Stock (mostly) 06 SS/SC achieves 130mph at Salt Flats
09-19-2008, 02:21 PM
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Stock (mostly) 06 SS/SC achieves 130mph at Salt Flats
First off, I'd like to apologize if this is not in the right section. I couldn't find one that really applied. I wanted to post in in Front Page News, but I can't. This is huge to me. Now on to the story:
Let me start off with I don't care how many people have done what in their car out on the highway. Going to the Bonneville Salt Flats is completely different. For starters, the distance is measured. Secondly, you can't just launch hard, get out of the hole, and keep going from there. You will just sit at the line spinning your tires and making enemies because you will ruin the coarse. This became very evident the first day of racing. Even with the G85 package you won't get anywhere. Now to the setup.
The car is exactly the same for my initial runs, as a daily driver, with the exception that I increased the tire pressure to 40psi. I even had the spare tire in because I was very confident that I could accomplish this very easily. I was very wrong. After an initial run to get a feel for the salt and setting the cruise at 100mph to calibrate with the track I immediately went back to the staging lane and prepared to get to work. I knew I needed to ease into the throttle to get out of the hole. No problem, all though I still spun I managed to do it while accelerating. The car was doing its job while the tires fought for traction. I cross the barstool (2/10 mile) and I'm already in 3rd. Make it to the 1/2 mile and I'm in 4th doing over 110mph. Shift at 125mph into 5th to avoid the rev limiter...disaster! As soon as I complete the shift I fly through the 132 foot speed trap and only manage to trap 127 mph. Absolute disappointment. This was going to prove to be a bigger challenge than expected. I immediately go back to the pits and get to work. I needed more speed. How? Reduce weight for the bottom end and drag for the top end. Out comes everything from the trunk, and off comes the spoiler. Yes!, the spoiler. I finish this just in time to have to leave to leave for work. Fortunately, Kim was there and we were able to leave my car there and she would drive me to work.
Thursday, I'm back and both Kim and I are very tired. I've already used 2 runs of the 5 I get to earn my way into the 130mph Club. I had finished weight reduction and reducing drag before I left for work the day before. Now it's time to see if they help out any. I get to the staging lane before the time arrives to go racing while Kim stays in the pits to sleep in her car. I'm the third in line. I can see the officials walking the entire coarse and picking things up off the ground. The start line official comes back with a small ziplock baggy and holds up the items they found on the course. A few small rocks, some small screws and bolts, and a tire weight. Nothing too major. Soon, the first car begins its pass down the track. I put on my helmet, tighten the strap, put on sunglasses since I will be heading towards the sun which is just above ground level and is very blinding, close the visor, get in the car, and wait my turn. The car in front of me goes. The coarse clears and I'm told the course is mine. I begin my run. I can feel a slight difference. The car seems more awake and more streamlined. Maybe the cooler air is helping out. I'm definetly faster, but by how much? It's not by much. But, the speedo needle is reading faster than it did yesterday by about 2mph through the barstool and the 1/2 mile. I'm confident I've got it this time. I short shift from 4th to 5th because it seems that I may have a dead spot in the rpm band around 6k in 4th. I fly through the speed trap in 5th gear with a stong pull and it is too close to tell. I must look at the slip. I come down the return at 50mph (speed limit) and get to the time slip trailer as quickly as I can. I look at he slip and I am instantly disappointed. 128.6 MPH. It's obvious that the work the day before helped out. Maybe I should short shift 4th earlier. I immediately go back to the staging lane for run 4.
