SPEED TIMES ISSUE 19 - Octoberish 2003 Contents Cover - 2003 Speed Trials 1 Newsletter Sponsors 2 Contents 3 Presidents Report 4 Rods Ramblings 6 Don Noble 6 Web site and Email 6 Wazavudu on Show 7 Driver Profile - #120 Chris Fraser 8 Double Nickle Speed Week 8 Extreme Horsepower Show 10 Newsletter Sponsors 11 President Rob Carroll Ph/Fax 03 5472 4370 Secretary Rod Hadfield See below Treasurer Rod Hadfield Editor / Web Site Greg Wapling Chief Steward John Broughan Race Director Kevin Saville / Rob Carroll Starter Cled Davies Assistant Starters Mathew Saunders, Geoffrey Marden, Chris Hanlon Timer Peter Noy Assistant Timer Eric Smith Scrutineer Phil Arnold 1st Assistant Scrutineer Lennie Souter 2nd Assistant Scrutineer Steve Charlton DLRA PO Box 349 Castlemaine VIC 3450 Phone: 03 5472 2853 and Fax: 03 54721241 http://www.dlra.org.au info@ dlra.org.au ======================================================================================== Presidents Report ======================================================================================== Rob Carroll The first item to report on is the working bee we had in October. Due to some production difficulties, the newsletter did not get posted out to the members as early as we had hoped. That is why the working bee was on or over before you read about it. Even so we had about 15 members and half a dozen others to help. Two plumbers also came from Whyalla to finish the ablution block. I would like to extend a huge thank you to; Trevor "Mr. Equipped" Beck, Cled Davies, Bruce "The Blue Bucket Kid" Fisher, Mark Hadfield, Eddie "Ranc-ed" Jackson, Wally James, Andy Jenkins, Geoff "Digger" Marden, Fred Mitchell, Wayne Mumford, Robert "Doc" Murdoch, Brian Nicholson, David Nicholson, Brendan O'Reilly, Peter "Stork" Vansittart. I would also like to thank anyone who donated equipment or materials to help get the work done and also the non-members who worked as hard as the rest of us. We achieved most of the work we set out to do. The generator set is now well away from the centre of the camp. All electrical and water services are underground. The main electrical switchboard is in the corner room of the shearer's hut. Each of those (Shearers Hut) rooms has a light and a power point. The shearing shed has lights and the ablution blocks both have water, (Due to rain late September and more in October) and this is connected to the showers and kitchen container. While all of this sounds fairly easy and straight forward, we would not have achieved half of it without the generosity of Len and Joy Newton. Without the use of their wheel loader and backhoe, none of this would have been possible. The amount of massive rocks we had to move to get the cables in would have stopped us. Except for the time we had minor breakdowns with the machines they were going flat out all week. Even with the machinery though, a lot of hand digging had to be done in corners or near buildings, tanks etc. Another PVC tank has been installed on the south west side of the shearing shed for bore water. This is to supply water to Len's sheep yards during the year and for toilet flushing when we are there. Another Working Bee will be held from Sat 27th Dec 2003 to Jan 1st or 2nd 2004, to finish off a few loose ends. The gearbox is still out of the Dodge truck (had clutch repaired). Some electrical and plumbing work needs to be completed. Privacy panels need to be erected outside the abolition block doors. Air cleaner and exhaust improvements need to be done to the Dorman generator set. We are going to take motorcycles / quad cycles to find a good place for our own entry onto the lake and if we do push a track through. All excess rocks that were not put back in the trenches were heaped up on the camp side of the generator for noise deflection. Every member, or at least team, should bring a rake to the March Race Meeting to clean up their own camp area. All these rocks can then be put on the heap for more noise reduction. Members who have sleeping containers should bring suitable jacking, levelling, packing equipment with them in March to square up their containers to make the doors shut properly. Some of them are leaking due to rain getting in the gaps etc. Some sort of sealer for the roof may also be a good idea. Any member (once again) who might want to give us a hand this time can contact me or Rod Hadfield. Hope this newsletter gets to you in time. As you may be aware by now we have spent a lot of money on the camp. If not for the donations of materials etc. we would never have been able to afford all this work so soon (if ever). For this reason we