Z-man

Rich: good points: very valid views. Thanks!

Anyone else have input?

I like the way this thread is going now...

-Z.

FSAEracer03

I totally agree with your 3rd point 100%, but not fully with the first two. Who is the top driver in Formula 1 right now? Schuey, of course, and he's well into his 30s now, having raced F1 for a decade, he's only become better.

I don't believe advertising causes the "use" of young drivers in F1 but the general process for driver selection by teams. These drivers have been racing since elementary school, progessing their way through the racing ladder, som starting at age 5 or 6 on 80cc karts! I don't believe that exuberance dies with age for a racing driver, as i know many older racecar drivers that act like they're 17 again, but rather the stamina that deteriorates. My boss used to lose 10 pounds a weekend when he raced in the Grand-Am series as the intense g's and hot cockpits make you're body tense to keep still. It's a damn workout in a seat!

Now how does this all relate to top speed runs on the street?? It doesn't... lol. The whole calculated risk element is key... but I dont think age plays an issue here (though you might assuse me of being biased at a young age of 20, here). It's the experience thats key in this situation.

IMHO, I would rather be with a 17 year old doing 120 that has track experience than a 47 year old that has merely driven on the street for 30 years and has never driven on a track. If something goes sour during a quick run, what will determine the outcome more... having driven more?... or having a car step out at high speeds before?

...that's just my $.02 though

Z-man

Unfortuantely, most 17 year olds don't have any track experience: it's too cost prohibitive for them!

...but there's always autocross: probably the most overlooked venue of racing today.

-Z.

Rich Sandor

most PEOPLE don't have track experience. let alone 17, 30, or 50 yr old specifically.

the thing that grabs me by the *** in a bad way is how in general people somehow think that 20 or 50 years of experience driving on the road with no accidents means that you're a "good driver" well, you're maybe a SAFE driver.. but good? What good is that 50 yrs gonna do you if you're sideways for the first time ever at 50yrs of age?

Rich Sandor

and auto-xing is cheap and fun, teaches you that smoother = faster - but the truth is I don't think it really helps you go faster that much. I think Karting and DE's are much better in that respect. (may our courses are just too tight....)

that said I love auto-xing and plan to hit every one this year..

Z-man

Granted that autocrossing won't really help improve your top end speed, but if you loose it at high speed and start to slide, the autocross experience will make your reactions second nature, vs. wondering what you should do as the car's rear end passes you.

-Z-man.

clouddomino

Quick question for all you porsche owners out there. I don't seem to understand why you would even consider buying a porsche of any kind if your not gonna take it out and turn it loose sometime or another? I mean come on if you are so up tight about keeping racing, high speeds, etc. on the track then just go buy a shifter kart and let us people who enjoy driving our cars on the road do so, that is however what they are made for. And I haven't found a 10 mile long flat track to top my car out on yet. As to pearceman3 I've pegged my stock 944 N/A at 142 mph, and as to say anything for the wandering animal subject I'm 15 miles from the nearest town and have yet to hit anything. One last thing, if someone were to flip/roll their car by running over a pot hole (pot hole-roughly 2-5 inches deep, varying in width) it would be an amazing site. (Refer to "Matrix:Reloaded" it would look something like the Tahoe that jumps off the highway and rolls end over end.)

David Ray

640mph over many highways. Got to love the reserve in a F/A-18.

xero

138-140ish in my 84' 944. I backed off because the front end was lifting up from the heat build up under the hood. I need an exhaust hood and canards if I'm ever going to do that again.

dime1622

155 (speedo, so maybe 145-150) still pulling really hard, imagine she could do 170 speedo reading, so maybe low 160s in reality. however, i did this on a highway with on and off ramps, with noone in sight ahead, and big concrete barriers on both sides. i have never passed anyone at over 100 before, chances are youll scare the bejeezus outta them and theyll swerve and kill you both. i see no harm just seeing what the car can do when noones around and theres no chance of anyone coming around. this highway had fences on both sides and a pedestrian bridge over it, i would be shocked if someone actually managed to get on the highway

gotta admit, going that fast felt good, and insanely stable, more stable than my s-10 at 50.......

Rich Sandor

Yeah it's amazing how as you pass 100mph the car actually sucks itself down unto the road as you go faster. You can feel that undertray and rear valence doing it's job!!!

PorscheDoc

500 mph, too bad no one was there to see it...oh well

xero

Heh, I've been passed by a 535rwhp Z going 170mph once But I was also riding in a Honda going 100mph. Wasn't scary but was more like, Holly ****... Look at em' go!!!

MB

My S2 has a rev limited that cuts the spark at 149 in 4th and 5th gear.

adrian_jaye

I can easily do 1000mph !

oooops sorry thats something called the R e V counter