Here ya go, kiddos! SpeedWeek 2025's topic now exists.

[javajoe79]

If the whole wheel and tire with spindle and part of the axle ended up in the pits, that would point to the axle failing and not the suspension it seems.

[tallguy]

I hope that some accurate and useful information will eventually be available that tells what
caused the crash.

I think that the technology exists that could provide traction control capable of keeping a
streamliner from getting dangerously sideways due to wheelspin.  I also hope that a system like that is not prohibited per the rules of the SCTA.

I don't mean to appear like I'm in "wringing hands" mode, or "crying over spilled milk".  Learning
from what happened could be useful and help improve safety in the future.

Could careful design largely eliminate the possibility of something "sharp" (instead of blunt/smooth)
digging into the ground and causing a longitudinal flip (called an "endo")?  I'm not necessarily
assuming that part of the SD's front section did, in fact, dig into the ground.  I suppose that at
a speed of almost 300 mph, if something lifted the front end just several feet from the ground, then
air pressure could flip the car in similar fashion as it has (helped, of course, by torque from the
drive train) flipped dragsters. 

Years ago, I was on board an aircraft carrier, watching a film that showed various aircraft launching
from the carrier . . . and others landing on it.  These events were filmed in order to learn from the
mishaps.  Perhaps more videos taken of every run at Bonneville could prove useful in a similar way.

[aircap]

By now we all know that safety rules are written in blood.

[JAL AKA JL222]

Good morning Pork. Your point is well taken. I have another point which i wont post on here, but hopefully we get to hear the exact cause and not a cover up. If there was an error, it should be shared so this does not happen to another car or builder. As for other post that suggest it went into a spin prior,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i not sure of that. You would think it would have rolled like George did a few years ago. I have never seen a streamliner go into a spin, and not saying it didn't happen but......................Did the nose dig in as posted? Possibly, but let's wait for the investigation to come out to make up our own minds. That is,,,,if it comes out. And as for that front wheel going in to the pits? I have that picture also and that dented door on that ford truck. Lucky it did no human damage.

  Short course 8/3/25  Speed demon, 283 quarter 243 mile 1 249 mile 2  spin

Only Speed Demon team knows from data download but looks like car was losing traction, backed off, and gave more throttle lost traction and spun?

Didn't the original Speed Demon have traction control?

  jl222

[TrickyDicky]

Good morning Pork. Your point is well taken. I have another point which i wont post on here, but hopefully we get to hear the exact cause and not a cover up. If there was an error, it should be shared so this does not happen to another car or builder. As for other post that suggest it went into a spin prior,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i not sure of that. You would think it would have rolled like George did a few years ago. I have never seen a streamliner go into a spin, and not saying it didn't happen but......................Did the nose dig in as posted? Possibly, but let's wait for the investigation to come out to make up our own minds. That is,,,,if it comes out. And as for that front wheel going in to the pits? I have that picture also and that dented door on that ford truck. Lucky it did no human damage.

  Short course 8/3/25  Speed demon, 283 quarter 243 mile 1 249 mile 2  spin

Only Speed Demon team knows from data download but looks like car was losing traction, backed off, and gave more throttle lost traction and spun?

Didn't the original Speed Demon have traction control?

  jl222

Is this the final run?  Other reports have said Speed Demon 3 crashed on the long course.
[But there are no '715' runs reported in the long course results for that day.]

[javajoe79]

I would assume that all versions of speed demon had traction control. We were next to them in impound years ago and I was talking with one of them about the tires and how shredded they were. He said yeah and that's at such and such percentage of wheel spin based on the traction control settings. They run Motec or did I believe so TC is pretty standard if you want it.

I will also point out that those pics of the suspension are during fabrication so there could have been more added.

[desotoman]

After reviewing the construction of the front "suspension" (pics on this web site  https://www.hotrod.com/features/speed-demon-3-build-bonneville-speedweek-2025/photos) there may be some "answers" there.

