If you read this blog regularly, then the name Tom Donney is not unknown to you.
He is owner of the famous workshop Donney Saab, and he is the setter on several records with Saab cars (Saab 900 and Saab Sonett) at Bonneville Salt Flats. Yesterday he came back to this historic track, as he tried to break and set new records.
Saab Car #9275
Dan A Haugh has reported interesting details about the Saab car #9275: “It was brought to my attention that your article made it appear that my car #9275, was owned by Tom Donney. Though I suppose it would be possbile that Tom might own it someday, I built and drive the car, it has more records at the Ohio Mile than any other vehicle, 2 or 4 wheel, any kind of power.”
Here is what he says it was yesterday: “Two Saabs in Impound. It took four runs to do it but we finally made it into impound. We exceeded our old record by 1 1/2 mile an hour which is not much. Now we run again in the morning and then the two way average of today and yesterday will determine if we have a new record. The Saab 900 is running on an open record (non existing yet) so as long as he makes the finish line …Dan will have a new record”
Today his team has made a breakthrough: “On our fifth run we were able to attain a new record of 123.075mph with out 750cc engine! (Top speed over 124)
Had a mirage of small issues limiting our success. We had a run 7/10 of a second slow and 3/10 of a second off our old record of 121.203mph. Had a starter issues twice, once at the starting line, Electric water pump failure, brakes completely failed (only use rear) and finally a computer table that had a limiting glitch that kept us under 8300 RPM. Once we sort of all that out we hit our Mark.
NOW We have a record were changing drivers and will continue to crawler way up the speed ladder with a vintage Saab Sonett two stroke“
