A turbine-powered land-speed race car with Tucson ties failed to make a run at a new class record over 500 mph at Speed Week, Aug. 13-19 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, after running afoul of problems with its drag parachutes.
Turbinator II, a 500-horsepower, turboshaft streamliner owned by Utah-based Team Vesco, successfully tested turbine engine controls provided by Tucson-based Arizona Turbine Technology.
But the racerβs drag chutes opened prematurely on qualifying runs, possibly because of rough salt-flat conditions, Team Vesco said.
Vesco expects to fix the problem and make a run at the record at Bonneville during the World of Speed event, Sept. 10-13.