Bonneville Top Speed Shootout

[Alyn]

45 Years ago, the Summers brothers set the world land speed record for normally aspirated, piston engine, wheel driven cars at 409 MPH. The car that did it was the famous Goldenrod; a slender 4-wheel drive streamliner powered by 4 Chrysler Hemi's.

A friend of my dad, Terry Nish and his son Mike in their Royal Purple 998 streamliner, have been chasing this record for years, as have many others. I was lucky enough to go out to the salt in 2008 for the Top Speed Shootout to watch their attempt at the record, Unfortunately they came up short, running a best of 386 and eventually spitting an exhaust valve out the headers of their 800+ cubic inch Aries big block Chevy.

This week, they are on the salt again for the 2010 Top speed Shootout as are a handful of the fastest streamliners and unlimited motorcycles. The 45 year old record was finally beat, not by the Nish family, but by another streamliner, The Spirit of Rett driven by Charles Nearburg which ran a two way average of 414 MPH! As a follow up, Mike Nish ran over 400 in the Royal Purple streamliner for the first time with an exit speed on one of his runs over 412 MPH.

Unlike the Goldenrod, both of these current cars are powered by a single engine with 2-wheel drive which makes there speeds all the more impressive .With only 12 piston engine, wheel driven cars in history running over 400, there were four cars at this years Top Speed Shootout running in the 400 range. Talk about fast company.

Congradulations to Charles Nearburg for taking such a long-standing record.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Alyn

[Modelmartin]

I thought Al Teague just nipped the Summers Bros. record by a few MPH several years back. I must have been mistaken or perhaps he broke it one way and didn't back it up.

Anyway, I was at bonneville in 89 and 90 and saw Al Teague run 390 and change a few times. You can watch from the 2-mile mark about a quarter mile away and it was very impressive! First you see this little black dot in the distance which slowly gets bigger. Then all of a sudden the car appears and then disappears into the distance. The sound is like a piston fighter plane buzzing you at top speed with the doppler effect of it approaching and receding into the distance. It was quite a thrill.

Do you have any pics or links tothis car?

[Alyn]

I believe Al Teagues record was with a blower, not normally aspirated.That record was knocked down last year or the year before, if my memory is intact.

Here's a linke to a write up on the HAMB:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=9978

The doppler effect as a streamliner at seed goes by gives me goosebumps. At ~400 MPH the sound shift plus the sound of a big motor at high rev's is dramatic.

[Terry Sumner]

Gee...makes me wonder what they could do with 4 engines today!

[Greg Cullinan]

I had the same thought,probably wouldn't be able to keep it on the ground

Gee...makes me wonder what they could do with 4 engines today!

[Art Laski]

Alyn,

It was cool to read this post. My dad works with TJ Nish and was giving me daily updates on their progress. We were pulling for them!

-Art Laski, Jr.