Bugsy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 On now and only for petrolheads.352mph in 4.2 seconds................................awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I saw 'Slammin' Sammy Miller set the jetcar Euro record way back in 1980something. Awesome. 10,000 people ricked their necks in unison... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 He used a rocket engine from the moon landing craft. It ran on hydrogen peroxide. Actually ran a 2 second quarter mile but only as a demonstration run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I saw him a couple of times in Vanishing Point, I've got some photos somewhere. I thought the all-time low ET was 3.58ish in 1984? 2 seconds was 1/8 mile, surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Yes, he ran a 3.58 run with the rocket motor on a quarter mile. It was featured on tv with Dave Lee Travis commentating. I've got the video somewhere.Edit Dick, I'm getting old. His 2 second pass was an eighth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I had a look at a tribute site to find out what year I saw him (1983/84) and it said he did 1/8 in 1.9, 3.58 for the 1/4. 1.9 would be an average of 225mph, and even he had to accelerate (about .9 for 100mph I think) so would be averaging about 400mph for the second second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 I met him at Santa Pod the last time he came over. A good looking guy with two blondes, one on each armThese are his own words describing a run in the rocket car. A great man ..............RIP."In preparation for a run, you check the nitrogen pressure in the air bottles. Then you put in just enough fuel for a quarter-mile run and for me an average run needed about 20-22 gallons of hydrogen peroxide in the fuel tank. Check the safety valves, then close the vent on the tank. You are pushed to the track just behind the starting line and aimed straight down the race track. Obviously, you can't be cranking the wheel all over in one of these cars, so you want the car straight as a string. Then you put about 50-lbs. PSI on the fuel tank, which allows you to preheat the silver screen catalyst in the rocket. I just tap the throttle a little and this gives off a little steam. Once the engine is cleaned from this pre-heating, you put about 700-pounds of pressure on top of the hydrogen peroxide fuel."As I sit in the car on the line, I always pushed my head back in the seat and fixed my eyes on a point in the horizon. Like it might be a tree at the end of the track or some object like that. I take a deep breath and then slam down on the throttle. Instantaneously, you're hit with about 12 to 13 Gs and go into severe tunnel vision-it's sort of like a gun scope. Naturally, you are getting pushed back in the seat all the way down the track. I actually make about 20-30 corrections in steering under those conditions. They are small in motion and that might not seem like much, but as fast as I'm going they have to be precise and done extremely quickly. "After all, in a quarter of a second I'm going 60-mph, in .36 seconds I've gone a 100 feet. I made a run in Holland one time where I had gone 1.606 at 307-mph at the eighth mile point. You have no time to hesitate with these cars, it's gotta happen right now with the driver."I've heard it said that I've passed out after one of my three-second runs, but that's not so. My body does take a bit of beating. At times, I've gotten a bloody nose, bloody eyes, maybe an upset stomach, and all in all, I need about an hour to recuperate from the run." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I'd heard the physical effects described before - a 'special' kind of driver!He blew out a load of windows at Santa Pod, as I remember it.John Force is on screen at the moment - will that man never calm down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 John Force, now that guy is a super hero. I met him in Somona and he signed and gave me his baseball cap. A real entertainer. Is that nitro fuel I can smell...............................................[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Is there any drag racing in France? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 In a word, no. When I was racing we bought the car over a couple of times to a place called Jablines (near Paris), and put on some demonstration stuff. Had a great time and the french petrolheads made us very welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.