A Particular Speed Record
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A Particular Speed Record Roy Lewis epitomizes what it means four-cylinder inline mid-range diesel with 5.9L engine. With the help of calm and for a Dieselmax “ice chest”, “Not unless I to have a great time monkeying around four valves per cylinder. The streamliner’s methodical diesel mechanic Dave Rau, hold it in my lap, but I think the tech guys with automotive stuff. He is the first per- main job was to prove the four-banger was they reworked the diesel into a race motor would have a something to say about that, son to set a land speed record in excess of a tough little solider. Mission accom- by modifying the intake manifold and and if they missed it, the starter would 300MPH using a diesel engine; the same plished, but I’ll bet the car returns, sniffing injection pump, installing a new camshaft catch me I’m sure,” he joked, “I didn’t kind found in Dodge pickups. about for 400 MPH next year. and fabricating trick headers. The block, think we were on their radar, but when the Lewis, 67, laid claim to the C/DS Lewis wanted to earn the simple crank, rods and pistons are stock. Brits came over and talked to me, I was class record with a 306.86MPH average on pleasure of being the first in excess of Cummins does not sponsor Lewis in surprised at how much they knew about Wednesday, August 16th, during the 2006 300MPH, while Bamford was banking on any fashion, the name is on the car because my car.” SCTA Speedweek. Andy Green, a.k.a. a land speed record to prove to the world of Steve and Dave’s affiliation with a local Lewis was referring to 2005, when a “world’s fastest man” needed two engines his 444 was reliable. Same hunt, different OEM distribution center. Unlike Bam- number of the JCB team members made a and two additional days before he could quarry, both honest goals. ford’s corporate treasury, Lewis paid for trip to the salt with Richard Noble trying coax the JCB Dieselmax above 300 with a Bamford and Lewis are old guys pos- everything himself. JCB blew up 17 to get a handle on what land speed racing 317MPH record in unlimited Diesel sessed of youthful enthusiasm emanating Goodyear Front Runners at 350 MPH and was all about. The Chassis Engineering Streamliner class. from the heart, both profoundly inspired Lewis doesn’t even have a spare. Special was high on their inspection list. The sweet twist is that Lewis beat the by yesteryear heroes. Each had a dream Lewis retired in 1999, sold the busi- “Roy Lewis was a prime example of British team, who had sloshed millions of they nurtured until they found a way to ness to daughter Jeanne and son-in-law the open spirit of the salt racing communi- dollars into their racing program, to the “3 live it. I hope someday these two guys get Jim Donovan, to concentrate on getting ty,” espoused Project Manager Dr. Tim 250 MPH out of the car. Leverton in genuine praise and admira- The first year was beset tion, “Of course, then, we didn’t entirely with teething problems. understand what he was saying to us! Licensing runs took place Roy had a very clear vision of what his in the second year where recipe was to get the speed. I was Lewis also set a class record impressed by the packaging of his car at 226 MPH. design and how he managed to get all that “Jim is responsible for gear into a tiny cross-section of the car. that 226 record; he is excel- The build quality of his car was excellent lent at managing people and became something we aspired to repli- and projects,” insisted cate on our own car. We now know only Lewis, “He discovered a too well how hard it is to get a high per- serious problem and got it formance diesel power system to work the repaired while we were in way you want, and Roy has maximized line for the record run. each element, whether turbo specs or car- Without him we would not bon dioxide gas for the intercooler, and he have the record.” clearly got it all together this summer!” Donovan noticed a For years Roy was locked in friendly leaking braided oil line, competition with Carl Heap‘s Phoenix, right above the turbo – a swapping speeds for two years during Club” party. And Lewis did it with less to share a beer together; the conversation very bad place. He, Steve, and Dave found Speedweek. Carl always came out on top, than 6 liters where the Dieselmax team would be richly animated. a replacement back in Al Teague’s pit. once by only one MPH, but enough to be used more than eight. Lewis fabricated the CE Special first “We grabbed it, drove back, and top dog. “Dad always wants to build a better out of flexible wood plywood, built to the installed the line while rolling up to line “Carl was quite a competitor,” Lewis mousetrap,” explained his daughter Jeanne width of his hips, added the powertrain, with Roy already strapped in,” said Dono- recalled, “The Phoenix was the most who now owns Chassis Engineering and then stuffed everything else in the van, who considers Roy’s success a matter amazing thing I ever saw out on the salt, (which was founded by Roy in 1966) with space left over. of personal as well as professional pride, even the 400MPH runs don’t quite stack her husband Jim Donovan, “As long as I JCB employed famed aerodynamicist “Talk about intense! We were all mentally up to what it takes to make 18,000 pounds can remember dad has come up with weird Ron Ayers to design an aerodynamic slip- and physically exhausted.” go that fast.” ideas and always figured out how to make pery shape and then convinced the brilliant The car also ran 260 MPH and it was Besides crew chief Donovan, 42, and them work. He started [the racecar] sitting designer John Piper of Visioneering to fit at that time Lewis figured that 300 MPH son Tony, 14, who was elevated from the on a box with his hands up as though he fast and safe inside the shape. Both mar- wasn’t unreasonable. In 2004, exhaust tem- “junior team” to the “real team” after put- were holding onto a steering wheel. The velous approaches, unraveling the same perature problems persisted, the team ting in five years of grunt labor. The quiet next day a few tubes appeared. This went physics yet running so differently down burned up the headers, as well as melted a lad also races go-karts where Grandpa and on for months until it was a racecar.” the course. stainless steel racing valve into a wad of dad (also a karter) work as his pit crew. “What a great effort from Roy and Lewis started toying with the diesel chewing gum that spit itself out to lodge in Steve Mallicoat helps with mechanical the whole CE team,” remarked Green who idea nine years ago, while still running his the turbo during a 292 MPH run. chores and belts in Roy. Doug Humble, felt privileged to share the salt with them, business. It took three years to build the “We struggled to get the exhaust tem- who lettered the car, lends a hand, as does “We were all so pleased to see him crack streamliner. JCB had a staggeringly short perature under control, from day one,” Jim Huber, a retired firefighter, who keeps the 300MPH diesel record after years of 12-month concept-to-creation timeline. said Lewis who started Chassis Engineer- the pit organized. “We couldn’t do with- effort. It was also a pleasure to become the Each admired the other for what they ing in 1966, while still in college, ”I out them,” said Lewis, “they do a great second diesel driver, after the estimable accomplished and that reflects the true probably could have gone 300 in 2003 if job.” Mr. Lewis, to exceed 300MPH. Even spirit of land speed racing. we didn’t have to fight the exhaust temps.” Crew Chief Donovan noted, “We though the JCB team was struggling at the “It took a lot longer than I thought,” Lewis again caught fire as he whistled knew that the Brits were coming, so that time, we were still delighted to see our said Lewis, who has a mechanical engi- through the timing lights in 2004. The was added pressure. There were so many fellow ‘oil burner’ going so fast!” neering degree, “It is a pretty complicated team changed the pressure differential and of them, we met quite a few, they were real In all fairness, the JCB team entered car with lots of detail. Many parts required water injection, got a better pump and nice people and were the first to cheer our land speed racing mainly from a business special finessing, and just about everything began experimenting with CO2 as a 309 run.” perspective, so the money spent getting was hand-built with very few off-the-shelf coolant to reduce the heat. Lewis has dyno time scheduled to the record is more of a research and devel- parts.” Bamford also learned that lesson. This year the water injection was help work out the heat problem. What’s opment program realized through a racing “Steve Mallicoat and I were talking over-compensating, coming on too soon more, he has obtained a set of aluminum project.