Sean Kennedy, about to drive Mark Heidaker's Ford GT into the record books.
The concept is pretty simple: find a straight, wide and under-utilized concrete runway, preferably as long as possible. Invite the fastest cars and bikes you can find to drop the hammer for a set distance, usually a half or full mile, and document the results. That was the recipe for success followed by last weekend’s Houston Half Mile, which builds on the success of similar events such as the Texas mile.
At last Saturday’s Houston Half Mile event, Mark Heidaker’s 2,000 horsepower Ford GT (tuned by Hennessey Performance) ran 212.9 mph over the half mile with driver Sean Kennedy behind the wheel. As far as we can tell, that’s a new world record for a production-based car, and it easily beat the half-mile speed of 204 mph set by Kennedy in the same car during this year’s Texas Mile. That means owner Heidaker and driver Kennedy now own both the standing mile and the standing half mile speed records, which is no minor accomplishment given the number of participants.
The record speed in the standing mile sits at 257.7 mph, so the new benchmark is 260 mph. If conditions are right, expect the team to break the 260 mph barrier at the next Texas Mile event, coming in late October.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
