Latest News, Stamina Car

Latest News

This year has seen various tests take place to evaluate aerodynamics and gearing on the car. To attain those vital few mph that make all the difference to getting a record, a lot of detail work is required and furthermore produce the stability for an stamina run . This car has to run for a minimum of four hours at one hundred fifty mph and driving on a banked circuit at high speed is not effortless so keeping it stable is a major issue.

Late two thousand eight tests had proved the cars straight line speed in excess of 142mph but further work was required on suspension and aerodynamics to suit the two mile circular Millbrook track chosen for the record attempt.

In the March two thousand nine test, possessor Martyn Corfield said that despite completing one-hour in excess of 142mph he was still convenient at the wheel and could have managed more laps in one stint if required, so driver convenience was being achieved at that point.

MIRA tests followed and evaluated the airflow providing some illuminating insights into the high speed spectacle of the Healey form. Certain myths such as the amount of lift generated were unfounded. However other points such as the flow of air through the assets and engine were significant. Subtle modifications were made that do not detract from the original specification of the car but might make the objective of 150mph constant running more achievable.

In October two thousand nine a shortened test on a blustery day displayed the effect that wind speed over twenty mph can have on a high speed car on a banked circular track when it slowed the car by two mph. The day was not wasted however as significant work was done on the organisational side in prep for the record attempt.

Final tests in Mid October proved that the car was capable of one hundred fifty mph when Martyn Corfield recorded nine laps over one hundred fifty mph, a total of eighteen miles at record violating rhythm which is the fastest continuous period that a Healey has run in the World this year including the Australian Streamliner and Stamina cars

Car Road Test

Click the thumbnail below to view a movie of the Stamina Car road test:

The fresh ‘Healey Endurance’ record car gets approval from ‘the expert’

Roy Jackson Moore visited the premises of Denis Welch Motorsport on the 7th May 2008. This was a historic visit to feast an historic event, the official launch of the Healey Stamina car to the public.

Roy was the North American sales Director for the Healey works and went on to be a major part of the North American sales effort for British sportscars with names such as Aston Martin. Perhaps his most notable achievement was to introduce Carrol Shelby to AC which resulted in the creation of the legendary Cobra car.

His talents didn’t stop there however, he was a very competent driver in his own right contesting at Sebring in long distance races. He joined the one thousand nine hundred fifty four Healey stamina team partnering names such as Donald Healey, George Eyston, Carroll Shelby and Mort Goodall.

On Aug 23rd one thousand nine hundred fifty four at Bonneville salt flats, supervised by the American Automobile club the Healey Stamina car set eighty three National and International Class D records. A 24-hour average speed of 132.29 mph was achieved and Roy was the one to bring the car over the completing line.

Denis Welch Motorsport of Yoxall have been recreating this very famous car with a view to challenging the record in August two thousand eight at Millbrook in the UK. Having got the car to rolling chassis stage with a lot of research into original drawings and configuration, they dreamed to have someone with authority to view their work. Martyn Corfield who wields the car thought why not ask one of the original drivers his opinion and contacted Roy to look the car over.

As you can imagine after such a long time there are many things that get re-interpreted and there is nothing like the original on the spot, point of view to verify the real facts. This meeting produced a series of anecdotes that went some way to verifying a lot of details and scotched some rumours in the process. For example there had been some talk of the car using a David Brown gearbox but Roy confirmed that this was not the case (this is vital information if the re-creation is to be accurate).

“The car had a Taxi gearbox on the one thousand nine hundred fifty three attempt which was ok, in one thousand nine hundred fifty four we didn’t use the David Brown gearbox (which was a horrible box anyway; you had to use two palms to switch gear) instead we used an early BN2 box”.

Commented Roy at his latest visit

“The two chunk instrument binnacle is absolutely right, why they switched to a one chunk I don’t know, some chap at Austin most likely worked out that they could save six-pence in the build cost!”

