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DURING the Bonneville National Speed Trials Mickey Thompson became this nation's fastest driver, thus earning the title of "1959 Hot Rod Champion of The Year."Challenger 1 1959: The Challenger 1, American's Fastest automobile, at rest on the salt. 1959 Popular Mechanics Hot rod racing 1959 by George Hill
Achievement of this award was no easy task; it was the culmination of over 18 month’s hard work. To reach speeds of over 360 mph, with a planned ultimate velocity of over 400 mph, theory and design had to be tested. To accomplish this, a smaller machine was built and tested at the 1958 Bonneville Nationals. Powered by two well-modified Chrysler engines, the test vehicle hit 300 mph to prove that the body shape and basic chassis design theories were correct. Then came the real task; that of enlarging the machine to encompass the requisites for 400-mph-plus speeds.

Mickey Thompson Challenger 1: Mickey Thompson waves after completing his record two-way run against the clocks.
The body shell became longer and much more efficient; four engines had to be coupled to the axles; four transmissions had to be synchronized; and a method of stopping the monster perfected.
These hurdles were surmounted during the twelve-month period that followed the 1958 test runs, and when the 1959 Bonneville Nationals opened Mickey was on the starting line, ready to go. Only through Thompson's resourcefulness and the co-operation of all his friends in the hot rod sport was it possible to build such a ma-chine in so short a time. But even with all this help it took the driving enthusiasm of young Thompson to co-ordinate all the outside help and channel the incoming components, drawings and raw materials into the heart of the project and then, with a select group of workers, assemble the works into what now appears to be the fastest car ever built.
His test runs during the Nationals provided some thrills for Thompson and the timing officials, and a recapitulation will show that they were absolutely necessary.

Mickey Thompson's Challenger Racing at the Salt Flats 1959: Charging down the course in low gear, Mickey Thompson accelerates his machine up to 210 mph before shifting to second gear. In second the car goes to around 325 mph before the shift into high. Planned maximum velocity is in the neighborhood of 425 mph. Mobil-blended nitro fuels bring the horse power rating for each engine up to 510 hp.
On Sunday, August 23rd, the first day of the meet, Thompson made a test run with his new machine at 215.31 mph. After shutting off the engines he coasted for another mile before ejecting the drag chute and when the chute popped open it began oscillating badly, causing the car to slide from side to side on the racing course. The machine was finally brought to a halt but Thompson was seriously concerned.

That night engineers from the parachute manufacturer shortened the lanyard that connected the chute to the tail of the car, explaining that oscillation with a shorter line would have less leverage on the machine. Thompson, along with his crew of hot rod amateur engineers, disagreed with this theory, but he settled the argument by offering to make a test run with the proposed, shorter line. The original line was fifty feet long, and it was cut down to twenty-five feet.

Challenger I was powered by four modified Pontiac engines: Challenger I was powered by four modified Pontiac engines equipped with Iskenderian camshafts, C-T crankshafts, Grant pistons and rings, Joe Hunt magnetos, Hilborn injectors and ran on specially blended fuels by Mobil. The chassis used Cyclone quick-change center sections, Halibrand magnesium wheels and rode on Goodyear tires. Fritz Voight prepared and maintained the engines. Popular Mechanics
On Monday morning, with the new chute arrangement in the tail of the car, Thompson accelerated to 266.27 mph and then allowed the machine to coast, decelerating to about 190 mph before ejecting the chute. This time there was noticeable oscillation but with very little effect on the chassis. Thompson reported that he could feel the chute bouncing back and forth, but, as it had little effect on the steering, he would make a faster run to test it at a higher speed.

Tuesday found the machine speeding through the traps at 332.809 mph, the fastest speed ever attained at a Bonneville Nationals meet, and again Thompson wisely coasted for a couple miles before ejecting the chute. This time the chute popped out the back, began oscillating so badly that the car went into a series of long slides, first to the right and then to the left, with each slide covering a quarter-mile of the course. At 180 mph he applied the wheel brakes and almost burned them out getting the machine stopped. It was then that Thompson and his design crew took over responsibilities of the chute arrangements.

Another chute, equal in size to the one being used (5-foot 9-inch diameter) was ordered along with enough lanyard to place the two chutes, side by side, over seventy-five feet behind the car.
Late Wednesday morning, with the new chute system intact, Thompson made a run at 287.08 mph and ejected the chutes immediately after chopping the power. They came straight out behind the car and brought him to a quick stop in less than two miles with no oscillation. With the stopping problem apparently solved, he planned a faster run for the following morning.

Thursday morning the Bonneville Nationals officials opened the course early so that Thompson would have few spectators lining the course in case of difficulties. The car accelerated quickly, perhaps too quickly, up to 210 mph in low gear before the rear axle developed trouble; pinion and carrier bearings burned out and severe damage was suffered by the rear axle assembly. Thompson took the machine back to Wendover, dismantled the machine, ordered new parts from Los Angeles and began making the necessary repairs.

Challanger I Opening in nose of body, 1959: Opening in nose of body is air intake for engines and was designed to supply positive air pressure of 3.5 p.s.i. over engine, thus affording slight supercharging effect for the four normally aspirated Pontiac powerplants. Popular Mechanics
His hard-working crew toiled all day Thursday, through the night and into the early morning hours to complete the operation. The car was towed to the salt flats, and Thompson climbed in for what was to be the fastest run ever made by any American driver.

The machine accelerated easily up to 314.905 mph in second gear. Thompson proceeded through the next three one-mile timing traps in high gear, adding occasional bursts with slight pressures on the pedal. The car passed through the last set of lights at 362.120 mph.

After two and a half miles of deceleration the drag chutes were ejected. They flew out behind the car, popped open, and, without the least sign of oscillation, brought car and driver to a safe stop in a mile and a half.

Unfortunately, he was not allowed to make the 400-mph run. His financial backers applied every bit of pressure available to force him to let the car rest until time for the official World Record Attempt in September. But Thompson felt indebted to the Bonneville Nationals officials for all their time and effort in making his test runs possible (without having to make them under the expensive timing super-vision and facilities of the USAC group), and he got approval from his backers for a two-way run at slower speeds in order to establish a new two-way record average for the annual hot rod event.
The following morning (Saturday, August 29), he eased the car through the course on the down leg at 346.120 mph and made the return run at 314.905 mph for an official two-way average and new Bonneville Nationals record of 330.5125 mph.

Mickey Thompson, Hot Rod Champion of the Year 1959 Challenger 1: Mickey Thompson, Hot Rod Champion of the Year, poses beside his 2040-hp. Challenger I. The extremely low silhouette of the car was made possible by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company when they developed small tires for the machine. (Notice that the top of the cockpit fairing is level with the low hood of the Pontiac station wagon push car at far right. Popular Mechanics
His one-way run of 362 mph was faster than the meet's second-place qualifier by 73 mph and earned for him the annual HOT ROD CHAMPION award along with the title of "America's Fastest Driver." His gentlemanly sportsmanship during the Nationals, along with his earnest desire to see that his crew of assistants and amateur design engineers receive their due credits make Mickey Thompson, quite truly, the HOT ROD CHAMPION OF THE YEAR.

source: Hot rod racing 1959 by George Hill published in 1959 Library of Congress Card Catalog #59-9533