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I am making this thread to discuss my experience at my first Texas Mile.

First a little bit about my car...

Brandi is a 2010 2SS Camaro with a stroked forged LS3 427 CI Twin Turbo Powered monster. As for the power, my signature hasn't been current on power listings for a while. We have been working for more power...

I started working with Henderson Performance Technologies about 19 months ago.

Corey and Company have built me an absolute animal. Brandi is scalding fast and the acceleration is brutal... In the best way...

My goal for the car was to run the fastest standing mile a 5th Gen has ever run... I was close but not successful, due to a head gasket failure. That is not anyone's fault, it happens.

If you plan to go fast, plan to break stuff and prepare accordingly.....

So, to my weekend at the Texas Mile in Beeville Texas... My first time ever in an event like this...

I made a total of four passes prior to the head gasket ending the weekend.

My car tech'ed for the 190 class, which is the highest level or fastest runs. This is due to the full cage and all of the other safety equipment, Parachute, remote battery shut off, fire equipment etc....

Pass # 1,

This was the first level licensing run, and it had to be a safe and controlled pass between 140 and 165 mph... I did a burnout and pulled to the line. When the track was clear, the starter flagged me off and I drove off the line, ran easy through first and second gear and then started putting the hammer down. This pass was on boost only and the giggle gas bottles were not even in the car... I ran up to about 160 miles mph and lifted and let her settle getting a feel for the car at speed. I cruised from there through the mile at 157 mph and licensed up to the next level...

Pass # 2,

We decided to also make this pass without nitrous. The goal for this license level was a controlled pass between 180 and 200 mph.

I lined up and did a burnout and pulled up to the start line. Again, I drove off the line and worked up through the gears. In first gear I never got over 25% throttle position, and only got up to about 40 % in second gear. I was still spinning the tires and having to feather the throttle to stick the tires... In third gear I pushed a little harder and went through the 1/2 mile at 166.9 mph. I shifted into fifth at about 184 and hammered it... I passed the speed trap at 197.8 mph...

For perspective, at 180 mph, you cover a mile in 20 seconds, or a half mile in ten seconds, and I covered this last half mile in about 7.5 to 8 seconds.

I ran into a snag on this run... The DIC, only registers up to 168 mph, so from the half mile on, I had no idea how fast I was going... but, 197.8 is between 180 and 200, so, I licensed up to my "A" license.

This car handles so well, it was very comfortable and stable.

Pass # 3

This pass was a very short run.

On Saturday morning, It was cold as heck. We prepped the car, installing and warming the nitrous bottles. Burnout and stage... The starter waved me off and it went to poop in a hand basket.

1st gear, No, NADA traction... She spun if I barely touched the gas, and so I short shifted into second... I rolled into it easy and she spun and darted a bit to the right.... I lifted a little and brought her back, rolled into it a bit again, she spun but stayed straight, so I lifted and went right back into the gas... and she turned dead left on me... I couldn't lift completely or I would spin her badly... Doesn't look good, so I lifted to about half throttle position from where I had been and steered into the skid... The runway is 150 feet wide, and about a 100 feet of it is used for the racing surface, and I used most all of that and ended up right next to the cones marking the left side of the track. This all occurred at about 90 mph... I got her straight, got on the brakes and turned off the track at the 1/4 mile mark.... A spectator moved a barricade for me and offered up the statement "good save" as I drove back to the start area.... Corey said the people at the start area were going oh... ohhh... ohhhh. ohhhhhhh, whewww, way to gather it back up... lol...

Pass # 4,

Burnout, stage and launch... Spun them three times in first gear trying to find traction and never got over 25% throttle... Shifted to 2nd and rolled into it again...up to about 40 % throttle... spun them several times and grabbed third... finally getting some what of a chance to mash it... I finally reached the parameters that allow for the nitrous to spray... I jammed on it at the very top of third and grabbed 4th... In fourth gear, I went 100% throttle 60% 100% 60% five times according to the data log... I went through the half mile at 168.7 mph and shortly after that I grabbed 5th and hammered it... She reached 18 lbs of boost and was spraying when I broke the tires loose at 190 mph... I lifted for just a second to allow the tires to stop spinning and jumped right back on it... She finally squatted and leaped forward...

I guestimate I was at around 208 mph when the head gasket let loose... at about the 7/8+ mile mark... The video below is this pass, You can just hear the car approaching the building in the foreground and listen to the note change dramatically right after I come from behind it. You can hear the cylinder venting... the car was nosed over and slowing down already and then a friend commented that there is a puff of something as I am between two of the hay bales... I believe this is when the coolant system was over pressurized and blew off a hose...

I still trapped at 197.0 mph... The motor died and I went into the shut down area at 197 mph with no power brakes and no power steering.... Yup, that sucked... The shut down area is about 1/2 mile, which again at 180 you cover in ten seconds...I literally was standing on the brakes... I didn't feel good tossing the chute out since the car was already weight shifted forward and it could have snatched the rear wheels off the ground... and thrown the car sideways... So, it was hang on and pray...I hauled her down and managed to safely turn off the track and roll a safe distance. They were able to continue with following runs. The safety Safari came over and I had them extinguish a small fire down near the passenger side turbo probably due to a cut oil supply line spraying oil on the exhaust/turbo housing...

The car is fine and after some repairs and modification we will be heading back for the next Mile run in March if my schedule fits with it...

I can only state for myself, there isn't anything I've ever done in a car that was this much fun... I'm seriously hooked and I now know that I built my car for the right sport....

My Over all goal was to run the fastest standing mile in a 5th Gen, and while I didn't get it this time, March is another run and I hope to be there...

I am a licensed and certifiable Speed Junky now... and at the end of the video, the announcer mentions a porsche, car # 63... My car is # 2363.... oh well...