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The 2008 60th Bonneville National Speed Trials - Expanded for WebThe Fastest Week Of The Year From the February, 2009 issue of Rod & Custom By Tim Bernsau Photography by The R&C Staff
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The history books and visitors' brochures identify Teddy Tetzlaff as the first man to set a speed record on the salt flats of Bonneville, when he wound his Blitzen Benz up to 141.73 mph back in 1914. Teddy was ahead of his time. The first Bonneville SpeedWeek wouldn't be held until 1949, making 2008 the 60th annual event. I wonder if Teddy would recognize the salt flats today. The terrain hasn't changed, but he'd definitely be amazed to see a mile of pit area, 500 race cars, and 3,000 spectators. He'd probably be speechless watching Fred Dannenfelzer hit 360.077 mph to set a new Blown Fuel Lakester record in the DRM Racing car. But you don't have to go half the speed of sound to set a record at Bonneville, and I think he'd cheer for Tamra Tulp going 82.803 mph in Pete Richardson's flathead four-banger '31 A to grab an open record in Vintage Gas Coupe. Bonneville is like no place else on earth. In fact it's not even like earth-it's more like our own private hot rod planet. No buildings. No pavement. No plants. No animals. Just race cars and racers and salt. It doesn't matter how many photos or how much footage you've seen, or how many stories you've heard or read-there's really no way to know what it's like until you've been there, and there's really no way to describe it once you have. Even so, here is one more story and a few more photos from our trip in August.  This '29 A from PIP Racing...  This '29 A from PIP Racing (Parts Is Parts) is owned and driven by Lee M. Wilbourne, competing in XF/Gas Roadster, and loaded with a 296-inch Flathead mill. It's a knockout and went 120 at Bonneville.  We love belly tankers, and...  We love belly tankers, and Garry Garton's Flathead lakester from Milton, Washington, must have been a wild ride at 150 miles per hour. You're looking at it as Gary gets ready for his first run of the week on Monday morning.  We love belly tankers, and...  We love belly tankers, and Garry Garton's Flathead lakester from Milton, Washington, must have been a wild ride at 150 miles per hour. You're looking at it as Gary gets ready for his first run of the week on Monday morning.  As the Barlow Muffler Car,...  As the Barlow Muffler Car, this was a Hot Rod cover car in 1951 and went 178 on the salt the last time it was here in 1954. Mark Van Buskirk recently bought the 331 Hemi car from Don Prieto and brought it back to try and get a license. We saw him before his first run. He said he thought it would go 150. The next day it went 150.116.  Frank Figuls, Yann Bruneau,...  Frank Figuls, Yann Bruneau, Jean Caillou, and Gilles Pujol carried the disassembled '55 Motobecane 50cc motorcycle (except for engine and exhaust) in their luggage during their flight from France. By running with and without the sidecar and switching between gas and fuel, each of them was able to set a record.  The Bean Bandits need no introduction...  The Bean Bandits need no introduction when it comes to lakes racing, and the new generation of Bandits was at Bonneville in force. This 305ci Chevy-powered '29 roadster in Unblown Fuel Modified Roadster is just one of the team's cars.  The Brauer & Sons '29 Roadster...  The Brauer & Sons '29 Roadster was out to beat its 252-mph performance from SpeedWeek 2006. With son Mike driving his dad Gary's car, a 255 run on the long course on Tuesday accomplished that goal.  Another great VGCC coupe was...  Another great VGCC coupe was Gary and Jerime Cope's "One Six Pack to Go" '42 fastback, which takes its name from its GMC I-6 mill. Driver Jerime Cope got the Chevy up to 174 on Monday, but was unable to repeat that time during the rest of the week.  One of the coolest-looking...  One of the coolest-looking coupes was running in the Unblown Vintage Gas Competition Coupe class. The Laferre & Walden '30 Model A on extensively extended 'rails needs all that hood to cover a 356-cubic-inch straight-8 Buick. The coupe's best run was 152.416.  The Four Ever Four club built...  The Four Ever Four club built and sponsored this banger-powered lakester, built from an F-105 drop tank. They ran the 300hp turbocharged '32 B-block on both alcohol and gas, since there were open records in both classes. Ron Eubanks and Jim Brierley did the driving.  This Model A wasn't there...  This Model A wasn't there to race but as transportation for spectator Darrell Wark, who started coming to Bonneville in 1954. The Flathead raced in the '50s and features a Schneider racing cam, Thickstun manifold and air cleaner, Harman & Collins magneto, early quick-change rear, and a Hildebrand beehive filter.  