Some 40 years ago, there was an actual BNI class and trophy for cars driven
to Bonneville under their own power. The car was required to drive from the
registered owner's home address, raced, and driven back. For the life of
me, I can't remember the name of the trophy. Anyhow, the record is held by
Jack Harris and John Staiger (my late father) at 185MPH and change. It was
set in 1965 using an Austin Healy with a 283 Chevy for power. They drove
the car with their tools, change of clothes and sleeping bags in the trunk
from Sacramento. Personally, I'm not sure which was more impressive...
driving a full race car that fare (in 1965) without a support trailer or
packing that much stuff into the trunk of a Healy...
As the stories go... Mickey Thompson tried to break it some years later by
moving his address to Las Vegas (remember that Nevada had no speed limit).
I believe the record was retired about the same time as the Sports Racing
records. There are lots of cars capable of breaking this record today...
many dead stock from the manufacture, however I have always been
impressed...
John L. Staiger
>Subject: Driving a race car to the salt.
>Does any one know if another car has driven as far as the 553 Roadster did
>this year to set a record over 200? They drove from Pomona, California, To
>the salt, which MapQuests out to 606 miles minus a forty mile stealth
>trailer trip to avoid an ever vigilant Nevada Highway Cruiser in Alamo, NV.
...
|