May 22, 2003
WOMEN PLAYING golf with men?
WOMEN PLAYING golf with men? Unthinkable, says feminist Pat O'Shane:
While Sorenstam is good, she could never be as good as Tiger Woods, however we construct society. And why she - or any other female - would want to compete in a male event in any power sport is beyond my understanding.
Maybe she just wants to see how good she really is. Meanwhile Steven Den Beste posts on women competing in power sports of a massively higher order.
Posted by Tim Blair at May 22, 2003 03:29 AMThanx to Den Beste for pointing out that Angelle Savoie and Shirley "Don't Call Me Cha-Cha" Muldowney compete quite successfully in the only sport that really matters - drag racing. And without a "lady's tee." To these names I would also add Rhonda Harmann-Smith, Kirsten Powell and Shelly Anderson.
A few drag racing facts:
A top fuel car has a 0-100 mph time of 0.9 seconds. It accelerates at 5g, significantly quicker that an F-18 off a carrier flight deck. Within 5 seconds, it is traveling at 325 mph.
If you spotted a Porsche turbo Carrera a flying start at full speed (280 k/h) a top fuel car would pass it within 400 m.
When it pops the chute, it decelerates at 6g.
Each of its eight cylinders easily produce more horsepower that an F1 car.
A top fuel car has two sparkplugs per cylinder that are supplied by two giantic magnetos, each requiring the equivalent of a Honda Accord to run. The spark is so hot that you can arc weld with it. The plugs are consumed halfway in a run, but combustion continues thanks to cylinder pressure.
A top fuel car consumes 5 gallons of fuel in its 400 meter run. Its only coolant is the massive amount of raw fuel and air being sucked into the blower.
The fuel is 90% liquid nitromethane, costing US$600/gallon. If you pour this curious substance on the ground and hold a lighter next to it, it will not ignite. If you hit it with a hammer it will explode violently.
A top fuel car at full throttle produces 130 db of noise.
Golf is for poofters.
Posted by: iowahawk at May 24, 2003 at 05:14 AMOh yeah, there are a couple of Aussie drag racers that do pretty well in NHRA top fuel - David Grubnic and Andrew Cowin.
Posted by: iowahawk at May 24, 2003 at 05:19 AM