Fastest car at a modern day pavement land speed meet

[Artist]

Although I think another lakester since recorded 256 mph at the Texas mile, to the best of my knowledge the 255 mph run by Joe Law in April 1995 with the Grumpy Old Men lakester at the Spence Field ECTA meet is still somewhere in the top three for cars. Cars certainly have yet to get close to 300 mph at regular pavement meets.

Although obviously Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars have run much faster, in 1987 while setting an FIA record at the Fort Stockton test track with the Olds Aerotech, A.J. Foyt ran a 278.357 mph flying mile one-way for a two-way average of 267.399 mph.

Foyt's times remain the fastest non-drag racing speed run on pavement with a piston engine car. However, in 1937 and 1938, Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams ran similar speeds while setting records on a straight section of the Autobahn.

[Artist]

Fascinating report on the possible causes of Bernd Rosemeyer's 1938 crash. http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/zana.htm [IMG][/IMG]

[Dynoroom]

Do a bit more searching Franklin.

In April of 2012 A Hennessy preped Ford GT ran 266.93 at the Texas mile.

Then Oct. another Ford GT rented a runnway in Cape Canaveral (right next to your home) and with Guinness doing the timing ran 283.323 mph.
Now you, like I may take exception with the Guinness folks but the Texas time should be legit.

I was always impressed with Foyts flying mile runs being the engines were in the 122 CI range. Even if he was running on a 4 mile oval. Way cool.

[GH]

Joe Law is a great guy, I have talked with him on the phone many times. When we first started going to Bonneville, we spent the last night in Evanston Wyoming at a Super 8 and Joe and his crew stayed at the same motel. He is really smart and usually talks above my head. Dynoroom, also I have visited with you on the phone when I went from roots blown to turbos. You told me about short shifting and loading up the turbos, it worked. I would be in 5th gear before the first mile marker.

[Barry Donovan]

there is alot to watch out for.
if you are nerd with engines, counterbalancers are just going to get out of the way:

this guy whispered his little porsche from florida to texas, ran 220+ mph and then drove home...
236.6 on the door was his own record.

[Artist]

If Hitler had decided to wait until 1940 to invade Poland, this might still be the fastest car on pavement. Direct drive using a centrifugal multi-plate slipper clutch.