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Cannonball Record Broken During Coronavirus - 26 Hours 38 Minutes:
Only a few months have passed since we reported that the New York-to-Los Angeles Cannonball record was broken. It's allegedly been broken again. The 26 hour, 38 minute time—which beats the record set in November by more than 45 minutes—appears to be legitimate, according to Ed Bolian, a Cannonball insider and driver who set his own 28 hour, 50 minute record in 2013. Alex Roy, who set the first modern NYC-to-LA record in 2006, also said the new claim is credible based on his analysis of multiple sources.
"It was not me," Bolian was quick to point out to Road & Track, eager to quell an Internet-generated rumor that perhaps he had been the one to pull it off.
[...] All we know about this new set of scofflaws is that there were three, maybe four of them, and that they were driving a white 2019 Audi A8 sedan with a pair of red plastic marine fuel tanks ratchet-strapped into its trunk. They started at the Red Ball Garage in New York City at 11:15 pm on April 4, and ended less than 27 hours later at the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, California, the traditional start and end points of a Cannonball attempt.
We also know that their timing was awful. It doesn't seem likely that the new record-holders were keen to have news reach the public so soon, especially at a time when so many people are understandably on edge. But an exuberant friend posted a picture of the Audi on Facebook this week—situated among a number of other high-dollar cars, with its trunk open to show the auxiliary fuel tanks—along with the team's alleged time. Within a day, hundreds of people had shared the post, and social media chat groups were abuzz with Cannonball aficionados offering up opinions on the matter. (The Facebook post has since been removed; it's reproduced here via screengrab.)
"Do I think this is the best use of time while the country is staying in during a pandemic?" Bolian asked in an interview with R&T. "Probably not, but for me to say it's awful is like a cocaine dealer saying a heroin dealer is awful."
Also at NYTimes
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 14 2020, @09:29AM (8 children)
I always wanted to do this. My idea is for a motorcycle though. Strap one of those marine engine gas tanks onto the back of the bike, like these guys did. Run a bike that gets better than 50 mpg, with a 5 gal fuel tank, and 12 or 15 gallon marine fuel tank. Two stops along the way, and it's doable.
I've made many coast-to-coast runs, at speed, but never on something that does serious speed. And, no, 100 to 120 mph isn't serious speed, you have to be able to reach 150 before you can even pretend to be serious.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2020, @10:13AM (1 child)
> 100 to 120 mph isn't serious speed
says the meatbag who would get damaged in a 25mph to 0 deceleration :D
The cannonball is good for the movies and the record during the pandemic is good for the cannonball.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 14 2020, @10:54AM
This meatbag would love the chance to tag along with this guy . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe0igW8jNyU [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday April 14 2020, @12:55PM
Didn't you watch the movie?
Butterflies.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday April 14 2020, @01:00PM (2 children)
So, there's a serious strategic problem while Cannonballing... as soon as you start to exceed 100-120mph speeds, you attract the attention of EVERY officer of the law who happens to notice you. First: you're an outlier, haven't seen anyone moving that fast in over 10 years! Next: you're a challenge, how will we stop this one? Finally: if you manage to elude early attempts at capture, you're obviously dangerous and merit additional resources interjurisdictional cooperation, etc.
I've never been ticketed for anything over 80mph, but I've been stopped many times while going much faster - they generally just wanted to know what the deal was and as soon as they understood that nothing bad was connected to the speed they just kicked me loose, sometimes with a written warning. (All of this at least 7 years in the past, mind you.)
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 14 2020, @01:31PM (1 child)
Yes, there is strategy involved. Having driven truck for several years, I've used a few. Know your route - as in, you've driven this route many times, and you already know where to slow down. It works pretty well. You can lure someone into running interference for you - Corvettes are famous for their need to pass a big truck, and stay ahead of that big truck. You can let the 'Vette get out ahead of you a couple miles, and just tag along all night long - or until a cop pulls him over. Running with a radar detector and a police scanner helps a lot, though you may not hear them over the motorcycle's engine and wind noise. A phone app might help.
Back in the bad old days, I didn't have any of that. I just rode, and took my chances, then made a snap decision whether to run from the cop, or pull over.
(Score: 3, Informative) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday April 14 2020, @03:00PM
I only ever "ran" once - he hadn't put his blue lights on yet so it doesn't really count, but... I was doing 70 in a 45, around 1am on a 14 mile long island where I'd bet the only two vehicles on the road were me and the cop. He came around the bend toward me and I had the "oh shit" moment, let off the gas, I saw his brake lights come on and him start to U turn as he disappeared around the bend behind me. Suddenly, I realized that his jurisdiction ended about 1/2 mile ahead on the bridge, so I floored it again (100hp sedan, I might have made it up to 75mph) until I reached the short bridge, then I slowed to 30mph which was the limit on the other island. He came up over the bridge when I was maybe 1/4 mile into "not his island" and did a big U turn to go back home.
Other times, I figured it would go better if I didn't make them call in backup, and it usually did.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 14 2020, @04:34PM (1 child)
> Run a bike that gets better than 50 mpg,
Doesn't exist...mileage is much worse at high speeds. I don't have any data, but a couple of comments here suggest that race bikes like at the Isle of Man get 10-12 miles/gallon (that might be Imperial gallon, it doesn't say): https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/180mph-fuel-consumption-on-a-motorcycle.2168504/ [anandtech.com]
I did a quick Google route for this new unofficial Cannonball* and it looks like they averaged about 105 mph for the ~2800 miles. To me that means they had to be going 150+ out west on empty freeways.
It's true that if you really streamlined a bike the mileage would improve greatly, but I've ridden heavily faired vehicles and they are very sensitive to cross winds. Which is why speed records are often set at dawn or dusk when wind speeds are very low.
* yes, it's capitalized--the event was named after Cannonball Roberts who made cross country runs in the early 1900s.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 14 2020, @05:24PM
Gotta disagree. I've had a Honda GL500 for years. 54 mpg, give or take just a little, no matter whether I'm pushing it to the limit, or cruising around like an old man. My boy's Yamaha 650 gets real close to 60 mpg, and I've never ridden it unless I was hammering it. 56 to 59 mpg, which is slightly better than my GL. Now, the GL has a top speed of 100 mph, but that 650 will run right up to 170 mph, on the stretches of road where I pushed it hardest. If I actually had a long straightaway to see what it will do, I suspect it will read about 195. I don't really think it will top 200, but it still has more get up and go at 170.
Those race bikes are in a different class than the bikes I'm talking about. They are super bikes, and they are designed and engineered for raw freaking POWER, with control being a secondary consideration. I would expect them to get super shite for mileage, LOL. But, it doesn't take a super bike to to flirt with 200 mph.
That Anandtech article is somewhat amusing. Some of those guys seem to know what they are talking about, while others are just talking out their asses.
Running with my "gang" back in my Navy days, the KZ-1000 determined when we made fuel stops, because he got the worst fuel mileage. Running moderately hard, he got about 27 mpg, running hard, he got about 20 mpg. Virtually all production bikes since those days have improved fuel mileage, some of them drastically. Fuel injection, among other things, make dramatic changes to how much those hogs drink.
I genuinely believe that I could run a Cannonball or similar route, achieve speeds in excess of 150, and still get close to 50 mpg most of the time. But, you couldn't just hop on any old bike, and do that.
Of course, it's not really worth arguing about, unless I get off my ass and do the thing, right? Then I could either prove, or disprove what I believe. :^)