Thursday 10th October 2013

Ford breaks Daytona lap record

Doesn't sound much, until you learn the previous record was at 210mph...

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Evidently this is the week for breaking speed records! No sooner had we marked 30 years of Thrust 2, the news came that Mike Newman had reclaimed his blind land speed record. Now Ford has blasted into the fray with a Daytona lap record.

The Riley Technologies Daytona Prototype racer you see here is powered by a Ford Ecoboost engine. It's not the 1.0-litre marvel that made for such a fast Formula Ford, but instead a 3.5-litre (this is American downsizing, don't forget) V6 turbo.

Braun broke an '87 record. He was born in '88...

Driven by Colin Braun, the Daytona Prototype recorded a ludicrous single lap average speed of 222.971mph. You may have guessed this smashed the previous record; that was set 26 years ago in qualifying for the Daytona 500, when a Ford Thunderbird driven by Bill Elliot averaged 210.364mph.

And that's not all. Whilst they were at it, the team running the Riley Prototype also set new record times for 10 miles from a standing start (averaging 210.018mph) plus 10km from stationary too (averaging 202.438mph).

So a great publicity stunt for Ford, Colin Braun and the Michael Shank Racing team that prepped the car. But that's not the end for this fantastic-looking thing. They'll race it. Next year begins the inaugural Tudor United SportsCar Championship, an amalgamation of the previous Grand-Am and American Le Mans Series. The 12-race championship kicks off back at Daytona on January 25. With cars like this racing, we're saving for the plane tickets already!

[WMP]

Come on Bugatti, dust off a Veyron and show'em how its done!

[rejn]

WMP said:

Come on Bugatti, dust off a Veyron and show'em how its done!

lol! I don't think so.

On top of the huge race car v road car differences, to go flat out in the Bugatti do you not have to lower the wing so you wouldn't stand a chance of getting round the corners at Daytona!

[pimpchez]

Aint it if you want over 231 mph , would be interesting to watch for sure .

[Benrad]

Looks great, I'm hoping to be at Daytona in Jan to watch my friend Bradley Smith race in the 24 hr.

Young British driver who won the drive through a competition based on this years performance (he's won all but one race is the Radical SR3 challenge this year). I'm not sure which team he's driving for but I hope he's in that Ford!

Lewis Plato will also be driving in one of the support races having won a similar prize, two British drivers under 23 years old at that first Daytona race next year!

Look out for those two names in sports car / gt / prototype racing over the next few years. They tested a Mclaren MP4-12C GT3 car at Snetterton last week and were pretty quick...

[Prawnboy]

i like american downsizing, will a 3.5 V6 be the ecoboost engine in the mustang when it makes it here? or will we get a 2.0?

[The Jolly Todger]

WMP said:

Come on Bugatti, dust off a Veyron and show'em how its done!

Not sure if serious.

Edited by The Jolly Todger on Thursday 10th October 11:23

[RJames]

Be interesting if any other the other engine suppliers counter this record. At the Daytona 24 this year the BMW Powered Daytona Proto was a lot faster on the oval sections.

[jeffw]

Paul Tracy did 234.9MPH record lap at Michigan in 2000 in a Cart Indycar.

[CraigyMc]

In 1975, Mark Donohue did a lap of Talladega (2.66 mile tri-oval) at 221.120 mph. 38 years later, this.

All in all, "meh".

[Housey]

WMP said:

Come on Bugatti, dust off a Veyron and show'em how its done!

It would be lapped in 5 laps by thing. Race cars are on a different level when bends are involved.

[lee_erm]

9 replies and no snobs slating due to the fact it's a Ford?

[CraigyMc]

lee_erm said:

9 replies and no snobs slating the fact it's a Ford?

It's a ford _engine_

The actual car itself is a Riley.

[vrooom]

previous record car.. he did that in....

[SmartVenom]

That is a really good looking race car. If I could draw (which I can't) and you asked me to describe what a race car should look like it would be something like that.

[marshall100]

vrooom said:

previous record car.. he did that in....

Now that's impressive. Look at the state of it.

[jamespink]

marshall100 said:

vrooom said:

previous record car.. he did that in....

Now that's impressive. Look at the state of it.

Just what I thought. What an amazing speed with that car and the tec of the day! Congratulations to Riley too!

[dingocooke]

CraigyMc said:

In 1975, Mark Donohue did a lap of Talladega (2.66 mile tri-oval) at 221.120 mph. 38 years later, this.

All in all, "meh".

Ah poor Mark Donohue; 3 days after setting that Talladega Superspeedway record, he lay dead in Graz hospital, following a practice crash at the Austrian F1 GP; such a cruel sport at times

RIP Mark Donohue

[Skodaku]

CraigyMc said:

It's a ford _engine_

The actual car itself is a Riley.

What, as in Riley Elf and Pathfinder ? Wow, I'm truly impressed. Wonder if there'll be a Wolseley version.

Coat. Door.

[CraigyMc]

Skodaku said:

CraigyMc said:

It's a ford _engine_

The actual car itself is a Riley.

What, as in Riley Elf and Pathfinder ? Wow, I'm truly impressed. Wonder if there'll be a Wolseley version.

Coat. Door.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riley_Technologies LLC

[AdamPT]

That young man NEEDS a decent tailor.....