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Traction Products, Inc.
Weismann Marine, LLC.
Sept 20, 2011
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
The Challenge - to beat Al Teague’s long-standing 406.321 mph FIA record.
To set an official FIA record, you need to make two record breaking passes within an hour of each other. Each pass covers 7 miles. The times are recorded at the last mile. The average speed over the two "flying miles" sets your new speed record.
No man has more passes over 400 mph than Al Teague. Al set his record in the late '80s. Al was only able to raise the benchmark by using a Weismann WHT Transaxle.
Pat Weismann is shown here assembling Al Teaque's Weismann WHT Transaxle when he was 7 1/2!
When Ron Main came to us with the 2000 HP "Speed Demon", we realized quickly that the whole drive train and suspension needed an extensive redesign to tackle his real mission objective - to break the 500 mph barrier! Time was an issue, and the weakest link was the rear end, so we tackled the rear end and suspension first.
Our solution, a new concept live axle, the "Weismann Transverse Rear End".
We teamed up with famed drag car chassis builder, Rob Miller, to design and fabricate a radical new 3rd member housing and 4 link suspension that we envisioned could wrap around the new concept for the "Speed Demon".
On Monday, Sept. 19, competing in Mike Cook’s Land Speed Shootout at the Bonneville Salt Flats, George Poteet clocked an entry speed of 439 mph, a kilometer speed of 442 mph, a mile speed of 442 mph and an exit speed of 446 mph on the “down run“. Then on the return run, the "Speed Demon" damaged their "Ferguson" rear end when a driveshaft came apart. On that 442 mph pass, they clocked an elapsed time for the flying mile of 8.12 seconds.
Out came the old rear end and in went the "Weismann Transverse Rear End".
Durin its first pass on Tuesday, September 20, 2011, the Poteet/Main “Speed Demon” streamliner clocked the fastest speed ever recorded for an automotive engine powered-vehicle with an entry speed of 452.944 mph, a kilometer speed of 458.189, a mile speed of 457.964 mph, and an exit speed of 462.345 mph!
A record breaking 7.86 timeslip for the flying mile made history by breaking into the “Seven-Second Club”! The ET for the quarter-mile was 1.504 seconds! The improved efficiency of our "Weismann Transverse Rear End" gave the "Speed Demon" increased acceleration through the flying mile. The exit speed was 20 mph faster than the old rear end.
The 462 mph exit speed clocked at the end of the flying mile, exceeded the Burkland family’s 450-mph exit record using two supercharged nitro-burning Donovan Chryslers and four wheel drive. Each intermediate time is now the fastest speed ever clocked by a wheel-driven, automotive-engined machine - and the Speed Demon is only two wheel drive!
The 457-mph blast through the flying mile was less than 2 mph slower than the fastest ever clocked by a wheel-driven vehicle. The late Don Vesco’s turbine-powered “Turbinator” averaged 459.021mph with a 470.288 mph exit speed in 2001.
Unfortunately the "Speed Demon" destroyed its "Liberty" five-speed transmission and another driveshaft on the return run so they couldn't back up the record. Wednesday’s attempt on the record resulted in a ventilated block in the first mile and the team had to now switch engines to a smaller Duttweiler "Hellfire" 299 cubic-inch engine.
On Thursday's first pass, the "Speed Demon" crushed the 417 mph record setting an astounding average speed of 441 mph, with an exit speed of 445 mph! It's worth noting that the efficiency of the "Weismann Transverse Rear End" coupled to the smaller 299 cc engine was as fast as the old rear end coupled to the big 347 cc engine.
Then again on the return run, the "Speed Demon" liberated the insides of another gear box in the 1st mile and didn't back up the record.
The only remaining "Liberty" gearbox had a smaller drivershaft yoke than what we run with our "Weismann Transverse Read End", so the crew led by Steve Watts had no choice but to swap out the entire engine and driveline to an even smaller 4 cylinder engine, the "Liberty" and a "Frankin Rear End".
Friday's first pass ended with another gearbox failure and the team's hopes of setting an official FIA record.
George Poteet anounced to the The "Speed Demon" crew that they will come back next year and attempt to break the 500 mph barrier - oh... and Al's record.
