Sorry did a double post. tin-man

It does not matter if this is a real race or not. I have enjoyed it!
Tom it would be helpful if your friend would post some info about his car? Surely U do not think his best time in practice was 15 seconds or worse, and that he has no idea of his gear ratio?:LOL:. You said no slicks but nothing about a DOT drag radical. Did the agreement require him to be the driver? Who came up with the 1/4 mile, U are your friend? If he is driving then one would assume he is having someone teach him how to launch the car. Who came up with the 1 out of 3 win?

Tom this smells like classic set up, or your friend is a dumb ass **). With that being said are there any Kirkham owners that can post some 1/4 times along with their car info and race experience?

" Tom it would be helpful if your friend would post some info about his car? "

Tom:

In the multitude of posts, I may have missed, what are the engine specs along with gearing of the transmission and rear end ?

Kirkham chassis/serial number is ?

PLDRIVE, my guess is Tom's Venture Capital friend is no dumb ass and knows exacly what he is doing. I'm with you though, seems like a classic set-up and somebody got their ego stroked and took the bet. C'mon guys, put yourself in Tom's position, he's just bought a Ferrari 458 Italia, its got some awsome stats, and the salesman probably blew smoke up his gazoo tellin' him his machine is faster than a speedin' bullet, has launch control and he can take anything on the road, so he ponied-up some heavy duty large and then his Venture Capital buddy, from VEGAS no less, hears about his purchase and calls him out, probably to the tune of, mine is bigger than yours and quicker than you can say no ******* way, the bets on.

Guys, this is all about boys and toys and bigger is better and y'all gotta admit we all took the bait. So Tommy bring it on and oh by the way what is your pals name?

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

I'm not taking sides on this one, 3 runs or not. It could go either way, even if we knew the stats on the Cobra, still, to many variables. Could be close, or, could be a complete shut out on either side. Interesting race...

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.

How is the friend going to lower his 1/4 mile time from 15 to 11 seconds in three weeks?

Also, under 12 seconds, doesn't the open cockpit Cobra have to have a real roll bar or some cage apparatus?

Words to live by, thanks for the advice.

I keep checking the Ferrari site that tom gave the link to, and he has NO responses to his post. I don't get it. I would think that a post like that would get some serious attention, like here. Where are the Ferrari guys!!!???? Tom??????:D
Why hasn't the Kirkham guy posted here to at least have some fun with us???
I'm just not getting this, but it has made for Great conversation. and alot of fun.
Lou

I agree...the biggest of which is, IMHO, the lack of experience of the Kirkham driver. He could red-light, he could go up in smoke, he could kill it off the line, he could fail to hit 3rd, he could end up switching ends halfway down the track.......

The 458 owner, on the other hand, only needs to put his right foot down, use his index finger a couple of times, keep it pointed straight, and the computer on the 458 will do the rest.

I'm with the 458, sad to say :(

Rodknock, there is no way the Cobra really ran a 14 or 15 second 1/4 mile. Paced off distance, stop watch, etc. We don't know what he might really run, but I gaurentee it will be well under 13, even if he totally screws up AND misses third! :) I'm not assuming the Cobra is as inexperienced as some seem to think.

A couple of thoughts on a possible "screw up".
This drag racing thing aint that complicated! A couple of test runs on the street or some discreet area (like we ALL do from time to time) is sufficient to get him in the ball park. On the other hand, for Tom in the Ferrari, I think it's more complex than simply "steering in a straight line and holding your foot down." There is plenty of room for either driver to make a "dumb mistake", but at the same time, this 1/4 mile thing "aint rocket science".

Accidents in the 1/4 can and do happen, but frankly, they are pretty darn rare, not a likely scenario for this race on either side.

Various tracks have various rules for how fast and what kind of equipement. Sometimes the rules are relaxed, or strictly enforced, thats a tough call. When I dropped into the 11's at Hawaii Raceway Park I had to have:
1. Arm restraints.
2. Nomex jacket.

I alway bring both with me to any drag race event, just in case, but have never needed them anywhere else, nor been kicked off. All though, breaking into the 10's could get substantially more complicated, on several levels. :)

I'm not surprised Tom hasn't got any responses on a Ferrari site. "New guy" posting about a drag race, or even worse, a drag race against a Cobra! I would think most Ferrari guys would tend to blow off such a thread from a newbie. Mainly because I seriously doubt ANY of them even consider drag racing an option in their life. Whereas, Cobra guys are ALWAYS talking about hole shots, traction issues, ET, horse power, gear ratio's, comparing one car to another. Heck thats what WE do all the time, it's WHY we have a Cobra. Of course were going to respond to any thread that suggests a Cobra might be beat, by anything.

