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Old 09-12-2015, 05:56 PM   #485 (permalink)
changzuki
Changfa diesel + Suzuki
 
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Northern, NY
Posts: 527

Centurion - '74 FIAT X1/9 Centurion Full Race DNA
Last 3: 143.5 mpg (US)
Thanks: 160
Thanked 463 Times in 235 Posts
2015 Grand Prix Festival - Watkins Glen, NY
(September 11th, 2015)
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PART 1
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Centurion left Colton, NY at about 4:50am enroute to Watkins Glen, NY.
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Total miles traveled to the event was 244
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Total fuel used was just short of 1.5 gallons and this if this is a primary indicator for 2016, then Centurion will be in contention to seriously challenge her 2015 / 250.64 mpg record..
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During the approval process, Centurion generated quite a bit of interest. Once accepted and formally announced, this became a focus within the group. This is common for those who simply take the car at face value - 17 horsepower - homebuilt - driven by CrazyJerry... Personally, I find it very humorous since at one time, I too was just a tad skeptical.
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Below is a series of exchanges prior to Centurion's arrival...
(BTW - these are all nice people so only the comments are shown)
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MESSAGE #1
Hello fellow Stone Bridge Drivers,
I am happy to announce a new addition to the Concorso Speciale.
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A guy by the name of Crazy Jerry will be piloting his Centurion 235 miles, from Colton, NY to the Grand Prix Festival with only a two-gallon tank of diesel fuel.
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I have attached a picture of the really very Speciale car.
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Here are some links that will tell you some of the story of this car.
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http://northcountrynow.com/…/suny-ca...-200-m…-
grand-prix-0113005
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http://www.the-leader.com/…/PH/0/6/P...9.jpg&Maxw=583
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Urba Centurion 128 mpg Diesel Powered Car
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Welcome aboard Crazy Jerry.
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Now let’s see how good he is at keeping up with the gas guzzler in front of him,
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MESSAGE #2
So he makes the right turn off main steet and starts up the hill....all 17hp of diesel power trying to keep up with the whatever in front of him. Good luck with that scene. Quite an accomplishment tho, and his green
lifestyle is admirable.
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MESSAGE #3
Actually they don’t call him Crazy Jerry for nothing.
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He knows that stretch of road and he assures me that he can do 35 MPH on the steepest part of that and maintain normal highways speeds on the rest of the course. That is more than I can say for many of the big bore cars that I have seen.
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It’s not the deisplavement that matters, but rather the attitude and willingness to keep up with the car ahead of you.
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MESSAGE #4
If he has to follow me in my 67 Mini Moke then he will have no problem keeping up even though I double his horsepower.
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My engine will be screaming on the way up the hill to stay with the car in front of me and it will be me screaming on the way back down into town as I squeeze as hard as I can on the 4 drum brakes!
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Can’t wait to meet Mr. Crazy as well as the rest of the Stone Bridge Drivers family.
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END OF MESSAGES
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Below is photo sketch of the "Old Course" (on the public roads) used for racing from 1948-1952 (before the Watkins Glen International Speedway was built). This street course is very challenging with abrupt elevation changes, twists and turns, mixed surfaces, etc...
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To some, this doesn't seem inline with the mpg theme that is attached to Centurion.
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But there is another side to Centurion, one that is rarely seen, and that is exactly why she needed to do this.
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More in PART II - coming soon!
~CrazyJerry~

Last edited by changzuki; 08-03-2018 at 11:24 PM..
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