I agree with Stentor.

I think Las Vegas Cobra guy knows what time he has to beat - the Ferrari is a known quantity. LV Cobra guy has the resources in order to prep his car the way he needs to so that he can run low 11s, high 10s. He also has a month or so to work on his drag racing skills...

TommyGold - is it cheating if he modifies his car between now and race day?

You mean like adding a 200hp N2O direct port fogger system for 3rd and 4th gear? :LOL:

???? He said the 25th of Feb. if they can get the track.

Taking advantage of the disadvantaged? ;)

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... :LOL:

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

bye bye

Another thought:
I know, I know, I got nothing better to do. :o

This 'race' was forged by egos.
But it's not between 'Las Vegas Guy' and 'DC' guy, or a Kirkham vs a Ferrari.
Because the Ferrari is only a few servos away from driving itself, the race is really 'Las Vegas Guy' vs a 458. And from what Tommygold has said, 'Las Vegas Guy' ain't much in time, experience, knowledge, etc.
A good race would be....ANYONE in the 458, and an experienced diver/owner with the Kirkham. In the right hands, a high powered Cobra is the hammer of the Gods. If you're no God, you're gonna drop it on your foot. ;)

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 (:LOL:) with an SPF GT40R prepared by Olthoff Racing. :eek:

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 weighing in from China.....
 

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

I love it. (And he can't modify the engine.) -Tom

An aweful lot of speculation,I say who really cares what the outcome is just go do it and have a ball.Could be the start of something that might catch on.I would be proud to pilot either car.More so in my own car because it was built starting with bare frame,and know this machine inside and out.Hope we get to hear about the results.

I'm not up on new Ferrari specs - I hope a 458 isn't all-wheel drive (with launch control) - is it? I browsed through several pages of this post and didn't see any referenc to it. I know enough from the magazines that some of the all-wheel drive, exotic, high HP cars like Porche, have incredible 0-60 times with their version of launch control or traction control. I don't think any combination of tires, gearing and driver skill would be able to overcome that in a Cobra. But the last 1/8 mile should be a rush in either one.

Does a Ferrari have a body structure that substitutes for a roll bar. You may have trouble being allowed to make a second run if you are really in the high 10s.

Tom.......are you using the standard factory chip for engine management ?

So Tom says the Cobra can't modify the engine or runs slicks. Who's sounding paranoid now? :)

A good set of drag radials will do whatever the slicks'll do. With a pre-heat and about 14psi in the rear tires I can yank both front tires with mine on a hole-shot.

undy,

We are on the same page! A set of 325-50 drag radials and a low rear gear
(3.73-4.10ish) and its over for the Italian car. Provided our boy hits all the gears.

JASON

They should do 2 out of 3 to allow for missed shifts etc.


.

I'm running the TKO600 and the Steeda TriAx shifter. Never miss third, nail it hard everytime. The Steeda is a must do if your serious about third gear, drag or street.

...and no slack for missing a shift, no excuses.

I cant believe we dont know who this guy is and how the car is set up. How many Kirkhams owned by Venture cap guys are in Vegas?

Jason

Hi Tom, what other rules of the bet do we not have answers to? Did the notion he can't modify his engine preclude any sort of modification by a third party?

Did the bet state "race the cars as is",we know about " no racing slicks", what else?

While you are doing a fine job of whipping up enthusiasm for the smackdown, it would be even more compelling if we knew all the terms of the bet, not the cash amount, that's between yourselves, but the "fine print" regarding what can, or cannot be done to the cars.

BTW, as you stated this event will be covered on film, will you make that available to everyone at no cost or is that part of the attraction, get everyone salivating and then we get to pony up some large gelt for the privilege of seeing the Cobra take you?:LOL::LOL:

My congratulations, I looked up the Ferrari 458 Italia and that’s a mighty fine looking car and the stats are impressive, but my money is on the Cobra and I stand my ground, you took a sucker bet. 3:1, man, you got your work cut out.

Sheesh, if I am not mistaken one of the Arizona Club members smoked the 10-second mark and lived to talk about it.:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man