Rex

It would be interesting to see a video of the way the front suspension actually worked after it was finished. I wonder how much total travel the axle actually had, maybe 1" total?  Armchair inspector questions.

Tom G.

[gowing]

 
What was the condition of the course where the incident occurred?

[javajoe79]

After reviewing the construction of the front "suspension" (pics on this web site  https://www.hotrod.com/features/speed-demon-3-build-bonneville-speedweek-2025/photos) there may be some "answers" there.

Rex

It would be interesting to see a video of the way the front suspension actually worked after it was finished. I wonder how much total travel the axle actually had, maybe 1" total?  Armchair inspector questions.

Tom G.

  It looks pretty simple to me, just a lower arm and an upper rocker that functions as the upper arm. Both sides look to be fixed together so they do not travel independently. Both sides use both coilovers. I think you're right on travel though, guessing on the rocker arm ratio it seems to be 1-2" of suspension travel.

I would expect a limiter/bump stop that would prevent it from burying the nose at speed or if a spring broke. Maybe that wasn't fabricated yet in those pics.

[JAL AKA JL222]

...let us read this numbers the right way....

average mile 2 - 243 mph
average mile 2 1/4 - 283 mph

average mile 3 - ??

where comes the mile 3 average, when to witness, the car never drove through the mile 3 marker....

so, we can forget the mile 3 speed, whatever activate the 3 mile timing light....

  Pork Pie lets read the numbers right. At Bonneville you have 2 miles to build speed now a car is entering the 3rd mile but the 1st mile timed, the [3rd mile from start] 2nd mile timed, [4th mile from start] 3rd mile timed] 5th mile from start.

  Go to SCTA/BNI  Speed Week Results Aug. 3rd   Short course bottom of pg. and get the numbers right.


SPEED DEMON TEAM   QUARTER         1ST MILE      2ND MILE     
                                   283.875            243.450         249.640  SPIN 

    There is only 2 timed miles on the short course no 3rd mile.

                   JL222           

[racergeo]

  When I first saw the SD3 make the immediate snap sideways I figured something in the front suspension broke. After it was in the salt cloud it was off the ground and the front tire was still attached, but barely. When it hit the ground with huge force the now detached tire and suspension assembly rebounded with enough force to make the pits a 1/4 mile away.  It would have been a horror for the the crew and family to see. Lee Kennedy has to be traumatized for life to see a friend and fellow racer die before his eyes. I feel so sorry for everyone concerned.

[TrickyDicky]

...let us read this numbers the right way....

average mile 2 - 243 mph
average mile 2 1/4 - 283 mph

average mile 3 - ??

where comes the mile 3 average, when to witness, the car never drove through the mile 3 marker....

so, we can forget the mile 3 speed, whatever activate the 3 mile timing light....

  Pork Pie lets read the numbers right. At Bonneville you have 2 miles to build speed now a car is entering the 3rd mile but the 1st mile timed, the [3rd mile from start] 2nd mile timed, [4th mile from start] 3rd mile timed] 5th mile from start.

  Go to SCTA/BNI  Speed Week Results Aug. 3rd   Short course bottom of pg. and get the numbers right.


SPEED DEMON TEAM   QUARTER         1ST MILE      2ND MILE     
                                   283.875            243.450         349.640  SPIN 

    There is only 2 timed miles on the short course no 3rd mile.

  Did right tire wear through and go flat causing right turn?

                   JL222           

249.640 was the fastest mile.

[TrickyDicky]

Now I don't understand what is going on.

JAL AKA JL222 says PorkPie read the numbers right and then quotes from the official results page.  Apart from the unfortunate typo adding 100mph to the Mile 2/2nd Mile speed, what is the problem?

Thomas: who do you think needs to do you a favour?

[TrickyDicky]

Just in case there is confusion about the results page we are looking at ...

[JAL AKA JL222]

Pork Pie mile 3 is the first timed mile. 2 miles to build speed then entering 3rd mile so 21/4 is 21/4 time of third mile
with 3/4 mile to go to 4th mile 2nd timed mile.

Also typo error of 349,640 should be 249.640