racing is cool!
Wow what a day, I got to participate in Hemmings Motor News Musclepalooza II. What a fuggin blast, all the muscle cars I grew up loving, I got to race the snake against them and the rain waited until we were packed to go home. I finally did my first handicapped tree and got to run somebody down at the line, almost. If there are some guys wondering if they should go to the track and give it a try, don't hesitiate, DO IT! I am wondering why I didn't do this a long time ago.
I was in B-5 (11.5 - 12.5) running DOT MT slicks, any faster and roll bar so I don't want to go faster than 11.5 and with my setup, unported Eaton with a pulley, I'm OK until I learn to drive and then I could be in trouble, these cars are animals. I know experienced guys could get my car into the low elevens or faster, but I'm learning and happy with high elevens for now.
1st qual was against a 69 Camaro SS 396 tricked out on DOT slicks, I ran 11.910/1.78-60/115.84 (switching to a drag clutch/new shifter to fix that trap speed) but like most of my first runs, it was a mess, shifted like Mr. Magoo. the Camaro ran a 12.08, but going on the 3rd yellow trick gave me a .168 R/T to his .238 so I won by .2421, good race for the fans and they filled those grandstands, very cool.
2nd qual is one I would like to forget, I ran a 12.18, but only at 103, I didn't break anything but after shifting into 5th instead of third I just let it roll out, surprised I didn't get a higher ET, just goes to show the first two gears really dictate your ET. I guess having only a little over dozen passes might excuse me getting psyched out when the guy next to you, with a 2 ft high scoop, 16" slicks, who was from the next quicker class, red lights and pops a wheelie, I leave a .192, 60ft 1.76 to his 1.45, but as he slides away, I make a over-guided shift, right into 5th. nice. I stopped the palm heel slams until I get the Steeda shifter in there with the stops set, too afraid to bend a fork in my notchy t-56. game over, I roll out with my heart beating pretty fast, nice rush even though I goofed up.
Quals over, I don't even know that I am supposed to set my own dial in, so I ask and they say goop a number of my own choosing, so like an idiot I chalk 11.70. I left room for improvement of my 11.80 best during a cool evening test and tune, knew I could do better than my 11.91 qual but didn't allow for the fact they prepped the track (or lack of prep) for the F.A.S.T. (stock appearing older muscle cars) class that was running on street tires and the 75 deg sunny day that seemed to have times higher. I asked in the lanes, about their dial ins and everybody but me, set a dial in higher than their qual runs, they have done it before and realize if you are winning at the line, you can let off, to avoid going under. I was going to dial 11.80, my best but wasn't sure I was getting all that I could out of my car and I knew it would be too much to expect me to have the presence of mind to let off, but that would have been the better number for the day, oh well, hindsight is always 20-20.
In the first Eliminator I get a big block 70's Vette, sorry I'm not a Vette guy and it wasn't badged after being painted, with 315 street radials, stock hood but the motor was cammed with headers, sounded very healthy, beautiful paint, he was running low 12's and set a 12.30 dial? Now this car doesn't have a power adder but he is at least 450HP & 500-700 lbs lighter, only his F1 GS-D3's make it a race. Ok, I have to give him 2/3 sec head start, WTF? What did I get myself into, will my attack snake save my bacon? I will upload the movie tonight, if Eric will let me post some more of my p00p.
The big block Vette is a quick .076 rabbit off the light, I focused so hard on my tree, after getting startled by the wheelie in my last qual, I never saw him start. 3rd light, GO, I cut a .041, best ever, I dump at 4000, bog a little to about 2800, feel the stocker clutch slip a little and take off & hit 60 in 1.718, he got the street tires to do 60 ft in 1.94, not bad. I could then feel the car running him down, but a slow, deliberate shift into third lost the race for me. Last time I shifted into 5th, so I just wanted to not miss but I had to make up a lot of ground from that. I got to his door at the 1000ft, but my 3.53's made me shift into 4th right at that point, so I had to start at his door again, but the Eaton pulled me strong at 4k and it was a photo at the line. I lost by .0031, I'm pretty sure he was playing me and let off when he saw me shift, but I punched hard late and he had to get back into to the line. I was too excited with this head to head racing and shifted late, and slow, but I love it and practice will keep me more focused. I run out by myself during test and tunes so it's easy to be focused but that run to the line is the coolest thing ever and easy to become a spectator. cool video to follow.
terminator -left dial 11.70 |R/T .041|60 1.718|330 4.934|1/8 7.629|MPH 91.76|1000 09.968|11.897|112.72
70's Vette right dial 12.30 |R/T .076|60 1.940|330 5.391|1/8 8.150|MPH 89.07|1000 10.491|12.459|113.66
RIGHT LANE WIN>> .0031
well I lost but I kinda won, sometimes things work out for the best, I run back to the pits and switch to my street tires as fast as I could so we could go back and watch the last hour of eliminations and the sky was threatening. Got the chase truck packed, the Stang back together and had the finger on the lock when the first drop fell. The track announcer told everybody to hold tight, the storm was going to be a light shower, kiss of death. We jumped in and didn't make it off the grounds before the sky opened, the show car owners were throwing jackets and blankets on their polished rides. They lost the track, so it was kinda good I got eliminated, but a learned about the "Dial"!
download movie here:
ftp://pfabrication.com/MusclePaloozaII.wmv
next project: In car race video's
- 04_snake
