[DeTomaso] NPC: Salt Flats Run

[jderyke at aol.com]

THanks, Larry. And much of the restoration was done by Mike Cook in his shop in Norco, CA. Mike once worked for Hall before opening his own shop, and set several Bonneville records in Panteras back in the day.
J Deryke

 

 

 



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   THanks, Larry. And much of the restoration was done by Mike Cook in his
   shop in Norco, CA. Mike once worked for Hall before opening his own
   shop, and set several Bonneville records in Panteras back in the day.
   J Deryke

   -----Original Message-----
   From: Larry <Larry at ohiotimecorp.com>
   To: detomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
   Sent: Tue, Aug 14, 2018 8:19 am
   Subject: [DeTomaso] NPC: Salt Flats Run
   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   however, have been replaced by two dry block nitro-fueled Hemi V8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
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