Drag race - Kirkham 65 side-oiler vs Ferrari 458 italia

[blitzforce]

You guys asked for it I am here! Great thread, this **** is really entertaining. After receiving Goldstien's 500 **** talking messages a day and hearing all of your quotes about how he is going to beat my ass, its good to be in the discussion. So Tommy has laid it out exactly how it is, bet started from him talking **** about my girl wanting to bang him b/c of his new ride and how I was gonna have to wait to years to get mine to me telling him I would blow his doors off in my cobra. This then turned into a bet. At the time of making the bet I had only driven my car 20 miles in the last year. I had previously done a few days of "driving school"/racing at sebring road course, which is the first time I had ever been on a track and almost died numerous times. I had previously had a f430(totaled it in 3 weeks of driving) and the shelby was way faster. So i figured i had him in the bag, then i hear about his sophisticated launch control system and that his car beats the enzo and only lost to a 1200 ducati by 1 second etc. After this point having never drag raced or done a 1/4 mile race in any car in my life i started to get a little nervous. So I took my car out to test the time, I had a buddy in a truck measure off 1/4 mile on his odometer and i dragged it nearly killing my self the 2nd time. I then went out again and timed it and i was running high 13's, this was pretty ****ing ****ty esp since i missed 3rd gear half of my runs. I had to take valium to sleep while receiving intermittent **** talking texts from Tom. I just finished driving today for the 2nd time since we made the bet and the g meter was messed up but my buddy who is good at dragging said i was below 13s. I am getting better, but its hard to drive this car out here, and I wont be able to get behind the wheel till after im done partying for superbowl weekend. I have tried to get to the drag strip but they wont let me out there till the 15th or 16th. My car is definitely capable of beating him as my motor is supposed to make over 600 horse power, the hard part is getting that to the wheels where i can use it. I offered tommy boy a buy out today after his confidence seemed a little shot and he told me to stick it up my ass, so I guess we will find out when the rubber meets the road. I have a kirkham cobra that weighs like 2200 lbs and has a 427 side oiler making over 600 hp, so i would say that this race is like if he had a mastercraft ski boat and was racing a 15 ft aluminum fishing boat with a 200 hp motor, the fishing boat is capable of winning as long as you don't wreck the ****er trying to do it. I have real mans car, no paddle shifting bull****, no launch control, no power steering, no abs breaks, no traction control, and no air bags... I think my balls are bigger than yours tommy boy, but we will see....

[rodneym]

Originally Posted by blitzforce

I have real mans car, no paddle shifting bull****, no launch control, no power steering, no abs breaks, no traction control, and no air bags... I think my balls are bigger than yours tommy boy, but we will see....

I said it before and I'll say it again. It's not you vs tommygold or the Kirkham vs the 458. It's YOU vs the 458.
PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.
Practice your launch. Practice your 2-3 shift. Read threads on pushing it forward (not following a typical 'H' pattern when shifting from 2-3) and practice some more.
It can be done but it's all on YOU!

Make us proud!

[m52mark]

The thread gets better . Read it through , lots of tips . I'd get some practice at the strip , it's different than the street . There will be alot going on in your guys heads , you'll need to focus . All you need is for him to screw up once . Practice , practice , practice . My moneys still on the cobra.

[Mdman352]

Hey buddy, get some of these and HOLD ON

Your only hope. Use the 325's.

[Mdman352]

Drag radials and half shafts do not play well together....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...H8FBFtk7o#t=5s

[RodKnock]

Are you at liberty to say what the specs are of your engine? Did Keith Craft build it?

I love Ferrari's and I own a Kirkham, which I dearly love, but my brain tells me the Ferrari will win. Tom could hit mid-12's, make a mistake or two, and still beat you with you in the 13's.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Are you at liberty to say what the specs are of your engine? Did Keith Craft build it?

I love Ferrari's and I own a Kirkham, which I dearly love, but my brain tells me the Ferrari will win. Tom could hit mid-12's, make a mistake or two, and still beat you with you in the 13's.

Rodknock, blitzforce only has to smoke the Ferrari once and he walks away with all the gelt. Blitzforce, you made an oustanding wager and your pal walked into it with his eyes wide open. My money is on the Cobra so drive it like there is no tomorrow, smoke the Ferrari and make us all proud. Hell, you will be establishing a legend and this thread will become one of the most talked about in a long, long time.

It is also encouraging to hear your gonads are bigger than Tommy's, you'll need em.

Cheers, tin-man

[tin-man]

It is also encouraging to hear your gonads are bigger than Tommy's, you'll need em.

Cheers, tin-man[/quote]

blitzforce, one more thought, I have to think that despite all the bravado supporting this smack down, Tommy's gotta be considering he's racing his new quarter mil plus Ferrari and drag racing voids the warrantee, so unless he can afford to toss that type of dough to the wind, that's one factor that could influence the amout of pressure he applies to the pedal, giving you one more point on the edge scale. Just my two cents. tin-man

[4pipes]

Fun thread. I've been unsuccessful ignoring it.

