Shawn Driver is returning to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and this time he hopes to push his 1953 Studebaker Coupe up to 300 mph.
It will be DriverB次元官网网址檚 13th trip to the Salt Flats Speed Week, and the third time he will participate as one of the hundreds of intrepid car enthusiasts from around the world in a quest to qualify for ever-faster speed records.
But a little background is in order.
The Bonneville Salt Flats are a singular location for car enthusiasts and particularly for those who like to go fast. Really fast.
Imagine a landscape so flat that some have claimed they can see the curvature of the planet. ItB次元官网网址檚 so barren that not even the simplest life forms can survive.
People have been coming to this location in Utah since 1912 but these days itB次元官网网址檚 not just a matter of showing up and hitting the accelerator.
Driver explained the graduated qualifying steps in place during Speed Week.
B次元官网网址淲hen you first get there, you start out as a rookie. You have a B次元官网网址楻ookieB次元官网网址� sticker on your helmet, and on your first run you canB次元官网网址檛 go over 125 mph on the three-mile rookie course,B次元官网网址� Driver said.
B次元官网网址淵ou have to make the run at the proper speed, deploy your chute and turn off on the turnout road, to show the organizers that you have the skills to pilot a car at those speeds and have control B次元官网网址� that you know what youB次元官网网址檙e doing.B次元官网网址�
What follows are a series of qualifying licences that allow drivers to next go up to 150 mph, then gradually move to faster-speed classifications.
B次元官网网址淟ast year we got an A License and right now were qualified to go up to 249 mph,B次元官网网址� Driver said.
B次元官网网址淭his year weB次元官网网址檙e looking for a AA License that will allow us to go up to 300 mph.B次元官网网址�
The next step would be to try to go even faster in future years.
DriverB次元官网网址檚 partner Donna Gray is a great supporter of DriverB次元官网网址檚 passion, but admits to a bit of nervousness at the thought of DriverB次元官网网址檚 quest for ever-faster speed records.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a part of me that wonders why he wants to do it, but itB次元官网网址檚 his dream so letB次元官网网址檚 go for it. We just want to make sure heB次元官网网址檚 safe,B次元官网网址� Gray said.
B次元官网网址淭he safety protocols they have in place are very strict. The whole car is gone over with a fine-toothed comb. They inspect everything, pull the parachute and check that everything passes tech.B次元官网网址�
Add to the fact that once Driver is strapped into the car, he is so securely ensconcedthat he can only move his head. In the center of the passenger compartment two large fire suppression tanks are rigged to fill the car and engine compartment with foam, should an accident occur.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not without some risk,B次元官网网址� Driver said. B次元官网网址淥nce you hit 200 mph the cars can have a tendency to sway a little and if that goes too far they turn sideways and start flipping. You want to avoid that.B次元官网网址�
In 2009, a California man died when his car rolled multiple times. He was reported to have been travelling at 200 mph at the time. Bonneville has been the site of 10 fatal race crashes in its 100-year history.
But the raw courage to get into the car is only part of the story. Success depends largely on the car itself.
B次元官网网址淢att Blasco is the real miracle worker in this project,B次元官网网址� Driver said. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 the genius behind tuning the car to the point where all of this is possible.B次元官网网址�
Blasco, who joined DriverB次元官网网址檚 efforts in 2017, is no stranger to going fast. In 2017 he won the Drag Week championship in his now 3,500-plus horsepower Dodge Dart (affectionately known as the Dirty Dart).
HeB次元官网网址檚 applied his skill as a mechanic and his knowledge of computer systems to boost the potential of DriverB次元官网网址檚 car to the next level.
B次元官网网址淢att is really amazing. In the off season, he can be sitting on his couch in Lethbridge and make tuning tweaks on my car remotely,B次元官网网址� Driver said.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 definitely someone who you want in your pit at Bonneville.B次元官网网址�
Speed Week at Bonneville happens from Aug. 10 to 16.
mailto:tim.collins@sookenewsmirror.com
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