According to SSC founder and CEO Jarrod Shelby, SSC Tuatara and Dr. Larry Kaplin was most likely in motion to reset the production-vehicle land-speed record they had set for themselves. It didn’t happen.
An error, which caused hesitation, took their chance to break the 300-mile hurdle during their most recent race. But the car was still moving faster than before.
On Saturday, May 14, SSC Tuatara hit 295 miles per hour, traveling 2.3 miles at Johnny Bohmer’s Proving Ground in Florida. This is the best two-way average speed of 282.9-mph when Tuatara set a record in January, 2021.
2021 SSC Tuatara hit 295 mph while attempting to record speed, May 2022
Scene: Wrong
A three-mile runway at Space Florida LLF located at Johnny Bohmer’s Proving Grounds Kennedy Space Center. The team first used asphalt on a 1,000-foot runway that was converted to 15,000-foot saw-cut concrete, which was later converted to 1,000-foot asphalt.
The braking zone is the last 3,800 usable feet, which means it starts with concrete and is converted to asphalt. First and last on the runway, changes from 1,000 feet of asphalt to about 6 inches per inch, which keeps the car moving at speed.
To get more space and make a rolling start, the team used an OSR, which means oh shit road যা which takes planes to the edge of the runway to use if they can’t stop in time. Rough asphalt roads are not maintained. SSC has released a video of the race, and you can see Twatara moving up and down the OSR. The transition from OSR to the first 1,000-foot asphalt runway has a step-up of about 1.5-inches, and the car must be straddled in the light of an in-ground runway.
Shelby’s team set the breaking cone for both sides, instead of moving the cone for each run they usually do. This change proved to be a mistake.
2021 SSC Tuatara hit 295 mph while attempting to record speed, May 2022
Car: tweaked and improved
The same car that the Black Toyota hit at 295 mph set a land-speed record of 282.9-mph production-vehicle on the same runway a year ago. However, the PowerTrain has undergone changes and refinements, resulting in a cleaner, more powerful and more reliable setup.
SSC refined the electrical system and replaced lithium-ion batteries to ensure that the system could maintain high voltage; There will be no voltage drop during high-speed pulling from the alternator.
The team has also upgraded several suspension sub-assemblies to cope with the pressure of full throttle for 40 to 45 seconds. All Tuataras will feature upgraded sub-assembly.
Tuatara engineers have also designed a new exhaust system, not for power (it probably adds 1 or 2 hp) but to change the sound of a 5.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 car built by Nelson Racing. The change in tone is due to the Z pattern of the exhaust system, which mixes the exhaust from both sides of the engine. The system adds about 4 pounds of weight.
When they applied better airflow for the crankcase, Shelby said Motor authority Tuatara’s single biggest change was the implementation of ten lab-quality oxygen sensors. Tuatara now has one O2 sensor and two primary sensors per cylinder instead of just two primary sensors. The team had to recalibrate the engine due to new O2 sensor readings, which changed the motor time and wind-fuel ratio. The result was a little more energy. The Toyota has produced 1,350 hp on the 91-octane pump gas and 1,750 hp on the E85. It now produces 1,861 hp and 1,522 lb-ft of torque on the Methanol and E85, but the team did not dynamo the updated powertrain in pump gas. May 14 Tuatara runs methanol.
The maximum boost remains unchanged at 27 pounds. But the car is programmed to not go to full boost in 1 to 4 gears. As more boosts come in 5th gear, gears 6 and 7 begin to push the boost into the 20 pound range. Full power and boost is programmed to reach the end of 6th gear and 7th gear. When the Tuatara hit 7th gear at 295 mph, the full boost began to become visible.
A 7-speed automatic manual transmission made in Italy by CIMA sends power to the rear wheels. The car originally had a final gear ratio of 2.92, but this changed to a small 3.167 ratio after the first record effort in October 2020 to gain more speed over short distances.
