The Weekend Sammy Miller Went 250 mph on Ice in a Rocket DragsterBy Brian Lohnes Posted 02/25/10
New Jersey's Sammy Miller remains the ultimate record holder in the quarter mile. His Vanishing Point rocket funny car ran 3.58/386mph at Santa Pod Raceway in 1984. His exploits in the realm of rocket dragsters and Funny Cars are legend and he was really the last guy running one after the NHRA and IHRA banned them here in the States. The run was made in England because no American track would have him. But few people know about his 250 mph ice speed record, and it is a wonderful story.
We were doing some research for another story when we stumbled onto a detailed account of the ice record written by Ron Vigneri, who was a longtime racing partner of Miller's. The story documents he and Miller meeting, developing the idea of chasing the Guinness Ice Speed Record, and then shattering said record in a flurry of publicity in 1981.
The car, well sled technically, used to make the run was named Oxygen was was built in Miller's suburban New Jersey two car garage and driveway. After testing the dragster on wheels at the strip, Vigneri and Miller came up with some adaptors and worked with a ski company to manufacture the specilized skis that would replace the wheels of the digger.
They also worked to build the rocket motor which would power the dragster on the ice. It was a hydrogen peroxide rocket so it used very pure (90%) hydrogen peroxide that was forced over a silver catalyst. When the hydrogen peroxide hit the catalyst, it produced steam which was forced out of a small nozzle, making thrust. That's a neanderthal man description, but you get the idea.
The team managed to get some sponsors on board, Rooster magazine being the most prominent. Rooster just happened to be a porn magazine. We love these guys. The magazine apparently folded after the first issue, but at least it lasted long enough to help support this effort.
A 2,300-foot track was plowed on Lake George, New York, the IHRA was contacted and provided the certified timing system, and test runs were started. The team had done its leg work for publicity and the closer that their record attempt got, the larger the media crush became, much to the delight of Miller and Vigneri, who wanted this to be as big a stunt as they could possibly make it.
They had some Radio Shack walkie-talkies to talk with, a $1,000,000 insurance policy to protect themselves with, and the support of the local governments around Lake George because the runs were to be made during the Winer Carnival. It would make the festival larger and more popular, naturally they were in favor of that.
With the national tv cameras rolling and the massive crowds assembled, Miller lined up the dragster sled, got the green light, and hit the button to unleash hell on the ice. When the dust settled he would learn that the team crushed the existing record by more than 70 mph. It is a record that still stands to this day.
You really need to read the whole account by Vigneri and check out the stack of photos that he published with the amazing story. This truly is BangShift inspiration. Two smart guys with a garage and a dream. The result? Racing immortality and stories that cannot be topped!
This is MUST SEE material!
Source -- VeTechNet -- The Story of Sammy Miller's 247mph Ice record
Comments + Post your comment!
Written by Brian Lohnes
Feb 25 2010
^^^^^ this fellow is smart ^^^^ :)
Written by CTX-SLPR
Feb 25 2010
It's a Monopropellant system similar to what is used on a lot of satellites and other space vehicles. It works because H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) is marginally unstable and exothermic when it breaks down. You run it over a hot catalyst and it decomposes into H2O and O2 (I know it's not balanced) + heat. The thrust is roughly proportional to the mass of the ejected propellants and the velocity they are moving. Hot gas is less dense so you get higher pressures in the chamber and more velocity coming out the nozzle.
The brakes if they did anything would lock the skis from rotating on the axles but would do nothing to stop a blow over as I doubt that short trailing edge of the ski would have enough force to counteract the lift of the nose getting air under it. 1.5deg of thrust vector would probably be the bare minimum to keep the nose forced down and not waste thrust in the wrong direction or pick the backend up.
Written by Brian Lohnes
Feb 25 2010
If the nose started to rise it would force the nozzle of the rocket down, it would be airborne instantly. Even Miller who was the best of the best in those things would never be able to stop it.
There's no "shutting it off" either as once he hit the button, the valve opened and he was along for the ride.
On the run the car went 3.58 in England, they supposedly only powered it for 1.5 seconds.
He was pulling like 11G!
Brian
Written by A/Fuel
Feb 25 2010
If the front end is coming up, pulling on a brake isn't going to do anything.....The skis will just rotate with the car.
Besides, if the front did come up, it would probably happen pretty fast, like throwing a bubble gum wrapper out the window of your car at 60mph.
Written by IRONHEAD
Feb 25 2010
[quote author=dieselgeek link=topic=20234.msg377431#msg377431 date=1267126038]
[quote author=IRONHEAD link=topic=20234.msg377421#msg377421 date=1267124418]
[quote author=Brian Lohnes link=topic=20234.msg377416#msg377416 date=1267123909]
It's a pavement rocket dragster fitted with skis.
[/quote]
yes got that.. but aplly'n the brakes also keeps the nose from rising and fly'n away
[/quote]
not according to the linked article. they brakes were for slowing the car down when it was wearing wheels. The rocket's 1.5 degree downward angle was to keep the nose on the ground.
[/quote]
again .got that.. but what would happen if in the run. it hit a dip and the nose rose enough.. that the rocket isn't forcing the sled down??
apply'n the brakes would use the skis as wheelie bars.. and not lit it lift the nose without bending the ski's correct..
I got the thing was tested on track with wheels,,
Written by dieselgeek Feb 25 2010
[quote author=IRONHEAD link=topic=20234.msg377421#msg377421 date=1267124418]
[quote author=Brian Lohnes link=topic=20234.msg377416#msg377416 date=1267123909]
It's a pavement rocket dragster fitted with skis.
[/quote]
yes got that.. but aplly'n the brakes also keeps the nose from rising and fly'n away
[/quote]
not according to the linked article. they brakes were for slowing the car down when it was wearing wheels. The rocket's 1.5 degree downward angle was to keep the nose on the ground.
Written by IRONHEAD
Feb 25 2010
[quote author=Brian Lohnes link=topic=20234.msg377416#msg377416 date=1267123909]
It's a pavement rocket dragster fitted with skis.
[/quote]
yes got that.. but aplly'n the brakes also keeps the nose from rising and fly'n away
Written by Brian Lohnes
Feb 25 2010
It's a pavement rocket dragster fitted with skis.
Written by IRONHEAD
Feb 25 2010
[quote author=A/Fuel link=topic=20234.msg377392#msg377392 date=1267118360]
Pretty cool Brian......just wondering how those brakes are gonna work. The block of wood and the hammer, lol, my kind of tools!
[/quote]
brakes must be to keep the nose from rise'n over bumps and it becoming a real rocket
all I know is it was one kool ride..