Video: Gary Hart's 248-mph Studebaker Blows a Turbo at SpeedBy Chad Posted 08/11/09
Blowing up a turbo isn’t good. It’s really not good at over 200 mph. Running a car at Bonneville Speedway is a lot like putting your engine through a 2 minute dyno pull, which means you have to have some durability to go with your horsepower. Gary Hart has always had the reliability and horsepower going for him thanks to a 515-inch World Products big-block Chevy that utilizes a couple of breathed-on Ford PowerStroke turbos, a Megasquirt EFI, and plenty of home grown ingenuity. What he was missing was oil pressure.
This year, Gary and crew were able to gain 8 mph thanks to some customizing of the impellers on the turbos, and were poised to get Gary into the Bonneville 200 MPH Club, and the trademark red hat, after a 248-mph pass against a 240-mph record. The fact that the car had no oil pressure when it ended that run didn’t stop the Hart Racing crew as they fixed the car and went for a record return the next morning. That’s when things went bad. Watch the video below as Gary loses a turbo doing 235 mph. It ain’t good. They aren't sure if the turbo went which led to no oil pressure, or the other way around, but one way or the other, Gary and the rest of the Hart Racing team will be back next year for another shot at that elusive red hat.
Here is the safety crew checking on Gary after a smokey ride.
The look says it all. He was smiling 5 seconds later though. Hart Racing will be back for Bonneville 2010.
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Written by Speedzzter.blogspot
Aug 13 2009
Thanks for the update. Awesome coverage! Teams like Gary's are what make Bonneville great.
[quote author=Brian Lohnes link=topic=14484.msg281605#msg281605 date=1250120055]
[quote author=Speedzzter.blogspot link=topic=14484.msg281592#msg281592 date=1250118366]
On the other hand, there's something about that salt that will make you do crazy things . . . .
[/quote]
Or the smell of VHT at the strip
Or the smell of molten hot brakes at the road course
Or....you get the picture.
Sometimes applying logic [i]isn't[/i] the right thing to do. Been there....loved that.[/quote]
And I've got the AAA towing invoices to prove it, too . . . .
Written by carjunkiechad
Aug 12 2009
Let me clarify a little. When Gary made his qualifying pass at 248, he lost oil pressure with a half mile to go. He legged it out, shut it off, and went to impound to prep for the next day. A swarm of people were on this car, trying to figure out what was wrong, and it was determined that something was going on with the distributor and oil pump, but it wasn't real conclusive. After pulling the pan, checking bearings, going through the oil pump, etc., the car was back together and running with 50 lbs of pressure at idle. Everyone thought things were good. The car still had good oil pressure on the turbo ruining run until it was almost over. When it puffed all the smoke, Gary lifted pulled the chute, and pull off the course. He did the right thing, and would have had his hat if the motor could have pulled for another 7-15 seconds. Gary's team is not only pro, but also fun, friendly, and genuine. It was my pleasure to spend a little time with them, and want to congratulate them on their performance. Despite tradition and looks, the Studebakers are not good land speed cars, but they sure are bitchin, and Gary and the rest of the Hart racing team represent them well. They should be proud of themselves.
Written by Brian Lohnes
Aug 12 2009
[quote author=Speedzzter.blogspot link=topic=14484.msg281592#msg281592 date=1250118366]
On the other hand, there's something about that salt that will make you do crazy things . . . .
[/quote]
Or the smell of VHT at the strip
Or the smell of molten hot brakes at the road course
Or....you get the picture.
Sometimes applying logic [i]isn't[/i] the right thing to do. Been there....loved that.
:)
Brian
Written by Speedzzter.blogspot
Aug 12 2009
I love the hard-core effort.
But attempting a 250 m.p.h. run with no oil pressure? What? No sodium silicate in the pits? . . .
Seriously, sometimes you've got to know when to "repack the 'chute" for another day. That's a hard call.
On the other hand, there's something about that salt that will make you do crazy things . . . .
Written by JRoberts Aug 12 2009
Yep that's a bummer. Too bad, but you know Gary isn't going to quit now. Waitin' for next year.
Written by Matt Cramer Aug 12 2009
Glad they'll be back - I was really disappointed Gary didn't get his hat this year. Maybe next year I'll be there in person to see it happen.
Written by studemax
Aug 12 2009
Gary's team has been giving their all on the salt.
Nothing to be ashamed of, IMO.
Well done, guys!
Written by BangShift Forum Admin Aug 11 2009
http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Gary-Hart-s-248-mph-Studebaker-Blows-a-Turbo-at-speed..html
Written by dieselgeek Aug 13 2009
Speedzzter -
The stude lost oil pressure at the last mile on the qualifying (first) run. We worked to solve thatproblem, weren't 100% sure we knew what it was, but once we put it back together it "passed all the tests" - I used a checklist I created for the engine/powertrain, things like "minimum idle oil pressure" are on that list, as well as making sure the engine computer is getting accurate information about barometric pressure, air temperature, throttle position, etc. As long as it passes the tests, it can run. And it did after a few hours' work (thanks fellow BangShifters!).
At Bonneville, *EVERYONE* shares the philosophy of "run until it breaks" - that's how it works. Then you rebuild, make a few changes, and bring it back next year to try and go faster.
You should go check it out. It's your kind of freakshow,
-Scott