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View Full Version : Nevada Open Road Challenge, May 2023



Dave Tabor
05-25-2023, 11:56 PM
This is a twice-a-year event that takes place on Highway 318, south of Ely Nevada.

https://sscc.us/history.aspx

May 18th - 21st, 2023
61 miles, out and back for 122 total

September 14th - 17th, 2023
90 miles, one-way

The goal is to come as close to a pre-determined average speed over the length of the course. Speed classes start at 95 mph and go on up to 170+. I did this last May in the 100-mph group with a dedicated navigator. The road is closed to through-traffic and cars leave at one-minute intervals- fastest cars first. If you and others do everything right, there is no passing.

There were about 100 cars and people from all over- even overseas. The ~60 minutes of driving is just part of the long weekend:

Thursday: drive out to Ely NV, check-in, ice-cream social
Friday: tech inspection, standing half and one-mile shootout, change the starter, parade of cars through town, welcome reception
Saturday: pancake breakfast and car show in the park, navigator’s workshop, drivers meeting
Sunday: rally and awards dinner

You end up meeting all sorts of people (now friends) as well as seeing the ones you met last time. There was a large group who were first-time, rookie attendees which was great to see.

This year I was with Rsnake (Greg) and we swapped driver/navigator spots in the 110 group, each of us driving 61 miles. To navigate, we used a table of expected times to mile-markers, a stopwatch and hand signals (slow down or speed up relative to 110 mph). After both legs we were 0.775 secs off which got us 5th out of 21 cars.

Greg and I can’t wait to get back – My car passed the tech requirements for the 130-155 mph class but I’ll likely do 115 next.

Videos will come out (first one is up) on cobradayontabuild:
https://www.youtube.com/@cobradaytonabuild1671

Follow me on Instagram @davesdaytona

Dave
Gen III Coupe #17
FRPP 302 carbureted, TKO600, IRS
Toyo R888R

Dave Tabor
05-31-2023, 05:43 PM
Some videos:

Fly-by short clips:

https://youtu.be/VdusO2C5s0Y

https://youtu.be/R__OxkGv-Fo


Standing Mile:

https://youtu.be/r8YPU80E_CQ


Train coming in at Ely Station:

https://youtu.be/A_uX2cR8W5g


Southbound Rally:

https://youtu.be/rV2CQFRG-uw

Northbound Rally:

https://youtu.be/CIOkcpmcExQ

Dave
Gen III #17

Jim1855
06-01-2023, 09:19 AM
Very cool Dave. Congrats on your accomplishment.

From the camera vantage point it's not real exciting, almost seems slow-mo. I'd attribute most of this to your stable driving and straight roads. Did it feel fast behind the steering wheel?

From my experience the brain processes faster to match the speed, the hand (steering) motions slow down and you get into a "zone". I like it there, guessing you do to.

Jim

Dave 53
06-01-2023, 09:38 AM
I hope to try this next year. Not just for the however minutes of driving - for the whole experience of all of it!

I use to race go karts on the same tracks I now drive my 818. My go kart topped out at 100mph, an inch off the ground and 6 inches behind the kart in front of me and it never felt that fast. 100 down the straight at Thunderhill or Sonoma FEELS much faster in my 818.

Dave Tabor
06-01-2023, 10:28 AM
Very cool Dave. Congrats on your accomplishment.

From the camera vantage point it's not real exciting, almost seems slow-mo. I'd attribute most of this to your stable driving and straight roads. Did it feel fast behind the steering wheel?

From my experience the brain processes faster to match the speed, the hand (steering) motions slow down and you get into a "zone". I like it there, guessing you do to.

Jim

Jim, I'd say the rally is sort of a 'therapeutic' drive. We were driving mostly between 100 and 120 mph- the road is mostly straight but you have to pay attention- no time to think about anything else and you have to focus. But it's not like you are diving at the limit of the car or yourself like on a road course. It was cool that the mile markers come up about every half-minute. Exhilarating in it's own way. Still, it's the whole weekend- road-trip out there, the various events, the people, and being in the coolest car doing something silly.

Dave
Gen III #17

Rsnake
06-01-2023, 12:16 PM
Therapeutic for you! I had to change my underwear when we finished:)
It was a great time and everyone needs to do it once, bucket list item.

Skuzzy
06-01-2023, 05:10 PM
I am going to have to do this, when I am done with my car. Put it on the bucket list.

Jim1855
06-01-2023, 06:06 PM
I'd better get the Challenge Car done. Not getting any younger. They let old guys run?
Jim

Dave Tabor
06-02-2023, 08:53 PM
I'd better get the Challenge Car done. Not getting any younger. They let old guys run?
Jim

Old guys, no problem!

Dave
Gen III #17

Bob-STL
06-04-2023, 09:15 PM
Standing Mile:

https://youtu.be/r8YPU80E_CQ




This has to be one of the best videos I've ever seen on this forum!

Great work!

Dave Tabor
06-04-2023, 09:52 PM
Standing Mile:

https://youtu.be/r8YPU80E_CQ




This has to be one of the best videos I've ever seen on this forum!

Great work!

Wow- thank you so much!

I have to say the standing mile with data was pretty cool- and a great drive- you are really focused- the car is stable but the motor is really working and I'm just waiting for the 'BAM!' of something failing- left foot hovering over the clutch pedal and right hand ready to pull the stick to neutral. We got in three of these runs- plenty.

Some calcs on the wing- at 130mph and set at zero degrees (which it was) it's putting down 345lbs and sucking up 33hp.

I plan on being back at the event in September of this year - maybe I'll remove the wing (and passenger) and even tune the carb for the ~6500ft of elevation.

Wing data is here:

https://wing-logic.com/cfd-data/

Dave
Gen III #17

Dave Tabor
06-06-2023, 09:40 PM
All four videos from Rsnake chronicling the 4-day weekend are here:

https://youtu.be/SHFzhl6mjvk

https://youtu.be/tKbYMIyGpK0

https://youtu.be/jw1CebZYf14

https://youtu.be/t6YaXcg6hVA

Dave
Gen III Coupe #17
18,000+ miles