For those that don't quite get it, the idea of producing more horsepower than you can possibly use is a mystery. Certainly, we live in an era when horsepower is simply a commodity. It's scope is really only limited by your budget. Moreover you can build ridiculous power in a completely drivable package thanks to the wonders of modern electronics.
As such, it truly is possible create a car with more power than you can ever possibly use on the street. What that level is really depends on the weight of the car, the level of suspension upgrades, and the bite of the brakes-well, all that stuff and the skill of the driver, of course. While such cars are a blast in a short burst, it's in a controlled environment that you can really unleash the beast.
It's common for fans of performance cars to test their rides on dragstrips or road courses. However, if you've ever just wanted to stand on the gas and see just how far that speedometer needle will move, there's one flavor of motorsport that offers you what you desire-running the standing mile. One such standing-mile event is the Texas Mile, and that's just where Chris Anderson began his quest to create the world's fastest Super Snake.
Of course, Chris' story began like most, with a few innocent bolt-ons. "...I waited a year to have my GT500 converted into a Super Snake 725," Chris explained. "I owned the Super Snake for a couple months, and then decided to do a few bolt-on modifications to the car."
What better place to test out a few mods that the Texas Mile, but unfortunately things went awry. "When the stock motor let go, I met Van Collier from Revan Racing and Jon Lund from Lund Racing," Chris said. "They came over to see if they could help. For these guys to just offer as much help as they did without even knowing me, I knew they were the guys to take proper care of the car. I started talking to Van about doing a modest build, which quickly turned into a sickness."
The idea of making the already-potent Super Snake a 200-mph missile qualifies as sick-in a good way. Under Van's tutelage, Chris' car gained a new engine built by Michael Rauscher of L&M Engines. It is based on Ford Racing's wet-sump Ford GT aluminum block, and topped by a set of Fox Lake-ported stock heads fitted with a Ferrea valvetrain, and crowned by a quartet of L&M custom camshafts. Of course, you don't just build a monster motor for everyday use. Such massive fortitude underhood is meant to withstand the fury of a liquid-cooled, 3.6-liter Kenne Bell supercharger. This twin-screw goliath can be pullied for 23 to 30 pounds of boost.
One can only imagine how thunderous this combination must sound as the supercharger shrieks at full song and the engine snarls through the 2-inch primary tubes of the American Racing Headers long-tubes. Chris says the exhaust is the clear winner in that auditory battle. However, he loves the sound of the car.
"It is an awesome feeling to run that fast. The best thing is to hold the car wide open in Fifth gear as long as you do. There are not too many roads or places that you can do that in the U.S. legally," Chris explained. "The hardest thing about driving that fast is that I work overseas for long periods of time, so I don't even get to drive a car for years at a time. And to come back to the states without driving a car for a year and then jump straight into this thing is kind of sketchy sometimes."
Chris works as Biometrics contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helps the U.S. identify people by their physical and personality traits. Hence, the long gaps between driving. However, one thing that Chris identified about himself is that he simply loves Shelby Mustangs. He also loves to drive them fast, and his '08 is currently the fastest Super Snake on the mile, laying down a 194.7-mph run.
Likely the most common view...
Likely the most common view for anyone brave enough to challenge Chris, the rear of the ’08 Super Snake is all Shelby. Only the wheels and car number differ from its as-delivered form. That the car stays stable at nearly 200 mph is a testament to Ford’s aero engineers.
Obviously Chris’ Super Snake...
Obviously Chris’ Super Snake is all about function over form. However, that doesn’t mean its appearance can’t be clean too. Though the rear seat and Emergency Roadside Inflation Kit are absent, the whole area is covered in carpet for a finished look.
Keeping tabs on the various...
Keeping tabs on the various pressures—boost, fuel, and oil—are a trio of Shelby/Auto Meter carbon-fiber gauges in a Shelby gauge pod. Hanging from the rear-view mirror is a DashDAQ XL, which offers datalogging, GPS navigation, gauges, and more in one package. The dash plate tells us this is a legit Super Snake, and the autograph on the dash tells us Mr. Carroll Shelby has ordained Chris’s car.
