneville, a pre-historic "lake" 
that covered about four states at its largest. The salt layer used to be 
feet thick, but is now down to inches in most places, due to mineral mining.

The smoothness depends upon how much spring/early summer rain there is, and 
how windy it is as the salt is drying out. Some years it is very smooth and 
very flat, while other years the salt is rough, with ridges and hollows.

The course and access roads are smoothed by a drag. The course is normally 
as smooth as an average concrete interstate. If you veer off course, the 
salt can be pretty rough. One of our novice drivers missed the exit road 
and cut a tire in the rough stuff - cost him a record.

There is no dust, per se. The mist that you see behind the cars is usually 
moisture and salt crystals, and it settles immediately. You do get salt in 
everything. We would spend hours washing the bottom of the tow Suburban and 
the race car after the meet, and we never got it all out.

Traction is about like wet asphalt - wheel spin is a problem in first gear 
for most cars. In our case, wheel spin and tire growth at top end almost 
precisely balanced out, and our speed would be within a couple of per cent 
of theoretical.

Wally