Top speed ?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 250
Likes: 124
From: Maine
Top speed ?
Was wondering if there are places to actually run up to the top speed of 194mph.
I considered Loring, but their rules (much like Bonneville's) require a full roll cage and fire suppression system if you want to go over 135.
Are there other places out there? I understand a helmet and fire suit, but no way am I adding a cage to my C8.
Not looking to compete - just a one time run.
I considered Loring, but their rules (much like Bonneville's) require a full roll cage and fire suppression system if you want to go over 135.
Are there other places out there? I understand a helmet and fire suit, but no way am I adding a cage to my C8.
Not looking to compete - just a one time run.
Pro
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 638
Likes: 115
From: The High Mountains of North Texas
It's only money.
If you are looking to do this a lot, might want to consider turning it into a proper race car, with full cage, racing seat, lexan, all the racing stuff. The big Open Road Races will give you a good idea about things to change out. The car will no longer be practical for daily use, but you'll have a toy.
If you want to keep it mostly stock, and you are one that doesn't worry about legality, there are endless highway sections that the speed bikes use to play, usually late night. A check of some relevant forums will likely turn up something close to you. I personally have never used those, as the potential downside (idiots out there, happening to get caught, etc.) exceeds my personal preferences. Also, having a REALLY flat smooth road is nice. You really don't notice the imperfection of most highways until you get the speed up. As someone who has done a few high speed events, and been on Bonneville, I personally would want three straight miles, very flat and empty. Two miles up to speed, one mile to get it back down. It may only need 1.5 to get to top end, but the acceleration rate really slows down the closer one gets to top end. Nice asymptotic curve. Shorter runs, like the Texas Mile or similar events, don't give enough distance to hit top end, and also typically require stopping in a VERY short distance.
And the closer you are to sea level, the faster you go, as thicker air (as all the drag racers will tell you).
Keeping it legal, the easiest answer is the Shuttle Runway at Cape Canaveral. It is now privately run by a contractor, and you can rent it out for the day at around $10K. Pay more and they will throw in engineer time, sensors, telemetry, etc. The runway is very wide, and 3 full miles long, pristinely flat. Give yourself two miles to get up to speed, a mile to get it stopped. Easy-peasy. And its at sea level, so you'll get your best highest speed. There are only a few 3 mile long runways in tne entire US, and none of the others are available for rental to play on, last time I checked a couple years back.
You CAN run at Bonneville, as it is BLM land, and you can do what you want out there, as long as there is not some pre-existing rental of the place going on, like one of the speed weeks, someone shooting a commercial, etc. The only costs is getting there and coming back, and cleaning the car afterwards to get all the salt back off. The day AFTER one of the Speed Weeks concludes is an especially good day to play, as the track is pristinely smooth at that point. A typical 8 mile runway, very flat, very straight, very wide. But it is also at 4-5000 feet of altitude, will knock a few mph off your top end. Maybe 7-8?
The Sun Valley Road Rally in Sun Valley ID uses an old highway that is at least straight, with a full 2 miles to get up to speed and enough run out to get it stopped. They are not cheap (maybe $1000/run?), and the road is an old two lane washboard state highway with no shoulders and a sizable drop off into barbed wire and pastures. At big speed my C6, with lots of downforce, just danced along. But a nice vacation spot.
The big Open Road Races, if you don't mind making people unhappy, you can sign up for a slower class, then when you hit the big straights just let it roll They will throw you out, and ban you, etc., but you'll get your answer. Again, most of those events are at altitude.
You can always put the car on a RORO (roll on, roll off) transport ship and take it to Germany, and play on the Autobahn. A couple years back when I was pricing this out, it was only $1000 each way for the transport from Galveston to one of the German ports, everything else is just working out the details, and arranging your own transport. I'm sure its more than that now, but still, not THAT much.
And don't use Ms. Orman's driveway . . .
If you are looking to do this a lot, might want to consider turning it into a proper race car, with full cage, racing seat, lexan, all the racing stuff. The big Open Road Races will give you a good idea about things to change out. The car will no longer be practical for daily use, but you'll have a toy.
If you want to keep it mostly stock, and you are one that doesn't worry about legality, there are endless highway sections that the speed bikes use to play, usually late night. A check of some relevant forums will likely turn up something close to you. I personally have never used those, as the potential downside (idiots out there, happening to get caught, etc.) exceeds my personal preferences. Also, having a REALLY flat smooth road is nice. You really don't notice the imperfection of most highways until you get the speed up. As someone who has done a few high speed events, and been on Bonneville, I personally would want three straight miles, very flat and empty. Two miles up to speed, one mile to get it back down. It may only need 1.5 to get to top end, but the acceleration rate really slows down the closer one gets to top end. Nice asymptotic curve. Shorter runs, like the Texas Mile or similar events, don't give enough distance to hit top end, and also typically require stopping in a VERY short distance.
And the closer you are to sea level, the faster you go, as thicker air (as all the drag racers will tell you).
Keeping it legal, the easiest answer is the Shuttle Runway at Cape Canaveral. It is now privately run by a contractor, and you can rent it out for the day at around $10K. Pay more and they will throw in engineer time, sensors, telemetry, etc. The runway is very wide, and 3 full miles long, pristinely flat. Give yourself two miles to get up to speed, a mile to get it stopped. Easy-peasy. And its at sea level, so you'll get your best highest speed. There are only a few 3 mile long runways in tne entire US, and none of the others are available for rental to play on, last time I checked a couple years back.
You CAN run at Bonneville, as it is BLM land, and you can do what you want out there, as long as there is not some pre-existing rental of the place going on, like one of the speed weeks, someone shooting a commercial, etc. The only costs is getting there and coming back, and cleaning the car afterwards to get all the salt back off. The day AFTER one of the Speed Weeks concludes is an especially good day to play, as the track is pristinely smooth at that point. A typical 8 mile runway, very flat, very straight, very wide. But it is also at 4-5000 feet of altitude, will knock a few mph off your top end. Maybe 7-8?
The Sun Valley Road Rally in Sun Valley ID uses an old highway that is at least straight, with a full 2 miles to get up to speed and enough run out to get it stopped. They are not cheap (maybe $1000/run?), and the road is an old two lane washboard state highway with no shoulders and a sizable drop off into barbed wire and pastures. At big speed my C6, with lots of downforce, just danced along. But a nice vacation spot.
The big Open Road Races, if you don't mind making people unhappy, you can sign up for a slower class, then when you hit the big straights just let it roll They will throw you out, and ban you, etc., but you'll get your answer. Again, most of those events are at altitude.
You can always put the car on a RORO (roll on, roll off) transport ship and take it to Germany, and play on the Autobahn. A couple years back when I was pricing this out, it was only $1000 each way for the transport from Galveston to one of the German ports, everything else is just working out the details, and arranging your own transport. I'm sure its more than that now, but still, not THAT much.
And don't use Ms. Orman's driveway . . .
Racer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 428
Likes: 55
From: Minnesota
