mike
Nitro Member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2006
- Messages
- 2,464
Did you know....(In my best Bob Frey impersination) that Elmer Trett and Jim Head were best buds?![]()
Yep
Did you know....(In my best Bob Frey impersination) that Elmer Trett and Jim Head were best buds?![]()
Four cylinders ain't bad either
And as far as sound, a high strung in-line four cylinder super charged engine on nitromethane is very hard to beat AFAIC.
Regards
PiPPi
I have been at a drag strip since I was born. In my 31 years on this earth, I have seen a million passes and the one that stands out the most to me I can remember like yesterday.
Houston Raceway Park. Baytown, TX. Oct 30, 1999. Larry "Spiderman" McBride. I had seen top fuel bikes before, but nothing like this. He left the starting line and carried the front wheel to the 1000 ft mark, had a 3 foot flame shooting out his azz it looked like, and then the numbers popped up on the scoreboard. 5.993 243.68. I remember the starting line guys going crazy, including Alan Johnson and the Winston team and the Star Racing guys.
I just thought, this guy is completely nuts.
Will never forget that. And a year later he ran 5.88?
One of the most difficult things to do is burn nitro at high RPM. Nitro is such a slow burning fuel. that when you reduce the time allocated for it to burn you have an problem.
When NHRA instigated the rear gear rule in the fuelers, it meant that in order to faster, one would have to wind the motor tighter.
It was at this point that Jim Head and several others contacted Elmer, because he had figured out how to do it.
When Elmer was killed, Jim send his plane down to Georgia to pick up Elmers daughter Kelly and her husband and bring them back up to Indy.
The Winston people had a huge suite at the Omni hotel, and everyone moved out of it and Winston gave it to the Trett family the use.
Jim Head then flew his plane out to California for Blaines funeral then back to Georgia for Elmers.
Yes sir he did. I would love to see him come back and make an exhibition run again.
Larry's first in the 5's run.... Larry "Spiderman" McBride first ever sub 6 second run (1999) - YouTube The reaction from Steve and everyone gives me goosebumps and a big smile.
There is a new zealand top fuel bike team that races in australia. I have seen them run and you deffinitly feel it in your chest. The new zealand team I saw even purpose built their own engine.
There was a fatal top fuel bike wreck at Indy in ’79. The design of the turnout rail just past the finish line made the guy basically hit the rail head-on. After that, I always turned my back whenever the fuel bikes ran that weekend. Those things were insane. I just did not want to see something like that again.
Speaking of the design of Indy’s turnouts, I never could understand why NHRA did not change them, especially after that bike wreck.
Blaine Johnson hit the second turnout head on. It was after his death that NHRA changed the layout.
After Elmer's crash at Indy, nothing was said over the PA or anything with regard to if Elmer was alive or anything! But walkin over to.the Bike pits seeing Larry's brother crying told me what I needed to know! Seeing him all excited at Houston reminded me of that!