Bonneville Speedweek 2024 Ford Flathead Records

[Ronnieroadster]

Finally good salt at Speedweek this year after the two previous years of rain and slush.
First run for our Rear Engine Modified Roadster running a supercharged stock block Ford flathead burning gasoline took place Saturday morning running against my current gas blown record of 205.744 I qualified at a speed of 215.473 MPH . The engine was not running perfectly experiencing a bit of a miss. Sunday mornings backup run was a complete failure the ignition issue being the cause the car only ran 187 so back to the pits to figure out what's going on.

Checking timing we discovered what we thought was the problem. Put the car back in line and made another qualifying run the engine still had a miss fire but qualified over the record with a speed of 207.972. While we were working on the car in impound to get ready for Monday mornings backup run I decided to replace all of the electronic ignition parts out of the car. The ignition replacement was a simple dual point with condenser what I call good old 1980's analog stuff. On the back up run on Monday morning the engine pulled strong the speed was 215.668 the new record established 211.830.

Now it was my sons turn to run for the fuel record which the team set in 2021 with Jeff Arnett driving Jeff earned his Red hat in the car setting the fuel blown record {but still burning gas}at 206.249. On the qualifying run Monday afternoon with a density altitude at 7770 feet the speed was 220.672 with an exit speed over 221 MPH oh I forgot to mention the temperature was 100 degrees outside every day. Tuesday mornings backup run the winds were blowing hard across the track. On the run the speed was 219.456 the new record established 218.240.

Now it was time to change drivers this year a new driver on the salt Carly Moody. Carly has driven the car a number of times to speeds over 160 MPH in Maine at the LTA events previously but at Bonneville everyone is a rookie on their first runs ever on the salt. We worked to change the car so it would now be classified as a gas rear engine modified roadster. To do this we removed the blower and in its place installed a two deuce intake I fabricated. This intake and carb set up as well as the class change was going to be an experiment since we had never tried anything like this previously on the salt. To make a rookie run you can not exceed 150 MPH at mile 2 so Carly did her run perfectly running 137 MPH and deploying the chute as required.

Carly was now qualified to run over 150 but not over 174 on her next pass. So back in line we go and this time Carly was now able to run the car to the third mile the current record was just over 140. On the run the speed was 157.616 back to impound. We now prepared the car for the backup run which Carly made latter in the afternoon. On this run the speed was 159.918. The temp out side on that run was 101.7 degrees with a density altitude 7796 feet the now new record is 158.767.

All three records were set with the car driving off the line under its own power no push starts. Speedweek 2024 was huge success for the entire team. Did I mention it was HOT!

This stock block Ford flathead engine to date has run well over 60 miles on the salt many runs well over 200 MPH as they say in the movies she's a keeper Clark.

Click on the link below here's a great video of Carly's back up run. Turn up the volume here the Ford flathead make music sit back and enjoy the ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpL-DhsQi64&t=203s