This is the make or break run. If I don't do it I might as well give up. You need 2 runs over 130 and below 140 to earn your way into the 130 Club. If I don't do it now there is no point to attempt run #5. After about 20 minutes it is my turn again. I launch just as well as the last run. Off to a good start. I pass the barstool and the readout on the speedo is about the same as the last run. Same with the 1/2 mile. I shift from 4th to 5th just before 6k. And I fly through the speed trap at a disappointing 126mph. Frustrated and upset I go straight to the pits to work on removing the left over double-sided tape still on the bottom of it and get ready to put the spoiler back on and pack up to go home in defeat. About 1/2 and hour passes away as I do this. Right as I finish this task I think to myself, "Why am I giving up so easily. I came out here to accomplish something. I was told this wasn't going to be easy." I was just over confident in my cars capabilities. Were this done on a road it would be over by now. But it's not, and that is the problem. Then I remember something that the guy in the time slip trailer told me when I got my slip from him for my 4th run. He told me, "Quit messing around and up your tires to 50psi." This is it. I'm going all out and risking it all. I wake up Kim and tell her to join me. I tell her, "If I don't get 130 this time we will just pack up and go home. If I do, let's consider buying another run card and getting this done." She agrees. I drive over to the a group of Mini's that were here from California also participating in the 130 Club. They let me use their air compressor and inflate my tires to 50psi. No more playing it safe. The tires are rated for only 45psi. I'm on the verge of disaster and asking for trouble. I then go back to the staging lane and get ready for racing.
To do everything that I can possibly do I even fold in my mirrors. I even thought of a new technique to help me get me the hole shot since I believe the initial launch is also causing me some trouble. For my launch I would press in the clutch, put the shifter into first, rev the engine all the way to the rev limiter and let the rpm's come down. Because of this I have compressed air in the intake already. As soon as the rpm's drop to about 4k-4500 I release the clucth and get popped out of the whole. I then floor the car to not only keep the momentum, but to build on it. This is where the magic stuff happens. Compared to my previous fastest run I gain 2.8mph in the barstool and trap 82.8 This is a great start! At the half mile mark I trap 3.7mph faster with a 111.7mph. The difference is showing. As I get to the top of my rpm's in 4th I notice there is no hole, or bubble. It keeps moving. I'm nearing the rev limiter and the finish line. Can it hold and prevent a 4-5 shift? Speedo is over almost 130mph! The engine is screaming almost at its 6500 rev limiter. Yesss!!! I fly through the speed trap with the needle past the 130 mark and still in 4th. I know I did it. I just needed confirmation. I get to the time slip trailer. The guy gives it to me and tells me congratulations. I look at the slip. 131.73777mph, and I never hit the rev limiter. I drive as quickly as I can to the start line where Kim is waiting to find out. Just as I'm jumping out of the car I shout to her 131.7. She demands that I get over to registration and buy another run card so that I can make this official. $75 to make it official. It's worth it. We do that, change nothing on the car, and get back to the staging lanes. I did everything the same on the following 2 runs. With loss of traction in both first and second in the first run of the new card I still managed 130.7462mph. I do it again for the second run to make enterance into the club official. Kim tells me it was an obsolutely perfect launch. No loss of traction at all. I run a 131.17927. That's it! I'm in. And I have an average of the 2 runs of 130.962735mph. I'm in. Mission accomplished!
So, for those people that ever tell you that a Cobalt is not fast you can tell them that a stock Cobalt managed to make the 130mph club at the Bonneville Salt Flats on September 18, 2008 in 4th gear at an uncorrected altitude of 4200' while a new, and broken in, STi was having difficulty, the Mini Coopers that made it in were all modded so that they had a good top end, the PT Cruiser with the 2.4l turbo had to make 400hp and the 350Z also was modded. The only things I have that would have made any sort of difference was a CAI and cooling mods. I still have the stock tune, pulleys, injectors, header back exhaust, and even the heavy stock wheels.
I have absolutely no doubt that a modded SS/SC will not only get into the 130 Club, but also set a new record for the production supercharged category. The new record as of yesterday is now held by a Mini Cooper that averaged 134mph. That should be obtainable in 4th gear for you guys with stage 2, and/or more. Nitrous is not allowed. This is a street legal category.
Pictures will be up in a few days. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to mount our handheld camera inside my car with velcro or zip ties. Sorry, you'll just have to deal with pics from the starting line.
Mods are in my sig. Obviously, the traction mods did nothing. Arguably, the CAI and the cooling mods could have made a difference.
