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Ferrari SF90 Stradale vs. McLaren 765LT Drag Race Rematch Doesn't Go as Planned

Not that long ago, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano and the McLaren 765LT met on Hennessey's drag strip in Texas for an uninterrupted head-to-head match.
Ferrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag race 8 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Ferrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag raceFerrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag raceFerrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag raceFerrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag raceFerrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag raceFerrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag raceFerrari SF90 Stradale Vs McLaren 765LT drag race
While the encounter delivered all the excitement you would expect, it still couldn't answer the most important question: which of the two has the quickest set up for the quarter-mile race? Naturally, the races ended with a winner, but it meant traction played an overly important role since it all took place on regular asphalt.

From a real-world point of view, the results are as relevant as they come. However, from that perspective, the race was pretty much pointless, to begin with—about as surprising as racing the new Porsche 911 Turbo S against the McLaren in the same conditions. Everybody knows the 765LT needs all the grip in the world to deliver its full payload to those rear wheels, and a plain blacktop just isn't going to cut it.

The very two cars that competed on Hennessey's private track are now back at a proper drag race strip (the Houston Raceway) for a rematch, and DragTimes' Brooks Weisblat is ready to go. A McLaren 765LT owner himself, he jumps into the Ferrari this time, leaving John Hennessey to deal with any potential lack of traction in the British supercar. Brooks is probably getting ready for the SF90 he has on order that should begin its trip toward the States any minute now.

Sadly, the two only get the chance to do one pass, and despite both getting excellent reaction times (0.051 for John and 0.080 for Brooks), partially because of the botched burnout before the race, Hennessey's McLaren spins its wheels early enough to make the rest of the race irrelevant. A driver swap for the McLaren and a second attempt are planned, but in the end, the time to do it isn't there.

A bit disappointing for the McLaren, which has the renown of being the quickest stock car to defend. However, considering its price (less than half what the SF90 goes for, presuming you can even get one) and the fact it skips on the whole all-wheel-drive electrification bit and relies solely on its V8 engine to deliver similar performance to Ferrari's top model (which has all of the above), it's the 765LT that comes out as the winner regardless of what happens on the track.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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