Commented Roy on witnessing the two tone instrument cluster at his latest visit

“The colour is right, just a much better finished than the original car. The paint was metallic but appeared matt as it had been painted in a rush”

“Tonneau and head faring are in proportion to how I recall them, the seat is very comfy (as it was in 1954) albeit it could do with moving back a duo of inches”

Commented Roy about the bodywork and colour scheme

“We were advised not to hold the car at 4600rpm as this created a harmonic in the engine that may cause problems; four thousand five hundred and four thousand seven hundred were ok however.”

Commented Roy on the engine spectacle over twenty four hours

The car was released to the Healey fraternity at Goodwood May 16th this year and is on track to finish speed trials in July ready for the August record attempt.

“This car is going to have some serious work to do once its out there on the track. We are looking at speeds in excess of one hundred fifty mph for twenty four hours as a target so its vital that we are able to get the specification right as well as historically accurate. Roys input was invaluable in getting very first palm comments on our work and having the capability to consult with him on some of the unrecorded detail was an chance that you get very limited chances to benefit from. We are deeply indebted to him for his help and sparing us the time”

Commented Jeremy Welch

The original car became the prototype for the Austin Healey 100s of which only fifty were made and each one had a plaque on the passenger dash board commemorating the original event.

A fresh beginning, a fresh ‘Endurance’ record

In one thousand nine hundred fifty three Donald Healey had an ambition to take the 200mph production car speed record, and the 24-hour stamina record. He had built one of the most iconic sports cars of the Fifties and teamed up with Austin to produce it in volume. The car had wowed the public at Earls Court motor demonstrate but it was felt that record violating would prove both the design and the integrity of the Austin Healey and its components. Consequently in one thousand nine hundred fifty three standard production cars were used to take the production car records covering three thousand one hundred miles in thirty hours at an average speed of 104.Trio mph.

This success spurred the team on to look at an outright production sports car record for 24-hour stamina running, so the following year in one thousand nine hundred fifty four a standard chassis was ready with a modified Weslake designed cylinder head, sixteen inch Dunlop peg drive wheels and Dunlop disc brakes (a very first in production sports cars). There were a puny number of aerodynamic modifications with a petite aero screen and head fairing plus an air-cooled battery compartment in the right mitt passenger compartment.

In due course the car was transported to Bonneville in Utah for the record attempt. There on Aug 23rd 1954, supervised by the American Automobile club the car set eighty three National and International Class D records driven by Donald Healey, George Eyston, Carroll Shelby, Mort Goodall and Roy Jackson-Moore. A 24-hour average speed of 132.29 mph was set providing the equivalence of driving from Fresh York to San Francisco in a day!

Now some fifty four years later the feat is being attempted again. Unluckily the original car together with its Streamliner sister car were scrapped shortly after the records in the fifties as salt had taken its toll and made them unsafe.

However an early lightweight factory chassis has been discovered by Martyn Corfield. Together with Healey experienced Jeremy Welch the car is being recreated from the ground up, with a view to attempting the same feat in 2008.

The Welch family are no strangers to achievement on the World record stage. Their involvement dates back to one thousand nine hundred six and achievements have included the World Water Speed Record with a boat called ‘Bulldog’, The European FIA championships with their own Healey also the rebuilding of the one thousand nine hundred sixty five Le Stud’s Austin Healey sprite and its sister car, plus building cars for such luminaries as Stirling Moss and Mark Knopfler.

“ We have had a lot of success in the past, based on our capability to design and manufacture solutions to spectacle problems ranging from high speed cars to rally cars.

This project is a particularly interesting challenge, as I don’t think that anyone has run a Healey at this speed and distance for fairly some time. It’s imperative that we conduct our research in depth and facilitate as authentic a reconstruction as possible. For example we have had to re-manufacture the peg drive hubs from the original drawings. The integrity of our work will be tested to the limit so we have got to get it right” says Jeremy Welch MD of Denis Welch Motorsport.

If all goes to plan there will be an attempt on the Record in two thousand eight with the FIA officiating to make sure the facts are recorded.

There is every chance that the fresh car will take a record with its pedigree and the prospects of a long distance award beckon perhaps the team can surpass the original figures. It’s a very arousing project with massive interest, which is being observed across the globe.

