If I was going to try this I'd feel more comfortable with another vehicle along in case of disaster. Nothing like a catastrophic engine failure in the middle of nowhere to ruin your vacation.

 

It's a risk...just like any track day, HPDE, drag-track event, etc. You could break your car doing any of that. It boils down to how comfortable you are with your particular car. and what risks you are willing to take. I'd run MY car in a heart beat, w/o back up...but I live two hours away and could hitch a ride back and grab my truck and a trailer. BUT, I'd probably take a change regardless of where I lived; when I was in Telluride, I drove my car to Vegas and beat the wee out of it at LVMS drag track all afternoon w/a friend...then drove back to Telluride. I could have blown the clutch, rear, who knows what else and would have been stranded. But the car ran flawlessly and we had a fun, car-guy weekend.

There certainly is a risk, any time you push a car as hard is you can. Part of owning a sporty car and having fun with it, I guess.

 

Yes, I saw that.
Truly one of the best demonstrations of immaturity and ignorance that I have witnessed in a very long time.

No, the freeway did not close and it was not new. He did this at an hour where there was little to no traffic. 202 is still a public road right thru the middle of residential areas.

The ONLY road racing and filing done on the 202 that was legal and approved was the scenes from the movie "The Kingdom". Jamie Fox, Jennifer Gardner.

BTW..the State of Az launched a search for that idiot and arrested his dumb *** IIRC... just like the guy on the bike that used to shoot the 101N toll booths in Scottsdale at 140 mph EVERY morning at 6am....

If you think you want to top it out, familiarize yourself with the potential consequences...blown engines, trannys, tires coming apart,jail, death. The street is not the place.

IF you are willing to accept those possible outcomes in a car that's 20+ yrs old and have nobody that depends on you tomorrow, then go out to the desert and PRAY that a jack rabbit does not run across the road at 150 mph...

I got caught in the Nev desert about 20 yrs ago doing 120....the cop could not clock it, I SLAMMED the brake the second I saw something sitting ON TOP of the overpass a mile ahead...but he knew it and DID write me for it. That was $700 in 1992.

Its LAW in almost every state now, (exception Montana, Dakotas?)
Hit 100 mph and go to jail.

IIWM, join the local club and see where they sponsor the states MILE run. Texas has an event called the Texas Mile where its run on a clean airport runway and safety checks are done, and its well organized. SAFE. Most walk away or drive away....Because of the safety requirements, I was there a few yrs ago when a Lambo rolled at around 200...and the dude walked away.
THATS where and how you do this. Street racing is kid stuff and foolish. AT least go to the desert where you wont hurt anyone else. If its documentation that you gotta have, to help get over the cost of the new motor, then search out the TEXAS MILE...people drive from every state in the union to run the Tx mile...happens 2 times a yr. Oct and in the spring. You get 1 mile to see how fast you can go. Standing start. Timers, time slips given. 200 mph club etc.

....there are pick-ups that do 220 mph ! Diesels in cars in that range...supras that hold the records...carbon fiber street vettes that drive there, run 225 then drive home. Nobody competes..240mph 'busa..gsxr's..KX's etc Its a nice weekend.

 

Just as a note, on the Salt Flats, not only is there the traction problem as stated by somebody already, the Salt is also soft and mushy, which takes a lot of mph out of your car, plus the Bonneville Flats are at elevation (Something like 4000 feet I think, but do not remember exactly), which also takes a lot of power out of the car. You're not going to run near your potential on the salt flats... I know the race teams that compete up there take all of this into consideration into the design phase vs goals. Personally, I am not interested in the Flats.

I am entering a Texas Mile event with my Z06....1 mile from a stop on good Airport concrete close to sea level..... safer and smooth plus your car can run to its potential. I am not sure how fast a stock or close to stock C4 can get too in the mile, but I'd guess you can hit 130 mph..... maybe faster and if you're modified, definitely much faster. I was looking at some results, and noticed that if a car was running 108 mph or better in the Half Mile, they would run 130 - 140 MPH.... a stock C4 should be around 95-100 in the 1/4, and I would think at least 108 by half mile and probably faster.... thus by a mile be well over 130 mph, but I'm not sure.

With my modified Z06, I'm hoping to hit 180 mph or close to it. Going to be fun.

Good luck with whatever venue you choose !

