Near the top of my bucket list is my desire to run my T-5R in the Big Ben Open Road Race in Texas.
BBORR - 2011

I guess I want to know what you guys think? Do you think my car will survive? I'm thinking about entering in the top tier of the Grand Touring which has a target speed of !25 mph. It's a 59 mile trip (x2) and I think I can do it 2 or 3 days.

I'm thinking that the tach will be around 4,300 rpm's most of the time and will get as high as 5,200 rpm's (sub-stained) for about 28 minutes. These cars run on the Autobahn in Europe for several minutes. Most people get on and off in 10 - 15 minute runs and can average 180 km (115 mph) during that brief trip. Do you guys think I'll have any problems making it without damaging my car?

I have run my 960 a few times at speeds up to about 105 - 110 for more than an hour with no side effects. I have also run our S70 GLT at speeds of 107+/- for a long while before with no problems. Trying to hold an average speed of 125 and peaks of near 140 would be a different story. I would change fluids prior to the race and walk home if I blow it up but I think all this fast car stuff and driving around town at 70 mph is just boring.

I'm really surprised that there has been NO VOLVO'S to ever enter the race from what I can tell and all these guys do all these mods to these cars, what for??? Here is a legal opportunity to blow the doors off the car and no one enters.

I think the race is this weekend or next and I hate it that I'm not in it. Lets get a bunch of Volvo owners to go down there and turn the place out.

 

I'd definitely do that, I took a drive to naples from palm beach a few days ago, buried the speedo once again.

The 850s love highway deep triple digit runs, just hope the old parts hold up!

So i'm on their site, how much to enter in the GT class??

 

I wouldn't be worried about the engine but the tranny Is what id be worried about I say do it I probably wouldn't think twice, to bad I live in Iowa....

 

I wouldn't think the tranny would be an issue unless you think the heat will. The car will be locked in 4th gear the entire trip.

 

In addition to the normal track day stuff, looks like you will need a 5 or 6 point safety harness and "V" rated tires or better. Unless you meant the "Street Rod & Touring Divisions - SR & T".

From what I can gather about it on their website, it seems to be a top speed blast down closed sections of a public highway? And passing is allowed. Is it a standing start or do they stagger the cars like a rally?

 

Do Lucky's TCU mod and add a trans cooler... Good as gold..
Also a Oil cooler would help with the motor oil

 

@ Turkey: Yes it is part of the highway that they do close down. I believe they do stager starts to avoid cars from passing but it might happen if someone has problems. Yes I do think I'll have to get a harness and my tires are rated V.

@ Matt: I guess I might want to do a trans cooler. I think oil should be ok being full synthetic. I would change it right before the 600 mile trip there.

I guess you guys don't think the stock tranny can handle it huh? A 25 minute trip, it should handle that.

 

I know it can handle it, my suggestion was to just increase the Trans fluid flow (the lucky mod) and add the cooler to keep the temp lower than normal... higher flow and cooler temp means faster, smoother shifts..
Check this out...
Lucky explaining the flow rate stuff
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic.../#entry2030105
here is the mod
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic...0#entry2061762

 

Have you done it? I might do it just to extend the life of the tranny.

 

I would also recommend a fire-resistant driving suit. In the event that something happened, hard to say how long it would take for emergency vehicles to respond given the length of the "track".

It would be interesting to see if the car can still do 140+.

 

Well, if I do the GT, the speed limit is 140. If I go over 140 I get disqualified and get no times (not that I'm real worried about that).

 

RSPI,
When you say the speed limit, I think I might want to disagree. In reviewing last years results, this is my takeaway. That is an average speed over the 59 miles. So therefore this is really a Time and Distance Rally. You want to average 140 MPH over the 59 miles.

If this is the case, you almost would need a passenger/navigator.

You could start out slow (in comparasion) at 60-80 and when all fluids are warmed, jump to 160+ and hold for a period of time and when you come close to the end, drop you speed and then have the cool down stretch and cross the finish line at the alloted time it would take to cover 59 miles averaging 140 MPH.

IMHO and good luck. Think it wold be fun no matter what happens.

 

I read the "rule sheet". It is a race to time, which in the GT race it would average 125 mph. You can see that just about all of these people must use a GPS because almost all of them finish within 10 seconds of the target time. There is only 1 or 2 races where the speed it unlimited and the entry requirements are so tough that you just about have to be a NASCAR driver to qualify to run in it. Fire suite, roll cage, etc., it's tough.

Each race has a max speed. Like the 110 mph average race has a top speed of 125.

One day when I grow up, I'll get another 850 or S/V70, tune it and run it like I stole it. I'd like to just have the opportunity to drive as fast as I want without the worry of loosing my license. Running that race once per year would be a good way to really enjoy the car.

IDK why we don't have the opportunity to drive like they do in Germany, our roads are nice enough. I think we should have the opportunity to get a special license to drive at any speed. It would have a yearly fee, testing, vehicle inspection, and restrictions when other motorist are around but heck, if I'm the only one on the road going down the interstate, I should be able to do what I want as long as no one else is around. Slow down at exits, going around others, and in poor weather, but other than that, if I have the license rider, let it rip. Kinda like a CDL. When I'm traveling hundreds of miles during my travels, it's hard to stay awake while driving 70 mph.