Has average speed for Speedweek records gone DOWN?

[Ratliff]

In 1973, most records were over 175 mph.

Page 1

[Ratliff]

Page 2

[Ratliff]

Page 3.

[McRat]

Average record speed for cars for SW '08 was 191.8mph, there were 61 records of over 175 set, or 56%.

[McRat]

What gets me thinking is Production.

IIRC, production performance cars in the late 1960's had top speeds of about 140mph, perhaps limited COPO type cars could muster 175.  But many of the record Production cars are from this era.

In the last 10 years, the horsepower wars with the modern emission-controlled supercars has several cars over 200 with the window stickers still in them.  Top Gear ran a Bugatti over 250mph on camera.  It was asphault at sea level, but still world's apart from the Muscle Car Era offerings.  Even the C6 Corvette which is an "affordable" supercar, has been GPS measured over 175 bone stock.

Were the rules far different then, or was engine output and aerodynamics far better back in 60's?  Or something else?

[Ratliff]

What gets me thinking is Production.

IIRC, production performance cars in the late 1960's had top speeds of about 140mph, perhaps limited COPO type cars could muster 175.  But many of the record Production cars are from this era.

In the last 10 years, the horsepower wars with the modern emission-controlled supercars has several cars over 200 with the window stickers still in them.  Top Gear ran a Bugatti over 250mph on camera.  It was asphault at sea level, but still world's apart from the Muscle Car Era offerings.  Even the C6 Corvette which is an "affordable" supercar, has been GPS measured over 175 bone stock.

Were the rules far different then, or was engine output and aerodynamics far better back in 60's?  Or something else?

I can't say for certain all the production car records held as of 1973 were set with supercharged cars, but in the rulebook there was no differentiation made between supercharged and normally aspirated engines.

[John Romero]

In 1973, most records were over 175 mph.

Page 1

And your point is...... missing.

In 1973 the fastest H powered vehicle in SCTA was 193.167 MPH (H/S streamliner).

In 2008 my H powered production based Honda Civic has a faster record (195.818 MPH) and the H powered streamliner record is 324.014 MPH.

Contrast that with the H/Prop record of *zero* and now I can see the point.

[Ratliff]

In 1973, most records were over 175 mph.

Page 1

And your point is...... missing.

In 1973 the fastest H powered vehicle in SCTA was 193.167 MPH (H/S streamliner).

In 2008 my H powered production based Honda Civic has a faster record (195.818 MPH) and the H powered streamliner record is 324.014 MPH.

Contrast that with the H/Prop record of *zero* and now I can see the point.

When I get motivated, maybe I'll add up all the 1973 records and see where the average speed works out relative to 191.8 mph.

[John Romero]

In 1973, most records were over 175 mph.

Page 1

And your point is...... missing.

In 1973 the fastest H powered vehicle in SCTA was 193.167 MPH (H/S streamliner).

In 2008 my H powered production based Honda Civic has a faster record (195.818 MPH) and the H powered streamliner record is 324.014 MPH.

Contrast that with the H/Prop record of *zero* and now I can see the point.

When I get motivated, maybe I'll add up all the 1973 records and see where the average speed works out relative to 191.8 mph.

Please do. You have posted 26 times today alone so between that and your averaging irrelevant data I figure you will never have an actual race car.

Also, do you want me to send you a different year rule book? Say 1971 or 1977? It would at least give us a *little* break in the monotonous reporting of the same data over and over...

[Ratliff]

In 1973, most records were over 175 mph.

Page 1

And your point is...... missing.

In 1973 the fastest H powered vehicle in SCTA was 193.167 MPH (H/S streamliner).

In 2008 my H powered production based Honda Civic has a faster record (195.818 MPH) and the H powered streamliner record is 324.014 MPH.

Contrast that with the H/Prop record of *zero* and now I can see the point.

When I get motivated, maybe I'll add up all the 1973 records and see where the average speed works out relative to 191.8 mph.

Please do. You have posted 26 times today alone so between that and your averaging irrelevant data I figure you will never have an actual race car.

Also, do you want me to send you a different year rule book? Say 1971 or 1977? It would at least give us a *little* break in the monotonous reporting of the same data over and over...

The average speed I came up with for the 107 car records listed as of 1973 was 191.822 mph. So after 35 years of technical progress, there has been absolutely no increase in the average speed of SCTA speed records.

[Roadsters.com]

The average speed I came up with for the 107 car records listed as of 1973 was 191.822 mph. So after 35 years of technical progress, there has been absolutely no increase in the average speed of SCTA speed records.

To be fair, wouldn't this be a reflection of increased activity in lower-displacement classes (partly as a result of minimizing the cost of racing)?

[McRat]

83% of the records were pushing up the existing record, 17% were open records.  Average gain was 11mph. 
Seems that's a pretty healthy push for a single year.

[John Romero]

To be fair, wouldn't this be a reflection of increased activity in lower-displacement classes (partly as a result of minimizing the cost of racing)?

Franklin is not trying to be fair.

Of course, he didnt bother to compare apples to apples (class to class). He cares nothing about the truth, only furthering his own agenda. It's garbage posts like these that make him the butt of most everyones jokes.

[Ratliff]

The average speed I came up with for the 107 car records listed as of 1973 was 191.822 mph. So after 35 years of technical progress, there has been absolutely no increase in the average speed of SCTA speed records.

To be fair, wouldn't this be a reflection of increased activity in lower-displacement classes (partly as a result of minimizing the cost of racing)?

The increase in the top end would certainly have to be offset by an increase in the bottom end for there to be no change in the average.

[Ratliff]

To be fair, wouldn't this be a reflection of increased activity in lower-displacement classes (partly as a result of minimizing the cost of racing)?

Franklin is not trying to be fair.

Of course, he didnt bother to compare apples to apples (class to class). He cares nothing about the truth, only furthering his own agenda. It's garbage posts like these that make him the butt of most everyones jokes.

In 1973, there was no such thing as a supercharged, normally aspirated, fuel or gas streamliner or lakester. All records were based solely on achieving the maximum speed per cubic inch for a given displacement class.