2021 SSC Tuatara hit 295 mph while attempting to record speed, May 2022
Validity: Verified and tracked
To avoid validity errors, the Toyota was equipped with multiple satellite tracking devices, including two Wrestling Vibox GNSS systems and a Life Racing tracking system.
Jim Lau, technical director of Wrestling North America, could not be on site for the May Speed Run due to a schedule conflict. His colleague, Mitchell Townsend, was present and represented Reseljic when Lau visited, verified, and presented a letter. M.A..
Nবারrburging taxi driver Robert Mitchell, who was present for the December 2020 and January 2021 speed runs, also witnessed the May race.
The data file has been independently checked and verified M.A. Eddie Nakato, Founder and CEO, AR Motorsports.
“Everything looks right. They did what they said. I have no doubt,” Nakato said M.A..
Run 1: hit 295 miles per hour
Dr. Larry Kaplin, the owner of the vehicle used to drive the speed, hit the runway, descending north from the OSR and moving 1.5-inches at 47 miles per hour. At the 1,000-foot mark, where the asphalt runway has turned to concrete, the Tuatara was traveling at 130 miles per hour.
“The changes are pretty wild,” Nakato said after watching the footage from the run.
As Kaplin entered the breaking zone, he went for a split second longer than that and hit 295 miles per hour before lifting the throttle. According to Shelby, the acceleration rate was still rising fast at 295 miles per hour. Based on the information, the team believes it needed two more seconds to hit 300 miles per hour, but the car went off the runway.
“About 200 miles per hour (during the breaking zone) if you hit that (sidewalk) transition, you have to grow your hair at that speed,” Nakato said. M.A..
The team had an hour, at most, before the second run on the opposite side to get the double-digit average needed for a new record.
2021 SSC Tuatara hit 295 mph while attempting to record speed, May 2022
Run 2: Never lift
Kaplin headed north for the second run under the OSR. Shelby said Caplin decided to start further down the OSR in an attempt to buy some distance to speed up the twitter before hitting the braking zone. Which made the executive nervous. The goal was to hit the runway at about 60 miles per hour and buy an additional 10 miles per hour of top-end speed.
This time, the Tuatara moved 1.5-inch from OSR to Airstrip at a speed of 81 mph, 34 mph faster than the first run.
During the 1,000-foot transition from asphalt to concrete on the runway, the Tuatara was moving in third gear at 146 miles per hour, 16 miles faster than the first race.
“I have never seen such a pull on a road car.” Townsend Dr.
Then it went wrong. Kaplin picked it up.
The breaking angle of the first run was still in place. Kaplin looked at the cones and hesitantly removed the throttle for a moment in the name of braking zone safety. It wasn’t.
By the time Caplin picked up the throttle, the Tuatara was moving at 258 miles per hour, with two miles left before the breaking zone. According to Shelby, the data indicate that the car was traveling at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour. But Kaplin lost momentum during the lift, effectively hitting the run.
Shelby shared second-in-car video footage and Racelogic VBox data with MA, but will not release it publicly. Caplin’s frustration with himself is evident in the video.
After seeing the information and footage, Nakato said, “This car is a quick fool.”
2021 SSC Tuatara hit 295 mph while attempting to record speed, May 2022
Run again?
The team did not get a chance to run north again because the wind was blowing at 13 miles per hour when the car was ready.
It’s safe to drive at speeds of 9 miles or less, Shelby said.
Kaplin pulled the plug and called. The attempt was over.
2021 SSC Tuatara hit 295 mph while attempting to record speed, May 2022
The team is done
Based on the information presented, these two runs Nakato Dr. M.A.“Yeah, it’s a 300 mile per hour car.”
Shelby said the SSC has so far chased the speed record. The executive said he was satisfied with the way the car performed. It holds a speed record, and he now feels confident that he can see through the eyes of a customer, and based on the data, the car will be capable of 300-plus miles per hour. That was the goal, and it was achieved. However, he said he lost sleep over what could have happened in the second run.
If two or three of SSC’s competitors are willing to meet on the runway to drive a multi-car public speed, Shelby will come. “Shelby announced.