Let me start off with I don't care how many people have done what in their car out on the highway. Going to the Bonneville Salt Flats is completely different. For starters, the distance is measured. Secondly, you can't just launch hard, get out of the hole, and keep going from there. You will just sit at the line spinning your tires and making enemies because you will ruin the coarse. This became very evident the first day of racing. Even with the G85 package you won't get anywhere. Now to the setup.
The car is exactly the same for my initial runs, as a daily driver, with the exception that I increased the tire pressure to 40psi. I even had the spare tire in because I was very confident that I could accomplish this very easily. I was very wrong. After an initial run to get a feel for the salt and setting the cruise at 100mph to calibrate with the track I immediately went back to the staging lane and prepared to get to work. I knew I needed to ease into the throttle to get out of the hole. No problem, all though I still spun I managed to do it while accelerating. The car was doing its job while the tires fought for traction. I cross the barstool (2/10 mile) and I'm already in 3rd. Make it to the 1/2 mile and I'm in 4th doing over 110mph. Shift at 125mph into 5th to avoid the rev limiter...disaster! As soon as I complete the shift I fly through the 132 foot speed trap and only manage to trap 127 mph. Absolute disappointment. This was going to prove to be a bigger challenge than expected. I immediately go back to the pits and get to work. I needed more speed. How? Reduce weight for the bottom end and drag for the top end. Out comes everything from the trunk, and off comes the spoiler. Yes!, the spoiler. I finish this just in time to have to leave to leave for work. Fortunately, Kim was there and we were able to leave my car there and she would drive me to work.
Thursday, I'm back and both Kim and I are very tired. I've already used 2 runs of the 5 I get to earn my way into the 130mph Club. I had finished weight reduction and reducing drag before I left for work the day before. Now it's time to see if they help out any. I get to the staging lane before the time arrives to go racing while Kim stays in the pits to sleep in her car. I'm the third in line. I can see the officials walking the entire coarse and picking things up off the ground. The start line official comes back with a small ziplock baggy and holds up the items they found on the course. A few small rocks, some small screws and bolts, and a tire weight. Nothing too major. Soon, the first car begins its pass down the track. I put on my helmet, tighten the strap, put on sunglasses since I will be heading towards the sun which is just above ground level and is very blinding, close the visor, get in the car, and wait my turn. The car in front of me goes. The coarse clears and I'm told the course is mine. I begin my run. I can feel a slight difference. The car seems more awake and more streamlined. Maybe the cooler air is helping out. I'm definetly faster, but by how much? It's not by much. But, the speedo needle is reading faster than it did yesterday by about 2mph through the barstool and the 1/2 mile. I'm confident I've got it this time. I short shift from 4th to 5th because it seems that I may have a dead spot in the rpm band around 6k in 4th. I fly through the speed trap in 5th gear with a stong pull and it is too close to tell. I must look at the slip. I come down the return at 50mph (speed limit) and get to the time slip trailer as quickly as I can. I look at he slip and I am instantly disappointed. 128.6 MPH. It's obvious that the work the day before helped out. Maybe I should short shift 4th earlier. I immediately go back to the staging lane for run 4.
This is the make or break run. If I don't do it I might as well give up. You need 2 runs over 130 and below 140 to earn your way into the 130 Club. If I don't do it now there is no point to attempt run #5. After about 20 minutes it is my turn again. I launch just as well as the last run. Off to a good start. I pass the barstool and the readout on the speedo is about the same as the last run. Same with the 1/2 mile. I shift from 4th to 5th just before 6k. And I fly through the speed trap at a disappointing 126mph. Frustrated and upset I go straight to the pits to work on removing the left over double-sided tape still on the bottom of it and get ready to put the spoiler back on and pack up to go home in defeat. About 1/2 and hour passes away as I do this. Right as I finish this task I think to myself, "Why am I giving up so easily. I came out here to accomplish something. I was told this wasn't going to be easy." I was just over confident in my cars capabilities. Were this done on a road it would be over by now. But it's not, and that is the problem. Then I remember something that the guy in the time slip trailer told me when I got my slip from him for my 4th run. He told me, "Quit messing around and up your tires to 50psi." This is it. I'm going all out and risking it all. I wake up Kim and tell her to join me. I tell her, "If I don't get 130 this time we will just pack up and go home. If I do, let's consider buying another run card and getting this done." She agrees. I drive over to the a group of Mini's that were here from California also participating in the 130 Club. They let me use their air compressor and inflate my tires to 50psi. No more playing it safe. The tires are rated for only 45psi. I'm on the verge of disaster and asking for trouble. I then go back to the staging lane and get ready for racing.