need donations for the auction in March to rebuild funds. Put your thinking caps on and see what you can come up with. Elsewhere in the newsletter you can read a report by Peter Noy on the Extreme Horsepower show in Adelaide. A great success and thank to Peter for his efforts there. Don't forget dust blowers for cleaning wheels, vehicles, trailers etc at the March Meeting. All teams or vehicles going onto the lake surface should supply their own equipment. Some bed frames have been acquired and made into bunks and I transported those to Mt Ive in October with the timers van that was located by Brian Nicholson. Several members, most from the Castlemaine area met with Dennis Manning on the Saturday evening of the Bendigo Swap meet. Unfortunately, Dennis will not be bringing his streamliner motor cycle to Lake Gairdner in March 2004 as the bike crashed due to instability at Bonneville in early November. Damage was such hat repairs and modifications could not be effected early enough to ship the bike and equipment in January for our meet in March. He says however, he will be here in 2005. HE also told us that he believes Lake Gairdner is the "BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD" for land speed racing. Rod tells me that quite a few members have sent in for their fuel passbooks, but if you haven't and plan to run in March and need leaded racing fuel, send in for your passbook now to head office. ======================================================================================== Rod's Ramblings: Surprises ======================================================================================== Rod Hadfield Life is full of little surprises isn't it? And to be asked to do this column at such short notice is one of them. However, the main motive is to see if we can get more volunteers (at such short notice) to a working bee at our new campsite starting on Boxing Day. At the time of writing this we have around 18 starters. The last working bee held in October was very successful, according to President Rob, and to those members who attended we are all very grateful. If you can attend we need rakes especially to have a major pick up of rocks around the place, so gloves and wheelbarrows will also be required. We at the Rod Shop have been busy all year getting ready for that only week in the year that matters, our motor is finished with more compression and a specially ground cam, reshaped ports and the green light from the builder to up the rev limiter by 500 rpm, we are all hoping for some big numbers. New tyres have arrived for the rear with fronts on the way, our purpose built gearbox has arrived, built with ratio's of our request and the assurity we shouldn't break it, it is even equipped with its own oil pump. Carol says she could have circumnavigated the earth several times, stopping at every port for the cost of that thing!!! That was another surprise. Larry O'Toole wrote a good story on this year's Bonneville in Australian Street Rodding, talking with Larry, he said it was the best he had ever seen. Congratulations to our New Zealand members who participated and apparently set some new records. Another surprise was a call from the Australian MG and Rover agents requesting information on the coming meeting as their U.K. branch wants to bring out the station wagon they built with a Rover V8 in it and run it at our meeting, at Bonneville it got a lot of coverage as the "World's Fastest Station Wagon" clocking 230 mph and they figure there is more to be had if they run it here. The plan is to get it here by February and tour it around the country. Another surprise was a phone call and email from the producer of a show for Channel Seven to be presented by Pat Rafter (tennis player) and how they could get involved with next years event, more on this later...... The meeting with our U.S. member Denis Manning on the Saturday night of the Bendigo Swap Meeting bought us up to speed with him and his plans, unfortunately they blew a motor at a private test run at Bonneville just before leaving for Australia, thus the hope of running here next meeting was dashed. Denis was going to Lake Gairdner the next day to meet with Len and Joy, we were all looking forward to the bike being at our meeting but surprises happen. We now have 376 members and I will be surprised if we don't have 400 by the next meeting with the number of enquires we are getting. I sold the aircraft belly tank I had to two members who are starting work on it and I keep getting reports of the Western Australian cars that are ready. Norm Hardinge's B Gas Roadster record was given