The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

World of Speed, September 14-17, 2018

Out on the great Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in mid-September to attend the World of Speed land speed record event.  It was a great experience.

This is what I came all this way to see . . . pure speed . . . and enough room to run flat out!  Bonneville land speed racing is a very special and rarified form of mortorsport.

American 'Hot Rods' have their roots on the dry desert lake beds of California and the salt flats of Utah.  Early hot rodders would strip their cars down so they were as light as possible and modify their engines for maximum power and then take them out to the salt flats to "see what she'll do."

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The Bonneville Salt Flats have been used to set land speed records since 1896.  I always wanted to go to the salt flats and my road trip offered me the chance to attend.

I arrived at the race track in the late afternoon after having driven from Winnemucca, Nevada, just as they were closing the salt for the night.  Only racers with race entered race cars are allowed to camp on the salt.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are famous all over the world.  A steady stream of cars would show up and people would get out and wander around on the salt.

There was still quite a lot of action on the salt.  Race cars were being towed to and from the starting line for some reason.

The first actual race car I saw from behind the entry gate was this nice early 50s Chevrolet.

I was getting excited.  There are many, many different classes of land speed race cars . . . all the way from 100cc sidecar motorcycle to wheel-driven and jet powered 500++ mile per hour streamliners.

There is a 'long course' and a 'short course.'  The long course pits were about three miles from the starting line.  A row of cars leaving the salt as it began to get dark.

A strong wind came up out of nowhere as the sun set.

I love desert sunsets, but this one was among the best I have seen.

I stayed the night in my camper just outside of the entrance.

I was awakened early by the sound of unmuffled race engines as racers were driving to the starting line in preparation for a day of speed.  I loved this car:  my very first car was a 1957 Chevrolet station wagon like this, but in all white.

I drove across the salt to the pit area and set up camp for the day, offloaded my bicycle and rode it around the pits for a look see.  I camped next to this big 4X4 truck owned by a Belgian family who were driving from Alaska to Patagonia!

The pits were full of every kind of race car imaginable.  From these 'antique' street roadsters to . . .

. . . to futuristic, sophisticated land speed streamliners.

Working on a B/Competition Coupe in the pits.  Basic tools and a  simple trailer.  They could only muster a troubled 174mph run on a 265mph class record.

This V4F/Competition Coupe did much better, setting a new record in their class of 159.5mph (bettering the old record of 156.5mph).  The 'V4F' class designates a "Pre-1935 American made four cylinder flathead" engine.  Fantastic performance for such an old engine technology.

This race car would look right at home on a drag strip.  But look closely and you can see that the chassis is much more sturdy than your typical 1/4 mile dragster.  These cars have to run at top speed for three miles . . . and then another mile or two to shut down . . . and not always on a smooth salt flat (although this year it was 'perfect' according to the racers).  However, this team experienced true heartbreak:  Utilizing a 430 cubic inch HEMI on nitromethane, they ran a 359.11mph against a class record of 360.07mph!!  They missed the record by less than 1 mile per hour!!!

A streamliner team all the way from New Zealand with an F/Gas Streamliner (N/A 183ci, or 2.5L).  They set a new class record at 304mph (the old record was 298mph). Congratulations Kiwis!

Like drag racing, you can roam the pit area at a salt flats race and get up close to the race cars.

I like to follow a few cars and teams across an event.  These 'geezers' (like me!) were here with a brand new race car that looked like a very old 'belly tank' lakester.  I can tell you from my own racing experience, having a race car and being on a race team is a HUGE and consuming drama . . . and a fantastic life experience.

Being towed to the starting line staging area . . . hoping everything is just right for the perfect pass down the Long Course.

Time to buckle in for the big event.  This is an exciting moment for the whole crew.  This is what you have lived for.

After being pushed up to a speed that the first gear can handle, he is off down the track . . . WOW!

After the thrill-of-a-lifetime run (a test pass) . . . towed back to the team pit for refinement, adjustment, maintenance, and readying for the next pass.  The test pass netted them a troubled 116mph on a 279mph class record.  

The rules allow some pretty radical modification:  look closely and you can see that this is a Ford Model T roadster . . . with a really, really long nose (and a supercharged engine).  They ran 190.99 on Sunday.

Special tires with low rolling resistance and capable of very high speeds.

Some of these land speed race cars are really impressive.  This one has an engine of just 1.65L (100 cubic inches) . . . supercharged on nitromethane fuel, and classified as a motorcycle with a side car (it has three wheels).

The rear end final drive gearing is so 'steep' that the cars cannot move from a standing start; they require a push up to about 60 miles an hour to begin their timed run.

