I agree with Sparky and have a little to add.
Many people have unrealistic expectations based on their previous experience in other forms of motorsport.
The fundamentals of LSR haven't changed, we are fighting drag.
As Rex pointed out there are few disciplines that require an engine to run at WOT for five miles, if the horsepower solution is applied then an arms race with power on one side and reliability on the other quickly escalates , the more you spend on power the more you need to spend on strength and reliability to protect your investment.
Everybody wants to go 200mph , until they do, then it's not enough. Many people want to do it their "car of choice" , ...."just because"...Trucks, many many cars and roadsters have been pushed to outer limits of what would seem even plausible...to the casual observer it would seem that loads of power will get them there...they ignore traction and stability let alone aerodynamics, lessons that the record holders have learned slowly and mostly expensively.
On this site are just about all the answers, if not the answers then the questions to set you in the right direction. Budget racing is Formula V and Karts...this,LSR, is a strange search for something that most racers can't even quantify.
I have seen some cars here ( AUS) that were astoundingly fast for their cost , and some that are astoundingly expensive for their speed. Therein lies part of the attraction. Some are clever , some are hardworking , some are both and some are neither.
Determination, stubborness, genius , even stupidity and sometimes just plain luck are all part of the party....Jon Noonan hasn't gone over 200 200 times because he can find cheap 'busa motors, he boxes clever.
Do the research, almost nothing is new ,someone somewhere has probably thought of it already, learn the principles apply them and assess the results.........and?
.....................minimise drag!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good thread Jonny.