To do everything that I can possibly do I even fold in my mirrors. I even thought of a new technique to help me get me the hole shot since I believe the initial launch is also causing me some trouble. For my launch I would press in the clutch, put the shifter into first, rev the engine all the way to the rev limiter and let the rpm's come down. Because of this I have compressed air in the intake already. As soon as the rpm's drop to about 4k-4500 I release the clucth and get popped out of the whole. I then floor the car to not only keep the momentum, but to build on it. This is where the magic stuff happens. Compared to my previous fastest run I gain 2.8mph in the barstool and trap 82.8 This is a great start! At the half mile mark I trap 3.7mph faster with a 111.7mph. The difference is showing. As I get to the top of my rpm's in 4th I notice there is no hole, or bubble. It keeps moving. I'm nearing the rev limiter and the finish line. Can it hold and prevent a 4-5 shift? Speedo is over almost 130mph! The engine is screaming almost at its 6500 rev limiter. Yesss!!! I fly through the speed trap with the needle past the 130 mark and still in 4th. I know I did it. I just needed confirmation. I get to the time slip trailer. The guy gives it to me and tells me congratulations. I look at the slip. 131.73777mph, and I never hit the rev limiter. I drive as quickly as I can to the start line where Kim is waiting to find out. Just as I'm jumping out of the car I shout to her 131.7. She demands that I get over to registration and buy another run card so that I can make this official. $75 to make it official. It's worth it. We do that, change nothing on the car, and get back to the staging lanes. I did everything the same on the following 2 runs. With loss of traction in both first and second in the first run of the new card I still managed 130.7462mph. I do it again for the second run to make enterance into the club official. Kim tells me it was an obsolutely perfect launch. No loss of traction at all. I run a 131.17927. That's it! I'm in. And I have an average of the 2 runs of 130.962735mph. I'm in. Mission accomplished!
So, for those people that ever tell you that a Cobalt is not fast you can tell them that a stock Cobalt managed to make the 130mph club at the Bonneville Salt Flats on September 18, 2008 in 4th gear at an uncorrected altitude of 4200' while a new, and broken in, STi was having difficulty, the Mini Coopers that made it in were all modded so that they had a good top end, the PT Cruiser with the 2.4l turbo had to make 400hp and the 350Z also was modded. The only things I have that would have made any sort of difference was a CAI and cooling mods. I still have the stock tune, pulleys, injectors, header back exhaust, and even the heavy stock wheels.
I have absolutely no doubt that a modded SS/SC will not only get into the 130 Club, but also set a new record for the production supercharged category. The new record as of yesterday is now held by a Mini Cooper that averaged 134mph. That should be obtainable in 4th gear for you guys with stage 2, and/or more. Nitrous is not allowed. This is a street legal category.
Pictures will be up in a few days. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to mount our handheld camera inside my car with velcro or zip ties. Sorry, you'll just have to deal with pics from the starting line.
Mods are in my sig. Obviously, the traction mods did nothing. Arguably, the CAI and the cooling mods could have made a difference.
09-19-2008, 03:07 PM
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Stage 2 can hit the stock speed limiter in 4th gear, so I'd have to say you're right about that.
I don't know if a S2 could hit the 140 club, but 135? If a stocker ran 130.9, 135 would be within reach I think.
EDIT: Just saw the cooling mods part. A S2 might trap lower than yours just because it would heatsoak before the end of the track, or at least the increase would be minimal. Assuming S2 with equal cooling mods (or maybe meth), it might hit upper 130's thanks to the extra 500 revs in each gear.
I don't know if a S2 could hit the 140 club, but 135? If a stocker ran 130.9, 135 would be within reach I think.
