Whistling Billy

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Whistling Billy - 1905 Steam-powered racing carYou don't get much more historic in motorsport than 'Whistling Billy', the 1905 steam powered racing car that has undergone a full restoration and rebuild and made its Race Retro debut in 2013. Originally built by the White Company, this steam works sprint car was made for the popular new motor racing on the dirt trotting horse tracks throughout North America. It was called Billy but was sooned renamed W3histling Billy because of the howl that it made from its burners going down the straights. Its engine was a 1905 compound 20hp White steam car engine with Stephenson's link motion that was soon modified to have a piston valve instead of a slide vale on the high presure side, something all Whites had after 1907. The steam generator was a 30hp mono-tube as used then in the 30 and 40 hp cars from 1907 onwards. Most of the other parts were stock parts from production cars. The car was fuelled by gasoline or kerosene and the burner jets were enormous. Whistling Billy started winning races; on July 4th 1905 it took nearly 4 seconds off the World track record for the mile with a time of 48.35 seconds (about 74mph). Driven by Webb Jay, who believed he was driving the fastest car in the World. Its fastest recorded speed was 120mph.Tags: