Changing Things Up This Season...1st Track Outing!

[RangerJoe]

For the last few race seasons I have been chasing 60fts and ET. I finally got the car in the 1.5X 60fts and got a new best of 7.45 1/8th mile. That required 6K rpm launches and prompted the rebuild of my T5. I have also had a NX kit waiting in the wings for a few years, but really didn't think my trans could handle it.

So this year I am changing directions a little. I am going to pull the ET Streets off the car and replace them with these 275/60r15 Futura Sports I got today from Pepboys ($98 each). My plan is to put the NX kit on over the summer, along with a progressive nitrous controller. There are a few hard tire events at tracks near here and I am going to work towards competing in these events. With the tires being the weak link, coupled with the progressive controller, I am hoping that my trans will take less of a beating.

Here are the tires that came today. They are a 440 tread wear rating and are 28" tall as opposed to my 26x10.5 ET. Streets. I am hoping that the added height will aid in the traction department. I still need a progressive controller and a few small nitrous parts to make it happen. The nitrous probably will not happen until July.

Joe

 

[RaggedGT]

As a guy that worked for pep boys I sold and installed and even owned several sets of futura super sport tires for many years. I feel confident in saying-Traction will not be an issue- cause you won't have any
lol
All kidding aside,I'm not a drag racer, test and tune nights are all I've ever done,and all my cars are painfully slow/underpowered so I can not speak of there track ability,With you being a seasoned drag racer in a well set up car- I'm sure you will do great

 

[RangerJoe]

As a guy that worked for pep boys I sold and installed and even owned several sets of futura super sport tires for many years. I feel confident in saying-Traction will not be an issue- cause you won't have any
lol
All kidding aside,I'm not a drag racer, test and tune nights are all I've ever done,and all my cars are painfully slow/underpowered so I can not speak of there track ability,With you being a seasoned drag racer in a well set up car- I'm sure you will do great

They seem to be the go to for cheap and inexpensive hard tires. There are some others out there, but costs go up. I only do this for fun. These classes are designed around a real street tire, no drag radials allowed.

Joe

 

[A5literMan]

I would think those tires are going to be a handful...even before you add the nitrous. Lol. Keep posting the progress. I never used a progressive system. Im curious to see your results.

 

[RangerJoe]

I would think those tires are going to be a handful...even before you add the nitrous. Lol. Keep posting the progress. I never used a progressive system. Im curious to see your results.

It is going to be a learning curve for sure. I may not make it to adding nitrous, we will see. I have run in the hard tire event at Atlanta motor Speedway, twice. The 1st time was before I had my suspension figured out, and I got waxed 1st round. This was on pony wheels with a 225 tire.


View: https://youtu.be/xnD85iEKDSQ


My second time out I lost 1st round as well, but it was much closer, but still on the 225 tire. Hoping to make some progress this summer. It's all in fun.

Joe

 

[RaggedGT]

Good video man

 

[Davedacarpainter]

This is fun Joe. I really need to see you whooping up on some GM butt though, ok?

 

[RangerJoe]

This is fun Joe. I really need to see you whooping up on some GM butt though, ok?

No promises, I have never claimed to be fast. The little grey truck in front of me in the video has been the winner of that class the last year or so. You would never know it is as fast as it is.

He runs a 400 something cubic in sbc with AFR heads, auto trans, some really wide rear tires and a few pairs of iron heads bolted in the bed as ballast. The last race I went to he actually lost the final round as he blew the tires off about 30ft out.

Just a new way to have fun without hopefully beating up too bad on my car. If I get the nitrous on there, I see a 75-100 shot on a progressive, nothing large.

Joe

 

[cleanLX]

good luck, that looks like an exercise in patience and restraint.
it will surely hone your clutch/gas skills... you'll be a killer at the stop light on main street. .
guessing you are going to want a lot of weight transfer... and maybe even some old Lakewood lift bars... seriously, saw those things flat out work on true street radials... you've already done battle boxes right?

 

[RangerJoe]

good luck, that looks like an exercise in patience and restraint.
it will surely hone your clutch/gas skills... you'll be a killer at the stop light on main street. .
guessing you are going to want a lot of weight transfer... and maybe even some old Lakewood lift bars... seriously, saw those things flat out work on true street radials... you've already done battle boxes right?

I haven't wanted to touch my suspension since getting it to hook, but I guess I will have to play with it a little. Yes, I have upper and lower boxes done.

I think HP wise I am in the ballpark of having what is usable. I just need to get it to the ground. We will see.

Another track I run at has a similar class. A guy I know finished 2nd last year at the Christmas race. He was running a 393 with a 125 shot and a tko. It was a peddle fest and painful to watch. That is what got me to thinking that something in my HP range may be competitive, since I make a little less power and am willing to use a progressive controller.

Joe

 

[cleanLX]

ya... I wouldn't want to mess with it either.
good luck, and keep us posted... this will be interesting.

 

[RangerJoe]

ya... I wouldn't want to mess with it either.
good luck, and keep us posted... this will be interesting.

Mounted the tires today. I had surgery last week and I am not supposed to be lifting anything....ssshhh, don't tell my wife.

I ended up going with another set of 15x8's with 5.25 bs. Originally I said I was going to go with a 15x10, but I am glad I didn't. Plenty of clearance inside, I did have to remove the quads. I think I am going to have to roll the outer lip. With my 260 lb butt sitting on the hatch, the lip is probably a 1/4" from touching the tire.

I know 275 tires are considered small in the racing world, but they are easily the biggest tire that I have ever had on this car. They really suck up the wheel wells.

Joe

 

[RangerJoe]

So the driver's side is rubbing. I ordered a fender tool and it will be here this weekend.

I don' have the funds to order the rest of the nitrous stuff at the moment, and I don't really need it at the moment. However, I had tried test fitting the NX spray bar and the intake wasn't going to clear the hood. I have looked around at drop mounts and all I can find readily available are for a 351 conversion and drop the motor 1.25"...which calls for a host of other changes. So what do I do? I went out on a limb and decided to modify my $35 CJ pony parts solid mounts.

I got one side done, cutting .5" an inch out of it. Don't judge my welding, it was done using a $75 harbor freight Flux welder. It definitely dropped the engine and my steering rack is hitting the headers now. In fact, I think I may be a little over .5" lower. I am going to do the passengers side and see if it tilts it back the other way. If not, I will make some spacers to raise it back up just a bit.

Joe

 

[hoopty5.0]

Very cool! I appreciate classes that reply more on driver skill and not deep pockets.

 

[RangerJoe]

Very cool! I appreciate classes that reply more on driver skill and not deep pockets.

For you @hoopty5.0

My 26x10.5 et streets versus the new all season 275's.

Joe

 

[5.0Droptop]

You must leave the white letters facing out.

 

[RangerJoe]

You must leave the white letters facing out.

Uh, no. Not on the Mustang.

Joe

 

[5.0Droptop]

Uh, no. Not on the Mustang.

Joe

Its worth 10 hp

 

[stpete]

Wow, what are the tire rules that made you pick that particular tire?

 

[RangerJoe]

Every track is different, some allow tires that others don't. The strictest track requires a 260 or better tread wear, and specifies no Specialties such as Mickey Thompson's Hoosiers excetera. A lot of the guys down there are running this tire, some are running others, but the cost goes up greatly. There is also some Tire treatment secrets that go on. I don't expect the run of the top of this class, but like I said it's cheaper and easier on my car.

Joe