a very large boost in the U.S.A. by a car pushing 240 mph, what are you Big Knob boys going to do now!! Next years event shirts are finished with the Moe Boys Car, John Pudney's beautiful aluminium bodied bike and that crazy man Leigh Russell's machine all featured on it, Leigh called in recently with information about his new power plant which he claims is double the power of his previous record breaking engine. Don't forget if you need fuel exemption books the DLRA is an Approved club, I used my book at the Bendigo Airport recently and they just filled the drum and filled in the book. If you want a book, send your details and a large A4 sized stamped addressed envelope to DLRA C/- P.O. Box 349, Castlemaine, 3450. Please, if you intend to run at the next meeting get your entry in as early as possible to take the pressure off the bookwork department, an entry form is attached to this newsletter or down load one from the web site. The cost is the same as previous years, $250.00 for the car and first driver and $150.00 for each subsequent driver. Another surprise was at John's Rod & Custom Picnic where I met up with a couple of the Moe boys trying to flog that creature called "The Pelican", who on earth do they expect to flog that thing to? It would have to be someone with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, it has no insurance, no fuel, no water in the windscreen washers, odd coloured wheels with very little air in them, very little power, very little appeal with no guarantee and no cooling off period, but surprise, surprise they sold the thing, I congratulate you boys, who was the mystery buyer? Anyhow, I had better get this into legible English and onto Greg, I wish every Member and their families a Merry Christmas and hope to see you all at the working bee, that would be a surprise! ======================================================================================== Website and Email ======================================================================================== The DLRA front page has now received 26991 page impressions, and is now averaging about 61 page impressions per day, this is since 28th September 1998. I have created driver profiles for about 50% of the drivers, so if you haven't already get you info to me now! There are now 52 DLRA on the mailing list, receiving news and updates as they happen. Could the following members please supply their new e-mail address to drylakesracingau@hotmail.com aussiedes@eisa.net.au Were@internettv.net.au des@twpo.com.au j.andrew@aerosoucle.com colinyoung@optusnet.com.au christuf@msn.com mccleery@labryinth.net.au hotroddeuce@bigpond.com.au stroker@one.net popms@thegrid.net rchadwk@mmal.com.au ======================================================================================== FROM DON NOBLE MEMBER # 281 ======================================================================================== Driver of the very ordinary looking F/PRO 1987 RED NISSAN SKYLINE STATION WAGON I'm one of the few drivers who drive their " race cars " to and from the event. I drive in relative luxury compared to Leigh Russell in the Suzuki hatch , both of us travelling down from Brisbane , about 2200 kms each way .I didn't have as many dramas as some teams getting to the event, but did have some problems on the way down. Departed Brisbane at 1 p.m. on the Friday, travelling as far as Narrabri and motelled the nite there. Left at 4 am the next morning after travelling 50 km , and seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the headlights got dimmer and dimmer. The alternator light a flickering coasted over the crest of a hill with one dead electrically Nissan found and fixed loose plug on back of the alternator rolled car down the hill clutch started , spluttered to a start and woohoo away we go again . Found an auto sparkey at Gilgandra, who said all was ok, but the alt light was still chucking a wobbly, so I bought a new battery off him anyway, just in case. Then various other things started to go wrong. The fuel and temp gauges decided to only work part time, the tape player gave up, with no radio reception, no mobile phone signal and I cant sing, so it got a bit lonely and quiet out there in the outback This year I was running higher compression, which I figured out, is why it ran a bit hotter, like miles too hot. I tried a few things to get it to run cooler, like jacking up the bonnet 75mm using longer bolts and spark plug sockets to get it higher, removed thermostat, removed fan shroud, turn off the air con, and nothing seemed to help. Well I ended up driving at 70 kmh for hundreds