Feb 28th, its official I am homeless.....

Apparently the Federal definition of "Homeless" is as follows


For purposes of this chapter, the term "homeless" or "homeless individual or homeless person" includes-
1.an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence

Well, I am starting to wonder, I bought a wonderfull little house in October to celebrate my divorce :) And I wont ever have to share or give part of it away ever...(I am never remarrying)

But I havent seen it even in I cant tell you how many weeks, tonight I am "home" for the night which will be my dads spare bedroom, tommorow ? Or a Hospital room in Akron if my son is still there, I have no idea, I am going to visit the kids and may end up sleeping on the couch at the ex's depending on when I leave or how tired I am (we get along fine, we just cant stand to live together)

When am I going to sleep in my OWN bed again ? I have zero idea.....none whatsoever....maybe after gainesville ? Maybe.

My son David has the Chicken Pox, not so serious normally, but well, David is different because he had a liver transplant and is on immunosuppresants, it can be very serious, so this evening on my way home, he was hospitalized, he feels fine, hes a little scared, and bored......so tommorow a car package and hang out with him for the day, and night.

Tuesday, DEPENDING, on how things are going, back to Atlanta....for the Divisionals, if not me I think the old man, but well I dont see him doing all the stuff we both run like crazy to do by himself, loading, unloading, etc. So well see...

Cleaned the shop we managed to take over, I feel bad about it, I really do I had no intention of anything like this/that....I guess its becoming our "adopted home" and the cars....lol, our ever gracoius hosts and title sponsors have been more tolerant and patient than I may have been....no I would have been patient, but I would have wondered why did I offer again :) So we tried to clean up and exponge all evidence of our being there best we could today.

Our sponsor DiyAutoTune and Jerry Hoffmann have been AMAZING, in every way, I and my father spent a lot of time discussing how to (and how not to) represent them and their amazing efforts, hospitality, generousity and patience.

When I first contacted them, I asked a tall order, I gave tight paramaters and dumb deadlines, well, the only ones lagging on deadlines have been us. They "knocked" one out of the park, no matter how slow we run in our initial outings, thats ALL on me, cam choice, gears, headers etc. but WHEN we go fast, a majority of that credit is theirs for providing a fuel system they could LITTERALLY program to turn my dishwasher on via cell remote uplink at a given time if I wanted them to, not saying its practical, but If I challenged them with it, in about 5 minutes they would have an idea how to do it, Matt, Russ, Ben and the owner Jerry.....I like them all a lot, they think a lot like us, me and the old man, maybe its the tech / car nut combo.

So tonight home ? Well the spare bedroom at the old mans.

First things first tommorow, replace Max's fish, they died, he had a meltdown, hes 6 and they were a christmas present he wanted so badly, the ex had the filter turned up too high and hence a couple of dead genetically modified glowing fish (they gene spliced em with glowing jellyfish) So that will be his suprise "coming home" gift (and a glowing pink one for my daughter)

I got a new pair of boots today, cowboy boots, nice handmade and hand pegged, last pair of Handmade Dan Posts I had were about 800 but lasted nearly 3 years of beating them up seriously and fit great, these well see, but I hate gravel in my shoes from the pits, cowboy boots are the "easy answer" and I hate cheap shoes/boots so these will probably look like crap in a week, they are a dress style but have the pointy toes I liked so....

And my father and I agree we had one of the single best sandwiches ever, at Dennys of all places, I have paid $25 for a "gourmet" sandwich (I didnt want to but did, and it burnt the shit out of my mouth at which point I couldnt enjoy it with skin shards hanging in my mouth...) and well, this prime rib cheesesteak sandwich at dennys was better...everything was done perfect, I doubt Ill ever have one that good again there, but all meat was good not one fiber of fat or grizzle, hot, toasted just right, damm good sandwich I want another as I type this.......

Nice fast drive home, good company makes the trip

When we got to my dads I had to spend 10 minutes snowblowing the driveway so I could even GET the Challenger UP it, wet nasty Ohio snow........

We should just rent a place in Georgia for a couple months Im thinking, I dono if our sponsors have "mental health" coverage for them and their employees, us being right down the road more than 12 hours away may be detrimental to their peace of mind :)

Good ending to a Crazy week.....

Next week ? Lather rinse repeat......(and wash the Challengers they need it.....)

Feb 27th Down the Track she goes....

