For a few weeks at least, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum,
presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, will say goodbye
to one of its most famous cars, the Mickey Thompson Challenger, the
first American automobile to go 400 mph. It sails for England and the
Goodwood Festival of Speed, June 22-24.
"Taking the car to
England for Goodwood is just the first leg of a multi-year celebration
of both land speed racing and Mickey Thompson's Challenger," said Tony
Thacker, executive director of the Parks Museum. "And now that his
murder case is resolved the family can move on and celebrate Mickey's
achievements. The timing is perfect."
Beyond taking the car to Goodwood, where it will be the highlight of a
display of Bonneville vehicles on the cricket pitch, Thacker said they
hope to fire the car up in 2008 at Bonneville for the first time in
almost 40 years. "With four supercharged 415-cubic-inch Pontiac motors,
four 1937 Cadillac Le Salle transmissions, four Cyclone quick-change
axles and many miles of plumbing, cables and wire – but no starter,
firing this beast is going to be a major operation. However, I'm
confident that we'll hear it roar again."
Advance tickets for the ADRL's Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV, the event that