Darrell,
I think I can probably tell you several reasons why Al Teague ran C/BFS
last year. And it sums up this way "poor salt conditions". It takes a while
to get up to 400 MPH and stoping is no piece of cake either. Seven miles of
salt arn't enough. Al has the same salt feaver that the rest of us do...so
rather than not race...he opted for a lower class.
Why go out and run your AA motor to death, just for the sake of running,
when conditions won't permit the ultimate run. Why not go for a record in
another class!!! Personaly I'd rather set records too, rather than just
drive around the salt in an over powered piece that has, for whatever
reason, no chance of setting a record.
The reasons for doing what we do can be complex.
John Beckett
At 09:02 AM 10/20/99 -0700, Ferguson, Darrell wrote:
>Dick
>
> I must not be coming across the way that I hoped. I'm not trying to
>put down guys running in lower classes, as a matter of fact, many of those
>cars impress me. I particularly like the Mcbride & Moreau streamliner that
>runs a - Kawasaki Motorcycle engine on nitrous. Again I realize that not
>everyone has the cash to run Blown Hemis on Nitro, but I am often baffled by
>some of the combinations that I see at Bonneville. Not because they are
>different, or don't rattle your fillings loose when it idles, but because
>the individual is making a concerted effort to run the car in a slower
>class. Case in point would be Al Teague, a man whom I have idolized and
>respected from the time I was 14. The person, who has always been my
>inspiration to run at Bonneville. A backyard hotrodder who built the fastest
>wheel driven vehicle, a car that has surpassed such legends as the Goldenrod
>and Mickey Thompson's Challenger. A car that he built out of a 1 car garage.
>I've been baffled with his obsession to claim the CBFS record. Not because
>of his desire to add another record to his long list of land speed
>accomplishments, but because here is a man that I feel all of us admire,
>seemingly sitting back to watch as guys like Vesco and Burkland threaten to
>besiege his throne. Perhaps he is waiting for someone to take his record, so
>he can reclaim it in grand style. I do not know. I can only hope that since
>he's claimed the class C record that he is setting his sights on staying out
>in front of the competition.
>
>
> Sincerely, Darrell Ferguson
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dick Jurkowski [SMTP:lsr_man@yahoo.com]
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 1999 8:40 AM
>> To: Ferguson, Darrell; 'John Beckett'; dferguso@ebmail.gdeb.com;
>> land-speed@autox.team.net
>> Subject: RE: LSR
>>
>> I don't know guys, think how boring it would be
>> to go to B-Ville if there were three hundred
>> entries, all streamliners, all running 500 inch
>> Chrysler hemis. Now that's my idea of an awsome
>> car, but I sure wouldn't enjoy it if that's all
>> there was. I like looking at and listening to
>> jimmy sixes, flatheads, Buick nailheads, flathead
>> sixes, chebbies, allisons, GEs, j-54s, Caddies,
>> custom-built fours, offys - - I mean - -that's
>> what it's all about. I thought the diesel
>> mini-pickup at Maxton was awsome. It was having
>> a bad day and it still impressed me. I've always
>> been the kind of guy that thought junk yards were
>> gold mines. If you look long enough, you can
>> find enough pieces to bolt together and build
>> something. I guess that's why I like LSR - you
>> never know what will be under the hood of the car
>> in the next pit - a Studebaker with a Pinto, or a
>> Pinto with a Hemi!
>>
>>
>>
>> =====
>> Dick J - - ECTA #72
>> G/FCC - - XF/GR
>
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