Speed. What is it that drives us to make our cars faster than when they left the showroom floor? Once we install that go-fast part where can you go to test it out? The local streets are out of the question unless you want your prize ride sitting in an impound lot somewhere. Local drag park? A quarter mile is never enough room to have real fun as after a few seconds it is over. So where does a speed junkie go? The Texas Mile has the answer to that question. By using an old WWII runway, the organizers of this event give you more than enough room to see what your ride is capable of. I took my 2003 Jaguar S-Type R out to the event to see what it would do. Driving a car 1000 plus miles one way to compete in an event that solely exists to drive a car might seem a bit odd to some people, but that is why I chose the Jag. What other car can carry someone in luxury for such a distance, then with a stab of the pedal , the car turns into a beast.



The event was dominated by the likes of Shelby GT500s, Z06s, ZR1s and purpose built high speed cars. The Jag was welcomed by many with inquisitive lookers wanting to know what it had under the hood. Great appreciation was shown as some previous owners reminisced about the Jag they used to own. As my own Jag only had an intake and exhaust, I didn’t know what to expect out of it. Driving into a 15mph headwind, my first time turned out to be my fastest time at 144.5mph. Not too bad for a comfy 4000lb luxury car that just drove from Kentucky. Nothing I tried during the weekend allowed me to go any faster, but each run made my heart race, and gave me a Texas sized smile.



There were plenty of fast cars to see and friendly people and talk to, along with good food and hot weather. When the sun did go down and the track closed, there were plenty of cold beer and good stories to go around. People that have run the mile in the past were happy to share some secrets on going faster, as instead of this being a competition to find a winner, this is a place for car guys (and girls) to come together and go as fast as they can in a mile’s span.




Some cars from the event
YouTube - ‪The Texas Mile - May 2011‬‏

Inside my car
YouTube - ‪Texas Mile 2011 Jag.avi‬‏

 

i went to the last race at Goliad track , didnt make the Beeville race, but friends said fastest they saw was 219mph a modded corvette.

Ron

 

Oh....now I want to do that!

 

Looks like lots of fun. Was it to rough towards the end or was it just the camera vibrating?

Here in AZ they have the Bonderant school of Driving the I've always wanted to go try.

Do you need just a helmet? or a full Fire suit?

 

It was a bit rough, and my camera mount was a home made unit and I used a Flip camera to record it. The only requirements they have was a snell m2005 or better helmet, SFI approved gloves, and you have to wear jeans and a long sleeve cotton shirt. I spent $70 on helmet and gloves.

 

that was the great thing about race at Goliad track 10,000ft of smooth concrete.

i heard that Beeville is not as smooth! also Maxton in NC is rough.

havent seen it but track down in FLA. is newer and very good, built in 1970s

still a lot of fun trying to go over 200mph ,surprsing how many cars cant go 200!

added to that more and more are making the grade tho.

 

rough numbers agree that it takes around 850hp to go 200 in a 3400lb car.

just when you think the race is over , a Mexican kid in a 1999 chevy truck shows up and cracks out a 199.5mph.
and he is all down because he didnt make 200(oh GEE)

 

It seems you enormously enjoyed yourselves and had some fun

 

I have to say I'd be depressed too if I missed the mark by a lousy 1/2 mph!

 

For the next one we need more Jags out there!

 

Looks to have been great fun.

An S-Type amidst a plethora of 'Vettes' and the pickup in front needs an 'outboard', life is good.

 

we should ask the Guru engine guys what it would take to make a Jag sedan do 200mph??

 

I was able to attend the last event at Goliad as well. I ran 157.9 in my 1996 Porsche 993 Twin Turbo. While it wasn't real fast, it was cool having the only 993 there!

I attended with my nephew, brother and a friend. All of us from Minnesota.

STS Twin Turbo Vette ran 191.1 mph
Supra Turbo ran 187 mph
Viper RT/10 ran 186 mph

It's a lot of fun!

 

That looks like a blast, wouldn't it blow some minds if someone rolled in in a stock looking Jag and clicked off 180 or so mph?

 

what's with the black plate? or is it just photoshop?

 

Nope, had that from when I used to have my BMW. Figured it still applies with the Jag

 

Wow, awesome video. It literally started to sound like a jet aircraft taking off!

Glad you were on an airport runway, I can't imagine people who drive that fast on public highways!

 

Hard to make out in the picture. What's it do? You don't get to run the streets with blacked out plates do you?

 

well 180mph might impress the jag guys, but a jag at 200 would impress many people there.

lots of cars are goin 180, like cadillac CTSV, corvettes, camaro, that Ls series GM engine is a good powerplant.

ford gettin its act together also. with supercharging!

the jag engnes are somewhat small in displacment , for a lot of top end power, even supercharged.

and im sure it will take a forced induction engine to make a jag go 200.

 

It says AMG LOL I don't run it on the street but I knew the car would be in a lot of pictures.