Loooooooonnnnngggg day, up at 7, Lowes before 8 for a brass nipple for the accumulator, shopside for final bleeding of brakes, and some other "finish up" items, load out of the trailer, late getting to the track (are we EVER on time ?) but , some things needed attention.

So we pulled into the track about 2:30 and unloaded, the DiyAutoTune guys were fast at work finsishing some changeups, checking and double checking items, and off to Tech I went.....

LOTS AND LOTS MORE Pics HERE.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/newhemiracing/sets/72157623523226962/

At this point about 3, I was made aware they were certing chassis there today, so after a breif conversation with the tech guy, "Man whoever did this did nice work" I smiled and said "Thanks" Me and my dad did, I still dont think he either understood or got it, we did it ALL short of wiring and chassis. Everthing.....man it feels good to build a race car....or bike, anything and see it perform.

But cage certed of course, Mike P's work drew comments about the quality of his work, my dad showed the Chassis Tech around the car, and about 3:40 we were back at the pit.

Then chassis setup, I followed Mikes direction and it was a slick and easy setup, I think it took more effort to actually GET it on the scales than to set it up.....I did it all trackside in less than 30 minutes start to end, that easy.

Then we spent more time putting air in the tires than chassis setup.

Hood fastened on, grab a helmet, set my shock compression and rebound and off to the staging lanes as they called last call.

I got into the lanes only to realize I had never strapped in the car, and had to adjust the belts in the lanes, no bigge, windows up and ready.

We were litterally the LAST car they let into the staging lanes, and I fumbled it pretty funny, I overstaged, I thought I saw the beams in the wall, which I usually look for, well....they werent there but rather where I thought they "should" be , anyway, backed up into it, and gave it a pretty soft lauch, since it was the first time, I was a little suprised at how the converter came up and it started to slip on the brakes, at which point I just dropped it down, I was only going to run a 1/8th shakeout pass, but well at the 1/8th everything felt so damm good, well I like my dad "just kept going" She ran PERFECT......

She went on the scales with 5 gal fuel at 3123, no driver.

Went down the track like an arrow, and stopped like a street car.

Mike P said these go down the track like a street car, that is 100% accurate,

Perfect.....

Some finish / changeup items this week I need to check the oil accumulator precharge and change the fuel return line mounting location under the car, I want to move it a few inches over.

But wow.......NICE run.

I cant wait till the old man gets to run it down, hes gonna get out and say "its just like my orange car"

He ran a great time with a stock tune on the Challenger SRT8 today 13.2 bone stock...not bad for just getting off a 40 mile hike with it. With a tune today it would have been in the 12's and his RT was very nice, he absolutley drummed a Mustang who ran a 14, nailed him all around. Which was good, both of us got to go down the track

Tommorow we will clean our gracious hosts shop that we have nuked and hit the road for Ohio.

A couple days home then back down on Wed, 1/2 day with the car on Wed should give me time to finsih what I want to.

Thurdsay T&T in Atlanta then Divisionals......

On the way back, my exhaust fell off the truck, and like a dipshit I tried to hold it back to strap it up, uuuuuuhhhhh it was hot. Not too bad, hand is a little tender. So a strap on the coat hanger around it and voila back on the road, this truck is a beast.

Only 1 other "mishap" today, I was winching the car in and the floor gaveway, floor isnt a problem our guy didnt put the backing plates on I fabbed when I made the Winch Mount, which leads me to the next 2 questions, what else has he done I havent double checked ? And where are my really cool custom made plasma cut backing plates for the winch ?!?

Well, and I need some time with the kids, and the 5.7......the 5.7 is our "Swan Song" the engine entirley built by us, OUR way, it should be an animal....

Monday to order the new trans, our hyperexotic "plutonium" component beast. Order some other items and sit around looking at an empty shop, its kinda lonley there without the Challenger, BUT now that shes done I guess I can move my 72 back in since well...the DP is done.

I can start in the "in between time" of buiding the 5.7 twin turbo E85 motor for it, the only thing is the body is SO perfect uncut, untouched , unfilled metal I HATE ot cut a hole in the floor for the 6 speed......I REALLY hate to, but man what a driver shell be.

Now that the DP Car is up and running, it will be a lot of "lather rinse repeat" build up teardown, rebuild, etc. But she is "Feature Complete" as we say in programming and.....now shes just waiting to be run out.