I've driven both cars. My Kirkham also develops 628 ft-lbs of peak torque, courtesy of FE Specialties. Very difficult to keep in a straight line when floored.

My money is on the 458. Just sayin.

[Sinclair Snake]

Someone is going to get smoked unless they can hire a driver I took out my buddies SPF with my wifes SLK55 because he couldnt drive for s***

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Sinclair Snake

Someone is going to get smoked unless they can hire a driver I took out my buddies SPF with my wifes SLK55 because he couldnt drive for s***

that's what makes this smackdown event all the more compelling, we got two guys drivin' for big bucks and neither of them will back-off, well at least not so far.

That said, I sincerely hope both of these guys consider the risks involved and the absolute downside to this race if for one second they disregard the notion that we on the forum know to be very true being, "treat me with respect, or I will kill you" and pray that it will not happen.

John, AKA, tin-man

[Curt C.]

As pointed out earlier, there may be some issues with safety equipment. I am not up on the rule book but I believe a roll bar (NHRA certified) is required for topless cars running 12.99 or faster. Will the Kirkham bar pass if necessary? Will it pass the "stick test" if applicable? If disqualification occurs how does that impact the bet?

[twin turbo]

I would think NHRA rules may not apply since this is a non NHRA event and they may just rent the track for an hour or something similiar. On a former IHRA track in Spokane you just had to wear a helmet and sign a waiver. Cheers.
Thomas

[Excaliber]

Thats it twin turbo, the rules vary from track to track and even from event to event. I recall there was some concern last summer when you, and others including myself, ran at the Medford track. I brought my arm restraints and Nomex jacket, just in case there was a problem.

But nobody even blinked an eye when you ran, what was it, low, LOW 10's (WOW). I couldn't get out of the 12's with the basically "all new" setup I was running. But I know my car is in the 11's when I get it all figured out,,, again. How fast really is dependant on the driver knowing his car.

I've recently considered trying a launch in 2nd gear and bypassing 1st all together. Or, an extremely short shift from 1st to 2nd.

[tommygold]

Gentlemen, the post on the previous page is definitely from my boy, though that was really one of his tamer outbursts, for sure. -Tom

[DanEC]

Originally Posted by tommygold

Gentlemen, the post on the previous page is definitely from my boy, though that was really one of his tamer outbursts, for sure. -Tom

I think I'm seeing the pattern here - refined, smooth, calculating with high-tech Ferrari on one side and brash, rough, balls-to-walls with low-tech (relatively speaking) Cobra on the other side. Should be interesting.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by DanEC

I think I'm seeing the pattern here - refined, smooth, calculating with high-tech Ferrari on one side and brash, rough, balls-to-walls with low-tech (relatively speaking) Cobra on the other side. Should be interesting.

DanEC, interesting analogy, I too had the same thoughts, but remember the guy in Vegas is a Venture Capitalist and the ones I know hire attorneys to do their bidding, are smooth, well articulated, do incredible deals and generally have a knack of seeing the business potential in start-ups. That said, it seems blitzforce got Tommy all figured gave him the sucker bet and the rest as they say, will be history.

blitzforce, are you pulling your tranny and installing an automatic, it would give you one more notch on the edge factor? Also, not sure if you are reading the comments on the Ferrari Chat thread but one poster "430man" made the following observation in response to Toms post:

But if this -as you say- all about bragging rights, it's a testament to Carrol Shelby's creation that almost a half century later, you're wondering if you can beat him a quarter million dollar car.

In that regard, you're already the loser.

concluding Tommy is taking these comments seriously there may be a case building for a buy out as you guys get closer to the race date, thus you win. But then again you already factored this correct?

Cheers, tin-man

[tin-man]

For those folks on the forum who would like to put a face to the name of our friend Tommy, visit Tom Goldstein on the Wikipedia site: and click on Harvard Law School profile of Thomas Goldstein

Thomas C. Goldstein (Tom Goldstein) is an American attorney famous as an advocate before and blogger about the Supreme Court of the United States. He was a founding partner of Goldstein and Howe, a Washington, D.C. firm...

This is one hellova guy, his credentials are awesome.

That said, I'm still backing the Cobra guy.

Cheers, tin-man

[dallas_]

Originally Posted by tin-man

But if this -as you say- all about bragging rights, it's a testament to Carrol Shelby's creation that almost a half century later, you're wondering if you can beat him a quarter million dollar car.

tin-man

Point taken, but a Kirkham with a KC big block isn't exactly pocket change.

[Curt C.]

I live in Las Vegas and have seen them enforce that rule. They have been pretty safety oriented in the past. It is one of the largest motorsports complexes around and I understand their insurance rates are substantial - at least that is what the clubs renting the road race courses tell me. I thought perhaps the race would take place during a "Midnight Mayhem" event but I do not see it on the schedule. Formal schedule shows nothing going on at the strip that weekend.