- Jan 15, 2007
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Marcos Ambrose, an Ozzie from Tasmania, & Richard Petty Motorsports go 203.241 mph (327.085 km/h) to take the pole for Sunday's race at the Michigan International Speedway. That's 298+ feet per second in a 'stock' car.
It's the fastest pole in the modern era of 'plate' racing in the US, and the 3rd fastest pole in history. They don't use plates at Michigan -- yet -- until the next race there :lol: They began using plates on intakes in the mid-1980s to restrict flow and slow cars as packs of cars would become airborne after collisions. Cars and parts would fly --- endangering fans --- so speedways raised the 'catch fences' around their tracks 😀
They also put in tethers to hold parts to the cars, and did quite a few aero tricks -- flaps and trim strips -- to control flight. They might get airborne but they come down quite fast. Seldom do you see cars in the catch fences any more. They tend to go up, come down, and roll. And roll.
If yah ain't fer Richard and Marcos, yah ain't fer sheet 😀
19 cars qualified over 200mph - 9 Chevys, 5 Fords & 5 Toyotas. Those slackers at Dodge qualified 20th at 199.945mph.
Toyota has never won a race at Michigan in Detroit's backyard. It's generally a Ford track. It's new pavement and the grip is so good, left side tires are blistering on extended runs.
Rumor has it, race fans, that the legendary Tim Richmond took a Henry Hyde prepared Hendrick Chevrolet Monte Carlo to 240mph at the Michigan Speedway, besting Al Holbert’s 962 in the process, in a test for Road and Track Magazine.
R&T called stock cars "Aerodynamic Bricks" and set up a test. Ooops.
It's the fastest pole in the modern era of 'plate' racing in the US, and the 3rd fastest pole in history. They don't use plates at Michigan -- yet -- until the next race there :lol: They began using plates on intakes in the mid-1980s to restrict flow and slow cars as packs of cars would become airborne after collisions. Cars and parts would fly --- endangering fans --- so speedways raised the 'catch fences' around their tracks 😀
They also put in tethers to hold parts to the cars, and did quite a few aero tricks -- flaps and trim strips -- to control flight. They might get airborne but they come down quite fast. Seldom do you see cars in the catch fences any more. They tend to go up, come down, and roll. And roll.
If yah ain't fer Richard and Marcos, yah ain't fer sheet 😀
19 cars qualified over 200mph - 9 Chevys, 5 Fords & 5 Toyotas. Those slackers at Dodge qualified 20th at 199.945mph.
Toyota has never won a race at Michigan in Detroit's backyard. It's generally a Ford track. It's new pavement and the grip is so good, left side tires are blistering on extended runs.
Rumor has it, race fans, that the legendary Tim Richmond took a Henry Hyde prepared Hendrick Chevrolet Monte Carlo to 240mph at the Michigan Speedway, besting Al Holbert’s 962 in the process, in a test for Road and Track Magazine.
R&T called stock cars "Aerodynamic Bricks" and set up a test. Ooops.
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