January 23, 2017

Just How Fast is Fast? BOSS Ironman Finishers vs Other Motorsports


As the entire nation is reacting to the recklessness that caused grave injury (and according to some sources, fatalities) at the 12th BOSS Ironman Challenge this year, one question remains: just how fast is fast? This year, the organizers used a tracking chip/device to follow the progress of the participants. Though the live tracker is now offline (for obvious reasons), a source did reveal that the fastest two-wheeled finisher, a Ducati MultiStrada 1200 Enduro clocked an average speed of 115 km/h. Meanwhile, the fastest four-wheeled finisher is a Peugeot 208 GTi doing 89 km/h.

While these speeds don’t seem insanely high at a glance, remember, these are AVERAGE SPEEDS. Average speed indicates how fast a vehicle travels over a specific distance in a certain amount of time. This contrasts with what’s indicated on your speedometer which is instantaneous speed. This reveals how fast a vehicle is traveling at a particular moment. Now, why is this important?

Since the BOSS Ironman Challenge is held on public roads, conditions can vary extremely. On one hand, it could be a large multi-lane highway and on the other, a semi-paved two-lane provincial road. Throw in curves, corners, ruts, and the occasional fuel or bathroom stops, finishing the 1,200 (1,240 to be exact according to the GPS tracking device) is quite difficult. Simple math reveals that in order to complete the route in 24 hours, you’ll need to average 50 km/h. Keeping that in mind, the fastest finisher, the Ducati with the 115 km/h time, did 2.3 times the required average speed to finish the race while the Peugeot was doing it 1.78 times faster.

But how do their times compare to the average motorist? How do their times compare to other point-to-point motorsports events such as the US-based Cannonball Run? And how do their times stack up against high-tier motorsports events run with proper safety standards and done in a managed environment? Well, prepare to be shocked:
  • Modern Formula One: 247 km/h (Fastest Race in F1, Monza, Italian Grand Prix)
  • Porsche 917LH: 244 km/h (Fastest Average Speed, 24 Hours of Le Mans)
  • Modern Formula One: 228 km/h (Slowest Speed in F1, Monte Carlo, Monaco Grand Prix)
  • BMW S 1000 RR Motorcycle:  215 km/h (Overall Fastest Time, Isle of Man TT)
  • Subaru WRX STI: 210 km/h (4-wheel Record Holder, Isle of Man TT)
  • Mercedes AMG GT3: 184 km/h (2016 NĆ¼rburgring 24 Hours)
  • Honda 125 cc: 177 km/h (Smallest Engine Fastest Time, Isle of Man TT)
  • Mercedes CL 55 AMG: 157 km/h (Ed Bolian, Fastest Cannonball Run)
  • Ducati MultiStrada 1200 Enduro: 116 km/h (12th BOSS Ironman Challenge 2017)
  • Citroen C4 WRC: 103 km/h (Sebastien Loeb, Rallye Monte Carlo)
  • Peugeot 208 GTi: 89 km/h (12th BOSS Ironman Challenge 2017)
  • Mazda2 Skyactiv: 84 km/h (Clark International Speedway, Philippine Endurance Challenge)
  • Tesla Model S: 78 km/h (Alex Roy, Fastest Record for EV/Autonomous Vehicles)
  • Subaru Impreza: 64 km/h (Average Highway Speed, SLEX/STAR w/ RFID)
  • Honda Civic: 56 km/h (Average Highway Speed, SLEX/STAR w/o RFID)
  • Pro-Cyclist: 50 km/h (Mario Cipollini, Tour de France)
  • Honda Civic: 24 km/h (Average City Commute, Light)
  • Honda Civic: 16 km/h (Average City Commute, Mixed)
  • Honda Civic: 11 km/h (Average City Commute, Heavy)
This information paints a scientific and unbiased picture as to why unsanctioned street racing events should be regulated or banned altogether. Whether it’s a race against other participants or against the clock, the fact that the fastest two- and four-wheeled finishers in this year’s BOSS Ironman Challenge could match the average speeds of those racing on a close track is certainly alarming. Therefore, if you plan to race (or beat the clock) do so in the safety of a race track and not on the open road.
Filed Under: ,

10 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2017 at 1:09 PM

    hintayin munang may ma-todas na konyo bago gumalaw ang mga kinauukulan!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AutoActivJanuary 23, 2017 at 3:33 PM

    Katuwaan lang naman ito. Wala naman pumipilit sa mga participants na magpabilis sila. Accidents happens anywhere anytime of day and night. Inggit lang ang mga kontra! Porke kaya nyo mag member sa Race Club's? Kahit Wigo lng ang Sasakyan namin may karapatan din kaming magsaya. Taking primary consideration on Safety of course.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2017 at 2:52 AM

      e d magtayo ka rin ng Wigo club mo tapos mag fun run kayo. gusto nyo humataw, magorganize kayo sa racetrack. wag nyo idahilan na katuwaan lang yan. kahit ung mga nambabato na mga bata ng bato(o hollow blocks) sa C5, katuwaan lang rin.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2017 at 6:58 PM

    buti kung kayo ang matetepok, pano kung yung mga walang kamuang-muang na publiko?
    safety? halimbawa, lalagyan nyo ng safety barrier buong ruta nyo?!?!? safety na hanggang boka lang pero bahala na diyos sa totoong buhay!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AutoActivJanuary 23, 2017 at 9:20 PM

      Natutuwa naman ang publico ah pag dumaraan ang convoy. Nag che-cheers pa sila. Its fun, reason why its fun to drive. Parang piknik nga, family day!

      Delete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2017 at 8:02 AM

    Looking forward to having checkpoints with HPG, LTO and Customs people en route next year. Stop illegal street racing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2017 at 10:10 AM

    Yeah they implemented a mandatory seminarand a pinoy safety measure standard prior to the race one of the best and proven safety measure in history. Sarcasm.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownJanuary 21, 2020 at 8:15 AM

    Kung katuwaan lng sali na kami pocket bike dala namin hahahašŸ¤£

    ReplyDelete
  7. Solo RyderJuly 1, 2020 at 12:11 AM

    Nest year...pasali

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJuly 20, 2022 at 9:58 AM

    Pag Inggit pikit.

    ReplyDelete

Feel free to comment or share your views. Comments that are derogatory and/or spam will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to moderate and/or remove comments.