First Annual Mojave Mile Event
- Thread starter TallCarGuy
- Start date
Fast Freddy
GPS'D 225 MPH
does anybody know if there will be a track photographer at this event? MKM's photographer or otherwise? also i got $100 for anybody who can get a quality vid of me flyin down the runway :thumbsup
Mike Borders
Member
- Jan 6, 2010
- 23
Hello, everyone,
Thanks to the moderators, who have graciously allowed me to post on your message board, in order to more directly address your questions and concerns about the Mojave Mile. Also, thanks to Richard Hille for kindly being my "conduit" to you.
I have spoken with several of you personally about your cars and entries, and we certainly look forward to seeing a big GT40 turnout. Your car of choice is unique in that it is a street-legal car that can easily outperform the class in which most "street-legal" cars are entered, namely the GS class with its upper speed limit of 165 mph. Because of Richard, "Fast Freddy" and a few others, we have gathered a lot of information about GT40s, and I think that for the most part we have a speed class for all of you. The exception, regrettably, at this point, are the cars that are so extensively modified that they can exceed 205 mph in the mile. To go faster than that requires a roll cage by our rules (plus a few other changes) and we completely understand that installing a roll cage in a GT40 is not something that owners wish to do, as it pretty much makes the car untenable for street or daily use. We haven't given up on you yet, however, and we will continue to try to accomodate all mods of GT40s as we evolve this event. Everything is in flux, and we are COUNTING on the feedback of our first group of participants to help up make the Mojave Mile the premiere Mile Shootout event on the West Coast.
As I have mentioned to many folks, this event is a one-day event on purpose, in order to learn just exactly what we can accomplish, logistically, at this new venue. All future events are planned to be 2-day meets (Sat/Sun) with the next one tentatively planned for early October. The Mojave Air & Space Port folks have been extremely accomodating and are a pleasure to work with. I am hoping this is the start of a long relationship with them, and that in 2011 and beyond we can evolve the Mojave Mile to a 4-5 event per year venue, similar to Maxton.
A few words about our "Z" Division: It is confusing, I know, and we are looking at changes to it for the next event. It was designed to provide a limited group of very high-performance cars the opportunity to compete without drastically altering their cars to do so (read: Ferrari, Lambo, GT40, etc.) For liability purposes, to do this we felt the cars had to run in factory condition, unchanged in nearly every way. (After all, the factory engineers are far smarter than we are!) This is why the seemingly confusing harness rule was there. But, as we considered this further with regards to GT40s, we recalled that your car has hard mounting points for harnesses already present; therefore, we can permit the use of harnesses in the Z Division. Not all cars have this feature, but if the factory provides these mount points, then obviously it is safer to use harnesses over lap/shoulder belts if you so choose.
Let me close by saying I will monitor this thread daily to answer questions, and for those of you that have signed up, we are planning a fun day of speed for you! Also, don't forget that we are running the Bonneville 100 Open Road Race in Wendover on June 26, 2010, for those of you who want to go a little further than one mile at triple-digit speeds.
Regards,
Mike Borders
General Manager
MKM Racing Promotions
www.openroadracing.com
www.mojavemile.com
Thanks to the moderators, who have graciously allowed me to post on your message board, in order to more directly address your questions and concerns about the Mojave Mile. Also, thanks to Richard Hille for kindly being my "conduit" to you.
I have spoken with several of you personally about your cars and entries, and we certainly look forward to seeing a big GT40 turnout. Your car of choice is unique in that it is a street-legal car that can easily outperform the class in which most "street-legal" cars are entered, namely the GS class with its upper speed limit of 165 mph. Because of Richard, "Fast Freddy" and a few others, we have gathered a lot of information about GT40s, and I think that for the most part we have a speed class for all of you. The exception, regrettably, at this point, are the cars that are so extensively modified that they can exceed 205 mph in the mile. To go faster than that requires a roll cage by our rules (plus a few other changes) and we completely understand that installing a roll cage in a GT40 is not something that owners wish to do, as it pretty much makes the car untenable for street or daily use. We haven't given up on you yet, however, and we will continue to try to accomodate all mods of GT40s as we evolve this event. Everything is in flux, and we are COUNTING on the feedback of our first group of participants to help up make the Mojave Mile the premiere Mile Shootout event on the West Coast.
