How Fast Ya Wanna Go?

[itsaz]

Next week is the annual Big Bend Open Road race in Ft. Stockton, Texas. 118 miles on a closed public highway and you get to pick your speed. Classes start @ 85 MPH and go to 160. The idea is to come as close to your target speed as possible and often it's within 0.001 of a MPH. Above that is the Unlimited Division where it's WFO the whole way and the fastest car wins. 200 MPH speeds are common.

It's a perfect road for the Vette if you can dodge the roadkill and buzzards. Last year we clipped a bunny rabbit @ 140 and tore hell out of the front splitter. Check out the article in the June issue of Vette Magazine. We're entered in the 125 MPH class, so wish us luck.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc141/itsaztb/20090425_38.jpg

This was AFTER a 15 mile drive back into town.

[Z06PDQ]

I read that article & when I saw you were from Whiskeytah Falls I knew that had to be you. way to go!! give 'em hell & show 'em what that Z can do & don't give us a reason to use jackrabbit jokes on you on here. :lol: :cheers:

[wwomanC6]

Gona go find a Jackrabbit smiley! :D

[itsaz]

In 2007, one of the unlimited cars collected a turkey buzzard. Look close and you can see it stuck in the windwshield.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc141/itsaztb/buzzard.jpg

Didn't slow him down tho. He was radared @ 217 MPH through the finish line.

[itsaz]

***UPDATE***

The 2010 BBORR is in the books. According to our calculations, we averaged 125.066 MPH for the entire 118 miles and that wasn't good enough to even place in our class of 25 cars. Final results won't be available until Monday. Seems a couple of cars went offroading on the return trip and only the 1st leg was scored due to the race being called early. We were 11 sec behind on thet 1st leg and made it up but the 2nd, but it was not scored since all the cars didn't finish the 2nd leg. We went thru the traps at 138 MPH (faster than 140 would has earned us a DSQ).

I gotta give Dawn credit for a superb job as my NAV. She hung in there and performed like a pro. The divorce attorneys are gonna have to wait another year.

[Munch]

That sounds like an awesome event! How do you keep in your average spped, do you just use the DIC, is it that accurate?

[Z06PDQ]

I wonder if the cruise control works at a buck fifty? I'll have to try that sometime. :D

[itsaz]

That sounds like an awesome event! How do you keep in your average spped, do you just use the DIC, is it that accurate?

At 125MPH, you are covering a mile in 28.80 seconds. 10 miles takes 288 seconds or 4 min. 48 sec. 118 miles takes 56 min. 38.40 seconds. Using a stopwatch, you time between various landmarks (bridges, signs, driveways) along the route and adjust accordingly. The DIC is an aid, but would have to be zeroed out exactly as the flag drops and at the time you are trying to launch.

I wonder if the cruise control works at a buck fifty? I'll have to try that sometime. :D

It does. That's how I keep from exceeding the tech (max) speed and getting DQ'd. Set the cruise control a couple of MPH below your desired speed and sit back. It's extremely difficult to maintain a speed of +/- 2 MPH at these speeds going over hills and around curves. Also, the HUD really helps in that you don't have to look away from the road.

BTW, we missed all the rabbits this year, but made a hell of a mess out of a Mocking Bird. It hit dead center of the windshield @ about 140 and made a LOUD noise. We never saw it coming.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/slantvaliant/BBORR%2010/39.jpg

[Z06PDQ]

At 125MPH, you are covering a mile in 28.80 seconds. 10 miles takes 288 seconds or 4 min. 48 sec. 118 miles takes 56 min. 38.40 seconds. Using a stopwatch, you time between various landmarks (bridges, signs, driveways) along the route and adjust accordingly. The DIC is an aid, but would have to be zeroed out exactly as the flag drops and at the time you are trying to launch.



It does. That's how I keep from exceeding the tech (max) speed and getting DQ'd. Set the cruise control a couple of MPH below your desired speed and sit back. It's extremely difficult to maintain a speed of +/- 2 MPH at these speeds going over hills and around curves. Also, the HUD really helps in that you don't have to look away from the road.

BTW, we missed all the rabbits this year, but made a hell of a mess out of a Mocking Bird. It hit dead center of the windshield @ about 140 and made a LOUD noise. We never saw it coming.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/slantvaliant/BBORR%2010/39.jpg

you killed the State Bird???? :skep: :lolsmile:

[itsaz]

Uh, on second thought, it was a dove. Yeah, a dove!