Bonneville Update - 8/15/02

[DBesic@domain.elided]

European Car Magazine wanted to take some arty photos of Bonnie on the Salt 
prior to Thursday's runs so Richard Kreines and several other members of the 
team got Bonnie all cleaned up and polished and met with the photographer at 
6:00 a.m.  Bonnie was rolled into several positions and various reflectors 
were set up while the photographer waited for the "purple light of Jesus".  
The photographer was from So Cal who had a vocabulary limited to "bitchin" 
this and "bitchin" that.  Craig was really disappointed when he found out 
there weren't going to be any scantily clad models traipsing about.  Poor 
Craig... must be lonely.

Before Mike began his qualifying run against the G blown gas record, he had a 
premonition that he would either go fast or blow up.  The oil pump had been 
giving us funny readings all week and the motor had just been run over 200 
mph four times in two days.  Mike's runs started like any other run.  Jimmy 
Hendrickson pushed Bonnie up to 40 mph, laid on the horn and Mike released 
the clutch and pulled away... fast.... turning into a tiny yellow speck in 
less than a minute.  At the beginning of Mile Marker Two, Mike's speed was 
192, which he increased to 196.9 mph.  Between Mile Markers Three and Four, 
Mike noticed the engine stumble, then a total loss of power, then copious 
amounts of blue smoke and oil pouring out the right side of the hood.  (Mike 
analogized the scene to the old war movies when the planes get shot down and 
smoke pours out of the engine cowling.)  Mike pulled the chute and with his 
hand firmly on the release mechanism for the fire suppression system, pulled 
off the track.  When the crew heard on the CB radio that the "yellow Alfa 
lost his motor", we knew it was bad.

Back in the pits, we removed most of the turbo and induction system to 
discover two enormous holes on either side of #1.  Portions of the Carillo 
rod's big end lay in the belly pan and the rest of the rod was firmly 
imbedded in the left side of the block.  We determined that oil pressure had 
dropped, causing the crank bearings to spin in #1, 2 and 3.  The increased 
clearance between the rod and the crank allowed the pistons to bend the 
valves, completely breaking off the exhaust valve heads of #2 and 3.  Both 
valve heads punched holes in the tops of the pistons in #2 and 3, completely 
mashing the spark plugs flat and even breaking through the top of the 
combustion chamber in the head in #3.  The carnage was spectacular.

In order to certify Craig's land speed record, SCTA tech inspectors had to 
measure bore and stroke to verify displacement.  When we pulled the head at 
the tech tent, the inspector said he's been coming to SpeedWeek to 25 years 
and has NEVER seen an engine so completely destroyed.  In fact, every other 
inspector in the area came over and had similar comments which, in turn, 
attracted dozens of other spectators.  Cameras were clicking... it was like a 
paparazzi feeding frenzy.  (Not exactly the kind of exposure we were looking 
for.) 

Needless to say, the tech inspector was able to take a measurement off the 
only working piston (#4) and confirmed that we had a displacement of 119.39 
cubic inches or 1968 cc's, well within the class limits.  Craig's record was 
certified and we are officially in the record books.

You may recall one of our original goals was to get into the 200 MPH Club.  
Even though we exceeded 200 mph AND we set a land speed record, the Club 
refused to induct Craig or Mike as members because of some B.S. rule which 
set a 215 mph minimum in the class.  Maybe they should call it the 215 MPH 
Club... (or maybe we need to live in southern California....)

In spite of the fact we trashed a lot of expensive equipment and we didn't 
quite meet our goals, we did set a Bonneville Land Speed Record and had an 
absolute ball doing it.  I'm not sure whether we will be back next year.  We 
may have reached the horsepower limits of the Alfa 2.0 litre and the depths 
of Richard's wallet.  If any of you would like to become involved in the 
project for next year (send money!), be sure to drop us a line.

Darren Besic and the whole Bonneville Team
in sunny Wendover, Utah

P.S.  Craig called his Mother from the pits immediately following his run to 
tell her that her son just went drove a car over 203 mph.  She screamed and 
said she wouldn't be able to sleep at all that night.  He told her, "Hey, its 
not any different than going 185."  She, of course, screamed again.  His 
father, who used to race in the 60's, cheered like his son just hit a home 
run in the World Series.  What a riot...
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