Off on a timed run . . . through three timing intervals . . . at one, two and three miles!  I am so impressed with this car . .  to go 304 miles an hour (489.2 kph) on 100 cubic inches!!!!

Raising your children the right way!!!

Not something I expected to see out on the salt flats: a bicycle with unbelievably tall gearing.

Yep, that's right, this woman will pedal her bicycle behind this land speed dragster to try and set the assisted bicycle land speed record.

She will be pulled up to about 160mph while pedaling and then be cut loose to see if she can stay within the faring.

It takes a very big fuel injected Chevy engine on methanol to get up to the speeds they will need to set the record.

This is what she saw . . . . at 186 miles an hour . . . the record she set!

A classic salt flats roadster. I loved this car.

In the staging lanes.  A V8?  No, a 4 cylinder.  Some of these land speed cars have been raced for many years, with many different engine combinations, and hold multiple records in multiple classes.

The purple roadster had this 4 cylinder engine.

Running in the G/FMR class (G= 93-122 cubic inches, FMR = Fuel Modified Roadster) it ran 181.8mph for a new class record (the previous record was 181.2mph).

I would love to make a high speed pass down the salt . . . but NOT in this race vehicle!

Yes, a human being squeezes into this contraption HEAD FIRST, only inches from the hard salt surface.

The driver, in fact, becomes part of his car:  he is wearing a carbon fiber 'turtle shell' on his back which he will use to slide on in case the car tips upside down.  Insane.

Getting in involves first sticking your legs back into a pair of padded tubes on either side of the engine.  No kidding.

The next step is for you to duck your head into the front of the race car as your crew members push down on your back, forcing your head forward in the process. No kidding!

Next, your crewman tightly straps you in so you cannot move an inch.  You are now part of the car itself.

You are now ready to go 130 miles an hour while peeking out of the front window, your chin almost resting on the salt.  No thank you.

Can you imagine this guy's excitement as his crew member guides him to the starting line!  They snapped the top panel on and he was off.  He set the 100cc sidecar record at 130 miles an hour.  Impressive, to say the least.

This healthy, turbo-charged, injected big block Corvette was trying for 300mph . . .  . he went an impressive 294mph on a 264mph record on Saturday.

A 'run-whatcha-brung' Buick V-6 powered Jaguar 4-door sedan.  I was surprised when they joined the 200 Mile Per Hour Club with a run of 209mph  (eclipsing the old record of 194mph). Class XX0/BGCC = "Speciality Cylinder Head", Blown Gas Competition Coupe.  Congratulations to these guys!!!

A vintage 'Lakester' class racer.

They ran a 155mph on a tough to beat 221mph record.  Some racers are not really going for the Land Speed Record, but for personal bests. A class I/Fuel Lakester can only have an engine up to 61 cubic inches.

Readying for a record setting run?

There were four 400mph-capable streamliners on the salt for the week-end.  Unfortunately this AA/Blown Fuel Streamliner could not find the combination - it ran a respectable 303mph on a 417mph record.

Off it went . . . .

And away it went . . . faster and faster.  This photo shows the mile marker orange cones (1, 2, and 3).  It is very difficult to estimate distance on such a flat and white surface, but those orange mile markers are exactly one mile apart.  I love this photo.

Here is another streamliner, but at speed just past the finish line.  This AA/Fuel Streamliner went 417 on this run against a 448mph record (which would be lowered soon after his run).  One of the other 400mph-capable streamliner went 451mph, but I do not have a photo . . . I was wandering in the pits at the time.

For me, and many others at the event, this Ford Galaxy was the star of the event.  Owned and built by an 84 year old body shop owner from La Pine, Oregon (pop. 1,653), they won the hearts and minds of everyone there.

The driver/builder's 84 year old wife buckled him in before the run.

And his wife wished him luck.

And off he went in his 472 cubic inch big block Ford . . . .

A 147.9mph on a 226.3mph was not close, but I am sure he had a great time.  I talked to him afterward and he said he could not find any traction on the salt . . . he lacked the technique . . . it was his very first time at the salt flats with a race car!!!

Although there is a separate Bike Week for motorcycles, there were a few on hand . . . and I guess they let anybody run.  This yellow BSA just missed the record with a 149.4mph against a 150.1mph record . . . just 1/2 mile per hour short of the record.

A great variety of machines ran: this scratch-build turbo Harley had trouble and aborted his run early.

This very professional streamlined motorcycle ran 169mph before mechanical problems set in.

