dred98's Aurora Pages
dred98's Aurora Pages
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In 1957 Buddy Sampson won the Top Eliminator trophy at the 3rd annual U.S. Nationals with his Oldsmobile powered dragster. In the 38 years that followed 90 Olds drivers earned the right to stand in the NHRA winners circle. Oldsmobile was the dominant marque in NHRA championship drag racing. In 1995 the president of the NHRA, Dallas Gardner, said "Oldsmobile has set the standard for all other manufacturers in NHRA drag racing." By the end of the 1995 season, Oldsmobile cars and engines had won 415 NHRA national titles, a total of 23 NHRA Winston championships and 14 NHRA Manufacturers Championships. Then at the conclusion of the 1995 season Oldsmobile refocussed its motorsports activities to spotlight the Aurora V8 engine in international road racing.
Oldsmobile's first Indy car racing engine was inspired by the production Aurora V8 that powers every classic Aurora luxury performance sedan. In 1997 the Aurora V8 won every race, won every pole, led every lap, won the Driver championship, won the Team championship, won the Rookie championship and won the Engine Manufacturer championship. An earlier version of the Aurora V8 was the first American engine since 1969 to win the Daytona 24-hour and Sebring 12-hour endurance races. Two years before its public debut, a modified production 4 litre Aurora V8 engine powered the Oldsmobile Aerotech vehicle which broke 47 world, international, and American speed and endurance records. With a team of Oldsmobile drivers the Aerotech established world records of over 170 mph for 10,000 kilometers and over 158 mph for 25,000 kilometers - records previously held by Mercedes. The IRL Aurora V8 racing engine which is based on the production V8 produces over 700 hp on methanol and is limited by IRL regulations to 10,500 rpm. |
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