Killer story!! And I agree with Hill it's FAR more dangerous on the streets!
That story is unreal! I'm 48 years old and I remember watching the Cannonball movies as a kid. Your adventure probably caused the creation of the Smokey and the Bandit movies as well. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the story, you know you should write a book for posterity, or at least a few pages. Now 51 I remember reading about the race as a kid, mostly the later ones in hustler magazine where they drove a Herb Adams Firebird on speed. Must have watched the movie 5x straight when it came out. My Chilldren were raised watching cannonball run, I am guessing 15 times each maybe more, pretty sure the ethos and dialogue is why they grew up to be clear thinking non PC teenagers with a healthy disregard for social convention. Not to mention the faster dad faster dad attitude when in the car with me and no mom. So its more than a race you participated in, the movies existance is something that saved generations and gave hope that the fun free spirit can still live. A friend who was an ANC freedom fighter(and socialist), while living in exile saw the movie and it lit his inner car nut. So much so he credits it with his drive to economicaly suceed so he could buy all those lambos etc, which he now has., If memory serves correct the fastest time before the "race" was stopped was in a Jaguar XJS. I am wonderign without those pit stop induced arrests, could you maybe have won? Did you run it a second time in the doctors 73 caddy?
NJMP Thunderbolt, no chicane, 128.4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijG_8mJLYkw NJMP Lightning, 1:11.98 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_hidM7dZwc Lotus Cup 255, Yokohama soft compound slicks.
Zeus is the champ! What a great story. Here's my pathetic additions.... F40 PIR.... 1:02 Laguna Seca..... 1:44 348 PIR..... 1:07 Laguna Seca.... 1:54 CS Laguna Seca..... 1:43 March/Cosworth Indycar 88C Laguna Seca...... 1:32
MCS double adjustable dampers. 255 BFG R1S. 240 rwhp, 2750 lbs. aero. 2013 IMG lime rock 59.6 quali P1 ETC. hounding carrera cup cars. 2013 NASA thunderbolt no chicane 1.30.1 P1 quali, 1.29.9 race 4th. 2012 EMRA Lightning 1.14.1 p1 but 4 cars in race! Lol. 2012 NASA Watkins glen 2:10 in TT. No ABS no TC. An amazing car to drive in anger.....but have to part with her this year. Pix is west bend lime rock. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Fun thread - too bad there's not a way to have a single updating post to keep times together by track.. As for me, slow car, slow driver.. BMW Z4 3.0 (all stock) Laguna Seca 1:58.4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAu5fOnWZn8
Just improved my thunderbolt njmp time to 1:27.7. There still is a lot left in the car.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJO8PfBvorU
Are you in only 4th gear to get 135 on main straight? What kind of gearing/power do you have for that?
Yep, I have a forty-year old, 4-speed, 150 bhp Pinto powered vintage sports racing car, 135 mph max, 1400 lbs. Two seater, fiberglass body. Fun! Lime Rock 53.3 Thunderbolt 1:22.9 Lightning 1:05.1 Watkins Glen 1:58.5
Cool that was my first car-- a '72 Pinto I bought with my own money at age 16 for $300. 4 speed. My friends called it "The Pimple". I havent seen one in years-- not many around anymore. Do you have the stock gas tank or did you make any mods? I think it would look pretty cool with wide tires and some white letter sidewalls.
Thanks. Funny thing is if you do a rolling lap from turn 7 to turn 7, I did a 126.6. Bobbled T9 a little in that lap and ruined that sector.
Slightly taller final drive when we replaced the transmission after it failed last year. Stock power on a 12,000 mile engine that died later that afternoon. New one is on the way, with a fresh engine I should be back up to specified power. Data shows 132 mph, and its at red line. Not worth a shift to 5th, but if I got a slightly better run out of T10, I could theoretically need a shift to 5th. It's close. Drove a friends car with 3k miles and the butt dyno definitely felt it was stronger, so I should be able to take off a little time; although that would be the car and not the driver so it's no real accomplishment. Cheers, Ron
1:47:16 at Big Willow in my Alfa 4c. Stock tires and I wasn't pushing it as hard as I could have. 1:44:14 at Big Willow in my 360. I can definitely shave a tad bit more time off still driving within the limits. I just don't want to push too hard and go off the track.
360 Challenge - mostly stock(lightened to CCR class weight) - Pzero DH Watkins: 2:03.8 NJMP Light: 1.09.6 NJMP Thunder: 1.29.2 Summit Main: 1.22.3 VIR Full: 2.06.7 430 Scud - Coilovers - Pzero 430 CH sizes - DH Summit Main: 1.19.2 (32heat cycles) VIR Full: 2.02
When I tracked my 360 Spider, I used to enjoy running with Challenge Stradales, the Challenge cars were just too quick and I couldn't keep up with them. So, not surprised at your times for - except for Summit Point Main. I currently drive a GT3, no mods at all, and am seconds slower than you on all tracks, except for SP, where I have run in the low 121's. Typically, when I run against cup cars, they pull on me in the esses, as the difference between slicks and Sport Cup 2's is significant. Are you happy with your times from T6-T10? Do you ever run with Potomac PCA? Rob in Potomac Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yea - summit main was the 1st time on that course and I only had one day- I don't drive on track in the wet stuff. I can't be trusted. I believe on a new set of slicks the Scud would have been in 1:17's(2nd time on that track) - I was sliding past my turn 1 turnin point about 40% of the time so I coasted to #5 and broke too early. I'm not very aggressive with that car now that she's pretty. Nnjr PCA, shatenbaum pca, hod, NASA NE and on Monday& Tuesday Proveledo track days @ Watkins. I'm excited new paving- 45 cars, no passing rules, no groups and supposedly-Peter Artsinging said the repaved track is 4 sec a lap faster. Honestly I am usually running with GT2 guys, z06 w good driver & 997 Cups the GT3's are usually only keeping up for 1-2 corners. I spend 40-50 days on track/yr. if you need some more events pm me - I can use some red car support, life is rough abusing P cars. (All my friends are in GT3's)
