SPECTRE SPEEDLINER SHATTERS THREE LAND SPEED RECORDS DURING BONNEVILLE SPEEDWEEK
Team announces plan to attend Bonneville FIA Meet September 20-25 with goal of breaking the 400mph barrier and becoming the fastest gasoline car on earth.
Ontario, Calif. (August, 2010) – Thirty days and counting. With no time to bask in the glory of last week's record-setting runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, the Spectre Performance team has already torn down the missile-shaped SpeedLiner to prep for a return to the salt and a new mission: a private meet in late September regulated by the FIA. The announcement comes shortly after an incredibly successful campaign at Bonneville Speed Week, where Spectre Performance founder Amir Rosenbaum drove the SpeedLiner into the exclusive 300mph Chapter of the 200 MPH Club and to a maximum velocity of 366mph, shattering three records in two classes.
"This is the purest form of motorsports in the world," said Rosenbaum. "There are no limitations. It's all about imagination and a dream. Speed Week was an incredible experience, I joined one of the most exclusive clubs on earth and we set three records - but we remain focused on breaking the 400mph barrier and becoming the fastest gasoline powered car on earth. So we're going back, in one month, with more power, safer parachutes and one goal: 400mph."
The Spectre SpeedLiner team is already working around the clock to have the Cadillac powered, missile-shaped race car prepped and ready for an attempt to secure the title as the fastest gasoline powered car in history at a private land speed meet regulated by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) - the international sanctioning organization for motorsport and world speed records. The SpeedLiner will join several other streamliners all vying for world records in several classes.
The SpeedLiner made its first SpeedWeek shakedown with a new "A" Class twin turbocharged Cadillac engine (under 500 cubic inches) on Sunday, August 15th, surprising both witnesses and the crew with an incredible 324 mph first pass that decimated the old 286mph A/BGS (A Class, Blown Gasoline Streamliner) record. In accordance with SCTA rules, the car was then immediately taken to impound and inspected, where it remained until the "backup run" on Sunday. Hours later the car ran again, and its second pass wowed onlookers and clinched the record with a 366mph exit speed, creating a 347.87mph average and a new world record. In his first two runs of the week, Rosenbaum earned his Unlimited Racing License and the coveted 300mph "blue hat".
On Monday, August 16th, the Spectre SpeedLiner, nicknamed "The Infidel", continued to push closer to the 400mph barrier without ever hitting the aerodynamic "wall". Rosenbaum squeezed into the cockpit, which had to be specially designed to accommodate his 6'1" frame, and drove the black rocket-shaped racecar even faster, breaking the record set the day before, and then backing it up on Tuesday to leave the new A/BGS record at a stunning 356.64 mph. This pushed the A/BGS record by over 70mph, a feat nearly unheard of in land speed racing.
Engine damage from Tuesday's final run prompted the team to switch out powerplants to the larger 528 cubic inch motor to make a run at its own AA/BGS (unlimited cubic inch, blown gasoline streamliner) record. Despite unpredictable weather and windy track conditions, the car broke the existing 330mph record on Wednesday, Aug 18th, and backed up the run Thursday morning to set the new bar at 348.34mph.
About the Spectre SpeedLiner
What started out as a fuel tank for a Canadian VooDoo bomber evolved into the SpeedLiner at Performance Fabrication in San Carlos, California. Built to compete in the Unlimited Blown Gas Streamliner (AA/BGS) class, the SpeedLiner secured the record in large part thanks to aerodynamics: it is 38-feet long and only 29-inches wide. Body panels were hand-crafted out of aluminum with hammers and English wheels at the Northern California shop. Aerodynamicist Ken Rappaport consulted on the project and designed a tapered tail section that helps it slip through the air at high speed.
Both engines, built by Cad Company of Albuquerque, New Mexico, started life as 1970 stock block Cadillac 472 and 500 cubic inch V8s with stock iron heads and stock iron crankshafts. They have been slightly modified with racing internals and intercooled turbochargers drawing air through Spectre hpR® Air Filters rated at 1885 CFM each. Unlike most land speed cars that draw air from a scoop mounted atop the car, the SpeedLiner pulls air from scoops on the lower sides of the body. This helps with inlet air pressure but collects up to 100 lbs of salt per run - which is why the hpR filters play a critical role in engine longevity. The same filters are available for street cars through the Spectre catalog.
"To set a record my first run down the salt in a fresh car with a new engine, that was an incredible feeling," says Rosenbaum. "But we aren't finished. I want to run 400mph and become the fastest gasoline powered wheel driven car in history - more men have walked on the moon then have driven that fast on earth. This was a team effort, and we're very close. Expect big things from this car before the year is up."
Celebrating its 27th anniversary, Spectre Performance offers high performance air filters, Muscle Car cold air intakes and automotive accessories engineered and tested in the most extreme conditions on earth for maximum performance, durability and style. Look for Spectre products at all major automotive parts stores and performance part retailers. To learn more about the Spectre SpeedLiner Land Speed Racing project or to find a dealer near you, visit our blog at SpectrePerformance.com/blog or: Spectre Performance, 1720 S. Carlos Ave. Ontario, CA 91761 or call (909) 673-9800.
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