European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 19, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Frfd Fly july 19, 1968 the stars and stripes pegs 7 racing is a driving Factor in airmen Parachute used to slow bomb after drag run by Bob homers a . Bureau chief Ben Waters England is it s a real bomb Man and it s called the Meg Atoma a Friend was describing John r. Wachter s Awe some looking Cherry red Robin car and both the description Narf the name provided a Hin of the car s Pedigree. For megalomania is indeed Acar of great Power and great Wachter a native of Tucson,ariz., who has been tinkering with cars for 15 years rates hired bomb at a top Speed of 245 course there s no place to test the top potential of Theca and Wachter s estimate is based on calculation and projection. But he does have Confirma Tion of the car s sprint racing credentials around 190 . In a half mile run and 200 .plus in a Kilometre three fifths of a mile Date megalomania has racked up seven firsts in 14british sprint races. There s no doubt about Theca when it s running right. It has got the Power to whip the Competition Wachter said. Assigned to the 81st Arma ment and electronics so Wachs a photos by Guenter Schuettler Ter spends most of his spar time on his expensive Hobby. Megalomania has Cost h i in Between $12,000 and $14,000. Wachter drives the car him self and plans to take it with him to the states when he leaves Ben Waters in septem actually built megalomania from the Frame doors an Windshield of an old mob. The modification included stiffened Frame strengthened rear Axle and suspension an the replacement of the mob engine with a 396-cubic-Inch Chev Rolet 6.5 liter motor and a Rac ing fibreglass body was built by a British car is equipped with Slick tires disc brakes and a14-foot drag Parachute to help slow it Down after a drag wheels really smoke at High speeds and we find the Parachute does save Wear on brakes Wachter Protection includes a helmet full harness seat strap and Roll bars. It s at the higher speeds that you have some stability. The most dangerous period is during medium speeds Wachter said. He said the engine which develops up to 650 Brake horse Power is sensitive and demands lot of tuning and adjustment. Wachter has run before crowds of 10,000 on the British sprint runs in the a Competition altered division i Britain the equivalent rating in the states is a Gas does t expect to make a Fortune on his re bomb i m in this because i enjoy it hut he won t com Plain if he recovers part of his investment. Whistling along sgt. George p. Banke modifies one of his go karts which he says can reach a top Speed of 169 . The engines he uses Are modified motorcycle engines used in two Cycle go karts. Speeds up to 169 . Attained in go karts Wethersfield eng my main problem is endurance lands a George p. Banke he said As he gestured toward talks with the slow drawl of a j an engine mounted on the rear Texas cowpoke but horses and of a Kart. Steers Are a far cry from the j we got a top Speed of 169interests of this 22-year-old fort . On this outfit when it awesome a. Sgt. John r. Wachter is Thep Jono owner of this Cherry red bomb named megalomania which he says can do 245 . This estimate is based on calculation and projection. The car to Date has racked up seven firsts in 14 British sprint races. A pitchers Are tossing them around asunder Way at clubs in to provide interested in m Opportunity to 885wttpanid f0T to the the str love of Competition. Ame 1 can be entered Luary personnel As army b i Engineer goal j is Compromise contests to deter of ression to command e ornaments will be conclude. He flu place to number of Frankfurt special what happens when the German government announces its intention to build an autobahn through a . Army installation a team of master planners from the facilities Branch of . Army engr come Europe is called upon for alternate construction planning. The Engi neers most of whom Are Ger Man outline relocation proposals which Are forwarded to seventh army he at Heidelberg for negotiation with German government example in Darmstadt where the German governments aus to run an autobahn through to . Army s Lincoln sied lung housing area the engineers have proposed a suggestion is that Trees be planted and a Wall be built along the Highway to keep dust and noise to a making alternate plans for army installations said Hans Fischer acting chief of master planning the facility engineers master plan Post exchanges billets and other Struc Tures vital to the future concerns of the army in engineers moved to Frank Furt from Munich last augus when area come to which they had been assigned was de activated. Since then they have been headquartered Here. Camp new Amsterdam the Netherlands special col. Austin o. Davis has assumed command of the 32nd fighter interceptor so Here replacing col. Daniel c. Perry who has been assigned to Tyndall fab. Fla Davis a com Mand Pilot with Over 5,400hours of flying time in a wide variety of aircraft was director of operations at Duluth International Airport minn., be fore his assignment Here. Worth Mechanic. Was working right and that s real As far Back As he can remmely whistling along in one of these Ber Banke has had a crush on cars. A self taught tinkerer with natural instinct for mechanical innovation Banke lives eats an has nightmares about racing. I know i can build these things to run faster than any of my rivals. I be gotten unbelievable Mechanic with the 20th Field maintenance so her and every Loose Dollar is devoted to his consuming be blown a thousand quid $2,400 on experimental engines but i Don t care about the Money As Long As i have it to invest Banke said with a shrug. Modified engines the engines he was talking about Are modified motorcycle speeds out of them. But i be also blown up a few engines in the i process. I be got to learn the s i secret of top Speed and staying engines arts. Used in two Cycle go when i was assigned to Wethersfield in february 1967, i jumped right into British Kartin Gand for some time i drove my own did All right in the smaller races but when i began to com Pete against the top Drivers i realized i was just an average Guy behind the wheel. For one thing i m a Little too big for karts his 205 pounds Are stretched across a 6-foot, 2-Inch Frame and i just Don t have the touch,1 Banke Good Driver is rare. They come Aloi a Only every five or 10years. So i decided to concen trate on the engines and to get the Best Drivers to race for me. When it comes to engines i confident. I feel i know As much As anybody in Britain about engines. I be gotten fantastic speeds out of engines for Short hauls. Top British Driver Martin Hines took a Blue ribbon in Over All Competition at Rye House stadium Hoddesdon an Indica Tion of what a Banke car Cando with a pro at the wheel. Between now and mid sep tember when Banke will com plete his air Force enlistment he Hopes to enter As Many races As possible on the British circuit. And when he returns to the states he plans to take a num Ber of karts and class 1 Britis Champion Mickey Allen with him to tour the american ought to clean up Over there Banke said with a for carburetion the British Are Way ahead of . In parting. As an american this kind of hurts me. After Allie started the when Banke smiles a half Inch scar on his forehead seems to stand out More prominently against his tanned skin. No that s not from parting he said As he pointed to his came from an Accident at Home. 1 was testing a Stock car and forgot to Hook up the brakes. When i returned from test run i slowed into the Gar age. It Cost me a bit of Cash to repair the garage. Bob Hoyer
