100mph plus

Edited by - fat arnie on 19 Aug 2001 23:20:22

Peter Carmichael · August 20, 2001

"Fox's Throat" is I believe the correct translation.

With a 1.6 Supersport and no screen, my top speed at the Nurburgring was a calibrated 128mph on the run down to Schwedenkreuz. The Fuchsröhre that follows immediately after was 126 flat out.

I have also seen logs of an R500 on an 8:08 lap pulling 142 mph in these sections.

Andy Checkley · August 20, 2001

Arnie,

As a point of reference, I have what I think is a reasonably well calibrated bike computer setup on my standard SLR with aeroscreen and it indicates a maximum speed down the Lavant stratight at Goodwood of 127mph, so would fit in with your figure of 125 with 197bhp. Just out of interest what was your typical lap time?

V7 SLR · August 20, 2001

Last year I took part in the Liege Targa Welsh Endurance weekend, and so borrowed a Terratrip computer. I calibrated the distance part of the computer, which automatically gave me speed. Over the course of the weekend my co-driver and I reckoned the accuracy of the box suffered the faster we went. Now, I'm pretty sure that if this was a common problem, someone would have found it and complained about such by now, but we were positive that our measurements were becoming erratic at higher speed.

The Terratrip uses an inductance pick-up that was aimed at the bolt-heads inside the front disks. I guess bike computers use similar inductance loops too. Is it possible that a bike computer could misread at higher speeds as they were originally designed for rather lower speed applications? Again, I doubt it. I was an electronics engineer once, and there is no reason why they should become innaccurate at high speeds. It just seems odd that we experienced this phenomina and have not been able to explain it.

Slipper man · August 20, 2001

My R500 maxed out at 143 according to the (with a correctly calibrated wheel diameter) Stack at the Ring. Section before the Fox's wotsit - can't remember the name. Nice and stable it was too - not at all scary.

Other explanation of the fact that your car's speed is low: owners often exaggerate! I only discovered that when I got a powerful car that was visibly faster than other's, who were claiming they were going faster than my car could manage. And don't even bother to ask people whether a corner is "flat". Recently I was following someone through a corner he swore was flat, when his brake lights came on!

EFA · August 20, 2001

Keith,

I hope that 143mph was following a recal of your stack after the day I had a go in your car up the A275. In the wet, without trying it pulled an easy 120mph uphill!!!

Since correctly calibrating my Stack with the GPS I have to say 100mph feels damn fast!

Andy, before I took to driving upside down I could typically get down to a 1.25 flying lap around Goodwood. I did manage a 1.22 second lap once when the red mist desceneded during a CCC sprint.

Ever since that certain incidne t I find a compelling urge to start braking 100 yds fter the kink on the straight.

Back then I do remember getting the speedo to point virtually straight down on Lavant Straight with 13inch wheels such was the inaccuracy of the speedo!

A 1.22 used to represent a 100mph lap.

Andy Checkley · August 20, 2001

Arnie,

Blimey! that makes my 1:31 look pedestrian. I thought I was squezing everything possible out of the SLR to get that albeit on hard compound ACB10's.

I was talking to someone the other day who mentioned a 1:22 at Goodwood in a Seven on Slicks. I am not sure what the engine spec was but I thought that was amazing.

The lap record until 1999 was held by Jackie stewart in a Lotus Type 49 with the V8 Cosworth DFV lump at 1:20 odd. The current record is only a shade under this. The fastest lap at last years revival was John Surtees driving a Ferrari 250LM at a blistering 1:27, (Well I thought it was blistering)!

Perhaps I should be looking at VX power rather than K series! (Or perhaps some driving lessons)

EFA · August 20, 2001

Andy,

lap record is around 1.10 I think you will find.

Pete McEwen used to get a live axle Zetec engined car around in 1.20 dead.

Needless to say i was on slicks when doing these times.

1.31 or road tyres is pretty good. I think my best on List 1 tyres (185 section A510's was about 1.35 standing start.

Fat Arn

Peter Carmichael · August 20, 2001

I've done 1:28 in a standard Superlight...

Mike Bees · August 20, 2001

I have a Goodwood speed chart here... 1:22 is 106.20mph.

At a sprint the best of 2-litre single seaters (soft slicks, wings, ~250bhp) are in the low 1:20s from a standing start. They're no mugs.

Mike

Peter Carmichael · August 20, 2001

...just checked the logs and the only sessions I can confirm show a 1:31 on 12th December 99 with a passenger. It had snowed on me on the way down and the track was drying all day. I made 124 on the Lavant straight, read off the Stack.

My best without a passenger was also 1:31 earlier in the day, but the track conditions continued to improve.

Andy Checkley · August 20, 2001

A question for you guys that also know Goodwood. What line do you take through Madgewick? I dab the brakes to steady the car at the entry, take it in 5th and hit both apex. The corner feels good this way and the car feels balanced. However, I was speaking to someone recently, who suggested going in deeper and taking a more mid track line through the first apex to avoid the bump. He felt that this would allow me to carry more speed through the bend by bringing the power in earlier.

What are your thoughts?

EFA · August 20, 2001

Fat Arn

Mike Bees · August 21, 2001

I used to take both apexes when I (a) had a slower car and (b) had less experience. Now I find it better to miss the first one.

Mike

EFA · August 21, 2001

Yes, in a 1.4k, Barry DOwney used to clip both as the car did not have the power to make exit speed an issue. Shortest path around the circuit was best option.

I know he got it down to only 2 braking points - at the end of lavant, and at the chicane!

Yes he took St Marys flat!!!

Fat Arn