Update to Honda's Bonneville speed record attempt
Discussion
GP.com said:
The Honda Racing team completed its Bonneville 400 challenge on Friday but narrowly failed to hit the 400kph mark it was hoping to reach on the salt flats of Bonneville in Utah.
Alan van der Merwe has, however, broken a number of class records with a best average speed over two runs at 397.360kph.
So they achieved 246mph not as much as I thought considering David Coulthard has done the fastest recorded speed during a Grand Prix of 221mph at the old Hockeheim circuit. I think higher may even have been achieved in testing at Monza.
an f1 cars real strength is its cornering speeds though so in a straight line test this was what i would expect. I thought that the idea was to do it in race trim, ie the car could compete in the same spec as that whichh went to bonneville though i do remember the pictures sans rear wing so maybe thats no longer true....
whenever F1 go's to manaco they keep saying "these cars have enough downforce to run on the ceiling of the tunnel"......well why dosent an F1 team run a car upside down in a tunnel - now that would be impressive - there are plenty of long cylindrical tunnels in Europe that are ripe for the job - it would be a great Top Gear task for the stig!.....this whole boneville thing is a complete bore and waste of time - I find it quite funny that they actually failed - I bet the Japs at Honda find this very dishonerable and embarrasing - probably slitting their wrists right now......
fozzi - I would venture that it IS embarrasing. When you go to Bonneville you are talking about flat out top speds. Some home built lakester specials can easily go quicker than that F1 car. And, as far as I knoew, there is no official "category" for F1 cars on the lake - so they are setting records for themselves only.
As was said earlier, what was the point of this exercise? Who was it supposed to impress?
True F1 fans know it's totally irrelevant to an F1 car's abilities. F1 "ignorami" couldn't care less anyway.
As was said earlier, what was the point of this exercise? Who was it supposed to impress?
True F1 fans know it's totally irrelevant to an F1 car's abilities. F1 "ignorami" couldn't care less anyway.
Eric Mc said:
fozzi - I would venture that it IS embarrasing. When you go to Bonneville you are talking about flat out top speds. Some home built lakester specials can easily go quicker than that F1 car. And, as far as I knoew, there is no official "category" for F1 cars on the lake - so they are setting records for themselves only.
Well these seem quite happy with their efforts www.hondaracingf1.com/en/index.php?section=8&item=1632&type=1
Eric Mc said:
As was said earlier, what was the point of this exercise? Who was it supposed to impress?
A few answers here maybe www.bonneville400.com/flash/default.aspx
Eric Mc said:
True F1 fans know it's totally irrelevant to an F1 car's abilities. F1 "ignorami" couldn't care less anyway.
So far as I know, the only significant modification was to replace the rear wing with a fin for straight line stability, so in terms of determining the stated goal of seeing how fast an F1 car can actually go, well yes it probably does have some relevance.
Reading the Bonneville400.com site...
The Honda F1 car being an open-wheeled car of special construction with a 3 litre non-nitro normally aspirated engine means that it is classified in Class F of the Unblown Gas Lakestar category.
The previous record was held by Chuck Billington at 229.969 mph.... note the use of the past tense!!
The Honda F1 car being an open-wheeled car of special construction with a 3 litre non-nitro normally aspirated engine means that it is classified in Class F of the Unblown Gas Lakestar category.
The previous record was held by Chuck Billington at 229.969 mph.... note the use of the past tense!!
Eric Mc said:
As was said earlier, what was the point of this exercise? Who was it supposed to impress?
it doesnt matter who BAR were trying to impress. Without getting philosophical, not everything in life needs a point or a reason, sometimes doing things some the hell of it is the only reason. you are welocome to spend your weekend tucked up safe at home with the occasional foray to B&Q, i want to live a little...
so BAR failed at something, big deal, they were just having fun. i doubt they were too bothered as they sat in the baking sun listening to their hard work scream down the salt flat at 398kph!!
yes cars go quicker during speed week, but they are usually running far narrower tyres and use bodywork not designed to generate downforce.
Wicks Sets Stock Car Speed Record
7/27/2006
Seattle, Washington (July 26, 2006) – World speed record holder Russ Wicks recently established a new World Stock Car Speed Record in a NASCAR-spec Autodesk Ford Taurus of 222.623 miles-per-hour on July 3, 2006, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The previous milestone of 216.946 mph was set nearly 35 years ago by Bobby Isaac. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the recent Honda Formula 1 team’s effort to break the 400 kilometer-per-hour (248 mph) speed barrier in Bonneville.
