Top Speeds

[jimbobtcc206]

Hi guys, just wondering what sort of top end speeds average westies get to on the various tracks. I'm not talking the balls out 260bhp race engines but the mildly tuned track enthusiasts with cars affordable to the masses?

[TAFKARM]

Depends entirely on the track surely.....?

120 ish @ Bedford, but I tend not to be looking!

[jimbobtcc206]

Yes absolutely it does. That's what I'm trying to understand. Blyton seemed to be c. 105 ish but Silverstone would obviously be a lot more (complete guess 120?). Just wondering what the ball park top end is for each track?

[Andrew]

My 170 bhp Pinto gets me to 120mph @ 7000rpm at Rockingham and Snetterton. Have not driven Silverstone, but 120 top end is more than enough for all other circuits I've done.

[AdamR]

Ballpark top end for each track is very dependent on driver, tyres, car spec, etc.  I would say it's dictated more by these factors than the track itself, unless your car has loooads of power and is geared to the moon

Mine will run into the limiter at ~118mph fairly easily with 'only' 185bhp due to low gearing, but it doesn't have a stupidly wide track at the front end, tiny headlights, aeroscreen and only a half cage.

I've not driven this car on track much yet, but in the dry I expect to hit the limiter everywhere apart from Blyton.

[jimbobtcc206]

Gearing is the reason I was thinking about this Adam. From a personal perspective it's pointless having a car geared to do 160+ as top gear is then just a waste and I'm not getting a car to drive around the road happily in 5th gear. Equally I wondered how short is too short. I thought maybe 135mph would be a good balance between not bouncing off the limiter and having gearing suited more to track than road.

[DamperMan]

115 seams to be about it on the flat.  That's full screen. Massive headlights, full cage,  180bhP zetec.   I was seeing about 110 at silverstone.   It feels like it would do better with a gear between 4th and 5th.  

[AdamR]

I getcha... and I agree entirely. Dropping gearing by, say, 10% is effectively giving you 10% more power by increasing torque at the hubs, and it's a damn sight cheaper than engine work usually.

How much power do you have? What sort of bits are on the car?

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

It depends how often you drive on roads I guess. Plus, if you do use on the road, how far do you go? If it’s only ever very short, local trips, then lack of a cruising fifth isn’t a problem so much.

If on the other hand you like to head into Wales/Peaks etc and have to travel a bit to get there, sitting at high revs on a dual carriageway gets old fast.

Then again, for tight twisty tracks, with more power, it’s not uncommon to gear long, and to be able to hit high road speeds in quite low gears. Exceeding sixty in first isn’t uncommon* and seventy/eighty in second. This means fewer gear changes on those slower bends, but also helps give so much “pull” out of the corners...

While gearing short to make the most of lower power obviously has some advantages, again its a balance, if you’re forever changing gear, there comes a point when you’re loosing time.

*having an engine that revs higher than standard, with a good power spread in those longer revs helps here, too.

[Greenstreak-Andy D]

Gearing is the key, this is how mine is setup, with a 3.92 diff and 195/50 R15 (apologise the alignment is not the best), Duratec on TB's - approx 180bhp.

Gearbox, best swap i did. SPC Tracsport type 9.

Andy

	2.482	1.61	1.225	1	0.82
RPM	1	2	3	4	5
1000	7	11	14	17	21
1500	10	16	21	26	31
2000	14	21	28	34	42
2500	17	27	35	43	52
3000	21	32	42	52	63
3500	24	37	49	60	73
4000	28	43	56	69	84
4500	31	48	63	77	94
5000	35	53	70	86	105
5500	38	59	77	95	115
6000	42	64	84	103	126
6500	45	69	91	112	136
7000	49	75	98	120	147

[Terry Everall]

IMHO you need a lot of power to exceed 125 mph in a track Westfield even on slicks . 

[SXRORY]

113 at Combe that's when the balls twitch and I have to have a dab before Avon rise. Im sure I could brake after but I like my car too much to find out.   

[stephenh]

In my experience, it takes a lot of power to get a Westy much above 120 mph, in the real world, ie ignoring speedo readings, and following wind etc, and assuming a reasonable long but not ridiculous straight. They just don't have the aerodynamics.

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Standard Busa with aeroscreen will do about 130, very tuned Busa supercharged, the most I ever saw was 141 at Aintree and it was a pretty perfect day for it. Think Tommo's V8 would do about 150 there.

[Terry Everall]

My top spec blade in lightweight car just gets to 125mph and does not run out of revs ...it just won't go any faster