I have but respect for this young gal.

[Wild one]

Alex Taylor Sets SCTA Record, Enters 200 MPH Club at Bonneville Speed Week​

HOT ROD Garage’s co-host Alex Taylor traded the drag strip for the Bonneville Salt Flats as the latest driver of the HOT ROD Special 1980 Chevy Camaro.
Mike GalimiWriterMarc GewertzPhotographerAug 06, 2024


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HOT ROD Garage co-host Alex Taylor has a few new lines to add on her impressive resume—Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) Record Holder and 200 MPH Club member. The young driver and social media influencer set the C/CBALT record by running a 236.182 mph qualifying pass and then backing it up the later in the day, following impound and inspection, achieving a 235-mph return run, putting her two-pass average at 235.638 mph. That outpaces the previous record of 224.331 mph, set by David Parks in September 1996. She accomplished the task while driving the “HOT ROD Special,” a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro owned by Tonya and Keith Turk and made famous through the land speed exploits of David Freiburger.




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It's known as the "HOT ROD Special" as it carries on the magazine's legacy of land speed racing. Tonya and Keith Turk own this 1980 Chevy Camaro, you might recognize their names from HOT ROD Drag Week's tech department.

It has been no secret that Alex wanted the famed red hat, which you earn by getting into the SCTA 200 MPH Club, and this goal has been several years in the making. Her and the family, led by Drag Week alumni Dennis Taylor, updated the car and have been working with the Turk’s on their record-running aspirations. The group went through the chassis, fixing and updating parts and pieces and repairing damage realized from almost 20 years of land speed racing. The car has seen its fair share of action as the chassis delivered record runs on Bonneville, El Mirage, Muroc Dry Lake, Loring (Maine), Beeville (Texas), and Maxton Mile (North Carolina). The team set nearly two dozen records with six other drivers—Freiburger, Tonya, Keith, Will Handzel, Steve Atwell, and Brad Johnson. Alex has added her name and accomplishment to one of the most storied cars in SCTA history.

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From the TV Screen to Bonneville Salt Flats​

The team tapped Freiburger’s stash of racing engines for this year’s record run, selecting the C-category in the Classic Blown Gas Altered, Coupe, and Sedan (CBALT) class. The small-block Chevy was the subject of an Engine Masters, which aired on MotorTrend. The Dart-based engine displaces 347-ci thanks to a 4.125-inch bore and 3.250-inch stroke. The billet crank and billet rods are from Crower while JE Pistons custom made the slugs. The compression ratio is 11.3:1. Freiburger worked with COMP Cams on the custom grind and then added a set of Isky bushed .904 roller lifters to the potent small-block.

Related: 1,100-HP Camaro Goes For A Landspeed Record
The top-end consists of AFR 227 cylinder heads (with T&D shaft rocker arms) and a Wilson-ported Edelbrock Super Victor intake manifold. The team isn’t relying on EFI but rather a CSU-modified Holley carburetor. The engine is entered in a blown class thanks to the ProCharger F-1A-94 centrifugal supercharger, which is run at 18 psi of boost. A massive air-to-water intercooler keeps the excessive heat away so the team can create as much power as possible on runs that last up to 5 miles. Freiburger assembled the engine and Dougan’s Racing Engines (Jurupa Valley, CA) handled the machine work. The longtime editor-in-chief of HOT ROD and current Roadkill host told us the setup made 1,070 hp at 7,700 rpm with EFI and a different intake manifold on Westech’s dyno, and 1,003 rwhp on the chassis dyno.

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The HOT ROD Special has been used to break over a dozen records and was driven by six people into the SCTA 200 MPH Club. The record Alex broke was set before she was born and held by David Parks, son of NHRA's founder Wally Parks.

The HOT ROD Special has seen dozens of engine combinations over the years from naturally aspirated big-block setups to ones with big superchargers sticking out of the hood. The drivetrain has been mostly consistent through those years. A Tex Racing T101A transmission sits in the tunnel and is a four-speed configuration. It is a clutchless style transmission that spins a custom driveshaft connected to a Quick Change rear housing.

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Alex is also a member of the HOT ROD 200 MPH Club, a spot she earned during the 2022 event. The team will be back on the drag strip next month for the 20th annual HOT ROD Drag Week where she will be competing in the Ultimate Iron category with their twin-turbocharged 1955 Chevy 210.

 

[GTyankee]

I have been watching Hot Rod Garage about every time that i realize that it is on.