"It has always been a dream of mine to own a Shelby. I've always been a fan of Shelbys and the racing heritage. But the biggest reason I like to racing my Shelby GT500 is that it's hard to make it go fast. It's a heavy car and it doesn't have the best aero..." Chris explained. "You don't see too many true Super Snakes trying to do it either. The list for 200-mph GT500s is really short, and I hope I can add to that small list one day. The car was just built, so we are still learning herùonce we do some tweaking, she'll be over 200 on even a bad day."
Over 200 mph sounds like a great day, but that's just the beginning of Chris' goals. "Once we eclipse 200 mph in the standing mile, we'll likely step up the game and go for a higher speed," Chris added. "Maybe next time we'll shoot for 225. 5.0
Horse Sense: Revan Racing (www.revanracing.com) obviously knows its way around a GT500, and the company is nearly synonymous with the dual-fan heat exchanger and large radiator it co-developed with C&R Racing. These days the '07-'11 Shelby GT500 Dual Pass/Dual Puller Fan Air to Water Heat Exchanger Kits and '07-'11 Shelby GT500 High-Capacity Radiator are blessed by the man himself and wear the official Shelby logo.
Engine and Drivetrain
Block Ford GT aluminum wet-sump
Crankshaft Double-keyed forged
Pistons L&M Engines custom w/Speed Pro rings
Camshafts L&M Engines custom
Cylinder Heads Stock, ported by Fox Lake Power Products
Power Adder Kenne Bell 3.6LC w/3.6-in pulley, Kenne Bell twin 75mm throttle body, polished 5-in inlet, and Revan Racing dual-fan heat exchanger
Fuel System Three Walbro GSS342 pumps w/braided lines, Fore Precision fuel rails, Fore Precision fuel pressure regulator, and 166-lb/hr fuel injectors
Exhaust Amercian Racing Headers 2-in long-tubes w/Borla mufflers
Transmission FRPP Boss R1 six-speed manual w/SPEC clutch and Dynotech driveshaft
Rearend 9-in w/3.00 gears
Electronics
Engine Management Stock w/Lund Racing tune
Gauges Stock w/Aeroforce and Dashdaq
Chassis and Suspension
Front SuspensionK-member BMR with 1/2-in engine lowering
Brakes Shelby/Baer w/Baer HTC pads
Wheels 21-in HRE Comp C93
Control Arms Griggs Racing double-adjustable
Wheels 21-in HRE Comp C93
Obviously, a lightweight and...
Obviously, a lightweight and durable wheel is crucial for racing at high speeds. Chris chose HRE’s Comp C93 wheels, which are built from 6061-T6 forged aluminum. Mounted on these lightweight beauties Toyo Proxes R888 tires, which provide competition-level traction in a street-legal package.
Here is Chris’ Vapor Silver...
Here is Chris’ Vapor Silver Super Snake laying down a vapor trail on the Texas Mile.
Keeping tabs on the various...
Keeping tabs on the various pressures—boost, fuel, and oil—are a trio of Shelby/Auto Meter carbon-fiber gauges in a Shelby gauge pod. Hanging from the rear-view mirror is a DashDAQ XL, which offers datalogging, GPS navigation, gauges, and more in one package. The dash plate tells us this is a legit Super Snake, and the autograph on the dash tells us Mr. Carroll Shelby has ordained Chris’s car.
Obviously safety is paramount...
Obviously safety is paramount when you are running the standing mile. As such, Chris’ cockpit is behind the bars of an NHRA-certified Tig Vision 10-point cage. Keeping Chris in place is a Sparco Milano Prestige seat and a Sparco six-point harness. Aeroforce gauges (in a Shelby cluster) and a DashDAQ supplement the factory instruments to keep him informed during a run.
His day job is biometrics...
His day job is biometrics contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you aren’t familiar, biometrics is the field of indentifying people by their physical and behavioral characteristics. We’d have to identify Chris as an adrenaline junkie. After coming home from the Middle East, he unwinds at nearly 200 mph!
Normally a Kenne Bell 3.6-liter,...
Normally a Kenne Bell 3.6-liter, liquid-cooled supercharger with a Mammoth inlet elbow would be enough to dominate any engine compartment. However, it’s the gargantuan inlet tubing on Chris’s car that grabs our attention. Measuring 5 inches in diameter, this inlet tube draws ambient air from the inner fender. As we know, positive-displacement blowers loathe inlet restrictions, so Van eliminated those, and cleared the way for 30 pounds of boost and over 1,000 hp.