[DeTomaso] NPC: Salt Flats Run
Larry
Larry at ohiotimecorp.com
Tue Aug 14 11:19:00 EDT 2018
Mickey Thompson first set his sights on the land speed record at Bonneville
in the '60s, going close with his Challenger 1 hot rod in 1960 but then
breaking down on the return run. Another attempt in 1968 with the Challenger
2 was then brought undone by a rainstorm that turned the salt flats into a
lake.
Mickey retired from racing but kept the dream alive, partnering with son
Danny to launch another attempt, though this collaboration came to a tragic
end when Mickey and his wife were murdered in 1988. Now, on the 50th
anniversary of the Challenger 2's construction, Danny has completed the job,
riding the very same vehicle to glory.
Well, mostly the same vehicle. After being left untouched for more than 40
years, Danny pulled the Challenger 2 out of storage and began the
restoration process. This meant leaving the exterior mostly as it was, but
making some modern upgrades to bring the car up to speed with today's
standards.
It uses the same chassis, aerodynamics and exterior madeup of 68 hand-formed
aluminum panels as the 1968 version. The Ford 427 engines, however, have
been replaced by two dry block nitro-fueled Hemi V8 engines that pump out
2,500 hp (1,800 kW) apiece, more than double the output of the original.
<javascript:void(0)>
<javascript:void(0)> The Challenger 2 is a refurbished streamliner
originally constructed in 1968
With a total curb weight of 5,200 lb (2,360 kg), the Challenger 2 burns
through around 50 gallons (190 L) of its nitro/methanol fuel on each 5-mile
(8-km) run, which sees it wind up 500 lb (227 kg) lighter than when it
began. Another change is the addition of carbon ceramic disk brakes and dual
parachutes with four-foot blossoms, which replace the outgoing braking
mechanism: deploying parachutes by first blasting away a section of the rear
wing with compressed air.
Now all that hard work has paid off. At Speed Week 2018, Thompson kicked
things off with a 446.605-mph (718.7-km/h) run on Saturday, followed by a
450.909-mph (725.6-km/h) run on Sunday's return. The two-way average of
448.757 mph (722 km/h) outstrips the 439-mph (706-km/h) record set at
Bonneville in 2012, and makes the Challenger 2 the world's fastest piston
powered car.
Larry - Cleveland
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Mickey Thompson first set his sights on the land speed record at
Bonneville in the '60s, going close with his Challenger 1 hot rod in
1960 but then breaking down on the return run. Another attempt in 1968
with the Challenger 2 was then brought undone by a rainstorm that
turned the salt flats into a lake.
Mickey retired from racing but kept the dream alive, partnering with
son Danny to launch another attempt, though this collaboration came to
a tragic end when Mickey and his wife were murdered in 1988. Now, on
the 50th anniversary of the Challenger 2's construction, Danny has
completed the job, riding the very same vehicle to glory.
Well, mostly the same vehicle. After being left untouched for more than
40 years, Danny pulled the Challenger 2 out of storage and began the
restoration process. This meant leaving the exterior mostly as it was,
but making some modern upgrades to bring the car up to speed with
today's standards.
It uses the same chassis, aerodynamics and exterior madeup of 68
hand-formed aluminum panels as the 1968 version. The Ford 427 engines,
however, have been replaced by two dry block nitro-fueled Hemi V8
engines that pump out 2,500 hp (1,800 kW) apiece, more than double the
output of the original.
[1]The Challenger 2 is a refurbished streamliner originally constructed
in 1968
With a total curb weight of 5,200 lb (2,360 kg), the Challenger 2 burns
through around 50 gallons (190 L) of its nitro/methanol fuel on each
5-mile (8-km) run, which sees it wind up 500 lb (227 kg) lighter than
when it began. Another change is the addition of carbon ceramic disk
brakes and dual parachutes with four-foot blossoms, which replace the
outgoing braking mechanism: deploying parachutes by first blasting away
a section of the rear wing with compressed air.
Now all that hard work has paid off. At Speed Week 2018, Thompson
kicked things off with a 446.605-mph (718.7-km/h) run on Saturday,
followed by a 450.909-mph (725.6-km/h) run on Sunday's return. The
two-way average of 448.757 mph (722 km/h) outstrips the 439-mph
(706-km/h) record set at Bonneville in 2012, and makes the Challenger 2
the world's fastest piston powered car.
Larry - Cleveland
References
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