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View Full Version : Downshifting at 150 MPH....

CharlieLed
10-09-2003, 11:37 PM
A friend at work races a Corvette Z06 in timed desert road races. At a recent race in the Nevada desert he saw this extreme high-dollar Nissan 350Z. A Japanese racing group built this car, brought it to the US, and had intended to set a new speed record. Notice the helicopter in the background, they hired it to document this monumental fete....
CharlieLed
10-09-2003, 11:39 PM
You may wonder why I titled this post "downshifting at 150 MPH", well here's where you end up when you do....
prime mover
10-09-2003, 11:40 PM
they should make this a sport, it makes sense to have something between land speed racing and what used to be stock car racing.
CharlieLed
10-09-2003, 11:40 PM
Here's a view from the other side. The driver walked away unhurt but the Japanese group only managed to get 7 minutes of run-time on this car before the accident...
4t64rd
10-09-2003, 11:45 PM
Did the driver give any explaination for this action?
CharlieLed
10-09-2003, 11:49 PM
The driver said that he "heard a noise in the car" and decided that it would be best to bring it to a stop right away. A bystander reported that he heard the car downshift and then the rear tire blew out. The car rolled seven times before coming to a stop as you see it pictured.
55olds88
10-09-2003, 11:56 PM
Oh yeah stand on the brakes and downshift at 150 that's gotta be a good idea..... I'm personally a beliver in the slow and easy stop.
Still one less riceburner http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
We have some guys here with the fastest Nissan Skyline outside of japan, with something like 90k of engine work, I figure a good 30k SBC in it would have done just as good.
famous59
10-09-2003, 11:57 PM
THey must have never heard of the option "brake pedal"
oddrod
10-10-2003, 12:13 AM
hey, what about puttin it in neutral and gently pumping the brakes? if it has anti locks you're even better off. wtf?
D Picasso
10-10-2003, 12:40 AM
a few miles east they hold the Big Bend Open Road Race which sees cars, and wrecks, like the one above. there's been a few fatalities over the years.

amusing story: first year of the race, and I believe it's in its 5th year now, an entrant spun out and rolled but was generally unhurt. track officials and recovery crew find the car, and nearby, several duffle bags full of pot. seems they wiped out smack in the middle of a drop point. whoopsy! the race was delayed a while so the Border Patrol could gather the goods.
metalshapes
10-10-2003, 01:53 AM
Nice pics, those Japs do some amazing sheet metal work, but I like our way of chopping a top better.
hemi
10-10-2003, 02:51 AM
All that work....I mean ALL that work.
And seven minutes of run time?

hahahaaha!
I'd be pretty pissed.

Think ol' speedy will get to wheel the next car?
lulabelle
10-10-2003, 08:41 AM
pictures # 2-3 are like what I see when I look at my 51. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
fordiac
10-10-2003, 08:48 AM
there has to be video out there of that crash....

I want to see it!
Mai Ki-Ki
10-10-2003, 09:58 AM
reminds me of my 'rally mates' who managed to shift the datsun into reverse at 70mph on a freeway....no flippin' but got pretty f**king dizzy before we stopped...

maiki http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
daign
10-10-2003, 12:30 PM
ahahahahaha.

That WOULD have been a fun car to drive. I wonder who kicked the drivers ass afterward. Had I built it, he would have wished that cage would have collapsed on him rather than get out.

-Dane
Petejoe
10-10-2003, 12:39 PM
[ QUOTE ]
they should make this a sport, it makes sense to have something between land speed racing and what used to be stock car racing.


[/ QUOTE ]
Yea, I think they should make a sport of taking all the ricemoblies out in the desert and run over a few cactus's before hitting a Plateau or two. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
modernbeat
10-10-2003, 12:43 PM
[ QUOTE ]
All that work....I mean ALL that work.
And seven minutes of run time?

hahahaaha!
I'd be pretty pissed.


[/ QUOTE ]

Could have been worse. It could have been 1/4 mile drags hit the wall at the 1/8 mile at 5 seconds!
Sailor
10-10-2003, 01:27 PM
I hope they build a new car and try again. All that trouble to set a landspeedrecord. Gotta like that no matter what make the car originally started out as.
plan9
10-10-2003, 01:35 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I hope they build a new car and try again. All that trouble to set a landspeedrecord. Gotta like that no matter what make the car originally started out as.

[/ QUOTE ]

i bet they will... thats racing, win some and you deffinately loose a lot. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
cleatus
10-10-2003, 02:31 PM
Just goes to show that no matter how big your budget is, it won't keep your head from being sucked up your ass.
wingnutz
10-10-2003, 06:37 PM
"OK" I thin I remember wat he said..., Ya ... I got it...? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

"L" for "Leap"! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Uh..., "D" for "DRAG"! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif UHm "R" for "RACE" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif and "P" for "PASS"..., http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I'll try that...! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
CharlieLed
10-10-2003, 06:57 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I hope they build a new car and try again. All that trouble to set a landspeedrecord. Gotta like that no matter what make the car originally started out as.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sailor - it's interesting that you bring up the point about trying again, I found out that this IS the second attempt. Last year the same team brought over a Nissan Skyline to run but it never ran long enough to get up to 150 MPH.. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I have to believe that the helicopter DID videotape the run/crash but I don't think that they are going to be too anxious to share it...
Boones
10-10-2003, 08:07 PM
Those Nevada Races are bitchin.. That 69 Camaro called Big Red was so over the top.. Does it still hold the record? or has it finally be broken..
Travis
10-10-2003, 11:43 PM
I remember reading about that Big Red 69 Camaro. The author of the article I read got to ride shotgun in it on one of his runs. The part I clearly remember was the driver's dad telling the author something like this...

"Now remember, when that tach his 7000rpm in 4th gear, you are going 200+ mph"...

One of the baddest cars on the planet.

Travis
28rpu
10-10-2003, 11:46 PM
That car was at Bonneville. Starters had a hard time communicating with them.