Where are they? They are all laughing their collective asses off because they know that the only way to be beaten by a full-race Cobra is if driven by a full-race driver. The 458 has so many technological advantages that it will take a perfect run by the Kirkham to stay with it. Period. The Cobra was great for its time, and still holds its own against most modern cars. But the 458 resets the highbar, and at a level that only the most skilled driver in anything else can reach. It's game over.

Does anyone know the 0-100-0 time for the 458?

since we're benchracing and that's the best ferrari has i say hook'em up with hotfingers 9 sec ride and set'em off with 392's avatar with the bouncing boobs!!!!!!!

6.4 seconds to 100mph
10.8's 1/4 mile

Some 458 stats.....from Washington DC Ferrari web site:
 

458 Italia
The Ferrari 458 Italia, launched at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show 2009, is an 8-cylinder two-seater berlinetta with a mid-rear mounted engine, and represents a genuine break with the past in terms of Maranello's previous high-performance sports cars. Designed to fulfil the expectations and ambitions of our most passionate clients, the 458 Italia continues the Ferrari tradition of putting the thrill into driving as a result of track-derived technological innovations.

Maranello's racing experience can be felt not only in terms of pure technological transfer but also on a more emotional level, because of the strong emphasis on creating an almost symbiotic relationship between driver and car.

Specifications
Performance and Figures Innovation and Technologies Dimensions and Weight
Overall length 4527 mm (178.2 in.)
Overall width 1937 mm (76.3 in.)
Height 1213 mm (47.8 in.)
Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in.)
Dry weight 1380 kg (3042 lbs)*
Weight/power ratio 2,42 kg/CV (7.16 lbs/kW)
Weight distribution fr/r 42%/58%

Engine
Type V8 – 90°
Total displacement 4499 cc (274.5 cu in.)
Maximum power 570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm
Maximum torque 540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm
Specific power output 127 CV/l
Compression ratio 12.5:1

Tyres
Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5"
Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5"

Performance
Maximum speed >325 km/h (>202 mph)
0-100 km/h -

Fuel Consumption + Emissions
Fuel consumption*** 13.7 l/100 km
Emissions*** 307 g CO2/km

Gearbox
Gearbox Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1

Electronics
Electronics E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS

Note
* With forged wheels and Racing seats
** Including 5 CV of ram effect
*** Combined cycle (ECE+EUDC)

So Tommy, we know a lot about your car, can you talk to your Venture Capital friend and have him describe to you in detail what he has or do you know already?

Seems to me, if you are betting some heavy duty large, which you have explicitly implied, you would have done your due diligence first and know exactly what you are up against.

Maybe I am way off base here, and if so apologies in advance, but your guy does exist right, you have thrown out a lot of teasers but so far we have not got any evidence your guy exists. I would hate to think we were being played for the pleasure of the folks on the Ferrari owners forum.

While we may seem like a group of loose and disparate guys we all have one thing in common, we are Cobra enthusiasts and I for one take the challenge of participating [albeit by proxy] in a Ferrari smack down with great enthusiasm and I relish seeing the Cobra take down the Ferrari.:D

Understand, I am not bashing this post, its by far and away one of the best we have seen in a long time and its loads of fun, I just wanna make sure we take this gig to fruition.

Cheers, tin-man in China

http://strangebeaver.com/2011/02/bra...-ford-pick-up/


Enough said.



:)

Noticed - at :30 on the video - the airbag did not deploy. A 300K car capable of 200+ MPH and the airbag failed?? Whoa. Tommy - you better think twice before getting out on the track with such a dangerous vehicle.:LOL::LOL::LOL:

The truck however looked fine. Nice looking truck.:D

Anyway - back on topic. Sure wish your Cobra buddy could make his way to a computer to let us help him out.:confused:

I believe airbags only deploy at speeds over 30 MPH

No modifying the engine...no problem.
Swap out the Tremec for an automatic with a high stall converter and there are no more worries about the inexperienced Kirkham driver missing a shift.
Done and done!