As I have mentioned to many folks, this event is a one-day event on purpose, in order to learn just exactly what we can accomplish, logistically, at this new venue. All future events are planned to be 2-day meets (Sat/Sun) with the next one tentatively planned for early October. The Mojave Air & Space Port folks have been extremely accomodating and are a pleasure to work with. I am hoping this is the start of a long relationship with them, and that in 2011 and beyond we can evolve the Mojave Mile to a 4-5 event per year venue, similar to Maxton.
A few words about our "Z" Division: It is confusing, I know, and we are looking at changes to it for the next event. It was designed to provide a limited group of very high-performance cars the opportunity to compete without drastically altering their cars to do so (read: Ferrari, Lambo, GT40, etc.) For liability purposes, to do this we felt the cars had to run in factory condition, unchanged in nearly every way. (After all, the factory engineers are far smarter than we are!) This is why the seemingly confusing harness rule was there. But, as we considered this further with regards to GT40s, we recalled that your car has hard mounting points for harnesses already present; therefore, we can permit the use of harnesses in the Z Division. Not all cars have this feature, but if the factory provides these mount points, then obviously it is safer to use harnesses over lap/shoulder belts if you so choose.
Let me close by saying I will monitor this thread daily to answer questions, and for those of you that have signed up, we are planning a fun day of speed for you! Also, don't forget that we are running the Bonneville 100 Open Road Race in Wendover on June 26, 2010, for those of you who want to go a little further than one mile at triple-digit speeds.
Regards,
Mike Borders
General Manager
MKM Racing Promotions
www.openroadracing.com
www.mojavemile.com
Mullet
FORD GT OWNER
Mike:
I was reading that you will have a 20 foot rolling start then 5280 feet (1 mile). This will make all the runs made at your event an unfair advantage to other venues that do a true standing mile (5280 feet).
I'm sure you realize this will cause issues when people compare speeds from different venues. Yours is not a true standing mile. I see you are trying to shape your event like the others around the country and having a rolling start makes your completely different than the other Mile events.
Any car running over 220mph requires a chute???
Also, I get a chuckle out of all the Mile events that require a roll bar for a car going over a certain speed however a motorcycle can run any speed they want.
I was reading that you will have a 20 foot rolling start then 5280 feet (1 mile). This will make all the runs made at your event an unfair advantage to other venues that do a true standing mile (5280 feet).
I'm sure you realize this will cause issues when people compare speeds from different venues. Yours is not a true standing mile. I see you are trying to shape your event like the others around the country and having a rolling start makes your completely different than the other Mile events.
Any car running over 220mph requires a chute???
Also, I get a chuckle out of all the Mile events that require a roll bar for a car going over a certain speed however a motorcycle can run any speed they want.
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Mike Borders
Member
- Jan 6, 2010
- 23
The purpose of the 20-ft box is to preserve drivetrains. And, since this event does not have any records to shoot for as of yet, the objective is for everyone to have fun and go home with unbroken equipment. No one is required to stage behind the line, the option is merely there. We also have a lot of SCTA and Land Speed type entries that normally begin with a push-start, but to run our event they must start under their own power, which is harder on their racing-type setups than it is for street clutches.
As we evolve into records and more defined classes, then obviously such records would have to be from a specific start line. As mile shootout venues develop in the US and elsewhere, it is possible that these organizations can work together to define rules and develop classes and records across all venues. When that time comes, the start-line rules will tighten up for those seeking to achieve class records.
Your statement about bikes applies to EVERY form of racing that currently exists: Drag Racing, Grand Prix, Enduro, Road Racing, off-road racing, Land Speed, EVERYTHING. Cars have roll bars and cages, bikes obviously cannot. I believe all racing venues should (and most will) do everything they can to keep racers safe within the limits of what is possible. For bikes, that means armored leathers, gauntlets, boots, kill switches, safety wires, and anything else they can think of to make up for the lack of a roll bar or cage.
