Any of you following or interested in these top speed runs? Comments, opinions, additions are welcomed.
Being a Supra owner, and since Supras won their class for the last three years, gives me more incentive to follow the action. Plus, being a motorhead for at least the last 50 years I've always wanted to be in the "200+ Club" ...obviously by officially driving over 200 mph. So besides the world famous Bonneville Salt Flats races, there are a few other top speed runs around the U.S. and the Texas Mile is one of them, and it happens to be going on starting today. It's a standing start one mile run and top speed through the traps wins in each class.
Bonneville and some other venues, as you may know, have longer runs, even up to 5 miles, with a certain section timed for speed. Maxton Mile in North Carolina, the Miami Mile in Florida, Mojave Mile in Cali, one at an airfield in New England...there are a few of these other places that also have organized top speed runs.
Here's some tidbits of the action as it started earlier today and posted by others on a car site I frequent, not my own comments:
TX Mile Updates
The event begins today and its already under way. SW is still in the pits, Lambos are warming up, and the temperature is pretty cool but with a very strong cross wind
Btw "SW" is the owner/driver of the current world record Supra in this class.
SW's record car
SW getting ready to run, they are cleaning an oil down apparently a mustang spilled its guts out there.
Chris Johnson lost his Carbon Hood @193mph in his SC300
video of CJ interview, runs, exploding hood:
CJ is associated with Supra drag racing, has been extremely successful in that type of racing, and this Lexus SC300 now has the same turbocharged motor found in the latest generation Supras, the 2JZGTE motor.
Lambo 203mph maiden Voyage for car and driver
Above was a "UGR Car @ 15psi short shifting, John (Reed) said he is going to start turning them up in a bit. (John Reed is a world famous tuner)
243 for SW
His record run from last year was just over 245 if I recall correctly.
217 for a local Ford GT yesterday, whipple + NOS
VRAlexander & Tommy are there getting ready to run
Both of these guys are prominent in the top speed Supra camp...Tommy as in T. Bahn. VR owns just about every fast car known to man.
Tommy getting strapped in...
John Reed: "SW's wife made some killer food yesterday" LOL
Black Lambo went back out with 25psi of boost 220.9
226 for tommy
in for the updates! GT's, Porsche's got nothing on SW...Nope they dont.. The biggest contender will be a 1500hp AWD Lambo.. Traction is what will start to pick up these trap speeds...Congrats to SW!!!!
Gearing > Traction in any race that looks for MPH and not time, I think having an AWD there is more of a handicap than an advantage. Supras will be king of that event for a longgg time IMO.
remember some of those TT Vipers or TT GT's can handle there own as well.
Vipers can't overcome their aerodynamic problems, and TT GTs are still 20+MPH away from the record making 1500+HP
The Lambo has great gearing as well with the 7speed.. Same as my M5 just my M5 doesnt make shit for HP.. LOL
Also traction plays a HUGE ISSUE in the mile.. I have been doing it for 4 years with my bikes and have 27 World records.. We have resorted to tire warmers for the bikes to pick up 2-3 MPH.. any tire slippage costs you MPH.. The earlier you get into high gear the faster you will go.. People mistake that you can just roll off the line and not power shift etc and it wont matter cause its MPH not ET but its wrong.. The faster you can get into " HIGH GEAR " by putting together a good launch & Traction you will get more MPH..
Vipers once again have gearing issues just like the Vettes.. The Viper that used to run at maxon made well over 1500hp on E85 and only ran 232 cause the gearing.. He was plenty aerodynamic trust me..
i can not believe that supra's, as old as they are with only 6cyl and less then 4lt of engine and they are still running shit!
Apples an oranges getting a sticky tire = Great, having AWD = Having to move more parts and harder to pick mile and hour, the proof is n the pudding. the black Lambo with the aftermarket gearing @25psi is well over 20mph beneath SW. Traction VIA sticky tires on cars will work great, AWD will alway take more than it can give on this particular race.
Vipers have a TERRIBLE coeficient of drag (.41 to supras .31-32) to put it in perspective a dodge durango has .39. And no magiv splitters and lips will ever fix that, they have been out there geared for high speed in full race mode yet seem to hit a brick wall @220
217 For orange lambo UGR
Viper aero is definitely worse that the Supras (especially since they also have a larger frontal area) but the GTS is supposed to be ~.35:
Time check: this is updated as of 3 PM Friday Oct. 16