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

[CobraEd]

Originally Posted by Johan

If Signor Ferrari gets a paint chip his car will be unsellable.

Oh no, . . . . . not a paint chip !!!!!



.

[FIA Mike]

Oh this is going to be fun to watch. Hopefully it doesn't turn out bad for the Cobra. Lets see, an idiot proof Ferrari vs. a high HP Cobra with an inexperienced driver. NOT a good combination. But worth the price of admission. Get the popcorn!

FIA Mike

[David Janowic]

Give details on date and location of this race, I have to watch it. Have you done any quarter mile trials in your car, not that there is much practice to pushing a button and stomping on the gas, im curious if he has a perfect launch and does everything correctly if he can even win.

[Jamo]

Whether it is real or not (sorry Tommy...still no real confirmation), the bench racing opportunity was just too good to pass up.

Be that as it may, I'm reminded of the R8 spider and Porsche turbo cab (both awd..sort of a "damn near" launch control) matchup conducted by Jeremy and the Stig. They made a run, and then switched cars...the Stig won both times.

Seems to me that on any given day, a pretty good driver in the Italia will win if he's read the owner's manual and become acquainted with the launch control. On the other hand, a damn good driver in a high-average spec'd, big motored (460ci+) arruminum Cobra with at least Billboards (a common build) could do it on another day.

I'd feel better with a rolling start.

Hope we find out.

[tommygold]

Hi everyone. I think this is most likely going to go down on February 25 (assuming we can get access to the drag strip at LV Speedway that day). My car should be picked up on the 13th (likely by GranTurismo, which offered me a good price and has a warehouse by the Speedway). Incidentally, I've offered an alternative bet and it will be interesting to see if he accepts: one time with my launch control; if I win then I'll race him a second time for slightly more money w/o LC. But I only have to win the individual races not beat him 3x in a row.

Then this other news. He measured off a 1/4 strip (imperfectly) and couldn't get his time below 13.8. But I think that's actually misleadingly low. His buddy stood at the finish and started the stopwatch when he heard my buddy's car. So there were 4 things that should make his time worse -- no delay in driver reacting to the start light; delay in starting the stop watch; delay in hearing the sound of the Shelby a quarter-mile away; and delay in stopping the stop watch. All of those add well over a second. So I think his time was 15 or worse.

I'll keep you updated.

[Don]

Tommy......any predictions on the outcome of the match race ? Road & Track December test: 11.0 @ 128.5 for the 458.

[tommygold]

Hi CW. I am traveling (now in Nashville, off to Cinci) so I hadn't started the Ferrari forum discussion. But I now have: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=312330. Will be interesting to see what they say. -Tom

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by tommygold

Will be interesting to see what they say.

It certainly will.

[Don]

1/4 mile = 10.85

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=301096

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/for...204&order=desc

[RodKnock]

I realize that I'll never be Big Daddy Don Garlits, Richard Petty or Mario Andretti (or a Danica Patrick ), but 14's and/or 15's with a 2,150 lb Kirkham with 600 +/- HP?

Is someone "sandbagging" or what?

[Silverback51]

I don't know, but I think we may be having our chain yanked.

Tommy just joined the Ferrari forum today. I would have thought as a Ferrari owner he would have already been a member there.

Guess we will see later this month.

[tommygold]

Hi Don. The posted times I've seen for the 458 all have 11-11.5. (I assume and expect that the posted times are using my stock tires.) I have to think that my time will be around 12 -- a bit slower off the start and less perfect paddle shifts -- but not really worse than that with practice. So much of my run is controlled by computer (in a race using launch control), I think I've got a big advantage. He reported significant control probems in 1st, 2d, and 3d gears, as well as difficulties with the move from 2d to 3d gear. -Tom

[tommygold]

Hi SB/John. It is so funny that people really just want to believe that they are being lied to. I've had my 458 for about 3 weeks; my first Ferrari. The first thing you did when you got a car may have been to join a chat site, and that's great; it just wasn't mine. I've explained who I am, where I got my car, who he is and where his car will be, and where and when the race will be. And it wouldn't remotely interest me to spin out some tale (pun intended) about a fantastical drag race. I'm just trying to figure out what my shot is at winning. -Tom

[tommygold]

RB. I don't think he's sandbagging. Like I said, we're friends, and he doesn't have any incentive to -- the race is booked. I think this is just his first time, and he has a ways to go before he's got the mechanics of a drag down. -Tom

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by tommygold

RB. I don't think he's sandbagging. Like I said, we're friends, and he doesn't have any incentive to -- the race is booked. I think this is just his first time, and he has a ways to go before he's got the mechanics of a drag down. -Tom

I'll bet the Ferrari wins. Is there a side bet on which car breaks first?

