By Roger Diez
Appeal Motorsports Writer
Carson City will be well represented at the Bonneville Salt Flats next week, as a local team attempts to set a class speed record on the salt. Not only are the drivers from the area, but a number of Carson City manufacturers have supplied speed equipment to aid in the effort.
Bill Inman says he has always thought that going really fast would be neat. And now he has taken a 1971 Buick Riviera that he has owned for 30 years and turned it into a speed machine that will go for a class record at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats.
"I always enjoyed going fast on back roads with the car, and a few years ago I read about Bonneville and thought I'd like to go really fast with the car, and legally," says the retired NDOT Surveyor.
It took him a while to get motivated, but two years ago Inman attempted to join the Utah speed organization's 130 mile per hour club. After a one-way run of 128 mph and change, a blown engine prevented a return run and Inman didn't make the cut.
Undeterred, he enlisted the aid of fellow NDOT employee and engine builder Bob Whited, as well as the car preparation expertise of Tom and Robby Shelton, of Shelton Racing and & Fabrication, to make a serious run at a record.
"We did some research and found a class we could qualify for that had a record of 152 miles an hour," said Inman, "and we thought we could beat that."
Unfortunately, a malfunctioning overdrive unit prevented him from getting into top gear and after reaching 160 mph on the first pass the engine blew again, throwing him into a wild spin and ending the attempt.
This year he's prepared, but has a much loftier goal to shoot for. He missed Speed Week earlier in the year and the former Hot Rod Magazine entry in his class set a new mark of 225 mph.
"I know our car can do 200, but 225 is going to be hard to beat," Inman said.
But with 600 horsepower at the rear wheels (80 hp more than the old engine), a new foolproof overdrive unit, and a suspension revamped by the Sheltons, he's ready to go for it. The car, incidentally, has lots of speed parts provided by local performance equipment manufacturers.
The engine is a factory cast iron Buick block bored out to 505 cubic inches, with custom aluminum heads. T&D of Carson City supplied the custom roller rockers, sports Carson City-manufactured KB pistons and an Erson cam designed and ground in Mound House.
The car also sports a roll cage, coil-over suspension and quick-change rear end installed by Shelton Racing & Fabrication, and Sierra Mold brakes made in Carson City. Engine machine work is by Auto Marine Machine, and the car also has a custom-made manifold and headers. The car runs specially mandated Goodyear Eagle Bonneville tires, which are much narrower than most race tires due to the lack of grip on the salt.
The crew will leave Carson City on Sept. 15 and travel to the salt, beginning qualifying runs on Sept. 17. Depending on conditions, the organizers will have either two or three courses available. The "short" course is three miles, and the "long" course 6-7 miles long, again depending on conditions.
Cars have to qualify on the short course in order to make record runs on the long courts. Bob Whited will make the initial runs while getting his 175 mph license, then Inman will take over and go for his 200 mph license. If all goes well, by Saturday they will have topped the 200 mark and had a run at the 225 mph record.
The Riviera going to Bonneville is one of four similar cars owned by Inman, but it is by far the fastest. Whether he sets the class speed record or not, he wants to go on record as the fastest stock-bodied Buick anywhere.
"A turbo Buick-powered Indy car went 236 back in the 80s at Indianapolis, and a Buick Grand National did 204 in the quarter mile on a drag strip," Inman said. "The Indy car doesn't really count as pure Buick, so if I can beat the Grand National's top speed, I might just have the fastest Buick ever."