Latest News, Stamina Car

Latest News

This year has seen various tests take place to evaluate aerodynamics and gearing on the car. To attain those vital few mph that make all the difference to getting a record, a lot of detail work is required and furthermore produce the stability for an stamina run . This car has to run for a minimum of four hours at one hundred fifty mph and driving on a banked circuit at high speed is not effortless so keeping it stable is a major issue.

Late two thousand eight tests had proved the cars straight line speed in excess of 142mph but further work was required on suspension and aerodynamics to suit the two mile circular Millbrook track chosen for the record attempt.

In the March two thousand nine test, possessor Martyn Corfield said that despite completing one-hour in excess of 142mph he was still comfy at the wheel and could have managed more laps in one stint if required, so driver convenience was being achieved at that point.

MIRA tests followed and evaluated the airflow providing some illuminating insights into the high speed spectacle of the Healey form. Certain myths such as the amount of lift generated were unfounded. However other points such as the flow of air through the bod and engine were significant. Subtle modifications were made that do not detract from the original specification of the car but might make the objective of 150mph constant running more achievable.

In October two thousand nine a shortened test on a blustery day displayed the effect that wind speed over twenty mph can have on a high speed car on a banked circular track when it slowed the car by two mph. The day was not wasted however as significant work was done on the organisational side in prep for the record attempt.

Final tests in Mid October proved that the car was capable of one hundred fifty mph when Martyn Corfield recorded nine laps over one hundred fifty mph, a total of eighteen miles at record cracking rhythm which is the fastest continuous period that a Healey has run in the World this year including the Australian Streamliner and Stamina cars

Car Road Test

Click the thumbnail below to view a movie of the Stamina Car road test:

The fresh ‘Healey Endurance’ record car gets approval from ‘the expert’

Roy Jackson Moore visited the premises of Denis Welch Motorsport on the 7th May 2008. This was a historic visit to feast an historic event, the official launch of the Healey Stamina car to the public.

Roy was the North American sales Director for the Healey works and went on to be a major part of the North American sales effort for British sportscars with names such as Aston Martin. Perhaps his most notable achievement was to introduce Carrol Shelby to AC which resulted in the creation of the legendary Cobra car.

His talents didn’t stop there tho’, he was a very competent driver in his own right rivaling at Sebring in long distance races. He joined the one thousand nine hundred fifty four Healey stamina team partnering names such as Donald Healey, George Eyston, Carroll Shelby and Mort Goodall.

On Aug 23rd one thousand nine hundred fifty four at Bonneville salt flats, supervised by the American Automobile club the Healey Stamina car set eighty three National and International Class D records. A 24-hour average speed of 132.29 mph was achieved and Roy was the one to bring the car over the completing line.

Denis Welch Motorsport of Yoxall have been recreating this very famous car with a view to challenging the record in August two thousand eight at Millbrook in the UK. Having got the car to rolling chassis stage with a lot of research into original drawings and configuration, they desired to have someone with authority to view their work. Martyn Corfield who wields the car thought why not ask one of the original drivers his opinion and contacted Roy to look the car over.

As you can imagine after such a long time there are many things that get re-interpreted and there is nothing like the original on the spot, point of view to verify the real facts. This meeting produced a series of anecdotes that went some way to verifying a lot of details and scotched some rumours in the process. For example there had been some talk of the car using a David Brown gearbox but Roy confirmed that this was not the case (this is vital information if the re-creation is to be accurate).

“The car had a Taxi gearbox on the one thousand nine hundred fifty three attempt which was ok, in one thousand nine hundred fifty four we didn’t use the David Brown gearbox (which was a horrible box anyway; you had to use two mitts to switch gear) instead we used an early BN2 box”.

Commented Roy at his latest visit

“The two chunk instrument binnacle is absolutely right, why they switched to a one chunk I don’t know, some chap at Austin most likely worked out that they could save six-pence in the build cost!”

