World’s Fastest Alfa Headed Back to Bonneville
Though it may look considerably sleeker and more purposeful than its unmodified Italian brothers, the car pictured in the photos above is at its heart a 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider. Appropriately dubbed “Bonnie” after the vast Bonneville Salt Flats where it earned its stripes, the car became the fastest full-bodied Alfa Romeo ever after recording a speed of 217.152 miles per hour in 2006.
Owner Richard Kreines and is Chicago-based race team are headed back to the salt during the week of August 18-24, hoping to take back their speed record in the Blown Gas Modified Sports category. Bonnie set the record in that class in 2002, only to see their top-speed destroyed by a Nissan-based team’s 221 mph run in 2006. This year the team is aiming for 230 mph and another entry into the record books.
Bonnie’s high speed magic is the result of a lot of hard work on the part of car builder Mike Besic and engine guru Jim Steck, both of whom have set records behind the wheel of the Spider as well.
For his part, owner Kreines seems confident about the blazing yellow Alfa’s chances this summer. “The car’s got three records,” said Kreines, “and we’ll get the other one back.”
Check out Bonnie and the boys in our gallery up top or scroll down to read the official press release.
Back to the Salt
Chicagoland Racers Aim for 230 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats
(NORTHBROOK, ILL.) America’s high-speed hot rodders will gather in Wendover, Utah at the fabled Bonneville Salt Flats August 18-24 for the 2008 Bonneville Speed Week. Once again, the Chicago-based 1991 Alfa Spider affectionately nicknamed “Bonnie” will add a little Italian flair to the proceedings while shooting for yet another speed record.In 2006, the screaming yellow Spider managed a 217.152 mph average over two runs to claim the G/BGMS (Blown Gas Modified Sports) record the team had been chasing since their first trip to Bonneville in 1999. That also made the Richard Kreines-owned Spider the fastest full-bodied Alfa Romeo ever, beating the record previously held by the Alfa factory’s one-off ProCar 164.
This year, the focus is on regaining the G/BFMS (Blown Fuel Modified Sports) record Bonnie set in 2002 and obliterated by a 221 mph Nissan in 2006. The team hoped to achieve that goal last year, but had to cancel the trip west at the last minute. Now, after an extra year’s worth of aero and cooling improvements, car builder Mike Besic of Besic Motorsports and engine builder Jim Steck of Autocomponenti are confident that the International Auto Parts-sponsored Alfa has what it takes to get the job done.
Three different drivers (Besic, Steck and Craig Bielat) have set records in the car so far, and Steck joined Bonneville’s exclusive 200 MPH Club in 2006. That type of success is exceptionally rare at Bonneville, especially for a bunch of sports car guys from the Midwest running a four-cylinder Italian sports car. Kreines is proud of what the team has achieved so far, but he’s looking forward to adding another record in 2008.
“We’ve had the right people and everything came together,” he said. “We’ve been lucky, too—not everybody comes out there and does what we’ve done. The car’s got three records and we’ll get the other one back.”
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Chris Paukert
230 mph in an Alfa? That's impressive... and it might even be faster than the speed of rust!
Chris Paukert
Editor-In-Chief
Winding Road Magazine // NextAutos
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