Muscle Milk ALMS car testing at VIR last week - 1.36.6 on full course. 0.3 shy of the course record set by a Bennetton F1 car. Enjoy!
We could just tell you that the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón will set speed records at Virginia International Raceway later this year. Then you could choose to believe it or not... that's fine with us.
But since we feel that seeing really is believing, have a look at this on-board footage of Muscle Milk Pickett Racing's HPD ARX-03a prototype during a recent test session at VIR. The lap time is approximately 1:36.6 - just 0.3 seconds off the lap record around the 3.27-mile Full Course set in a Benetton ex-F1 car in 2004.
Some things to note...
* Track personnel and several corner marshals working the test said they had never seen a car go through the turns with as much speed and stability as the HPD.
* Top speed was reported at 175 mph and the average speed was 121.863 mph.
* The car was on full throttle for 17 seconds from the exit of Turn 6a to the entry of Turn 10. That means wide-open runs through the Climbing Esses - past the Lodge and the Villas at South Bend.
* It was full throttle for another 15 seconds from the exit of the Oak Tree Turn (T11) to the entry of Roller Coaster (T14).
* Counting those two sectors plus the run from T17 to T1, prototypes should run nearly half the circuit at full throttle on a clear lap.