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!

[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

[Three Peaks]

Sooooo, did you join the 150 MPH club also?

[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.

[speed220mph]

Originally Posted by 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.

Tom
It is an experience alright, especially when you spin at over 200 mph. Due to the shortage of tires back when I did my record runs we were allowed to run the best Michelins. Found out real quick when the tread separated and I spun through the lights at 210 mph why race tires should be used.

Hard packed snow, well not quite that slippery. We would leave black marks when leaving the line. But when you're under the car and a chunk of it falls off into your eyes you know it's not snow . . . ouch.

How about replacing that barn door of a windshield with a short race-type windscreen? That should reduce the aero drag a bit. A LeMans roof would help, too. That "wall of air" is hard to overcome regardless of horsepower. Do you have a Coupe on the drawing board?

[Tom Kirkham]

Originally Posted by speed220mph

Tom
It is an experience alright, especially when you spin at over 200 mph. Due to the shortage of tires back when I did my record runs we were allowed to run the best Michelins. Found out real quick when the tread separated and I spun through the lights at 210 mph why race tires should be used.

Hard packed snow, well not quite that slippery. We would leave black marks when leaving the line. But when you're under the car and a chunk of it falls off into your eyes you know it's not snow . . . ouch.

How about replacing that barn door of a windshield with a short race-type windscreen? That should reduce the aero drag a bit. A LeMans roof would help, too. That "wall of air" is hard to overcome regardless of horsepower. Do you have a Coupe on the drawing board?

I agree the salt is not quite as slippery as snow. I guess it is more like a fresh groomed dirt road. Also when you clean up the car you know it is not snow. It really dries out your hands.

My understanding is the 130 club the car is supposed to be street legal. A LeMans roof would of course help. Hmmm, I think I have one.

Yes, we have a Coupe on the drawing board...We will probably have to talk with Badger to get some pointers on how they ran theirs...

[Dominik]

You need about 750Hp with hardtop to go 220mph (580Hp for 200mph). Are you allowed to use a hardtop? Or a single racing screen?

The single racing screen reduces frontal area from about 16.5 sqft to 12sqft.
I am sure you can confirm frontal area looking at some of your CAD files.

Remember, the car tends to lift at speed and increases frontal area and aerodynamic drag.
Keep it down and you gain.

Dom

[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

[RICK LAKE]

Tom Kirkham Looks like a clean easy run. Was there any lift in the front end at speed? If you come to R&G do you have a setof custom pulleys that you have on your motor? Not the under drive ones, crank and water pump. Rick L.