Artistic Photo Thread - Pictures from the Salt

[Stan Back]

Like that floating foto!

[SabreTooth]

Fabio Montani, vehicle 663 and Team "Gus Gus," all the way from Italy for Speed Week 2011. Their streamliner was shipped in a sea-can plonked about half way up money row. They seemed to be pretty jubilant later in the week when I believe I heard that they broke 300 mph. According to the SCTA website this might be the reason: 17th August; 663; Fabio Montani; E FS; Old record: 287.826 mph New record 300.357 mph Congratulations!

Shot 13th August 2011 early in the morning in the line up for the rookie / orientation course #4 of Speed Week 2011 by Jim Kelsall with a Canon PowerShot G10.

[SabreTooth]

Another picture from, with thanks to and by courtesy of Murph. The "drag" at Bonneville Salt Flats in preparation for BUB 2011. I reposted it because I, amongst others, wondered what implement was used to "smooth" the courses. Here's the lo-tech yet quite functional instrument. Kinda cool. I'm reliably informed that speed matters a great deal. ©Murph 2011 & ©WhereTheHellisMurph.blogspot.com   www.wherethehellismurph.blogspot.com

[SabreTooth]

"So What Speed Shop," car 84 and the abominable salt thingamajig. I'm not sure whether there was an inside joke to be learnt here or whether the fellow/lass in the ghillie suit suffered from an allergy to the sunshine. Any which way, it had to be smoking hot in that suit and that can't have been much fun. Hope they had a great time despite it all.

Shot 13th August 2011 by Jim Kelsall, staging for the rookie / orientation course #4 at Speed Week with a Canon PowerShot G10.

[Nortonist 592]

Last of the art shots.  The best feeling in the world.  Leaving the line.


By weslake at 2011-08-21

[Tman]

Gillie suit guy was wearing cowboy boots as well.

[SabreTooth]

Jim,

go on the Landracing Main Page,
on the top is Photogallery,
go on the world of Pork Pie..
..these are simple once of mine,
just for the racer,
maybe you will find some artistic picture for you.

Enjoy

Many a good pic and many to share. Thanks.



Apparently shot 2006, Bonneville. Copyright Pork Pie. http://www.landracing.com/gallery/index.php?cat=90

[octane]

Last of the art shots.  The best feeling in the world.  Leaving the line.


By weslake at 2011-08-21

Bill, my man;
let me help ya' with that horizontal line,
or you'll slide sideways to the right

[Dynoroom]

~ 1965 someone needed to help keep the salt open for a little Goodyear high speed testing after this endurance run. Wonder who?

[Glen]

Unser rings a bell.

[4-barrel Mike]

 

From wikipedia.org: "Chassis # CSX2287 - The Prototype...This coupe ended its racing career by setting 25 USAC/FIA world records at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, in November 1965. It was driven by Craig Breedlove, Bobby Tatroe and Tom Greatorex. "

Mike

[Dynoroom]

Mike is correct BUT....

It's just a small part of the story....

Chassis #CSX2287 was one of only 6 Shelby Daytona coupes built to run for the world sports car championship in 1965.... Which they won.  This is the only time an American team has done this, even to this day.
Anyway, after Shelby won the championship the cars were useless as the GT40 program was on a roll by then (different story). So in comes a call from Goodyear. Seems Breedlove was trying to set a land speed record but needed to do some work on the car back in California. This would have allowed Art Arfons to use the salt (read that as Firestone) if Breedlove wasn't Sooooo, Goodyear asked Shelby if he's got anything they can run at Bonneville? Just so happened he's got this old used up POS race car.
So Breedlove, Tatroe, & (get this) Shelby mechanic Greatorex took turns setting endurance records (see above) until the "Spirit of America" returned to set the land speed record.


Oh, and the last time one these cars sold it went for..... over 8.5 million! So much for old race cars being put out to pasture. 8-)

[Glen]

OOPS, missed that one

[Bob Drury]

  Imagine what that particular aluminum body must look like underneath after it's (year's ago) foray onto the salt.................. :-P :-P
                                         Bob

[4-barrel Mike]

Oh, and the last time one these cars sold it went for..... over 8.5 million! So much for old race cars being put out to pasture. 8-)

Lots of cool history here (probably should have its own thread):

When Greatorex returned to Shelby's shop, the Texan was aghast at the condition of his champion racecar. It had taken such a pounding that there seemed little reason to pay for a restoration. Shelby walked thoughtfully around the car for a while, and finally seeing it as a lost cause, turned to Greatorex and offered to sell it to him for a piddling $800.

"Nah, I don't think so," replied the exhausted crew chief. "I've had enough." (Car&Driver July, 2001)