With an experienced Cobra driver in the Kirkham, I'd say it would be much closer, notwithstanding the lack of specifics for the Kirkham.

[kobrabytes]

I think this entire thread is quite entertaining.

Why would you use a Cobra for a drag race car, 99% of them aren't even designed for that. My engine dyno'd at 700 HP, 687 ft lbs of torque, Keith Craft can verify that. The Kirkhams can verify that my Cobra weighs just over 2100lbs, do the math.

I'd love to have the overweight Ferrari show up next to me moving down the road...

Never, never, never use the wrong tool for the wrong job...

bye bye

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by kobrabytes

I'd love to have the overweight Ferrari show up next to me moving down the road...

Never, never, never use the wrong tool for the wrong job...

bye bye

As I'm sure he would love to see you too. With a top speed of 200+ mph, I'd take the Ferrari there too.

I would personally would like to see a 3-way () with an SPF GT40R prepared by Olthoff Racing.

[gthompson]

This thread is pretty interesting. I have a F458 and two Cobra's and after driving both of them for a while, I think that the F458 would win. I would definitely feel a whole lot safer in the F458. Especially, the further that you got towards the end of the quarter mile.

[tin-man]

First off this is a fun thread and has got the attention of a lot of folks, globally. That said, let’s peel this back.......

The Players:
Lawyer: Ferrari 458 Italia.......... NICE
Venture Capitalist; Kirkham 427 Cobra....... AWESOME
Big Bet, Bigger Egos

The Bet:
Lawyer needs take his Venture Capitalist friend 3 out of 3 in the quarter mile.

Arguably the lawyer has what can be viewed as having the edge given he has a new world class "marque", whereas the Venture Capital guy has an older Cobra of which we really don’t know what it has, given we have not asked for definitive details.

So here goes, IMHO, this is a sucker bet and I am sorry to say Tommy you are the mark, and, you took the bait hook line and sinker.

Remember, it was your Venture Capitalist friend who proposed the bet and I'm guessing, as an attorney you are having some second thoughts, particularly if you did not qualify the bet with the term "both cars race as is" ergo, you need to prepare well thus your foray into Club Cobra Forum for advice on what we folks think the Cobra will do.

I also believe your pal, who by the very nature of his job is playing the odds in his favor and will or has already modified his engine enough to give him the edge, all he needs is one win and he walks away with the money, right?

750HP in OZ stated it best:Not knowing the particular car's engine or transmission specs, I'd guess that if your mate nails the second-to-third shift he'll be in front for at least one race.

rodneym also hit the nail on the head when he said: Drag racing has never been Ferrari's forte (obviously) but it means something to them (Launch Control) and they're working hard on it.

tin-man adds:.........particularly if he has stroked up his engine and has considerably more HP that previously.

Remember, using your words, .-- too many unknowns about the Shelby's make-up. In terms of other equipment, he is not allowed to put on drag slicks -- he has some other more standard slicks on it now. The 458 will definitely be using launch control for the perfect start. And I do think he'll practice, and practice pretty hard.

So my bet is that your friend like you is preparing and preparing well by doing whatever he has to do to his car to give him that 1 out of 3 edge.

No doubt, I'm going to hear some flack on this but in the final analysis the Cobra will take you in one race by milliseconds and that is all the your Venture Capitalist pal needs. So without further ado:

Gentlemen, start your engines and may the best man win.

John, AKA, tin-man

[kobrabytes]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

As I'm sure he would love to see you too. With a top speed of 200+ mph, I'd take the Ferrari there too.

I would personally would like to see a 3-way () with an SPF GT40R prepared by Olthoff Racing.

I wouldn't drive anywhere that would be an advantage.

I know of some nice winding roads that torque is king!

NEVER set your self for failure.