Norm Peterson
corner barstool sitter
I agree, 1000 on the street is crazy - just on the basis of making WOT a waste in too many gears, and today's OEM 700's aren't far behind. 1st you can reasonably assume to be a throw-away gear (or darn close to it) in street driving, but to have traction issues in 3rd or higher on dry pavement . . . other than for showing off, what's the use? I'm still thinking that your SCCA time had something to do with this.For me being an ex-SCCA racer, limits had nothing to do with anything except money. I had a drag car and wanted to experience road racing before I met my maker, and I didn't want to spend $30/40k for a high HP car, so I choose to spend $12k for a National Winner Spec Miata, or in SCCA racing we call it a "momentum" car. Personally I think this type of car teaches you how to really drive, rather than relying on HP to get you out of trouble. Obviously you haven't done much drag racing, because it's not about raw power, but having the car setup to make 1.30 60' times and take a 3200 pound car with 650hp motor at the crank and turn 9.80's in the 1/4 and 6 teens in the 1/8.
I just don't get having 1000hp on the street, to me it's just crazy, or maybe because I'm in my mid 70's I'm just being a little more realistic. My 19 Mustang will turn high 11's at over 115, just the way it came off the showroom floor.
You're right, I've done very little drag racing, legally or otherwise (even though I'm partway around the sun for the 73rd time). I've just always been more intrigued by making cars go around corners than racing in straight lines, this going back to even before I started to drive a car. Dunno, either that's made me more of a 'momentum driver', or I've always been that kind of driver and that's why the cornering side of the motoring sport has appealed to me more.
I've never owned a car with more than about 375 at the crank, and most of them had less than about 2/3 of that much. So to me, 650 at the crank already is big power. I do realize that driving skill and chassis tuning is involved. But I'm pretty sure you still need 650-ish power if you're looking to put a 3200 lb car into the low 11's at low 130's with a 150 lb driver.
Norm