Trying to clear up a few things…………..
FIRST. – The detuning issue.
Racing and competition in the arena of land speed is about MANAGING RISK. Any form of competition racing is about managing risk. Even if its NHRA. Lets take Austin Coil. Don’t you think he manages the items that effect the funny car for the conditions that exist? Yes he puts all he can into the racecar to exstrapolate the most out of it that they possibly can. The difference is that we are talking about accelerated speed in a short distance and the competition factor is in the 1000/th of a second. The quarter mile, which has been the benchmark in proving products and power levels has been the mainstay for quite sometime. The standing mile is a completely new animal. We are all basically new to this and venturing into new territory. I think we are all just starting to use this standing mile as a proving grounds. Land speed racing and the SCTA is the oldest sanctioning body in the United States. 50 years or something like that. I believe that the only two sanctioned events for the standing mile are: Maxton – 7 or 8 years I think, and Sandhills – This was the second year.
And now you have DANGEROUS RISK. I’ve been the person you see on the Eisenhower playing what we used to call “The Game” at serious speed in a high performance car. GSXR 1100, wide open, at night and alone when 88 was I-5. Many friends doing the same. Some are dead. That was 14 years ago when I was young and didn’t know any better. Luckily, my guardian angels have kept a watchful eye. Like they say “only go as fast as your guardian angel can fly”. You see these shirts more frequently at land speed events than you do at quarter mile events. I’m positive that my father cares to see me be safe. You must realize that the biggest failure in land speed racing is TIRE FAILURE. Open your hand in front of you with your fingers spread apart. When you look at this just remember that the contact patch of your tire on the ground is only slightly bigger than the area of your open hand. You have four of those separating you from the ground. Take one away at 200+ and you have serious problems. You are not going to coast to a stop. What is the speed rating of the Pilot Sport MXX3?
Sure I was feeling like a cowboy, but I had a safety valve and that was my fathers watchful eye. This is what we call MANAGING DANGEROUS RISK. No ones engines failed, and I’m quite sure everyone will raise the bar. At this moment the competition has to raise the bar just to get to the level of where we are at now, and have been for two years. We accomplished what we set out to do. Apparently we know what we are doing because we won.
The biggest thing I have learned in racing and competition is KNOWING WHEN TOO and KNOWING WHEN NOT TOO. We did not need to, everyone is safe and we still made huge gains. We chose what to come with and planned accordingly. For some of you this may be difficult to understand.
SECOND – The Real Purpose of our post.
I see that people can manipulate numbers and take things out of context to their own interpretation. Notice the dates 8/10/03. I dint even get home and start this thread until 8/12/03. This is what started me on the defensive before I even had a chance to explain our position at this event.
These are all posts on the thread: Vipers own the mile!
2. The SVS Viper with the new 1700 HP motor ran "only" 200 MPH. I say "only" not in a negative way at all, but just to illustrate a point. ==> For that altitude and incline that is what the 246 MPH salt flat land speed record car did in the mile.... This is what makes me happy to run 191.8 MPH running only 9 PSI. It is all relative.
As far as 191.8 MPH being fast, you are correct especially when you consider that the 246 MPH salt flat SVS TT Viper ran only 8.2 MPH faster than my Heffner supercharged Viper on only 9 PSI.
Barry, I would have to think that they ran everything they had. They have been doing some serious testing for a very long time. I am sure they were running way more than 9 PSI.
By the way, what do you think the HP difference would be to go 8.2 MPH faster? I know I could have gone 1-2 MPH faster on the third run had I not been so low on fuel. So let's say 6-7 MPH..... How much faster in the 1/4? The 1/4 to the 1 mile mark? Their car also had the rear fascia sealed which I am sure minimizes the drag to some degree.
Barry, Thanks! I am thinking you are correct about the 950 RWHP. I am happy my car came that close to the $1,000,000.00+ Turbo car! I want to win that event next year! There is plenty of time to test and develop the big power. My car was tuned to run fat, was plenty safe and still ran the big MPH on low boost! It's really a testament to Jason Heffner's cars being insanely fast and being able to get it done!
