Gary Ormsby's StreamLiner 1987 (2 Viewers)

[NONE]

You don't see many pics of this one. This shot was taken in 1987 at the Southern Nationals in Commerce, Georgia. Connie Kalitta is in the other lane.

They could have found a better place to put the porta-toilets.

Wayne.

 

[Bullet]

That was one cool looking car!

 

[The Swegian]

That was one cool looking car!

Yeah it was. Remember the time when a part of the body touched off an explosion, apparently because it shorted something electrically? Where did that occur and what was the explanation?

 

[Toejam]

Yeah it was. Remember the time when a part of the body touched off an explosion, apparently because it shorted something electrically? Where did that occur and what was the explanation?

That was at the Winter Natl's that year! Apparently the Mag shorted out on the Cowling somehow, I guess they got it figured out.

 

[StockersRock]

Do you think they'd allow somebody to try this now?

 

[Wes]

The Ormsby streamliner had a few aspects that are now illegal under current TF body rules. The biggie is the complete front-to-rear belly pan...even though said belly pan could have a number of safety functions today. The 2008 fuelers have a defacto belly pan from the driver's feet to behind the engine to protect the driver and retain debris/fluids. By allowing a carbon/kevlar or even titanium belly pan to run from the nose to the tail could help keep a chassis together in the event of catastrophic failure if it were fastened in the right spots.

I recall the lower body lip being rather pronounced on the 'liner. Current rules allow for much less lip. The 'liner's could be construed as "ground effects."

The fairings in front of the rear tires would also fall under scrutiny. The rules call for a 17" x 17" flap. I'd bet the Indy-car style enclosures on GO's body would not fit in that box. I even think in one version those fairings had ground effect tunnels in them.

Check this one out....

Does anyone have a photo of Jim Head's enclosed back-half?

 

[Porkchop]

Yeah it was. Remember the time when a part of the body touched off an explosion, apparently because it shorted something electrically? Where did that occur and what was the explanation?

It was Pomona,the body (carbon fiber) served as a conductor for and electric charge

 

[Toejam]

It's funny when you look at how far teams went to save maybe .3-.4 in E.T as far as airflow, etc... And here we are 20 years later and the cars are over a half-second quicker and 60 MPH faster without any of those gadgets...

 

[Percboy]

It's funny when you look at how far teams went to save maybe .3-.4 in E.T as far as airflow, etc... And here we are 20 years later and the cars are over a half-second quicker and 60 MPH faster without any of those gadgets...

If they were getting 3 or 4 tenths, they would have never disappeared.

 

[Too many to list here]

NHRA News: Jim Head: time for a streamliner rebirth? (Image)

 

[Toejam]

If they were getting 3 or 4 tenths, they would have never disappeared.

Ok that was suppose to be hundreds, but I think you knew what I mean't. But I bet Lee Beard and Dale Armstrong see how much power the cars are making today and wonder if they were waisting their time back then! Kenny Bernstein won 3 championships before they came up with the Batmobile which NHRA eventually banned. And that Streamliner didn't do much for Ormsby either, the '89 car that won the Championship looked just like everything else.

 

[Wes]

There's a distinct difference between innovation and experimentation falling by the wayside due to cost/functionality and it being legislated out of existence due to fear of positive change. GO's 'liner was not the end of the aero projects in drag racing by far. Mike Migeria produced several rear aero pods of differing design that eventually led to Joe Cool making a competitive, yet loose, pass without a rear wing. That, sadly, was the end of it all. NHRA knee-jerked that winter an gave us more restrictive body guidelines.

So...as you poo-poo change my friends just think of where we'd be today if Amato and Mageria had been allowed-or even encouraged-to keep moving forward with their end-goal of removing the rear wings from dragsters. Blaine Johnson might now be a 9-time world champion.

 

[willy]

There's a distinct difference between innovation and experimentation falling by the wayside due to cost/functionality and it being legislated out of existence due to fear of positive change. GO's 'liner was not the end of the aero projects in drag racing by far. Mike Migeria produced several rear aero pods of differing design that eventually led to Joe Cool making a competitive, yet loose, pass without a rear wing. That, sadly, was the end of it all. NHRA knee-jerked that winter an gave us more restrictive body guidelines.

So...as you poo-poo change my friends just think of where we'd be today if Amato and Mageria had been allowed-or even encouraged-to keep moving forward with their end-goal of removing the rear wings from dragsters. Blaine Johnson might now be a 9-time world champion.

No doubt in my mind at all Wes. Stifling innovation is never a good thing. And when you look at today's product..ohhh..I have a headache.

 

[ex-nsp]

In case someone might be mislead by some of the above comments, Mageira didn't execute the Ormsby aero mods but rather Eloise Garza in her Gasoline Alley shop South (I think) of the Speedway @ Indy.

There is still a lot that could be persued to clean up the aerodynamics on today's TF cars- but I'm afraid that the slightest device or imrovement rule book legal as it might be, would be met with rage by NHRA.

I'm surprised the clever forged Don Long designed and built front axle on the BME car hasn't been questioned.

 

[Wes]

Thanks for the clarification, Norm. I was trying to place the name of the person largely responsible for GO's 'liner but was drawing a blank.

For the record, Mageria was one of-if not THE-original carbon fiber wing manufacturer for drag racing.

 

[mike]

 

[ssman]

In case someone might be mislead by some of the above comments, Mageira didn't execute the Ormsby aero mods but rather Eloise Garza in her Gasoline Alley shop South (I think) of the Speedway @ Indy.

There is still a lot that could be persued to clean up the aerodynamics on today's TF cars- but I'm afraid that the slightest device or imrovement rule book legal as it might be, would be met with rage by NHRA.

I'm surprised the clever forged Don Long designed and built front axle on the BME car hasn't been questioned.

The Rodine brothers were instumentally involved with the Gary Ormsby Streamliner of the eighties at EG Composites. These men later started Aerodine Composites Group which has been involved with many of the changes that is now industy standards. Aerodine is currently working on new safety innovations for Top Fuel and Funny car as well as providing key aerodynamic and structural components to a majority of the pro teams.

Danny and Randall Rodine started their business by building Dave schultz' Eagle One Kawasaki motorcycle body which raised the level of construction to what other Pro-Stock motorcycle body manufacturers still can not rival.

As for no one doing off the wall wierd stuff. Sponsors want to be in winners circles not DNQ columms. Jim Head knows how expensive the experimental stuff is he has forfitted many competative years to chase design dreams.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Jim Head had the right idea. Enclose the rear tires = protect the rear wing. When we lose a tire, we don't have to lose a driver. Ground effects should be allowed. (imo) Anything to keep the rear stuck down, and if it gets rid of the rear wing, GREAT.

 

[Bob K.]

Don Garlits built the first workable streamliner, he ran 270 at the Gators. The reason he built it was when he won Indy in 84, with Art Malone's help, Art told him at the top end he could see "stuff" flying off the front tires. So Don
was the first with the little aircraft tires, after a try with belts on aluminum wheels. Amato, Ormsby, Gwynn, and whoever else tryed to copy.
Most of the streamliners of the day were too heavy to work with the small
pumps, blowers and cluches of the day.
Now we have cookie cutter cars with no inovation whatsoever. Connie Swingle, (built cars for Garlits) had all kinds of ideas, but none of them legal
at this time. BK

 

[Mooseman]

After reading what some of you have said , if you want to try anything these days you pretty much need 2 cars so that you can use one for testing on test days . In other words big bucks