If you talk to anyone who has ever raced with me in our Open Road Racing events, they will tell you that I err on the side of safety when making decisions regarding safety requirements, even if it excludes a few racers. For you, I realize this means you probably won't attend because your car is faster than the 205 mph limit we allow for cars without roll cages. If Texas is comfortable with you running 220+ without a roll cage, fire system, and fuel cell, that is their call, but I am not, for I have seen and experienced the end result of cars that crash at those speeds.
As we evolve into records and more defined classes, then obviously such records would have to be from a specific start line. As mile shootout venues develop in the US and elsewhere, it is possible that these organizations can work together to define rules and develop classes and records across all venues. When that time comes, the start-line rules will tighten up for those seeking to achieve class records.
Your statement about bikes applies to EVERY form of racing that currently exists: Drag Racing, Grand Prix, Enduro, Road Racing, off-road racing, Land Speed, EVERYTHING. Cars have roll bars and cages, bikes obviously cannot. I believe all racing venues should (and most will) do everything they can to keep racers safe within the limits of what is possible. For bikes, that means armored leathers, gauntlets, boots, kill switches, safety wires, and anything else they can think of to make up for the lack of a roll bar or cage.
If you talk to anyone who has ever raced with me in our Open Road Racing events, they will tell you that I err on the side of safety when making decisions regarding safety requirements, even if it excludes a few racers. For you, I realize this means you probably won't attend because your car is faster than the 205 mph limit we allow for cars without roll cages. If Texas is comfortable with you running 220+ without a roll cage, fire system, and fuel cell, that is their call, but I am not, for I have seen and experienced the end result of cars that crash at those speeds.
LarryS
GT Owner
stock seatbelts ???
Hi Mike,
How fast will a 100% stock Ford GT be allowed to go?
NOT how fast will it go.
100% stock as it left the showroom,
seatbelts = 100% oem stock....
thanks....Larry
Hi Mike,
How fast will a 100% stock Ford GT be allowed to go?
NOT how fast will it go.
100% stock as it left the showroom,
seatbelts = 100% oem stock....
thanks....Larry
SYCO GT
GT Owner
I'm officially dropping out of the event, it's been busy since Jan 1, this year, not sure why, but just plugging away.
Have a great time everyone!
Have a great time everyone!
Mike Borders
Member
- Jan 6, 2010
- 23
190 mph in the Auto Z class, using level 2 clothing/safety gear, 165 mph in the GT class using Level 1 clothing/safety gear.
Mike B
BlackICE
GT Owner
The extra 20' won't make much of a difference either way. Just think about how much faster your car will go if the runway was 1 mile + 20'. Most cars just aren't accelerating much at the end of a mile. It is mostly a psychological boost to some drivers so they won't be as motivated to do an aggressive launch. Remember this isn't a 1/4 time slip where a the launch makes a big difference in the ET. The trap speed in the 1/4 is not so dependent on the 60' times and it is even more true in the 1 mile.
I would be OK with setting the course length to just a mile for even the 1st event because it is NBD. Just do an easy launch knowing that it really doesn't matter for most cars. Now is you are running a jet powered car that is just getting going at 200 MPH that is a different story.
I would be OK with setting the course length to just a mile for even the 1st event because it is NBD. Just do an easy launch knowing that it really doesn't matter for most cars. Now is you are running a jet powered car that is just getting going at 200 MPH that is a different story.
Mullet
FORD GT OWNER
From my experience if you don't launch just about as hard as a 1/4 launch your top end speed will be lower. If you don't believe me that's OK it will be my little advantage. :thumbsup
It took 994rwhp, Hoosier R6's and the coarse pavement to snap the stock axle on my GT. I did 7-8 other similar burnouts before it let go. Stock, Pulley or Whipple and I believe you are pretty safe doing hard lauches.
Fast Freddy
GPS'D 225 MPH
as i recall from MKM's HIGH Roller Shootout at Nellis AFB that i raced at, that 20 foot box is not what it seems. in other words if you stage at the back of that box you only get approximately a 5 foot head start because your car is ~ 15 feet long and by putting your rear bumper at the back of that box you only get a 5 foot advantage from the nose of your car to the start line. at NHRA events or any 1/4 mile dragstrip you can get up to a 7 inch head start between the beams at the starting line by "shallow staging".
deep staging versus shallow staging at 1/4 mile dragstrips effects not only your trap speed but your ET as well. shallow staging 5 feet at a one mile top speed shootout is gonna give you a higher trap speed than a deep stage assuming you were to launch the same from either starting position.
