Impound Insights
El Mirage Nov 2009
By Dan Warner
Our old friend, high winds, made their appearance on the lakebed for the final event of 2009. Saturday and Sunday runs were interrupted by the wind but, in the end four rounds were available to those that could make a pass. In addition to the wind we had cold, cold temps. Pat McSwain and his wife Kat took turns getting up in the night to start their trucks so that they could run in the mornings. We don’t do cold well in Southern California.
The good news is that Erik Hansson secured his place on the El Mirage 200 MPH Club roster with a fine 203 run in XF/BGL, old school belly tank with a flathead for power. Erik had been in the very high 190s all season. Erik, like Mark Vigeant from last month also joined the Bonneville 200 MPH club at the World Finals event.
Overall there were 18 records set, 11 car and 7 motorcycle, over the two day meet. Randy Ferguson drove the Ferguson Racing XXF/BGMR to a record of 196. Dennis Mariani got another record in the XF/BStR class at 157 and Irene Hanchard set the V4F/BStR mark at 118 MPH. Craig Corbin took the Hondata CRX to a new G/FCC record of 177 and Daniel Butler ran the Hondata RSX to a 193 record in F/BGCC. Tyler Osborn drove his Dad’s ’37 Ford to a record of 153 in the XXF/VGCC class racing under the Ferguson & Osborn banner. Keith Pedersen added 10 MPH to his record from last month. Keith drove the White Goose Bar Racing G/BMMP to a 164 record. Troy Cochran put 8 on the F/PS record, up to 212 in the Raver/Cochran Racing Mitsubishi. Sgt. at Arms, Bill Lattin, let his son Billy loose in the Lattin & Gillette XF/PP Ford truck; Billy set the record at 110. Last car record belongs to the afore mentioned Pat McSwain at 157 in his Duramax powered GMC pickup, 157 in the A/DT class.
The motorcycle cert guys saw a few customers. Eric Noyes took his turn in the Buddenbaum Fabrication 100-SCS-G streamliner and set the record at 117. This run sealed the championship for the team.
Jill Iverson raced the Junior Speed Scout 350-A-VF bike to a 106 record. Cathy Butler has used her years of experience on smaller displacement bikes and is now in the 650-APS-F class where she set the record to 177 MPH. In the 750cc classes Jim Higgins rode the Moreland Noonan Spyke 750-A-BG entry to a 192 record and Harry Meeker rode his 750-SC-PBG bike to a 131 record. Two records were set in the 1000cc
classes, Ralph Hudson set the 1000-APSG record several times over the weekend ending up with a final record speed of 194. Jeannie Pflum rode Jamie Wagner’s 1000-P-P entry to a new record 190.
Top Speed of the year for cars was set by Fred Dannenfelzer in his lakester at 252.257 MPH. John Noonan once again ended the season as the fastest bike with a speed of 223.726. John beat Pat Womack by just .395 MPH at the end of the year.
The 2009 season champs are John Buddenbaum and Eric Noyes with the Buddenbaum Fabrication streamliner with 1412 points overall. The top car point earners are Doug and Miriam Macmillan with their Hondata RSX entry.
Congratulations to all record setters in 2009, the top point champions and the fastest car and bike entries. A special congrats go out to Mark Vigeant and Erik Hansson as the two new Dirty Two members.
We all know the lakebed needs rain, so let’s hope this is the year it happens. Lets all gather at El Mirage next May for safe and very fast 2010 season.