EDIT: Just saw the cooling mods part. A S2 might trap lower than yours just because it would heatsoak before the end of the track, or at least the increase would be minimal. Assuming S2 with equal cooling mods (or maybe meth), it might hit upper 130's thanks to the extra 500 revs in each gear.
09-19-2008, 03:22 PM
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My 4th gear tops out at a little over 160mph with my slicks on. So I can promise you this, with my new mods, I'd be in the 150mph area somewhere. I might have to make a weekend trip of this next summer. Would be a ton of fun.
09-19-2008, 04:06 PM
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They're having the Texas Mile in October near Goliad, Texas. So if you can't make the Salt Flats you can try the Texas Mile
http://texasmile.net/index.php?optio...d=15&Itemid=30
http://texasmile.net/index.php?optio...d=15&Itemid=30
09-19-2008, 04:12 PM
#18
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Congrats... pretty cool stuff!
In 4th gear for a stock cobalt with stock wheels at the 6500 limiter you would be at around 135~137 when you hit it. For a stage 2 it is 146~148 at the limiter.
In 4th gear for a stock cobalt with stock wheels at the 6500 limiter you would be at around 135~137 when you hit it. For a stage 2 it is 146~148 at the limiter.
09-19-2008, 04:26 PM
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I did some reading up on that stuff, and it seems as though it's pretty difficult to get in the 130 club. So congrats to domin8_gt for making it. I definitely want to give it a try.
09-19-2008, 05:06 PM
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5th Gear = 26.518 mph/1000rpm
127 mph = 4676 rpm
128.6 mph = 4849 rpm
Our SC's are just starting to come on at +4k, but that is where the engine was just getting into when you crossed the finish line in 5th.
4th Gear = 20.857 mph/1000rpm
131.73 mph = 6315 rpm
Our SC's (Stage 2 or Stock) make hp right to red line, so better off doing that.
In that case, I'd stick with running 4th gear to red line on every run. Only shift into 5th after you've hit red line in 4th ...
09-21-2008, 04:40 PM
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To answer some of your questions, the distance is exactly 1 mile. You start from a complete stop. Therefore, traction is a huge problem for the hole shot. There is no 140 club. If you think you get 150+ in a mile you have to do some safety mods such as a roll cage, seatbelts, etc. You also run on the long course with the custom built cars that can do 200+. That means you have to wait longer between runs too. My average waits were between 20-30 minutes each. You trap 140+ and you are disqualified. That doesn't mean you can't stop accelerating when you get over 130. After all, a modded PT Cruiser putting out 400hp had to do that. He set the record for a turbo car at 139. Also, a stock SS/NA will never make into the 130 Club. I was trying to get my wife to attempt this because I was overly confident that the SS/SC would do it. After all the hard work I'm glad we didn't waste the money.
For more info about the event I participated in, go to www.saltflats.com
For those of you back east who are interested in doing something like this I found this for you http://www.ecta-lsr.com/
Thank you everybody for all of your kind words. I've been drag racing for the last 2 years in the Cobalt and this was, by far, the most difficult thing I've done. BTW, I also finished the drag racing season immediately after the salt flats run and took third. Got beat out by an Ecotec Cavalier and a lightly modded 350Z. They both are very good drivers.
For more info about the event I participated in, go to www.saltflats.com
For those of you back east who are interested in doing something like this I found this for you http://www.ecta-lsr.com/
Thank you everybody for all of your kind words. I've been drag racing for the last 2 years in the Cobalt and this was, by far, the most difficult thing I've done. BTW, I also finished the drag racing season immediately after the salt flats run and took third. Got beat out by an Ecotec Cavalier and a lightly modded 350Z. They both are very good drivers.
Last edited by domin8_gt; 09-21-2008 at 05:37 PM.
09-29-2008, 03:22 PM
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Unfortunately, I won't be here next year. My wife and I are moving to Virginia because she is joining the Navy. We still don't know her departure date for ODS, but I'm leaving and moving on 12/15 and headed straight for the in-laws in Chesapeake.
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