History A Return to Harper Dry Lake Racing

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

A Return to Harper Dry Lake Racing

Continue reading the Original Blog Post

 

Love the sound of a Flat motor!!!

 

Very cool!

 

I talked to a racing family member who raced at Harper, the problem was a thin surface like Black Rock. The hard surface top would break up after a few runs leaving just the under fine/blowing silt, (kinda like El Mirage now).
And I would have to check, but I think it is smaller than El Mirage.

 

Thanks for sharing this!
I could feel the ghosts of past racers while on the lakebed. It was a real honor


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

My Dad raced there, warms my heart to see this place.....

 

I believe there was racing there at least through the Summer of 1947.

 

An 8 second quarter mile?

 

I have a 1942 lakes program that gives the results of two (May 17, 1942 & June 14, 1942) Harper Dry Lake meets & one (July 19, 1942) Rosamond Dry Lake meet.

Mick

 

At 108 miles per hour? Does that math add up? This is the program from that day -- looks like most of the cars were between 101 mph and 114 mph.

 

Sorry, forgot to attach:

 

Great post, that would have been an amazing experience. @Bobby Green which lakester is that? Is it new or the orange 16?

That 8 second 1/4 mile time is a flying 1/4, so the speed trap at the end of the course is timed with the car going thru a light beam which started the clocks and another when they exit to stop the clock. J Otto Crocker's timing was accurate to some crazy amount.

 

I am really surprised to see someone allowed to run at Harper. I worked flight test for a few companies at Edwards through the mid nineties and Harper is classified as an emergency landing strip for aircraft at Edwards. Both the XB-70 and the B-1A crashed out there and one can still find small parts scattered around that the crash teams deemed not necessary to their investigation. Harper Dry Lake is accessible off of California 58. It is clearly marked on the freeway. The access road is in poor condition and the last time I was out there, the lake bed didn't impress me too much. It is still nice to visit one of our important historical courses no matter the condition. I hope whoever invited them to run got Edwards approval. They can be nasty bastards about being where they operate. Great shots and sound.