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Texas Mile Run

Discussion in '360/430' started by BillEllison, Mar 25, 2012.

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  1. BillEllison

    BillEllison Karting

    Oct 16, 2011
    89
    Conroe, Tx
    Full Name:
    Bill Ellison
    #1 BillEllison, Mar 25, 2012
    Just returned from the Texas Mile. My 05' F430 Spider ran great. Was a little disappointed in the speeds, but really didn't know what to expect.

    03.23.12 10:30 a.m. 158.8 Qualifying run pump gas, a/c on
    03.23.12 11:45 a.m. 163.8 pump gas, a/c on
    03.23.12 2:30 p.m. 162.0 109 fuel a/c on
    03.23.12 4:30 p.m. 162.0 109 fuel a/c off
    03.24.12 9:30 a.m. 166.1 mix 109/pump gas, a/c off
    03.24.12 11:00 a.m. 164.8 mix 109/pump gas, a/c off

    Didn't figure the afternoon was going to be any better, so loaded up and came home.
     
  2. justinn

    justinn Karting

    Jan 5, 2011
    114
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Justin
    #2 justinn, Mar 26, 2012
    Actually.... Those times aren't bad at all Bill.

    What were you expecting?

    justin
     
  3. F430GT

    F430GT Formula 3

    Sep 29, 2005
    1,300
    Marco Island, FL
    #3 F430GT, Mar 26, 2012
    Those are actually pretty amazing times, for what is the heaviest Mid-Engine Ferrari ever made, the F430 Spider F1.

    As a reference, when Automobile magazine visited the Texas Mile with a mildly modified ZR1 with 710 whp (close to 800Hp at the crank), and the fast enough 458 Italia, the ZR1 topped the mile at 180mph, while the 458 Italia did a 173mph. Your much heavier, no DCT,and less powerful cabriolet was just 7 mph off of a 458 Coupe.

    It was too good, and you didn't know.
     
  4. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

    Nov 7, 2011
    6,114
    Three Places
    #4 Noblesse Oblige, Mar 26, 2012
    Weight doesn't matter at these speeds. It's all aerodynamics and horsepower. One thing working against you is the high drag coefficient of the Spider. The coupe could easily be 15%-20% better which will be worth 8-10 mph in top speed. I don't know if there were any coupes there but I will wager they ran that much higher.

    Another factor is temperature. The temps in Beeville are running in the mid 80s with good old Houston area humidity. Under these conditions you are down on horsepower (of course that should affect everyone). Your best run was early in the morning when it was cooler and your air charge was correspondingly cooler and denser. The fuel octane will matter little.

    I doubt if there was anything wrong with your car.
     
  5. BillEllison

    BillEllison Karting

    Oct 16, 2011
    89
    Conroe, Tx
    Full Name:
    Bill Ellison
    #5 BillEllison, Mar 27, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I truly didn't know what to expect, what I had hoped was 180, but that was simply a guess. There was one California there, but I don't know what he did, he only ran a couple of times. Glad to see that my speed was on track. I had to run with top up, which I would assume would compensate wind drag as compared to a coupe, again, just guessing.

    I didn't think there was anything wrong with the car, just set my expectations higher than I should have.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmZIKqvrE0k&feature=youtu.be

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoeOkCTIWFw&feature=youtu.be

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIdfyFPymRg&feature=youtu.be
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  6. justinn

    justinn Karting

    Jan 5, 2011
    114
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Justin
    #6 justinn, Mar 27, 2012
    Having helped to set numerous records at the Texas Mile(and other mile events) I can understand your friustration and your high hopes. mid to high 160's is about right for your car, and for a 430 coupe.... I would wager a 360 is not far off from that either. A gallardo will also mid to high 160s. At the Texas mile it is all about rate of acceleration especially after the half mile marker(i.e. horsepower-drag). Headwinds, tailwinds, crosswinds, and track surface all play a role as well. This is where area under the curve(horsepower/tq vs rpm) really helps, but it's not unusual to see a drop of 5-7mph based on the winds.

    Here are some of the records we have set at the Texas mile
    First car to 200mph
    First car to 210mph
    First car to 220mph
    First Car to 230mph
    First car to 240mph
    First car to 246mph

    Then we quit as it was getting far too dangerous(especially in a 6 cylinder Toyota :)

    justin
     
  7. BillEllison

    BillEllison Karting

    Oct 16, 2011
    89
    Conroe, Tx
    Full Name:
    Bill Ellison
    #7 BillEllison, Mar 28, 2012
    Thanks for the info. Those are all VERY respectable speeds.
     

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