turbine experimental american sports prototype racing car designed test competitive use gas turbine engine sports car racing planned racing driver combined chassis built turbine engines leased financial backing materials attempt turbine powerplant auto racing turbine win race earning sports car club america race victories qualifying sprint victories year competition later set automobile land speed records turbines retired racing development interest use gas turbines alternative engine gaining support automobile industry 1960s begun testing 1950s began turbine car public british manufacturer racing team combined build racing car hours cars showed reliability unable win public win respectively team owner car developer created indianapolis car nearly won race driven suffered mechanical failure leading thirds event similar attempt lotus led retirement showing winning potential time turbine debut began conceive design sports car use gas turbine improving areas failed years felt simplified design chassis turbine powered car competitive originally proposed car later eventually turned fellow aid time vice president provided turbines industry able convince backing competitive unique sports car promote public awareness company agreed fund project lending car chassis began project purchasing sports car later decided best choice turbine car sold owner contracted build cars brand new space frame chassis actually built older car initially built series adapted house turbine engine second car built scratch allowing purposely designed use turbine engine including chassis inches longer chassis known raced turbines guise designed regulations sports prototypes allowing completely custom mid engine layout limited terms engine sizes available competitors closed cockpit doors designed mid engine layout standard double suspension springs disc brakes wheel fuel tank placed cockpit turbine housing jet fuel turbine turbines power leased gas turbines prototypes aborted bid military helicopter contract continental putting use time loaned turbines weighed pounds able provide lbf maximum rpm able reached stage setup internal power turbine drive rear wheels use reduction wide variable output turbine high level standard gearbox necessary leaving single speed able quickly changed differential allowing car adapted circuits use single speed transmission reverse initially wished reverse mandated use small electric motor powered turbine installed allowing car reverse turbine large exhaust pipes pipe situated center use designed eliminate driver pressing turbine increasing revolutions turbine maximum revolutions helped regulate fuel actually entering turbine increasing decreasing power output turbines displacement measured way engine formula determine continental displacement cubic centimetres admitted engine actually limit allowed compete prototype category group formula racing history following completion cars brought hours opening round international championship makes entering competition earned attention featured prominently cover race program cars attendance newer entered race car kept spare driving team qualified lap time seventh fastest overall competitors early stops allowing improve place lap turbine failed reopen giving driver power corner car spun hit barrier forcing team retire hours months later able improve pace time qualifying second ford turbine ran reliably race continued debris damaged turbine caused shake loose mounts eventually retired hours following returned europe team followed entered brands hatch problems caused car wreck time seven laps staying britain team entered national sprint race park british driver failure starter motor pit stop denied possibility finishing hour long event returned united_states contest stay europe remainder international championship closer home problems experimental able overcome car finished race west_virginia drove car second place finish setting new lap record circuit following retirement michigan arrived heart event alabama short sprint race held day prior main race order determine starting order field able earn victory sprint allowing start pole position main event dominated event earned win victories marked wins turbine powered car racing event victory earned joined car won short qualifying race earn pole position went lead lap main event winning lap margin feeling capable taking european entries entered hours round international championship newcomer entered car thompson shared second cars qualified eighth ninth fastest following early accidents factory cars running fourth overall car suffered transmission problem closing hour requiring car crawl circuit end race entry remained pace end finishing podium overall highest finisher class podium earned points international championship success cars prepared attempt hours postponed september french aluminium company sponsored team bid hours drivers assigned cars qualifying performance hampered long twentieth fastest best performance cars race mechanical problems appeared early thompson car suffered laps fuel system providing jet turbine allow produce power output meaning car circuit long car continued slowed pace suffered wheel bearing failure hours later requiring lengthy hour repair sixth hour event car disqualified race officials having covered insufficient distance laps remaining fuel longer thompson crashed indianapolis corner season planned following year including development new multi gear transmission replace single speed unit felt program providing adequate promotion company decided land speed records decided racing program expensive continue cars owned promotional use decided attempt repair second chassis adapt new open cockpit earning new vehicle attempted break world land speed records turbine powered cars weighing approximately kilograms car able attempts classes records thanks addition ballast road august drove records recognized timing recorded new later use ended promotional use cars chassis sold dollar continental turbines leased returned cars longer control eventually sold chassis chassis bought stored personal collection california display featured mock continental turbine engine bay car bought restored original continental turbine following restoration won trophy island second car chassis converted open cockpit original closed cockpit design restoration carried behest new owner restoration chassis completed july original continental turbines obtained turbine installed participated times festival speed later sold adapted system turbine participated classic event classic endurance racing series came festival speed collection ownership chassis completed spare frame known original specification lack continental turbine unit instead different powerplant required redesign exhaust engine cover instead rear car system entered car historic events including festival speed
Howmet TX