Nish's hopes for record end with crash on Flats

The world record for the fastest engine-driven car on Bonneville Salt Flats will likely stand for at least another year.

On a record run Friday, during the annual World of Speed event on the salt, the high-speed streamliner of Terry Nish's encountered a mechanical failure and crashed.

The driver, Pam Curtis, was not injured. The plan was to have Curtis run for the world record 332.662 miles per hour using a small-block Chevrolet engine. The record is currently held by Nish's son, T.J.

If all went well, then the team would place a larger engine in the car for the October World Finals and make a run at a 39-year-old record of 409 mph.

The car is damaged, said Nish, adding, "but until we get it back in the shop, we really won't know how badly. If I were to guess, I'd say there's an 80 percent chance we won't run in October."

Plans were to bring the car, called the "Royal Purple," back to the salt flats in October to run at a record set by Bob Summers back in 1965.

Summers took a four-engine, naturally aspirated, 4-wheel-drive car on a two-way run at an average speed of 409 mph. Technically, the record still stands.

There have been faster runs made, but in each case the vehicles were power assisted, with either a blower or turbine.

Nish's car is, like Summers', naturally aspirated or is fuel-fed by a carburetor.

"It should be a no-brainer," said Nish in an earlier interview. "Summers' car was 28-feet long, weighed 8,400 pounds and had the capability of producing 2,400 horsepower from the four engines. My car is 27-and-a-half feet long, weighs 3,000 pounds and is capable of producing 3,000 horsepower from one engine . . . But on the salt anything can happen."

Nish said it appears the cause of the crash was a rear-wheel failure.

At the time of the accident, Curtis had just pass through the first set of timing lights at 260 mph. Suddenly, the car went airborne, flipped five times and skidded on its side for three-eighths of a mile.

"When we arrived at the scene," said Nish, "Pam was climbing out of the car. She joked that a fall a few weeks ago on roller blades was worse than this accident.

"The car was designed for safety. On the salt, you never know what's going to happen. We were prepared for anything. And as this proves right here, our design and planning paid off."

As noted, plans are to return the streamliner back to Salt Lake City to access the damage.

"If we're not out here in October, we'll be back in '05, ready to race," he added.

There are between 80 and 90 cars on the salt for the annual event that will run through Monday.

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