 

One other note, you do not need a roll bar for the 1 Mile events at speeds under 190 mph..... you do need a fire extinguisher in the car, which you can buy in-expensively at your local hardware store. A few other minor things.... but no roll-bar necessary.

Most do not need to worry about going over 190 mph... I think it takes 700 HP or more to take a 3100-3400 lb car over 190 in the Mile. (Or thereabouts)

 

I think it's funny how people who aren't from UT talk about the salt flats with tone of authority.
*You aren't going to have traction problems in a stock or stockish car, in high gear. Not enough torque and there is enough traction. I know...cause I've done it.
*The salt is not "mushy" when you attempt a top speed run. If it is "mushy", then you have no business being on the salt flats -all you'll do is create ruts and possibly get stuck. You run your car on the salt, when it is dried out and HARD. So no mph lost due to mush.
*The air is thinner and you're motor looses power...that is true. However the air is thinner and therefore, poses less drag to the car. What is the ratio of power lost to reduced drag? I don't know but I DO know ('cause I've done it), that cars will top out at ABOUT the same speed here as at sea level, and you get swings in top speed due to other factors as much as elevation.



Several have recommended this. WHY would you go to a "______ mile" if your goal is to see how fast your car will go?? No C4 that I know of, will reach it's top speed in a mile. I am not saying it wouldn't be fun...it would be a hoot...but it isn't going to give you any real idea as to how fast your C4 will go.

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I'm not going out there next week now. Turms out, it rained out there a couple days ago, and now the salt is..."mushy", so appropriately, they cancelled the event. Bummer about the rain. RAINED OUT

 

The mile was recommend because the OP stated he needed a rollbar to have in his car for the desired top run class.... hence, taking the Salt Flats out of the equation unless he does as you say, and just goes out there and hops on the salt. Which as per the advise of the person you linked to earlier that worked out there.... don't do it.

The Mile is the next best thing for speed freaks. I am not sure how fast he could get going, but it would far beyond what he can do legally on the street.

If he doesn't like the advise, he can simply not do it.... I'm good with that.

I have not been to Bonneville, I was basing the lost MPH soley upon the below link stating the track gets broke-in and soft during racing. Salt apparently just doesn't work like concrete according to them... you lose trap speed. Elevation takes trap speed out too. If its wrong.... so be it. I'm good with that too.

http://saltflats.com/traction.html

 

Yeah, that course will be a bit soft to run on for a while.

 

No doubt. ^That^ is typically what it's like in the spring time....which is why Speed Week and World of Speed are in late August/September...when it is typically dry. But weather seems to be more and more unpredictable and here we are in Sept...and the place is flooded. Oh well.


Say what?? Where did I post a link to a guy who worked there? I posted a link to the Bureau of Land Management wherein they give advice as to what to consider, and how to drive your car on the salt! LOL.



Indeed it would...but he can go much faster than that, on salt.

I've read the traction page too. What it really says is that the traction and surface varies a lot, depending on conditions...and that is correct. You'll see from the above pic that I posted, right now the conditions are almost ideal for boating. But when it's all dried out, it is HARD. Traction isn't an issue on a stock or stockish car and anyone will get a much more accurate representation of a car's top speed than at a standing Mile.

 

To wait an entire year to try your latest fixes and design changes, only to get rained out.
Bummer...Makes the events in the desert like Mojave more desirable, weather wise.

For those whom have not been to an event on the salt: read all you want.
Until you've been on the long course (3 mile) you'll never experience that kind of thrill any where in the world.

 

I completely

psychologically, it would be a big "hit" to have the once-a-year event cancelled.

 

Man, that's one FAST rabbit!

A friend of mine took his Kenny Brown Maurader S out on the salt at the event 3 years ago. He was going to make a second pass when he noticed a lot of black residue on the back deck. It was the better part of a new pair of Michelins. Pushing a big 4500 pound Mercury through the "thin" desert air requires something wider than the traction the standard 245/55ZR-18 tires could provide.

 

Google "Silver State Classic".

A friend ran his '01 Z06 there and ran up to 160.

 

Here's another example of the differences with high speed setup on salt.
Wider tires are not the answer to drive wheel traction.
Wide tires give a larger contact patch which means less pressure per sq inch.
So with lots of HP the tires will just spin, heat up and fail.

Narrow tires with lots of weight over the rear axle is the winning combination for traction.
Aerodynamics and HP are what makes you go fast.



Victim of wide tires. Not the best video, but you get the idea why wide tires don't work well