of kms in the heat of the day, and it wasn't until the temp dropped below 30c in the shade before i could speed it up a bit. It wasn't exactly a fun trip at times nearly 40c, no air con, no radio, no tape player, no phone signal and no one to bloody yell at and travelling at 70 kmh for hour after hour. Made it as far as Broken Hill after one of the most boring days drive in my life. Stayed the night there. Left early the next morning to drive in the cooler morning air. The kangaroos were up early to, a few were suicidal, but we stayed apart some how. The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful. Picked up a few supplies in Port Augusta, then headed up the dirt track. But it was hot and I couldn't use the air con because it made the engine overheat. So I had to drive the dirt track with the window down, that combined with a bad door seal, so lots of dust inside too . Oh well its all worth, especially when you see that big white salt lake again. The outcome of all this was a top speed of 140.274 mph. After 4 runs, I figured that was as fast as Nissan could go. Didn't want to risk it any more, well I did have to drive it home 2200 kms Bolted the exhaust back on, packed all the gear in and headed back home. Arrived back home after 3 days of fairly slow driving. The Nissan is my only registered vehicle, its my daily driver and I use it as my business car, and its got 250,000 km on the speedo and the block is untouched yet. So there you go , you just need a car and a will to do it. ======================================================================================== WAZAVUDU ON SHOW ======================================================================================== Russell Mack and Wayne Mumford's WAZAVUDU Belly Tank went on show recently. Our major sponsor Acromet Pty Ltd had a display booth at the International Solid Waste Association's Convention that was held at the International Trade Centre in Melbourne, they asked if they could display the car as part of their promotions. We were only too happy to oblige. So we took the car down on the Monday and set it up on the third floor. The car attracted a lot of attention and our sponsors and the DLRA achieved a lot of exposure from not only local people but international delegates as well. Acromet www.acromet.com.au are suppliers of chemical dosing equipment and metering pumps, we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support. Our other sponsors are Drouin Signs - Sign writing Drouin Auto Salvage - various parts The work on the Vudu is progressing well with only minor items left to be done before March. We look forward to seeing you all at the salt. Russell Mack #161 & Wayne Mumford #78 ======================================================================================== Diver Profile - Chris Fraser #120 ======================================================================================== Silverton Hotel Silverton, New South Wales Chris is the publican of the famous Silverton Hotel, Silverton - Hollywood of the outback, the most western pub in NSW where such films as Mad Max, Dirty Deeds, Town Like Alice, Razorback, The Craic, Ring of Scorpio and numerous other films and commercials. Chris began his motor cycling career in 1976 riding speedway solo's with moderate success before switching to sidecar where he retired in 1996. Along the way, he picked up 3 Australian Championships and 7 State titles rode in England in 1981, competing in 3 News 24-hour endurance races. In 1990 Chris and his team built a twin engined speedway sidecar using 2 Suzuki RG 500's. This made it a 1000cc, 8 cylinder two stroke with 230HP!. He would then remove the sidecar and drag race it at Mildura. In 1995 he got his first taste of the salt aboard a Suzuki 125cc @83.03MPH, then again in 2003, this time on a Kenny Roberts XS 650cc American Flat Tracker @ 100.74MPH Chris Fraser Silverton Hotel Silverton NSW 2880 Ph: 08 8088 5313 Fax: 08 8088 6030 M: 0419 479 072 silvertonpub@centralonline.com.au ======================================================================================== Double Nickle Speed Week Bonneville 2003 ======================================================================================== Casey Hill #146 - Over the Hill Gang You get your first look at the salt when you are coming down off White Horse Pass (6045 ft). This is 20 miles out, all down hill from here, 3.30pm, (left Vegas 5.am this morning, Thursday, 400 miles and the pacific time zone ago) two car's up on the purpose built trailer, been pulling 70 (not Kay's) all day, going to be in early (but not ready as