Team SOB (South Omaha Boys,...  Team SOB (South Omaha Boys, what else?) was hoping to go 200 mph on their first trip to the salt with their '41 Stude and settled for 161 mph on Monday. The top chop, channel, streamlined front, and lower nosecone helped with aerodynamics, but couldn't prevent blowing the Chevy 360 engine.  Jerry Kugel and the crew from...  Jerry Kugel and the crew from Kugel Komponents drove their blown LS6-powered '32 roadster much of the distance from Orange County, California, to Bonneville, and all the way home. During the week, Jerilyn Kugel got some media attention while going for her license. We watched her go 137 mph on the short course; by the end of the week, she'd gone 187 mph.  Norris Anderson's Studebaker...  Norris Anderson's Studebaker pickup runs out of Jamestown, Kansas, in the Modified pickup class. With a previous best of 193.471 mph, he bumped the record up to 201.992 on Tuesday.  It ain't pretty, but it's...  It ain't pretty, but it's pretty cool. Ken Cook's Flathead '53 Ford F-100 pickup, out of Branford, Ontario, Canada, went 95.065 on the short course on Tuesday, just shy of the 96.383 XF/Modified Pickup record.  Mark and Melissa Gee shipped...  Mark and Melissa Gee shipped their '32 pickup over from England to attend Bonneville and the Primer Nats, left the truck in L.A. while they returned home, then flew back a few weeks later to take it to the Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield.  Ralph Stogsdill in the M&S...  Ralph Stogsdill in the M&S Racing Unblown Vintage Fuel Altered Coupe gets a push start from Joe Casto in sponsor Joe's Speed Shop's delivery truck. A 130.946 was a slight improvement over his previous best of 129.668.  The Hop Up Racing Team fielded...  The Hop Up Racing Team fielded this '27 roadster with a 218ci banger motor. Mark Morton and Mitch Allen shared the driving, getting it up to 115.855 by mid-week.  There was plenty to look at...  There was plenty to look at even away from the pits and starting line area. We found this Chevy custom and Model A phone booth in the parking area.  Edward Brace, from South Amherst,...  Edward Brace, from South Amherst, Massachusetts, drag raced in the Fifties and Sixties. October 2007 was his first outing with Found Money, packed with a supercharged Chevy 283. Blown Gas Rear Engine Modified Roadster was an open record and Ed was looking to run 170 mph-it's run 150 back east.  Plenty of hot rods were there...  Plenty of hot rods were there just to watch the racing as usual. These guys blasted by us one afternoon on our way off the salt. That spectating chair in the bed looks like the comfortable way to take in the action!  The Harris Family Racing team...  The Harris Family Racing team from Bayview, New Zealand, were at SpeedWeek to race a '32 roadster in the Unblown Roadster class-but the racecar was frequently upstaged by their blown '59 Cadillac push car. And look-there's Jim Shelton's '32 in the background.  These guys probably had more...  These guys probably had more fun on the R&C road trip to Bonneville than anyone. After driving there in a '32 roadster and a Chevelle wagon loaded with beer, a buddy met them with a motorhome and this T pickup for cruising the salt. Even getting the rig stuck in the campsite didn't dampen their spirits!  Hilborn fuel injection feeds...  Hilborn fuel injection feeds the Buick in this '28 Model A. Gary Weldon and Harold Watson were hoping to go 200mph as the world's fastest Nailhead in an early roadster, but settled for 188.029 on Monday. The car has gone 202 in the past.  The Team Green Rose Model...  The Team Green Rose Model A has a history at El Mirage, where Phil Kane used to race it. For the last several years, his daughter Meta Kane has been the designated shoe. At this event, she was shooting for her 200mph license in C/Unblown Fuel Roadster.  Before bringing out his '29...  Before bringing out his '29 (well-known as the Thacker and Shine roadster) to race in Blown Street Roadster, Steve Van Blarcom redid the blown, injected 302 Chevy, changed the TH400 to a Jerico five-speed, and added an air shifter and a Ford 9-inch spool rearend. By the end of the week, he'd set a record at 215.377.  Tyrell Pennington drove his...  Tyrell Pennington drove his '30 roadster on a portion of the R&C road trip and showed up the next week at SpeedWeek to turn wrenches on Lucky Burton and Bobby Green's Old Crow Speed Shop belly tanker. The 4-cylinder flathead carried the tanker to a 135mph record.  The 430ci Donovan Hemi in...  The 430ci Donovan Hemi in the Christeson and Stuck Unblown Fuel Roadster pushed it to 271.435mph on the long course Friday, after stepping up from 246 on Tuesday and 253 on Wednesday.
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