Wicks, of Seattle, Washington, is now the only living driver to have set official speed records of over 200 mph on land and water, as he also holds the mile record for propeller-driven boats of 205.494 mph, set June 15, 2000 in the Miss Freei unlimited hydroplane on Seattle’s Lake Washington.
“This has been nearly a year in the making and we overcame a number of hurdles to set a new world record,” said Wicks, whose American Challenge Team will continue to embark on a number of speed record breaking initiatives. “I’m ecstatic to have been able to set a new stock car record at Bonneville. There is so much history associated with the Salt Flats and to be able to join the list of speed legends that have set records here is certainly a dream come true. I could not have accomplished this without the incredible support of my family, team and Autodesk. We’re looking forward to our next speed record breaking challenge coming in the near future.”
Wicks’ stock car record was certified by Mike Cook, Chairman of Bonneville Nationals, Inc., and was run in accordance with FIA timing and scoring standards for speed records. The Autodesk Ford Taurus, a 1999 ex-Jimmy Spencer superspeedway car and run under the direction of PTP NASCAR team owner Chris Diedrich, was in accordance with all current NASCAR Nextel Cup stock car templates and specifications.
Time-trial rules dictate that the test speed must be achieved past a one-mile timing point along a “track” on the salt, as well as a return trip within one hour, with the official speed being the average of the two runs. The average speed of the run down the course was 223.229 mph, with a return run average speed of 222.020, for an official overall mile average speed of 222.623 mph. Despite an engine failure on the first day, Wicks set the record on his first full attempt. Isaac’s previous record was also set at Bonneville, in a NASCAR-spec Dodge Charger Daytona on September 12, 1971.
Wicks’ latest record is part of his ongoing American Speedking television series, which will begin airing this Fall and feature a behind-the-scenes look at the American Challenge Team’s pursuit of setting new world speed records.
7/27/2006
Seattle, Washington (July 26, 2006) – World speed record holder Russ Wicks recently established a new World Stock Car Speed Record in a NASCAR-spec Autodesk Ford Taurus of 222.623 miles-per-hour on July 3, 2006, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The previous milestone of 216.946 mph was set nearly 35 years ago by Bobby Isaac. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the recent Honda Formula 1 team’s effort to break the 400 kilometer-per-hour (248 mph) speed barrier in Bonneville.
Wicks, of Seattle, Washington, is now the only living driver to have set official speed records of over 200 mph on land and water, as he also holds the mile record for propeller-driven boats of 205.494 mph, set June 15, 2000 in the Miss Freei unlimited hydroplane on Seattle’s Lake Washington.
“This has been nearly a year in the making and we overcame a number of hurdles to set a new world record,” said Wicks, whose American Challenge Team will continue to embark on a number of speed record breaking initiatives. “I’m ecstatic to have been able to set a new stock car record at Bonneville. There is so much history associated with the Salt Flats and to be able to join the list of speed legends that have set records here is certainly a dream come true. I could not have accomplished this without the incredible support of my family, team and Autodesk. We’re looking forward to our next speed record breaking challenge coming in the near future.”
Wicks’ stock car record was certified by Mike Cook, Chairman of Bonneville Nationals, Inc., and was run in accordance with FIA timing and scoring standards for speed records. The Autodesk Ford Taurus, a 1999 ex-Jimmy Spencer superspeedway car and run under the direction of PTP NASCAR team owner Chris Diedrich, was in accordance with all current NASCAR Nextel Cup stock car templates and specifications.
Time-trial rules dictate that the test speed must be achieved past a one-mile timing point along a “track” on the salt, as well as a return trip within one hour, with the official speed being the average of the two runs. The average speed of the run down the course was 223.229 mph, with a return run average speed of 222.020, for an official overall mile average speed of 222.623 mph. Despite an engine failure on the first day, Wicks set the record on his first full attempt. Isaac’s previous record was also set at Bonneville, in a NASCAR-spec Dodge Charger Daytona on September 12, 1971.
Wicks’ latest record is part of his ongoing American Speedking television series, which will begin airing this Fall and feature a behind-the-scenes look at the American Challenge Team’s pursuit of setting new world speed records.
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