Not really a racing story, just an observation. Went for a ride tonight. Saw a couple of Mustangs, etc. Havent driven the Vette too much lately, just out for a cruise. Around 7:00 P.M. 295 North cruising at 80, a Cadillac is with me and I speed up to around 90 (which is a blip of the throttle), he speeds up (probably just out of curiousity), I look in the mirror, look ahead, nothing but highway, so I say what the Hell? Lets show this guy what he's missing. I floor it, it shifts to third, goes to 6600 in about an nano second and I look down at the speedo, 140 and climbing quickly.. Holy ****, I almost forgot how fast this car is. Laughing, I let off the gas and look in my rear view, nothing but pitch black. Got to be careful, what he hell would a ticket at 140 cost? Could have been at 160 plus in seconds. This car is insane.

 

Makes me wonder what a mild LS-1 will be capable of with Porsche gearing...[sm=drooldude.gif]

 

How about an LS1 in a 944? That would move.

 

Yes, that was sorta the direction my mind was going, lol...

 

Yeah, big American iron is pretty damn fast when modified correctly. But watch the speed guys.

I-295 never impressed me as a place to do speed trials. It is hard to find anyplace where you can really run a powerful car up to speed now. I remember topping out in company with a V-12 Jag on the new jersey turnpike in about '88 (both of us seemed glued together at an indicated 145, I was in a my Turbo T-bird, stupid, but then I was younger back then), but today, Accords can do close to 140.

There are special race course events where you can do speed trials (look up Maxton Mile or Miller Speedpark) - that is a lot safer. At most of these courses, you can do a standing start mile (my 'vette did about 185 before the latest round of mods) and then a flying mile thereafter (hit right under 200 -- still accelerating after the first mile but at those speeds you cover a mile pretty quickly).

Try that route: it is a lot safer, both because it is legal, they have a safety crew, and there is only one car on the track at a time.

 

There's a stretch of interstate between Tucson and Phoenix on I-10, where there is not a single, solitary curve for 20 miles...at 2 a.m.during the week, it's pretty deserted. One of my most vivid memories revolves around that stretch of road and a Plymouth Hemi Superbird...