Rob Freyvogel

BONNEVILLE, UTAH — Speed Week proved to be a learning experience for Rob Freyvogel and his team.

Freyvogel of Butler Township competed in Southern California Timing Association's 69th annual Speed Week, which ended Friday at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Freyvogel raced a vehicle in the Double AA/Blown Fuel Streamliner class. His vehicle is called the “Carbiliner,” and is 28 feet long, weighs 3,000 pounds and has a 2,600-hp engine.

While Freyvogel hoped to break the class record (417 mph) or win the Hot Rod Trophy, which is awarded to the driver with the fastest time at Speed Week, the Carbiliner's body and mechanical issues kept either from happening.

“We're not going for any measly record,” he said. “We're going for the whole enchilada, and it's hard. We're going against guys with really big budgets.”

Freyvogel faced suspension and exhaust system issues during races early in the week. He raced Thursday and got the vehicle's speed up to 250 mph in the first mile, which is 50 mph faster than the Carbiliner had ever gone in second gear.

“We were accelerating much, much earlier and much, much harder than we ever had, which makes all the difference in the world because it's basically a 5-mile drag race,” Freyvogel said.

However, the transmission broke down when Freyvogel switched to third gear. A replacement was installed, and Freyvogel raced Friday. He reached 259 mph in second gear, but the transmission broke again when he switched to third gear.

Freyvogel said he and his team will have to examine what specifically went wrong with the transmission when they return home, but that he will likely need to switch from a race-modified production transmission to a race-only transmission.

“We think we're on the right track as far as body design and chassis design, but making it all happen and racing through it, it's a whole other game,” Freyvogel said.

The Carbiliner will be taking a year off before returning to Speed Week in 2019. Freyvogel said this is so he can spend more time with his family, as well as help his crew members in their own projects and races.

He also said he and his crew enjoyed Speed week.

“We had a really good time,” Freyvogel said. “We learned a lot.”