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

[Excaliber]

...gentlemen have large egos...

Well thats covers about 99% of Cobra owners, so, no big revelation there.

Tommy, being skeptical of "newbies" just comes with the territory on most car related sites. It's problematic, but some what justified, there have been some extreme examples of "trolls" here and there. Take it with a grain of salt.

Heat from three runs on the Cobra won't be a factor is my opinion.

[Buzz]

I agree with Ernie. Unless there is something already wrong, or the driver burns the clutch badly, three runs will just get the Cobra warmed up. Again, this is wholly dependent on the assumption of quality driveline components and a proper build.
Not sure how bulletproof the 458 is, but I know that M5's and GTR's have had some issues after a few hard takeoffs using launch control.
All in all, I still think the Cobra driver is in for a rough time. I hope this happens and we get to see the follow up, unlike some of the great challenges of the past that sadly faded away into nothing!

[dlampe]

I would ask/advise you buddy with the Kirkham to get some new tires. I'm sure the tires he has are road race slicks, not drag slicks meaning that it take a while to heat them up. They will be "slick" on the drag strip. The other point to consider is the age of his tires. Slicks will dry out. It is a legitimate safety issue. Tires are cheap, don't take the chance.

That cobra could easily run in the 10's but he could also turn a blistering 14 second quarter as well. He should short shift all the way through. With the level of torque he has, he should pull with lower RPM's with out a problem. That would go a long way towards keeping it under control.