Topic: 3rd annual Race The Runway top-speed challenge, Aug 23 (Sat), 2014

[Scarecrow]

Yesterday I attended the third annual Race The Runway charity event at the Russ Beach Airport in Smiths Falls/Montague (www.racetherunway.com)  This is a unique event in eastern Canada and combines a competitive timed high-speed run sessions with a classic car show and charity fun rides for spectators.

This is my second time at the RTR event. Last year I was just a spectator, but this time I entered my Cobra in the classic car show.

I arrived around 9:00 am under dark and threatening cloud cover.  I parked next to my friend Roger's 1964 Impala and Chris's IROC Camaro Z/28 with an unobstructed view of the runway and high-speed runs.





A spectator offered to take a photo of me in my own car which, strangely enough, is a very rare thing as I'm usually behind the wheel or behind the lens.



There were plenty of Cobras at this year's event, including two which competed in the top-speed challenge.

This is Martin's BRM (Boss Replica Motors) Cobra which is powered by a 350-hp Ford 302. Martin ran in last year's event too. He completed all three runs today. His final results (quarter mile time + top speed) were:

Run #1 - 12.95 sec. + 190 km/h
Run #2 - 13.05 sec. + 170 km/h
Run #3 - 12.85 sec. + 184 km/h



This is Steve's ARC Cobra which is powered by a 535-hp 427 stroker (351W). Steve was a first-time participant in the top-speed challenge. He completed all three runs today. His final results (quarter mile time + top speed) were:

Run #1 - 14.31 sec. + 165 km/h
Run #2 - 14.33 sec. + 168 km/h
Run #3 - 15.15 sec. + 170 km/h



Gotta love how he painted "Goodyear Eagle" on his Mickey Thompson Sportman S/Rs...  LOL



Steve, finishing up his second run.

There were four Cobras in the car show, including mine.  This is a very early production (serial #1085) Factory Five Racing Cobra from New York. I wasn't able to meet the owner (Michael) and didn't learn much about this particular car.





This is Al's ARC Cobra (same company as Steve's). It was on display in the Town & Country Chrysler display area. If I remember correctly, it's powered by a Ford 351W.





Al still needs to finish trimming the interior of his ARC Cobra.



This is Bill's Factory Five Racing Cobra which he originally built for autocrossing. It's powered by a 302 and features a heavy metalflake orange paint job.





Some random shots of the classic car show area.









Some Italian exotics in the classic car show: a De Tomaso Pantera GTS and a Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder.







"The Ultimate Crumpet Collector": Series 1 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 with flat floor



Lotus Elise



Roger's 1964 Impala, with a license plate to go with the crowd...  ;-)



Lamborghini Diablo and Countach, supercars of a bygone time.



My friend Richard's 2014 C7 Corvette Z51 parked next to the Countach. Richard has helped out with the RTR event every year. This year he was pacing the competitors out to the starting line in his shiny new C7.



Some of the other top-speed challenge competitors



2010 Trans Am Custom



This is Mark's Ford GT40 MkI replica from GT Developments which is powered by a 410-horsepower Ford 289. Mark was a first-time participant in the top-speed challenge. He completed two of three runs today. His final results (quarter mile time + top speed) were:

Run #1 - 12.40 sec. + 211 km/h
Run #2 - 12.38 sec. + 217 km/h





Bundle of snakes!!



This is J.C.'s 1974 De Tomaso Pantera which he entered in the high-speed run session for the first time. It's powered by a 330-horsepower Ford 351C. He completed all three runs today. His final results (quarter mile time + top speed) were:

Run #1 - 12.33 sec. + 196 km/h
Run #2 - 12.27 sec. + 211 km/h
Run #3 - 12.20 sec. + 208 km/h



Another 1974 Pantera.



2010 Viper ACR



The lead sponsor for this year's RTR event was OB Prestige Auto in Montreal. This is the Lamborghini Aventador that Prestige Auto ran -- and won -- in the 2013 Race The Runway event.



This is OB Prestige Auto's 2012 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Stradale. Its modified Heffner twin-turbo 6.0-litre V10 is putting out quite a bit more than a standard Gallardo -- wouldja believe 2,000 horsepower...!!??



This car was the overall winner for 2014 with the following, mind-blowing results (quarter mile time + top speed):

Run #1 - 10.00 sec. + 304 km/h
Run #2 - 9.13 sec. + 330 km/h
Run #3 - 8.90 sec. + 330 km/h

Apparently, the car overran the runway and crashed on its final run. I did not see it happen, as I had already left for home.

[rrocket]

Awesome!!

I REALLY wish this would have been going on when I had the Supra.  I would have done quite well!!

I could run 10.3s in the 1/4....but how much room do you get for the top speed run? 

[Scarecrow]

Awesome!!

I REALLY wish this would have been going on when I had the Supra.  I would have done quite well!!

I could run 10.3s in the 1/4....but how much room do you get for the top speed run?

The runway is three-quarters of a mile long,.  I think they place the speed traps at the half mile.

A 10.3 quarter would place you in the Top 10.

[Northernridge]

Great report, excellent commentary. 

[wing]

[Scarecrow]

That is Steve's ARC, Wing.

Were you there yesterday?  If so, did you happen to see my Cobra in the show?

[Railton]

Well done Scarecrow. Likely the best thing to happen to Smith Falls in a long history of disappointments.
Railton

[wing]

I didn't go but a lot of friends did.  All the 1morelap cars.

[quadzilla]

Great report

[phazotron]

Beautiful photos and a great write up.

[blur911]

Gotta love how he painted "Goodyear Eagle" on his Mickey Thompson Sportman S/Rs...  LOL

I also noticed he has the front tires on backwards.

BTW, did the tires suck?  His results were not very impressive for the HP

[Scarecrow]

Gotta love how he painted "Goodyear Eagle" on his Mickey Thompson Sportman S/Rs...  LOL

I also noticed he has the front tires on backwards.

BTW, did the tires suck?  His results were not very impressive for the HP

Yeah, I noticed that too when I was looking at my photos after I got home.  They are directional treads, so maybe they had some effect on his times but I never had the chance to speak with him after his runs to ask.  But generally speaking the Mickey T S/Rs are pretty good tires.

Not sure what gearing he has in his tranny and rear end.  That, combined with barn door aerodynamics, might've been a bigger factor.

Then again, maybe he was just doing it for fun and didn't care too much about scores.  I'll have to ask him next time I see him.

[Scarecrow]

A friend of mine was speaking with Steve after the RTR runs were over, and found out why his times were so bad given his engine's 535 horsepower.

It turns out that he'd lost third gear, and had to do 1-2-4-5 shifts which hurt his times.

[Arthur Dent]

What a cool event. I wanted to enter my old 220D in an event like this but ran out of time.

[blur911]

A friend just posted some pics on Facebook, he's in a black 911S in line behind a blue Cobra, might have been you.   I think he ran low-mid 12's.