Z06Vette.com - Corvette Z06 Forum

Manatee · 06-10-2002, 11:33 AM

What is the history about using 1/4 mile for acceleration tests? Has it always been 1/4? Was it ever a fifth, third, etc.... Was it arbitrarily chosen?

AgentZ06 · 06-10-2002, 12:26 PM

Good question Vince..... I dunno.

I'm sure someone here does though.....

SpeedDemon · 06-10-2002, 12:30 PM

Hmmm good question....kinda funny but i never even thought about that before.

Jose Gonzalez · 06-10-2002, 12:54 PM

Got me

Anil Rao · 06-10-2002, 01:36 PM

If I were to make a guess I think its tied to the fact that an actual drag strip (regular onces) is 1320ft (or a 1/4 mile) long and that most "high performance" car manufacturers realized that their cars end up at the stip anyways at some time or ther other. So publishing 1/4 mile results in addition to 0-60mph times and the top speed enable potential buyers to get a better understanding of the car's performance. Now that this has beome a standard (kindof) all other manufactures have followed suit.

-Anil

Manatee · 06-10-2002, 03:06 PM

Anil,

My question would then be why are dragstrips 1/4 mile in length? Who/what decided 1/4 mile is the way to go? Was 1/4 mile picked arbitrarily?

**MikesZ06** · 06-10-2002, 03:11 PM

I could tell you Vince............but then I'd have to shoot you

Anil Rao · 06-10-2002, 03:14 PM

Hi Vince,

Quote:

Originally posted by Manatee
Anil,

My question would then be why are dragstrips 1/4 mile in length? Who/what decided 1/4 mile is the way to go? Was 1/4 mile picked arbitrarily?

Somehow I knew you were going to ask this second question. So was my answer to your first question right?

Now putting on my guessing hat here I go again...

I am new to the U.S. but I believe that drag racing started on the streets, where folks were racing one another for one (or two?) city blocks (approximately 1/4th of a mile).

-Anil

Steve Row · 06-10-2002, 05:06 PM

At an All Corvette Day at a local Drag Strip, the strip owner got everybody around the starting line to show them how the lights work, etc.

As part of his spiel, he said that horses were raced in the 1/4 mile (hence 1/4 horses) and it was natural to race cars in the 1/4 mile. For a while, horses were raced against cars.

Don't know how true it is, but it makes sense.

Manatee · 06-10-2002, 06:16 PM

Oh oh, Steve. You know where this is leading... I guess a 1/4 mile is about when a horse loses it's strength to keep racing?

mclarenm8d · 06-10-2002, 06:18 PM

Quarter horse racing ...

Edited, here is a link:

http://meme.essortment.com/quarterhorsesh_raga.htm

jrd · 06-10-2002, 07:36 PM

I read this somewhere, the old non commercial and military airfields were 1/2 mile total. This was more than enough room for a prop plane to take off and land as they do not need as much speed as a swept wing jet. When these airfields were abandoned, racers took over and just divided it in half to allow for poor brakes on older cars. I don't know it sounds good anyway....

BLEUBYU · 06-11-2002, 04:58 AM

'Ol Smokey Yunick who recently passed away (Best damn garage in town), explained in an interview once how the 1/4 mile thing got started. I will try to find the article in my "archives". Advancing age and memory loss has rendered me unable to recall the details....

fcalmes · 06-11-2002, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jrd
I read this somewhere, the old non commercial and military airfields were 1/2 mile total.

That is my guess too, since the first races in the 50's were held on abondoned airstrips.

Mufflerbearing · 06-11-2002, 07:43 AM

The answer was given long ago by NHRA President Wally Parks.

One would have to do a search of the NHRA archives though as I am having a senior moment and can't remember the answer.

Pat