But the undisputed headliner of the meet was the Vesco Turbinator II streamliner.

The press was everywhere around this car.  There was great expectation that they were going to set the wheel-driven land speed record that day!

Pre-staged . . . last minute instructions from the crew before starting the engine.

The Turbinator II is powered by a turbojet helicopter engine driving a shaft through a rear end and, ultimately, through the pnumatic tires.  It was loud and it gave off a lot of heat.

And off it went in a great hurry . . . it vanished into a dot on the horizon in no time at all!  They did it!  486mph average for a new wheel-driven land speed record . . . and I was there to see it.

Two weeks at the same place the TeamVesco Turbinator II set the record again at 503mph.  Amazing.

There were so many cool race cars at Bonneville . . . and I took a million photos.  I will leave a few more of my favorites:

Competition Coupe.

Yes, another modified T-bucket, but with rear engine and streamlining.

With only 91 cubic inches, it ran 180 miles per hour against a very tough 201mph record!

I will treasure my memories of this race forever . . . a 'Bucket List' checked off!

This photo epitomises the essence of land speed record racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

This is what we came for . . . The British Touring Car Championship series race at the Knockhill Circuit.

My friend Steve and I drove the 1 1/2 hours south from Aberdeen to Knockhill Race Track to attend the Saturday qualifying sessions of the British Touring Car race series event.  It is the closest-to-Aberdeen big race of the year.  Lots of people from Edinburgh showed up.

Knockhill is a very well developed track:  they have all kinds of races from every vehicle type imaginable (4X4, motocross, super bikes, and carting).  They had a "Karting Experience" program running on Saturday for the kids.

Knockhill is a sweet little course with a nice 'down home' feel.  The racers say it is their favorite course on the race calendar.

We walked around the pits and admired the race car preparation.  This is a modified spec V-6 in the Ginetta GT4 class car.

The course is small, but the organization is very professional.

There were five different classes on the grounds with five separate race series races on the program.  This car was competing in the "entry level" UK Renault Cleo Cup Championship series.

The Cleo Cup cars were very well prepared.  They were hardly entry level . . . most had large race operations in the pits with semi trucks and trailers and other support vehicles, tents, and the like.

The true entry level class, and breeding ground for future racing talent, was the Ginetta Junior Championship cars.

Small and light with a spec engine, they were fast and the racing was close.  Most were driven by 15-18 year olds.

There were also Ginetta GT4 Championship cars.

The Ginetta GT4 cars were very fast. They also have a spec engine, but with much more horsepower.  They made a beautiful sound from their modified V-6 race engines.

Steve and I walked completely around the race track . . . along the way we found a gaggle of photographers and we stopped there during the Ginetta GT4 qualifying session.

We figured out why all the photographers were in the same place . . . it was where the cars were most likely to spin.

The race fans enjoyed the marshals attempts to extricate the Ginetta GT4 from the sand trap.

There was also a GB Porsche Carrera Cup race on Saturday.  We didn't pay too much attention to these . . .

There were many Ford EcoBoost MSA Championship open wheel race cars present.

Identical race cars make for some very close racing.  These are the current form of what used to be called Formula Ford.

The open wheel race cars were very fast.

Light weight and small turbocharged engines . . . a great combination.

This was the real race, not a qualifying session, so the drivers were pushing hard.

Some pushed a little too hard.

Eventually there was mayhem at the sharp curve we watched from . . . lucky me.

The top class present was the British Touring Car Championship.

The BTCC racers were serious, world class, cutting edge race cars.

The British Touring Cars are serious business:  the manufacturers are heavily behind the teams both financially and technically.

BMW, Ford, Audi, Honda, Mercedes, Chevrolet, VW, MG, Toyota, and Nissan all had factory teams at Knockhill.  These are the race versions of the 'hot hatch' coupes and sedans that you can buy at your local dealerships.

Did I mention the BTCC cars were wicked fast?  They did not hold back . . . and attacked the course.  This Mercedes factory race car was trying hard during qualifying.

A Chevrolet going high over the banana curbs.

Some were trying a little too hard and ended up in the kitty litter, like this factory Honda.

It was interesting watching free practice as the drivers experimented with different lines though different corners . . . all of them settled on the line that launched them into the air at this corner.

Flying and drafting!

Knockhill Flyers!

A VW Passat being thrown around the course.  Wonderful.

We stayed through the BTCC qualifying and the open wheel formula Ford race, then headed home as satisfied race car fans . . . like this guy.

