Kirkham at Bonneville Salt Flats

[Tom Kirkham]

I have always wanted to race out at Bonneville on the Salt Flats. Dr. DeHart has always had the same desire... The Utah Salt Flats Racing Association is running this week so we loaded up KMP 530 went out to the Bonneville Salt Flats. One of the problems we had is that the rules state that the car must have a four point roll bar. With a little persuading with the officials (it helps that they are big fans of ours) they allowed us to run in the 130 mph club. Here are the rules for the 130 club. This BTW is an excellent place to get your feet wet...

http://www.saltflats.com/I30%20Club.html



The car going through tech.



Checking the throttle linkage



Checking to make sure that the battery is secure



Checking the steering for free play



Making sure that the car registration and my Utah state drivers license are valid



Signing off that we (car and me) pass tech, and that we can now go register. This is the only race I have been to where if you don't pass tech, you don't get to register, and thus don't get to pay.



Driving over to get in line to go down the track...



Waiting in line... Notice the deep concentration (really apprehension). Also note the the GPS unit tapped to the rear view mirror. Note: that for the 130 class if you excede 140 mph you do not pass go and go directly to jail. Actually you are disqualified, do not get a time slip, and you don't get to run again.



Coming back from the orientation run. All systems go!



Waiting in line for my first real run. An umbrella girl would sure be nice...



Next up in line. Note the real Shelby behind me. He was trying real hard to get in. Just before his last run the track officials, due to time, closed the line. That run he hit 131. Because you have to have two runs at above 130 in the same day the officials reopened the line up for him so he could get his run in. The officials and the organization here are top notch.



Rick Lee giving me the final instructions. "Tom this is your last run of the day you had better not screw up..."



checking in with the starter.



Starter waiting for the all clear







Starter getting all clear. The track is mine



I'm off!





Going down the run. The .2 signifies 2/10 of a mile



Picking up the time slip



I'm in!

[Doug I]

I see a video camera mounted to the roll-bar.

Please tell me you had it turned on

[KeithBrown]

Tom,

How cool was that!

[Three Peaks]

Sooooo, did you join the 150 MPH club also?

[Tom Kirkham]

Originally Posted by Doug I

I see a video camera mounted to the roll-bar.

Please tell me you had it turned on

Yes it was turned on but for some reason it turned off when we started the run

[Tom Kirkham]

Originally Posted by Three Peaks

Sooooo, did you join the 150 MPH club also?

Not this year. I am going to see if I can sweet talk them into letting us run with just a three point roll bar.

[Tom Kirkham]

Some reflections:

For me driving on the salt was a lot like driving on hard pack snow.

Do to the rules limiting the tire requiring a speed rated tire, with a maximum width of 10 inches, and our desire to maintain the original look, we ran Avon 225/65-15 front and 245/60-15 rear. They worked great.

Bonneville is a truly must do experience before you die.

[RedBarchetta]

So did you just drive it there, line up and pass tech, register, grab your time slips, and head back out onto the highway home?

-Dean

[RodKnock]

Tom, that looks like a lot of fun. I think you're right. You gotta do it once (or twice, or...). Are you running the "typical" KC482 in there?

As Jamo would say, "mucho goodo."

[RodKnock]

By the way, I just noticed that was my 1,000 post. Where are the balloons, confetti and streamers? Do I win a door prize or something?

I hope Joe "nutted and bolted" everything on that car before going out there. Great job again.

[Tom Kirkham]

Yes the engine is a typical 482 Keith Craft. 5 speed Tremec with .82 overdrive. 3.42 rear gear.
Rev limiter was set at 5,000 RPM (remember the 140 rule)
I do not believe there would be any problem (other than the roll bar rule) of getting into the 150 club.

[bnewell]

Thats some neat sh!t...........thanks for sharing!!

B.

[patrickt]

That is absolutely, positively something I have to do before I move on to the next world....

[csx wnab]

tom, you are a lucky man. and you are right...................you gotta do it at least once. great job. i look forward to see you in the 150 club. it should be a snap for guys, hell.........go for 175. what the hell. you've got the room, about 5 to 7 miles worth.

[Jamo]

muy goodo, buddy

[BT SNAKE]

Outstanding Tom,
I do want to make a trip down the salt myself someday soon.
I am always amazed that they will let some guy shoot down the salt on a rocket motorcycle with no obvious
protection other than leathers but require all the safety rules in the world for four wheels. I personally
like safety rules but if you are on a motorcycle and it crashes at high speed you're toast ... in most cases

Hersh

[Tom Kirkham]

Update: Stan Jennings last run was 130.25

[Keithc8]

Tom why don't you and Dave build a car that will pass tech for the 200mph club and I will build an engine. Then we go out there and get into the 200 mph club. You and Dave being the engineers building a safe, areodynamic car with belly pans and all should be no problem. We can build an 850HP FE engine to do it with and have some real fun. Let me know when we need to get started. Keith

[Jac Mac]

Almost wish I had not read this, got a guy on my case to do a joint USA/Kiwi deal at Bonneville- guess he wants the Burt Munro/ No8 wire factor from down my way, gotta admit out of all the stuff in the USA that I would like to see/do Bonneville is well up the list. The sound of some of those motors out in an area like that must be something else!!

[WildBill3]

Wow Tom that is soooo cool thats 1 of the things on our check list for the Daytona it would be of great value to us if I could talk sometime about rules and do's and dont's if that would be possible.A big Fan of the salt! WB3