You have to realize I just taped the hood shut after being teched and ran the car as fast as I could. Those guys pulled up in the big race rig and had the pit crew checking everything and tweaking the motec between runs. I am sure they ran as fast as they could and showed the best they had. With their million plus dollar car and years of development and testing and running standing mile races already, they beat the 28K Heffner supercharged Viper by a measly 8 MPH! We are very encouraged and will be much faster next year!
Torquemonster, those guys have spent at least that over the years on that car with all the R&D. I drove that car a few years ago and knew I had to have that kind of power. I am just glad Jason Heffner is able to make that kind of power for a very reasonable price that has been very, very reliable. I have driven the you know what out of the car after the prescribed top secret Heffner break-in procedure! Bikes every night 100-200!==> I love it!
==>100-150 MPH takes place in less than 6 seconds standing on the gas in 4th gear @ 4,000 RPM! It is faster if I do 3-4, but 5200 RPM in 3rd gear @ 100 MPH to 6000 RPM takes about a second. Also, 80-150 goes by in about 7.5 seconds. For comparison sake, the Venom 800 in the Car & Driver magazine 2,000 HP shootout last year did 100-150 in 7.9 seconds. The LPE Vette did it in 7.6 seconds. I know the Venom 1000 cars are faster, but they are running more boost than me as well.
END OF QUOTES
Often times when you achieve success or become King of the Hill it’s natural for people to want to knock you down, this is to be expected. There’s healthy competition and there’s vindictive motives. (There’s Dudley Do Rights and there’s Snidely Whiplashes)
This post is by Gerald on 6/4/03 in the thread - Re: 890 rwhp/ 840rwtq (LETHAL 750 + Heffner SCi)
Quote: I apologize in advance to some for posting this, just something I have to get off my chest...
Paolo, name calling?
It's useless to argue with you. Somehow you would find a way to argue the sky wasn't blue. It's like arguing with a 9 year old. A person can't win. Anything you don't agree with you go balistic about. I think a few lines on this thread and others were such B.S. Good tuners have a following. What do you expect when certian claims are made and allegations are made if you read between the lines? Their loyals will retort. Especially with a tuner like DLM. He's so reputable and honest and any of his customers would back him up and his hp and his work, etc.
I remember 3 years ago this crap you posted on this board about supercharging and how and what I did was so scrutinzed by you. I wish I would have saved the threads. Now your the biggest supporter of it. Heck, I remember 5 months ago you were in bed with a certain OTHER tuner...
END OF QUOTE
When someone of a certain character discredits the integrity of our company, I felt a certain urge to want to stand up and defend that honor. After being put on the defensive, I apologize to those I offended while being caught up in the mudslinging. This is not what SVS is about or how I want to represent the company. SVS is a family owned business and I’m proud of what we have accomplished. We have been told there are many similarities to the show “AMERICAN CHOPPER”. My Father and I have the same craziness, drama, pressures, frustrations they have. Also like them we push the limits in designing, fabricating and creating. The results……by expecting the best, you’re that much closer to perfection. We want nothing less for our customers.
It’s interesting and I’m curious as to why certain people go on this thread to question, accuse, assume, make charts and configurations of why we did, what we did and how we did it. On top of that why perceive to others on this forum that’s how it was. By putting the facts and videos on our post we had hopes to set the record straight, possibly entertain some speed fans and do the Viper community proud of what we accomplished.
Interpret the data as you see fit. I believe most of you are intelligent enough to decipher fact from fiction…….and on that note………for certain people that doubt us……….. give us YOUR facts. Why do you need to Piggyback on our post to discredit SVS and other tuners?
Aren’t your accolades strong enough on their own and be able to create your own post. I thank you for volunteering your interpretations of numerous data, but let the people do there own interpretations of the straight facts.
Now its time to see all the straight facts from PC and the # 26 Viper. DO tell us your Hp, torque, dyno chart, engine temp, psi, trans and diff gears, tire sizes and anything else you would like to add.
As I said before for some of you it may be difficult to understand how we were able to accomplish what we did. Because of our extensive R + D we have traveled to where no Viper tuners have traveled…….So yes there will be doubt, but feel free to contact me and I will be happy to give you the straight facts.
People WILL believe what they WANT to believe.
Ron Misjak Jr.
SVS
You must be registered for see images