Speeding Ticket
Have a need for top speed? Check out the ECTA’s Ohio half-mile event
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of BangShift
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to stand on the gas and not lift? We aren’t talking about short bursts or even a quarter-mile run. How about letting your car eat for a half mile to see just how fast it can go? Well, if your summer is off to a slow start, the East Coast Timing Association is hosting an event in Wilmington, Ohio, that should get your revs up in a hurry.
While mile racing has grown in popularity in recent years, keeping your foot to the wood for a full mile means top speeds are much higher. As such, safety requirements are far more stringent, which is a wise idea. However, the ECTA event held on July 11-12 is the sanctioning body’s first half-mile event, and it is designed to grow the sport.
“We want to get more people involved in the world of land speed racing and with a half mile of distance, speeds will be thrilling and fun but not (in most cases) big enough to cause a competitor to have to add a cage or other significant safety gear for their first time out,†Brian Lohnes, Editor-in-Chief at BangShift.com, wrote on the event blog. “Many muscle car enthusiasts out there want to ‘let it all hang out’ for longer than they have the chance to at the drag strip and this is the chance for them to do it.â€
So, if you’ve always wanted the rush of keeping your foot in it past the quarter mile to see where that speedometer pegs, this event is a great opportunity to do so. You might not even have to add much in the way of safety gear, unless you car is modded enough to get past a buck fifty. Of course, you will need to have tires with the appropriate speed rating for your top mph.
“The very basic rules breakdown is that, in a 2008 or newer car, a current helmet and factory belt will get you to 150 mph,†Brian told us. “In an older car you can go 140 mph before needing a bar and a five-point. Most mild street cars that do not have bars will not get to 140 in the half.â€
It’s only $250 to run in the event, and you can learn more about the schedule and requirements over on the ECTA site. If you do head out for a run, snap some pictures and post ’em up on SVTP. We’d love to know what running in this event was like.