EDIT - i never launched my viper from the back of the box at the HIGH Roller mile shootout. it may very well have been that a car could have been launched from 20 feet back of the starting line at the cars nose? i launched my viper from the front of the box every time. even though i gave up some speed doing this i still had the fastest car at the event and won the event as a result of more consistency.
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SYCO GT
GT Owner
Hmmmmm. I've always wanted to attend a GT event and just document the whole thing as a spectator. I've never gotten the photos I've wanted to, because I typically bring only a point and shoot camera to GT Rallies, and am busy enjoying the event as a driver. It'd be nice to professionally shoot a GT event. Not sure who I would talk to. I guess if I was working the event, that my wife and family couldn't accuse me of goofing off with my GT.
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skyrex
FORD GT OWNER
Maybe all us GT guys need to chip in and hire you. I know I could use some pro shots of mine.......and it would be nice to have some great pics to back up my tall tales of how I actually did at the event. :wink :lol
Mike Borders,
Thank you for taking the time to understand the Ford GT and how it is performance ready from the factory with things like the stock fastener points for a racing harness. We appreciate you and your team putting this event together, for your focus on safety, and hope our anal outlooks about our particular car does not put you under for the count! :thumbsup
We look forward to meeting you, Mary and the rest of the MKM team next month.
Kevin Roberts
Thank you for taking the time to understand the Ford GT and how it is performance ready from the factory with things like the stock fastener points for a racing harness. We appreciate you and your team putting this event together, for your focus on safety, and hope our anal outlooks about our particular car does not put you under for the count! :thumbsup
We look forward to meeting you, Mary and the rest of the MKM team next month.
Kevin Roberts
Apollo
GT Owner
SYCO GT
GT Owner
Thanks so much for the vote of confidence.
Turns out it is Opening Day for my son's baseball team, and I am helping out, so I am out...
Have a great time gentlemen! :thumbsup
GTMikey
GT Owner
I have an HD video camera. Not sure where we can sit/view but I will video everyone I can. I want to find a way to dash mount or mount the camera so it shows the gauges etc...
Hi Mike
Now that I've been talking among my friends running in the Mile, a friend of mine with a Ferrari M16 (which is the limited production convertible version of the 430 Scuderia) would like to run in the Mile. Her car is completely stock and has OEM pop-up roll bars, as such please advise if the pop-up roll bars will suffice for safety requirements. thx
Ed
Mike Borders
Member
- Jan 6, 2010
- 23
Ed,
The M16 will be allowed to run in the Auto-Z Division, with the driver using level 2 clothing, and (assuming the tires are Y-rated) be given a max speed of 190 mph. The pop-up roll bars allow the car to run, however we would prefer the top to be up as well if possible. Don't forget the Fire Extinguisher!
Without level 2 clothing, she would/could run in the GT Division with a max speed allowed of 165 mph.
If she has no previous experience over 150 mph, she will receive a Basic license limiting her to that speed until she completes a pass at 140-150 mph, whereupon she may exchange it for a Sportsman license which permits speeds up to 205 mph (restricted to 190 mph by the limits of the "Z" class, of course).
Mike B
The M16 will be allowed to run in the Auto-Z Division, with the driver using level 2 clothing, and (assuming the tires are Y-rated) be given a max speed of 190 mph. The pop-up roll bars allow the car to run, however we would prefer the top to be up as well if possible. Don't forget the Fire Extinguisher!
Without level 2 clothing, she would/could run in the GT Division with a max speed allowed of 165 mph.
If she has no previous experience over 150 mph, she will receive a Basic license limiting her to that speed until she completes a pass at 140-150 mph, whereupon she may exchange it for a Sportsman license which permits speeds up to 205 mph (restricted to 190 mph by the limits of the "Z" class, of course).
Mike B