Speed is relative

Posted by Iannucci | 1/23/2009 | 8 comments »
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I swear, this isn’t a slam against stock cars or their drivers. I know it requires not only skill but an immense amount of patience to drive 15,000 laps of caution every year, which is why it it’s so funny when a driver gets down to the business of actually driving fast.

This just in: Greg Biffle hit 218 on the speedometer in testing at Texas World Speedway.

"[It was] very fast," Biffle said. "A little bit bumpy, which is to be expected of a race track that the pavement is that old, but just a very fast place. It's kind of a fun race track, but our cars today are probably pretty dang fast for a race track like that."

Biffle said his Thursday afternoon speeds in College Station on Jan. 15 were the "fastest I've been in a race car before -- 218 miles an hour. That's getting her done, if you want to say -- 195 mile an hour average, so it was a pretty fast place."
Hey Greg, just for reference doing 218 for a full lap might get you qualified for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. If you’d like to turn even faster laps I'm sure there’s always a ride and a pay cut waiting for you somewhere at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May. Come on – do it for your dogs.

8 comments

  1. Nicky Scarfa // January 23, 2009 1:42 PM  

    Preach it Brother Jeff!

  2. The American Mutt // January 23, 2009 2:57 PM  

    Isn't that the track that Cart had to cancel a race because the drivers passed out from the Gs that occur around 245 miles an hour?

  3. Anonymous // January 23, 2009 6:08 PM  

    To the Mutt...that would be Texas Motor Speedway.

  4. Anonymous // January 23, 2009 6:17 PM  

    Betcha it was pretty dang SCARY for Biff to drive that big ol' heavy tank around that fast.

    (That cake looks delish, btw!)

  5. Anonymous // January 24, 2009 9:43 AM  

    Easy to snicker about 218 if you have a giant pair of billboard-sized wings pinning you to the track along with nice, wide tyres and a light chassis.

    218 in an IndyCar is a lot different than 218 in a stock car, trust me. Just like 120mph is a lot different in a shifter kart than... well, anything else.

  6. Anonymous // January 25, 2009 10:19 PM  

    There's no need to go picking on the stock car boys. For years now, and it took me some time to admit it, that is where the talent is in American auto racing. Just look at Dario and Sam, they have embarrassed themselves more than Michael trying F1. Indy cars are fast, but Indy car drivers unfortunately are not. We have Jr. and you have Danica, but we have real racers too, not just a poster child.

  7. Anonymous // January 26, 2009 6:57 AM  

    Broken link at end of article. Remove the first part.

  8. Iannucci // January 26, 2009 7:24 AM  

    Link is fixed, "My Name Is if Broken Link". You can now more easily read about Greg's animal rescue programs.