Quest for speed stymied once again
BONNEVILLE, Utah — Rob Freyvogel will have to wait a month for another attempt to set a world racing record.
Freyvogel of Butler Township finished his last run Thursday at Speed Week at Bonneville’s Salt Flats, and did so without reaching his goal of breaking the Double AA/Blown Gas Streamliner class record of 348 mph.
Freyvogel’s vehicle, “Carbiliner,” was running at 369 mph when the right side cylinder head broke, ending Freyvogel’s quest for the record — for now.
“We are a bit heartbroken not to be bringing home the record with three of our six passes being well above the record,” he said. “This team worked super hard and overcame many obstacles, but it just wasn’t in the cards for this trip.”
It was another in a number of issues Freyvogel had with his vehicle during Speed Week, which ran from Aug. 13 to Friday.
Freyvogel experienced electrical difficulties Monday evening. He and his crew fixed his car and raced his vehicle at 363 mph on its next run.
However, on the following run the car’s suspension dropped out, causing the fuel pump to turn off and for the car to lose fuel. Freyvogel had to veer off course.
Because the record-breaking effort must consist of back-to-back runs with the speeds averaged for the record, Freyvogel had to start over.
“We always knew setting records at Bonneville, especially high-end records like the ones we are chasing, is hard, but I feel exceptionally frustrated on this trip,” he said. “There is a reason why Bonneville is such a humbling place.”
The Carbiliner was designed in 2009 and completed in 2011 by Freyvogel and Brandon Barnhart of Harmony. It is 28 feet long, 3,000 pounds and has a 2,600-hp engine.
Freyvogel was one of about 500 competitors in the 68th annual Speed Week, which was run through the Southern California Timing Association.
Freyvogel’s next chance to break the record at Bonneville will be at the World Finals on Sept. 27 to 30.
