Courtney Force posted her career-best time of 3.995 seconds on the quarter-mile track of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona this weekend during the Circle K NHRA Winternationals. Here's what ludicrous speed looks like in a Chevrolet funny car designed to look sort of like a Camaro.
322.65 miles per hour. I get giggly at anything past 120 or so. T-t-...three hundred and twenty-two (point sixty-five) miles per hour.
No wonder the back end looked pretty squiggly mid-run.
Force explained how it felt to Motorsport.com:
That sand trap was coming up quick. It was just a great run for us, especially because we're trying to come out here on a high note because we've got new sponsors on board. It was awesome flying down there. I knew it was a fast run. Honestly, I didn't know how fast. I could only tell by the expression on my team's face and that's how I knew it was a good one.
Ludicrous speed is not plaid. Ludicrous speed looks more like pink and black Zubaz.
This run gave Courtney the number one qualifying position for the Sunday elimination rounds at the Winternationals. She came in sixth overall for the weekend, with reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan taking the win for the class.
Still: three-hundred and twenty-two (point six five) miles an hour. Holy crap.
Clarification: As some commenters pointed out, racers only go 1,000 feet instead of the full quarter-mile for certain classes, including the Funny Cars. 322.65 MPH in a thousand feet. Let that sink in for a second. Wow.