Alex's Father made sure so went to the right schools, because she showed an real interest

I hope she does not put on much more weight, must be eating too much fast food

 

[KYPOTLICKER]

Why bring weight into the conversation. Is that your professional opinion, too much fast food?

 

[diymirage]

Isnt that what whatshername was doing when she got killed?

 

[Wild one]

Isnt that what whatshername was doing when she got killed?

Jesse Combs,hard to believe it's already been 5 years since she passed

Jessi Combs: 1980-2019​

Racer, Fabricator, and TV Personality Killed Attempting Land-Speed Record
Brett T. EvansWriterShaun OchsnerWriterAug 28, 2019


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Jessi Combs—vehicle fabricator, TV personality, and all-around good human—died attempting to break her own land-speed record on August 27 in the Alvord Desert. She was 39.




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Jessi is the current "fastest woman on four wheels" record holder, thanks to her two-way average 393 mph run in 2013. She broke that record in the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger after joining the land speed team the same year. Last year, she achieved a 483-mph shakedown before a mechanical failure ended the run.

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Jessi Combs has also raced extensively and remained connected with the truck and off-road industry throughout her career. She was a spokesperson for WARN Industries, frequently appearing at the company's events and signing autographs. Last year, Jessi was a guest on a SEMA panel—moderated by Jay "Lightning" Tilles—with Gale Banks, Aaron Kaufman, and Sean P. Holman.


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Earlier in her career, she co-hostedXtreme 4x4on Spike TV, and she raced at King of the Hammers in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017, taking home the Spec class win in 2014. Jessi Combs also raced in the Baja 1000, most recently in 2017 under the ethos "iron(wo)man". She also attendedFour Wheeler's Top Truck Challenge.

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Jessi was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1980. She briefly pursued a career in Colorado as a professional snowboarder before relocating to Laramie, Wyoming, to attend WyoTech. There, she studied collision/refinishing and fabrication, graduating in the top of her class with a degree in custom automotive fabrication. From there, her skills took her to the Specialty Equipment Market Association, where she was employed by the marketing team to help build custom vehicles for charity.
Her death was confirmed on Instagram by teammate Terry Madden, who reported that she died in a "horrific accident" in the land-speed vehicle. As one of the most influential people in motorsports, Jessi Combs will be dearly missed.

 

[diymirage]

Jesse Combs,hard to believe it's already been 5 years since she passed

Jessi Combs: 1980-2019​

Racer, Fabricator, and TV Personality Killed Attempting Land-Speed Record
Brett T. EvansWriterShaun OchsnerWriterAug 28, 2019


See All 5 Photos
Jessi Combs—vehicle fabricator, TV personality, and all-around good human—died attempting to break her own land-speed record on August 27 in the Alvord Desert. She was 39.




See All 5 Photos

Jessi is the current "fastest woman on four wheels" record holder, thanks to her two-way average 393 mph run in 2013. She broke that record in the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger after joining the land speed team the same year. Last year, she achieved a 483-mph shakedown before a mechanical failure ended the run.

See All 5 Photos
Jessi Combs has also raced extensively and remained connected with the truck and off-road industry throughout her career. She was a spokesperson for WARN Industries, frequently appearing at the company's events and signing autographs. Last year, Jessi was a guest on a SEMA panel—moderated by Jay "Lightning" Tilles—with Gale Banks, Aaron Kaufman, and Sean P. Holman.


See All 5 Photos
Earlier in her career, she co-hostedXtreme 4x4on Spike TV, and she raced at King of the Hammers in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017, taking home the Spec class win in 2014. Jessi Combs also raced in the Baja 1000, most recently in 2017 under the ethos "iron(wo)man". She also attendedFour Wheeler's Top Truck Challenge.

See All 5 Photos

Jessi was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1980. She briefly pursued a career in Colorado as a professional snowboarder before relocating to Laramie, Wyoming, to attend WyoTech. There, she studied collision/refinishing and fabrication, graduating in the top of her class with a degree in custom automotive fabrication. From there, her skills took her to the Specialty Equipment Market Association, where she was employed by the marketing team to help build custom vehicles for charity.
Her death was confirmed on Instagram by teammate Terry Madden, who reported that she died in a "horrific accident" in the land-speed vehicle. As one of the most influential people in motorsports, Jessi Combs will be dearly missed.

Yes, thats her

Thank you, i could not remember her name for the life of me