usual) for a change!! Visit #8 salt look's dirty at first glance, a result of the storms that have been through recently, a couple of phone call's when we get to main street, Wendover has grown again (around 3 time's the size it was in 79), a quick visit to the supermarket for a stock up (beer)!!, check out the pawn shops for what ever deal's, then its out to the end of the road for the latest info on the salt, all sound's good we can get on at 6.am tomorrow, back to town for a recondition and grub, camped night at the end of the road gang area. 5.am Friday traffic start's going by, we join them and are let on to the salt soon after, its about 4 mile out to the pit area, we were about the 5th or 6th crew on ,were 45th by the time we got 2 miles out, found our pit space (thanks to Gear Grinder's for allocating us a spot on the return road near tech) unloaded, got Gary and Steph pointed in the direction of the new car line (60 new car's this year) then Graham and myself set up the pit area, the rest of Friday spent getting the Roadster ready to race and get in line for tech, leave salt around sunset (8,pm) into town, recondition, grub, check out the cruisers, back to end of road. 5.am Sat (you know the deal by now, speed week is 5.am to midnight) back to the pit's, finish bonnet, 11.am down to the start line(2 mile's) for the Official opening, Driver's/crew briefing, then send Gary , Steph and Graham to Rookie School (a run down the short course to explain the lay out and rule's of the meet) I hitched a ride back to the pit's to get in line for tech, had a ,couple of small job's to do, gassed up (you have to get their fuel $5.00 us pr their gal 3.8L and have your tank sealed) went down and checked out the line (closes at 5.pm with 30 car's on each track, they run to around 7/7.30 p.m. each day) too late, back to the pits, Gary and Steph (first Kiwi's to "Qualify") had been in and out of the compound, so commiseration's were in order (more beer!!). Sun, in line straight after Record Run's, running G/Street Roadster (2Litre) 5 minute's running time on the lucky dip motor and new manifold set up we had come up with to get every thing under the bonnet (existing record 126 set in 1990). "Welcome to Bonneville" it's hurry up and wait to race here, with 300 plus cars and bikes, each run take's about 5 minute's to complete with out breakage's, spin's etc 3 to 5 hour's is normal the first three day's. Run.1. Sun, into 3rd by the end of the first mile, hit a big flat spot, backed of the gas took it up slowly, tried 4th wouldn't pull it (big ask those 28" tyre's) only a 120 inches of motor there!! May be that 450 4 barrel is to big!! Back into 3rd held that for the third mile, turned out at the 4 mile, coasted out to the return road to await the pick up crew, a 103 mph pass, back to the pit's play with the jet's and spark then back in line Run.2.Sun, same deal as run.1, but went slower, up and down the gear's ,still only wanting to pull 3rd,a 93 mph pass, back to the pit's, decided to put 26" tyre's on, will go to town in the morning after Lincoln's Record back up run. Mon, Run 3. In line around noon, tyre's sorted, pulled timing back some more after a yarn with L.J. (Wellsy, Pin's and L.J. arrived late yesterday), got to run around 4.pm, took it up more through the bottom gear's, better in 4th, into the third mile in 4th, not holding, back to 3rd, turned out at the 4 mile (not turning out half way any more to rough and wet salt everywhere!!),lot better, a 110 pass, but still 16 down on the record, decide to make one more pass in this class in the morning. Tues, Run 4. L.J. and I had another go at the timing and had turned the scoop around to pull still air, in line while Record Run's were being completed (Andrew, Grease and Garth did their back up run this morning) on the line around 9.30.am, Roadster wouldn't start, I got Graham and Gary to push me to one side after trying a couple of push start's (with permission from the starter) ,the starter told us if we could get it to go he would let us run, after determining that the battery was to low for starting and that one of the isolation switch's was playing up it was back to the pit's. Time for phase 2, first check if the G/B.Str, Record was still an open Record. It was, rest of the day spent changing over to the new, nil time, not finished Blow through Turbo, Water to Air Intercooler set up, sent Gary and Steph to town for bit's and piece's, Ice etc (more beer) while Graham fitted pump and switch I changed exhaust and inlet around, only hose's to run now(float's already been done), a quick fire up, then of to