Meeting In the Middle - 1/2 Mile

[Monster]

Experience has shown us that lot of the elapse-time 1/8 and 1/4 mile drag racing strategies and tactics don't apply to 1-mile and greater land speed racing, so now that the ECTA has started 1/2-mile records, I think it will be interesting to see how teams adjust to the new target.

What do you all think ?

[Red_Kitty]

I think it will depend on how the 1/2 mile is set up - whether it is a second (first) speed trap at the 1/2 mile point of the 1 mile course, or a separate course. If the former, probably no changes, especially if there is no elapsed time recording (so getting the very best launch is not important).

If a separate course I could use drag radials for a better start, although having done 1/2 mile side-by-side racing previously it's already more about power than traction at that point so I probably won't bother - my trap speeds realy don't change much on the 1/4 mile between drag radials and the factory all-season tires (maybe 1% difference), but the ETs do (10%+).

Typically I've seen:

1/8 mile = ~100mph trap speed
1/4 mile = ~125mph trap speed
1/2 mile = ~150mph trap speed
1 mile = ~175-180mph trap speed

[Dan Barlow]

Experience has shown us that lot of the elapse-time 1/8 and 1/4 mile drag racing strategies and tactics don't apply to 1-mile and greater land speed racing, so now that the ECTA has started 1/2-mile records, I think it will be interesting to see how teams adjust to the new target.

What do you all think ?

If I ever get around to running the vette at a LSR event , I want the whole mile .

[pdub]

Red with his new rear gear ratio goes into 5th gear about 50 feet past the half mile mark at around 137 mph. That big end is where it's at for me. Or was.

The half mile variant should prove interesting to watch. I'm wondering which turnoff they'll use. There's one just barely past the 1- mile trap where the fire truck usually sits. I believe they tried a half-mile experiment in Ohio one time and Turk absolutely hated it for some reason. It turned out to be a clustered pile of something or another for some reason, according to him at least. But it's now no longer his show to run.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I thought they shortened 1/4 mile runs because cars got too fast... I'm sure that if there's a trophy, someone will be racing for it - but perhaps I missed the groundswell of support (complete with peasants marching with torch ablaze and pitchforks sharpened) for this new class....

[RockJustRock]

I thought it was just a new set of records? I doubt anyone will pass up the opportunity to run for both records. No real change in strategy.

[cstmwgn]

I don't know anything about Land Speed Racing or going fast but I would have thought a gear ratio change would have been in order to get the maximum out of your vehicle on a shortened course.

[pdub]

I would have thought a gear ratio change would have been in order to get the maximum out of your vehicle on a shortened course.

Probably will. It should be fun to see, there may even be a whole new batch of racers there, drag racers going for the 1/2-mile record in class. Maybe.

I realize now that I maybe could have gone for a 4:11 rear ratio to make Red's 5th gear more effective on the big end of the whole mile, closer to the natural power band. But that would have made the car aggravating to drive around town, and I drive it around town.

[Dan Barlow]

I'm not a record seeker . It's just a matter of in the past I told stories of some of my antics when I was younger . Well if you hang around LSR people they are quick to say that if it wasn't clocked then you didn't go that fast . Well , according to speedometer I've hit 145 a couple times. I'd just like to be clocked once at 147 - 150 mph once and not by a cop . I'll need that last half mile .

[RockJustRock]

It looks to me like they want to expand their event calendar and if they have a set of half mile records on the books it will be easier to keep their present racers interested in half mile events.

[pdub]

I'm not a record seeker . It's just a matter of in the past I told stories of some of my antics when I was younger . Well if you hang around LSR people they are quick to say that if it wasn't clocked then you didn't go that fast . Well , according to speedometer I've hit 145 a couple times. I'd just like to be clocked once at 147 - 150 mph once and not by a cop . I'll need that last half mile .

I believe you'll need a roll cage too, if your car was was made prior to 2009. Or keep it =/- than 135.

[pdub]

It looks to me like they want to expand their event calendar and if they have a set of half mile records on the books it will be easier to keep their present racers interested in half mile events.

The Strupps are the racing-est people I've ever heard of. The Arkansas ECTA events, that's just a very small part of what they do. Almost every weekend, racing somewhere on the planet. And I mean on the "planet." Expanding the calendar at Arkansas wouldn't make it any easier for a lot of the participants the get there very much more often.

[cstmwgn]

... =/- than ...

or " =< "

[Dan Barlow]

I believe you'll need a roll cage too, if your car was was made prior to 2009. Or keep it =/- than 135.

Vettes not getting a cage . I think the most I could live with would be a 4 point . If that wouldn't be enough then I would need to move over to the hypothetical C50 . I'm thinking this C50 thing isn't going to work out .

[JRoberts]

I probably have no right to post here, but I did run at Maxton a two or three times. I also worked as a course worker for several years and am a life time ECTA member. . It seems to me that a half mile run doesn't really fit the tradition of land speed racing. Maybe I'm wrong, but just how I see it.