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Silver State Classic Challenge


The Silver State Classic Challenge, called the fastest road race in the world by Guinness, is an authorized Open Road Racing event that is run on a 90 mi (140 km) stretch of State Route 318 in Nevada, which is closed for the occasion. The event has been run since 1988, and was the venue for the highest speed achieved on a public highway, when Charles "Chuck" Shafer and Gary Bockman averaged 207.7801 mph (334.3897 km/h) in May 2000, in a Chrysler LeBaron ARCA race car. Although high-speed race cars receive much of the publicity, the majority of participants take part in mainstream street cars at average speeds ranging from 95 to 150 mph (153 to 241 km/h). These cars run the gamut from sports cars such as Corvettes and Mustangs to sedans such as Nissan Skylines, Mercedes wagons, and even Saturns.

Conceived by Steve Waldman, the event was first run on September 25, 1988, primarily as a showcase for vintage cars. With the assistance of the White Pine Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada Department of Transportation, a 90 mi (140 km) stretch of State Route 318 was closed for the day, and approximately fifty cars took part. The following year, Big Red set the record of 197.99 mph (318.63 km/h) was set by a 19‑year‑old driver named R. J. Gottlieb, driving a race-prepared Donovan big-block powered 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28. This run was well documented in a Hot Rod article that year. In the years that followed, the organization became increasingly professional, with rules for safety, car preparation and driver experience becoming more stringent.


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