retech and do class change get new number etc($150,00 thank you),back to fuel truck for a top up and reseal the tank, looking good may get to run again to day, Nahh!! Wrong, missed the 5.pm cut by 2 car's, unhook trailer to keep place in line for tomorrow, back for a look around the pit's, watched the rest of the day's run's(not a bad secession really),sun's down, off to town. Wed Run 5.New class, G/Blown, Street Roadster. Open Record. In line while Record Runs were being run, suited up and ran around 9.am,good through the gears, around 9lb boost, happy in 4th gear, would pull 5th but went back to 4th for the third mile, turned out at the 4 mile coasted along the return road about ¼ mile, a 125 pass, crew arrived, loaded up, collected timing slip and reported to the impound before the 1 hour time limit was up (6 mile's back to the impound},checked plug's etc upped the, fuel pressure a bit, spent the rest of the day packing our pit up so we could pull out late tomorrow. Thurs Run 6.Back up run for G/BStr, record. On salt at impound 5.45am watched sun come up, got Roadster out of impound, down to start line with other Qualifier's (2 mile's) from pit's, ran around 8.am,wanted a good run, but more important to complete it (can be slippery first thing in the morning) so took it up slowly through the bottom held 3rd for most of the 2mile,then 4th for the 3 mile. shut down, coasted out the 4 mile to be picked up, load up, timing slip, 131 pass, I figure around 128 average, off to impound, the (1 hour deal) to be checked for class requirement's (your problem to get it right),as the motor was right on the class limit this meant we had to pull a head so they could measure the bore /stroke, had 1.1" to spare, so we filled in another line in the book, Establishing a new record for G/Blown Street Roadster 128-287 mph. Guys like me don't get to do this with out help from other's, some of who can't be there on the day. THANK'S TO, Bernie, Dribble, Bill, Smell, Squeak, Gary & Steph, Graham, LJ, W.R.C.C. Annie & Over the Hill gang & a whole bunch more here & the US. Cheer's Casey!! PS while I was on the line doing the back up run Jorgen Moller (roadster #56) was on the long course shifting the goal posts on the B/FGR record we set in 2001,he took it out to 187 and has since run 200.5 on that one way (World Finals2003). Please pass on my regard's to all the others; from what I read positive things are happening. Apologies for not being able to attend meetings and working Bee's!!! ======================================================================================== South Oz News ======================================================================================== Peter Noy Our informal meeting at the Gawler Swap Meet was affected by unseasonably bad weather, however a small number of members enjoyed rain soaked rissoles and hail damaged sausages (at least the beer was cold, no need for ice!). More successful was the DLRA display at the Extreme Horsepower show held in Adelaide on Nov 1st and 2nd. This event showcased over 800 cars, boats, motorcycles and even low rider pushbikes. I ran a video all weekend to give the public an insight into what we do and a large number expressed interest in coming for a look in March '04. Quite a few of the 2004 event posters were sold, along with stickers and stubby holders. Thanks to Dennis Boundy, Nick Bown and Mike Davidson for displaying their cars, also thanks to Len and Jan Lenoard from O.G. Speed Shop for bringing in 2 cars under construction, plus supplying the backdrop and fencing. Organising this show required many phone calls and even more Panadols, but judging by the response it was more than worth doing. A number of new vehicles are currently under construction over here for example a fibreglass bodied 48/215 (Ex QLD Funny car from the 70's), blown small block '34 Chev Roadster, full chassisXA Coupe, another FJ (watch out Dennis and Smurf), big block Statesman, 454 HQ SS, 2 ltr MkI Cortina and a Bonneville motorcycle. It's great to see things happening over here at last and I believe credit must go to Street Machine Magazine for this. Our next get together will be the Xmas lunch on Dec 7th, SA members will receive details soon. ======================================================================================== Thank you to our newsletter sponsors; ======================================================================================== Jet Hot Coatings Aussie Desert Cooler Rod Shop Dawsons Truck Refinishers Hot Rod Internet Stamps Hot Rod Seat Belts North Terrace Tyres OG Speed Shop ODGERS BROS Pty Ltd Bob Ellis