Big Red Chases High-Speed Dreams at Bonneville

Big Red. The name conjures up a ginger-haired Texan who chews cinnamon gum. Or, arguably, the granddaddy of all Pro Touring cars, a 1969 Camaro that has been decimating all comers for 25 years already.

photo 5 1 300×225 imageBut, now, it’s time for something different for ol’ Red.

Bonneville. Salty and sweet. While a known quantity on the paved road, Big Red has been exploring lakes, first at the dry lake at El Mirage while qualifying for SCTA landspeed trials and now at Bonneville – here’s HOT ROD’s Elana Scherr on location:

Big Red is now at Bonneville trying for the 250 mph record in AA/Classic Blown Fuel Altered (CBFALT). They are doing okay – 218 mph on the last pass – but are finding that straight-lining on the salt is a bit different from pavement, plus the big tires and nimble handling of a road car cause pretty twitchy behavior on the salt. The team is currently “clearancing” the rear wheel wells to allow for tire growth, putting thinner tires up front, and adjusting toe-in and camber for stability rather than quick turning. They are also wrapping the air dam to try and direct the air around the tires in front.