Jet car thrills spectators with quarter mile under three seconds

Administrator | Aug 29, 2011 | Comments 0

Photos and text by Bill Samuel
Speed was the name of the game at Loch Sloy industrial park Saturday for the Armdrop Drag Races.
To the thrill of more than 200 spectators, Lou Pereira piloted his 6000hp Jet-car, Terminator through the quarter mile in just under three seconds. Terminator consumed 18 gallons of diesel fuel to accomplish this spectacle.
The vehicle weighs in at a mere 1250 lbs. The power-plant is a GE J-85 from a F5 fighter-jet. The same engine is also used by the Snowbirds aerobatic team.
The Terminator calls Belleville its home but tours extensively throughout Ontario and the U.S.A.

The Armdrop Drag Racing gang started with a group of friends that grew up attending the illegal late night street races and drag racing at the local track.
“We found that the local track events were too far apart, expensive and not aimed at street cars, and the street racing scene had potential to be very dangerous,” said Glen Conway, who organizes the event with Heather Conway, Ragin Patel and many volunteers.
“For the first event, we put our money in a hat, rented a track, printed out flyers, made tickets and hit the internet advertising with the goal of having a safe night of drag racing and covering the costs involved with the rental. We figured if we did not get a good turnout at least we would have a night of safe and legal racing. The event had a great turnout.
“This is the fourth year we have been doing this and this is only the second event at the Picton air field. We had one here last September and we had 103 registered racers and just over 1,000 spectators.
“Today’s event turned out great: a day of drags, a car show, a jet engine dragster and Second World War planes landing on the strip – all for just $5.
“Sgt Tom Sweet, Traffic Unit at the Belleville Police, works with us and helps however he can to get racers off the streets and give them a safe place to race.
There 20 trophies which are sponsored by different local businesses and funds above operating costs are donated to local charities.”