News Archive
Millett Has Close Shave at Nostalgia Meet
Jul 14Graham Millett had an extremely close call when the rear end housing failed in his car at the recent nostalgia meet. When the housing was originally built, the Einstein who built it machined the floater spindle spigots completely off, (usually around 100mm long and projecting into the axle tubes) and simply butt welded the spindles to the end of the tubes. The one that failed had around 2mm projecting into the tube to centre it.
It all failed at around the 1000 ft mark, when Graham was travelling at around 150mph. The wheel, hub, brake, floater axle and spindle all left the car, and went carrering down track into the wall near the sand trap. Graham realised something was wrong and applied the brakes, but had none. He got the chute out and the car rode to the bottom of the braking area on the remaining wheel and the wheelie bars.
Dave Armstrong was in the retrieval area and he told me that Graham still had a lot of speed on near the sand trap but managed to spin the car out on the wheelie bars, nearly rolling in the process when the jacking post on the rear of the chassis, dug into the track. The car spun 180 degrees at the entrance to the track turn off, and probably disoriented, Grahams foot must have hit the throttle again as the remaining wheel started to spin and the car started back up the track, until Graham finally managed to stop.
A very scary moment for everyone as Dave said those in the retrieval area, thought the car was coming in amongst them. And as Graham said, thank goodness he had dual wheel wheelie bars as with a single, he would have been gone at the 1000ft mark.
I am still marvelling at what the bearing speed must have been on those little wheels at 150mph! Graham brought the wheelie bars up for repair today, and the wheels still turn although they have a large flat spot from the 180 degree spin out They are also exremely tapered due to rolling at high speed while the car had a serious lean on.
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