For several days in a year, hundreds of fans of technological innovations and adrenaline rush meet in the dry bed of Lake Bonneville. The planet’s most extraordinary creations, including the human beings, race to reach the highest speeds. Long cigar-shaped streamliners, squatty lakesters with large narrow wheels, stubby belly tankers, vintage coupés, all types of electric vehicles, diesel-powered and turbojet trucks… The most incredible cars and motorcycles discover something even bigger than space.
Back in 1964, Donald Campbell set the world speed record behind the wheel of a Bluebird car fitted with a gas turbine engine. In the dry bed of Lake Eyre he reached the speed of 645 km/h. The only thing is that the cars were not flying in the ancient desolate sands.
Donald’s father, Malcolm Campbell, set quite a few speed records in the 1920's and 30's. Well, of course, no turbines at that time and the speeds were different.
The appetiser better than the main course… 2011…
During the traditional Bonneville Speed Week festival — 7 nights and days in Utah full of adrenaline rush — the car “Speed Demon” set the new record. It was just a bit behind the Bluebird and had a chance not to become the best of the best if it weren’t for one interesting fact. No other than a 63-year-old extreme racing driver George Poteet was driving the demonic car. With the willing spirit and valour, he got behind the wheel and shook off several years of his age at the speed of 628 km/h (309.709 mph).
372ci (6 litre) V8 engine fitted with two Turbonetics turbos delivered 2,200 hp to achieve speed like that. Looks more like a rocket than a car. And this fact really blows your mind off!
Do you remember the old La Jamais Contente (The Never Satisfied) or the Wogglebug? Those cars were rattling at high speeds with all their parts and units. My apologies to George Poteet for a piquant remark, but how on Earth didn’t he start losing sand at a speed like that? The racer had already sprinted to 416 mph (669 km/h) before. But that time he was not able to earn the prestigious Hot Rod Magazine trophy just because he forgot to make a backup copy of his measurements.
The legendary George Poteet became one of the few people who saw a mark on his speedometer which could startle even the freakiest racers in the world. During the record-setting attempt, the needle almost made it to a 686-km/h mark.
The Speed Demon looks catchy and elegant. Everything about it is true to its name: an exterior resembling a fighter plane and a super powerful engine. And the latter definitely runs the show here.
In spite of its roaring success, the manufacturer of the Speed Demon stays in the background. And while we are looking for those who might claim for beating the current land speed record, you will be able to read the next amazing story in our “Records” column, which will tell you about the world’s ugliest car.
