The USFRA has started a new project, and we need your help!
This car is to provide an opportunity for the hardworking volunteers of the USFRA to get a taste of Bonneville racing. Many of these folks work year after year to provide racers with a quality LandSpeed event, without ever getting a chance to feel the thrills every driver gets when “the course is yours”. We intend to fix that. The only way to ever get a chance to drive this club car is by volunteering and working at least two USFRA events. It should be made clear that this “USFRA Club Car” is not intended to be a racing vehicle, it is a Bonneville Trainer and Licensing car. It will never compete for any class records. It will provide the opportunity for workers to get a better understanding of the safety issues from a drivers point of view. It will open the door to their first Competition License steps and status as a Bonneville Driver (priceless!!). For those that earn a chance to drive, it will provide a highlight of their Bonneville experience. |
| Hi All--
It has been a while since we have updated the club car project. The delay was not due to neglect—instead, we have been busy finishing up from the largest World of Speed to date. Also, there has been so much going on behind the scenes, and so many things pending that we have been waiting before updating. So where to start---Well, for one thing, we have undertaken a big change in direction. It has been decided that in the interest of Bonneville tradition, we are going to build a Roadster. We will not proceed with the building of the ’75 Chevy Monza. We will use some of the parts from Lloyd Perry’s Chevy Monza donation, including the Ford 9” rear end and the steering box. We are looking for a good home for the Monza. We would really like to see this ’75 Monza be built for Bonneville competition, if you are interested, let us know. (This Monza has gone to Bo Burkdoll and will be a Bonneville Project.) Instead of building the Monza, we will focus on fabrication of a traditional Roadster, to run in the Fuel/Gas Roadster class. Remember--this car will never compete for class records, it is intended as a Bonneville trainer and as reward for USFRA workers. Second, the response to our request from parts and financial donations from the racers has been greeted with an amazing display of generosity. We have so many folk who would like to donate, that I have been requested to put together a detailed “Parts List” specifying what we have and what we need. More on that a little further on. We had a number of racers step up at World of Speed and donate some big ticket items. George Poteet shipped us a pallet containing a full set of 4 new Goodyear Land Speed Eagle Bonneville racing tires mounted on new Taylor Made steel wheels.
Bud McManus donated the Chevy 350 CID engine/trans as mentioned previously. We have also had cash donations. As you probably know, cash is pretty useful stuff. We had cash donations from Guy Lombardi and from the West Culver Garage Guys. We look forward to more of your excellent support. We have also had a number of offers of assistance. For example, Straussberg Machine has offered to assist us with preparing the engine. Richard Spencer donated 2 fire suits and a brand new set of Nomex
Underwear. Mostly however, what folks have been asking for is a list of what items we don’t have for the project. I have attached a first draft of that parts list as an excel file. I am still adding to it and refining it. Click Here for Parts List I have begun to pull together what I hope will become a list of what parts we have, and what parts we need. I needed some point of reference to create this list, and I have chosen the Speedway Motors catalog and web site as that reference point. The Speedway Motors guys are longtime Bonneville supporters and Land Speed Racing veterans, they offer most all the parts needed to build our Roadster Project, and their catalog is one of the most widely distributor in the Hot Rod Industry. I need to make clear, Just because I describe a part, using Speedway Motors language, part numbers, and their online photos of the part does not mean that only the speedway motors part is acceptable. In fact equivalent parts from any vendor, from your own custom fabrication shop, or an original part that will do the job is what I mean. The speedway references will simply help to make sure everyone is talking about the same “Kind” of part. This “Parts List” task has made clear that I don’t know squat about Roadster design. In putting together this parts list, I can see that there is a wide variety of choices in design and construction details. The Roadster is an art form unto itself. The local USFRA has a number of longtime Bonneville and street roadster builders that will guide us thru construction of a sharp traditional Bonneville car with safety as our primary goal. We are also very interested in YOUR opinions on style, design, cockpit layout and part selection. Email us—We want you to weigh in. Please feel free to suggest what choices you prefer, and for purpose of discussion, Speedway parts numbers and/or photos are great for letting all of us clearly understand you’re your ideas. The USFRA Club Car now has it’s own email address! Send your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, opinions and concerns to clubcar@saltflats.com |
--Racers-- Thanks in advance for your participation. To help out, contact any USFRA official |
To receive Email updates on USFRA Club Car progress-- email us at
clubcar@saltflats.com