I'm havbg a pretty good time volunteering at the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford, Scotland.  This past week-end I volunteers at the All Ford meet.  The photos speak for themselves . .  over 250 entries:

The first week-end of the school year my friend and physics teacher drove down to Knockhill Racing Circuit (in my Juke NIZMO!) two hours south.

It started out a nice day, but soon the clouds appeared and a downpour came crashing down.  It didn't dampen the racing however.

This race was the penultimate race in the British Touring Car Series.  Very cool cars . .

The rain really came down for about 15 minutes.

We spent the last five day in Bangkok high up in the Grand Centara Hotel . . . thanks Marc for the upgrade!  The view from our 51st floor room was beautiful in the daylight . . .

. . . beautiful in the evening . . .

. . . and beautiful at night.  Good-bye Bangkok, it has been a fantastic 17 years!  I'll be back in Thailand for retirement one day . . . but first . . . a summer vacation in:

The Pacific Northwest, USA

Olympia Washington: My sister-in-law Mary is a great gardener.  She grows everything.  It is always a treat to go from the steaming tropics of Thailand directly to to cool climes of the American Pacific Northwest.

I still had Internet access, so I had fun with my big camera in the Mary's garden.

Very sweet.

We all took several long nature walks along the shores of Puget Sound.  The blackberries were not ripe yet . . .

. . . but the salmon berries looked inviting.

The essence of the Pacific Northwest.

New life everywhere under the forest canopy.

A nice morning to row about on one of the arms of Puget Sound. An old log loading pier still stands.

It Doesn't Get More American Than This: The Monmouth, Oregon 4th of July Parade.The Monmouth, Oregon Parade is open to anybody from the community who wants to 'parade' themselves.

It's a great opportunity to crank up that old tractor you lovingly restored, and drive it down Main Street. I love this little town: I attended two years of univesity here.

An old Mac Truck.  Nice.  Brought back memories of El Paso, Texas at 3:00am in 1958 for me.

As is my personal tradition, I ingest The National Dish on the 4th of July every year.  Yep, it was great.

What would a parade be without a car show?  I met my Hot Rod photo quota for the year.

I LOVE these flames!

I prefer the 4-door fat fender hot rods . . . you can take your friends. 

Silver Creek Falls, Oregon My good friends Jeff & Sharon under Silver Creek Falls.  It was a good day for a trail walk in the foothills of the Oregon Cascades.

Oregon.

Delicate new growth.

More ripe salmon berries.

A beautiful trail through the forest along Silver Creek.

A serene mountain stream.

Upper Silver Creek Falls is somewhat unique because the trail takes you under and behind the falls, making for unusual photo opportunities.

Loud and beautiful.

You can judge the scale in this photo by noticing the size of the hikers on the trail.

A perfect day.

Looking out from behind Upper Silver Creek Falls.

Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaI visited my daughter near Valley Forge.

We all went to the Longwood Botanical Gardens for a morning stroll with my new grandson, Torin.

Scrumptious cacti!

Lovely flowers everywhere.

Touching.

Longwood had formal Italian gardens too.

The tropical greenhouses were interesting.

I remember seeing these same lotus pads in Jogjakarta, Indonesia a few years ago.

I had to laugh when I saw these wax flowers . . . I came half way around the planet to see a flower that was growing in my back yard in Bangkok!

Lovely early summer day in Pennsylvania.

Ocean City, New JerseyA strangly cold summer in Ocean City New Jersey.  We took a walk with our freinds, Bud, Gaile,  in the gathering gloom . . .

Night falling over Ocean City.

Last Light.

New England VillageI won't reveal the exact location of this village in New England, except to say that it was the perfect New England village.  Our good friends from Bangkok, Joe and Nancy, recently retired there.

A dream . . . more like a living calendar!  Just too perfect.

Rural Colonial New England.

Mmmmm.

House Proud New Englanders sure know how to spruce a place up.

Around Nancy's garden.

A friend's home.

More old barns than I had time to photograph . . .

I could have stopped a hundred times . . . but Bud and I had more important things to do . . . .

NASCAR at New Hampshire SpeedwayYep, Bud and I joined 40,000 of our best friend and at the New Hampshire 300.  Bud commented that the people watching here was like looking through a 1920s physiology text book, so varied were the physiognomies of the gathered throng.

We rooted for Juan Pablo Montoya . . . . and I think we were the only ones who were.  We rooted for him when we saw him at the Chinese F1 race in Shanghai years ago too.

It was an unseasonably hot day with the threat of rain that never materialized. It was a good, tight race with surprising results.  Loud and fast . . . just the way I like it.

Loudoun, New Hampshire.  Pre-race ceremonies were colorful, to say the least.