Commented Roy on witnessing the two tone instrument cluster at his latest visit

“The colour is right, just a much better finished than the original car. The paint was metallic but appeared matt as it had been painted in a rush”

“Tonneau and head faring are in proportion to how I reminisce them, the seat is very convenient (as it was in 1954) albeit it could do with moving back a duo of inches”

Commented Roy about the bodywork and colour scheme

“We were advised not to hold the car at 4600rpm as this created a harmonic in the engine that may cause problems; four thousand five hundred and four thousand seven hundred were ok tho’.”

Commented Roy on the engine spectacle over twenty four hours

The car was released to the Healey fraternity at Goodwood May 16th this year and is on track to finish speed trials in July ready for the August record attempt.

“This car is going to have some serious work to do once its out there on the track. We are looking at speeds in excess of one hundred fifty mph for twenty four hours as a target so its vital that we are able to get the specification right as well as historically accurate. Roys input was invaluable in getting very first mitt comments on our work and having the capability to consult with him on some of the unrecorded detail was an chance that you get very limited chances to benefit from. We are deeply indebted to him for his help and sparing us the time”

Commented Jeremy Welch

The original car became the prototype for the Austin Healey 100s of which only fifty were made and each one had a plaque on the passenger dash board commemorating the original event.

A fresh beginning, a fresh ‘Endurance’ record

In one thousand nine hundred fifty three Donald Healey had an ambition to take the 200mph production car speed record, and the 24-hour stamina record. He had built one of the most iconic sports cars of the Fifties and teamed up with Austin to produce it in volume. The car had wowed the public at Earls Court motor demonstrate but it was felt that record violating would prove both the design and the integrity of the Austin Healey and its components. Consequently in one thousand nine hundred fifty three standard production cars were used to take the production car records covering three thousand one hundred miles in thirty hours at an average speed of 104.Trio mph.

This success spurred the team on to look at an outright production sports car record for 24-hour stamina running, so the following year in one thousand nine hundred fifty four a standard chassis was ready with a modified Weslake designed cylinder head, sixteen inch Dunlop peg drive wheels and Dunlop disc brakes (a very first in production sports cars). There were a puny number of aerodynamic modifications with a petite aero screen and head fairing plus an air-cooled battery compartment in the right forearm passenger compartment.

In due course the car was transported to Bonneville in Utah for the record attempt. There on Aug 23rd 1954, supervised by the American Automobile club the car set eighty three National and International Class D records driven by Donald Healey, George Eyston, Carroll Shelby, Mort Goodall and Roy Jackson-Moore. A 24-hour average speed of 132.29 mph was set providing the equivalence of driving from Fresh York to San Francisco in a day!

Now some fifty four years later the feat is being attempted again. Unluckily the original car together with its Streamliner sister car were scrapped shortly after the records in the fifties as salt had taken its toll and made them unsafe.

However an early lightweight factory chassis has been discovered by Martyn Corfield. Together with Healey experienced Jeremy Welch the car is being recreated from the ground up, with a view to attempting the same feat in 2008.

The Welch family are no strangers to achievement on the World record stage. Their involvement dates back to one thousand nine hundred six and achievements have included the World Water Speed Record with a boat called ‘Bulldog’, The European FIA championships with their own Healey also the rebuilding of the one thousand nine hundred sixty five Le Guy’s Austin Healey sprite and its sister car, plus building cars for such luminaries as Stirling Moss and Mark Knopfler.

“ We have had a lot of success in the past, based on our capability to design and manufacture solutions to spectacle problems ranging from high speed cars to rally cars.

This project is a particularly interesting challenge, as I don’t think that anyone has run a Healey at this speed and distance for fairly some time. It’s imperative that we conduct our research in depth and facilitate as authentic a reconstruction as possible. For example we have had to re-manufacture the peg drive hubs from the original drawings. The integrity of our work will be tested to the limit so we have got to get it right” says Jeremy Welch MD of Denis Welch Motorsport.

If all goes to plan there will be an attempt on the Record in two thousand eight with the FIA officiating to make sure the facts are recorded.

There is every chance that the fresh car will take a record with its pedigree and the prospects of a long distance award beckon perhaps the team can surpass the original figures. It’s a very arousing project with meaty interest, which is being observed across the globe.

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