My oh my, how times and race cars have changed. Did you know that on this date back in 1895 that the first car race (that we know of) was held in France. The route was 732 mile course and it was completed in just under 49 hours with an average break-neck speed of just under 15 miles per hour. The winner's engine was a two-cylinder, four-horsepower one that turned 750 rpm. Racing has come a long way from then.
The average speed at the Daytona 500 is 175 mph and the top lap speed was 185.041 mph. Now, if you have been reading my blogs for awhile you know that I prefer drag racing and used to attend the Top Fuel Drag Races when they came to the Houston area. Back when I first started going to them and watching them on TV, the top speeds at the quarter mile were getting over 300 mph and after multiple injuries and the death of Scott Kalitta (see video), they shortened the distance from a quarter of a mile (1320 feet) by 320 feet to only 1000 feet to try to keep the top speeds down. That didn't work. Heck, at the eighth of a mile, they are already going over 280 mph and still reach speeds of 330 mph in a thousand feet, the fastest accelerating land vehicles in the world. Check out three my old blog posting about when I was at the drag races.
http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2014/05/happy-birthday-john.html
Wandering to the Baytown “Royal Purple” race track-Part 2
http://dizzydick.blogspot.com/2013/04/made-my-yearly-t-r-ip-to-th-e-nearest.html
That is enough about speed, time to slow down and just rock here in my rocking chair. Now, you all have a great day, you hear?
The land speed record event will be held soon right next door to us on the old Loring AFB runway. It's an every year event... really loud as there are a lot of motorcycles competing. Not drag racing... each vehicle runs one at a time. I think a woman on a motorcycle held the title for a while... not sure what the current speed etc is.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that they use a jet powered vehicle.
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