Cannon Ball run new record set

[padgett]

My rule has always been that while I may be safe at speed, others on the road may not be and a slower speed without being stopped is faster than the other. I keep silly speeds to closed courses (Judge at speed in .sig was at a local oval track).

 

Back when I was young and ignorant, 441 west of West Palm Beach was a deserted straight TLB whose only reason for being was to be far enough inland so that U-boats could not count the trucks. Milles and mles of straight roads (few realize just how big Florida is and before central AC, not many natives.Florida rooms were on the second floor, open on three sides, and where you tried to sleep.  441 ran through groves and pastures with few people and was where cars were tested for Sebring or to check out a new Latham supercharger. Was likely to find Corvettes, GT-40s, Ferraris or the occasional Fiat Abarth Allemano Mille Miglia 1000 coupe: teensy and incredibly fast. The other place to test was either the North or Royal Palm bridge (Southern blvd was not as good). Only the FHP had jurisdiction on the bridge but best to have the disks glowing cherry red before reaching the town line at the end.

 

Have to remember that once upon a time Florida's  middle was empty of people, with straight, flat, very good roads and a "Reasonable and Proper" speed limit. Big cars that could cruise close to the ton were popular. FHP had a rule that highway cruiser had to be able to run at 140 so big Dodges with cross rams were common.

 

[60FlatTop]

On 4/12/2020 at 10:42 AM, SC38DLS said:

After seeing the 3 kids in the back seat the cop let him off but told him never to come back in his town.

 

I was heading up to the North Country with my daughter in the back seat taking her back to St. Lawrence U. My wife was in the front seat with me. On a long stretch of Rt 104 I was steady at just a hair over 75 with my '94 Roadmaster. On the horizon I saw the roof of an oncoming police car. OOps! I slowed and he turned around and got me. Standing by the driver''s door he asked where I was going, looked around the car, then said "take it a little slower,OK'. and walked away. My daughter sat in the back seat and said "He let you go! I saw how fast you were going, he would have given one or my friends a ticket", grousing, grousing, grousing.

I looked back at her in the rear view mirror and said "Lisa, he looked in the back seat and saw I had a red haired daughter and figured I deserved a break". That kept her quiet for a little while.

 

Bernie

[padgett]

Was once told the FHP used to have a rule. If the road was empty and you slowed down before he got within a quarter mile (straight flat roads) you were paying attention and let you go. If OTOH he got within a quarter mile, he lit you up.

 

Also remember a time on the SSP (now Florida's Turnpike) one crossed the median behind me and I slowed to 70.  Apparently was after someone in front because within a 1/2 mile he passed me going A Lot faster and remember as he passed hearing the big Dodge shift.

 

Another Florida curiosity was that originally you were issued a stamped ticket when you got on and was used to determine the toll getting off. Tickets were time stamped. Strategic service areas often had groups of fast cars waiting for enough time to pass.

[oldcarfudd]

Time-stamped tickets had other uses, too.  My sister was driving back to West Germany from West Berlin decades ago.  She got  lost, or distracted, or something.  Anyway, she arrived at the east-west border an hour or so LATER than she should have.  The Vopos (Volkspolizei, or people's police) interrogated her for quite a while to be sure she hadn't been wandering around the Peoples' Paradise seeing things she shouldn't.

[Mark Gregory]

Franklin took 69 hours and 31 minutes in 1930 to do the run.

Look at the bottom left column for the information.

 

[3macboys]

This article demonstrates the whole issue with the Cannonball :  https://ottawasun.com/news/local-news/sports-car-blasts-by-opp-at-271-km-h-blows-rear-tire/wcm/3c2b4033-472c-4bbd-ba9f-a82ea69133f5

 

The 271 km/h translates to about 150 mph - it doesn't matter how skilled the driver is, the traffic etc etc but one catastrophic equipment failure and the consequences would be tragic.  I'm with Steve, I love racing but on the track or a closed course where everyone is aware of the risk.