Feb 26th Friday....and Running like a scalded cat.

Well shes back in full running form today.

Testing tommorow if I can get some last minute chassis items "redone" that were "wrong" or unfinished, about 2 hrs in the AM I think, leave Atl by 11, at Commerce by 12, running by 1 get, 3-6 passes in and get her wrung out....thats the plan.

The only thing holding us up is me....I thought I would have more time with the car today, but I didnt so at about 1, we called it a night, the old man worked on some final brake bulkhead brackets and other items, I worked on Oil accumulator AN and flex line plumbing.

Brakes are bled out feeling GOOD,

Summit is pissing me off, I am going to check every single item I buy there AT the counter, wrong damm proportioning valve, BAH ! couldnt hook it up.....well not tonight, I was told dont worry about using one with the calipers Im running all around by Mike P, since hes built a few of these I think I will listen :)

A NOTE, we had some "issues" on the Dyno today, very real, very stange, very stupid answer.

Our idle kept climbing after every run ever so slightly, so Vacum leak sounded logical, it wasnt, we checked, rechecked, and nada, even went so far as to put new gaskets (the OEM elastomeric type) on the manifold, nada same result, the whole time the TPS (throttle position sensor kept reading good) a check of the idle air valve showed the appropriate behavior.

Then one of the guys noticed the secondaries were ever so slightly open.

There is a set screw (and secondaries arent on the TPS) that when open the screw would vibrate down and hold them open, more and more after every run......a little blue loctite problem solved, do yourself a favor and put some on it and the idle screw PRIOR to running.....

Nothing else but clean pulls on the Dyno, the way it should be, mapping went well, no spark issues, the hotter igniters are handling my stupid gap (a wee bit big :) I didnt tell the EFI guys what I gapped em to, I went a bit over the "reccomended" gap and I figured if we had problems at ALL I would tell them to halt and I would regap, but well....bigger is better and since we can jump it clean....Ill take it.

We had a bit of a crowd in the complex we were in, a LOT of camera flashing and phones snapping video, it will be interesting to see if any surfaces on youtube.

Art Leong gave me a heads up on some good plugs and I already forgot the damm brand, they were an "off brand" but a racing plug all the way.....

This motor takes some "juice" to turn over time and time again, a second battery is in order I think once I get a final weight wet tommorow with the 3 extra quarts for the accumulator and some other items. A charge between rounds will suffice but, well, I want to be able to hotlap ad naseum.

Dont tell dad, "Get a good one" unless you mean it.....he came back with a battery charger that I swear will double as an Arc welder, I hope or generator can power it ..... I knew it was going to happen, on this Im glad it did, I have no questions about the quality or capability of our charger.

Early morning, Lowes to get a longer 1/2 in brass nipple for the accumulator, and get that wrapped up and well.......pack up load out and off to the track.....

Cheers until tommorow.....

Feb 25th....All good so far....

Running good , testing on Saturday.....





Nothing else new to report....early day for us.





All sounding good, like the fuel filters where I now this morning relocated them.





New alternator pulley in place, and new belt, now I can have the "plate" water jetted up for DP cars if anyone wants one. Charging better thats a good think I think a 4' pulley was a "bit" much :)





Added some electronics and fuel related items to increase consistency with our system. Looking good.

Just washing some shoes in the Hotel washer (person in the room next to the laundry is gonna LOVE when I put em in the dryer :) .... thunk..... thunk..... thunk......

My father and myself just sitting in the hotel room after our nap watching the Cavs game, and plotting our next EVIL Motorsport adventure.....

Everyone is gonna FAINT at what we have planned next....the old man keeps saying wait till we track....but I know we will, maybe not even this weekend, Im not holding off on plans until success, with my failure rate Id never be able to "plan" anything.....

Till tommorow.

Feb 24th....all the kings horses and all the kings men

Managed to put DP #24 together again.

Shes back and just about ready to run this weekend.

Like an IDIOT, somehow, and Im still not sure how, somehow I managed to whiff the Atlanta points meet in my head, so were back a week early ? BUT it works well well get some testing this weekend and be back, well maybe, depending on how well we do we may just "save" it for Gainesville.

Made some changes today added a prepump filter 100 micron in addition to the 10 micro pre injector filter.

And ..... well put it back together, did some clay testing, should be good, checked some other things, well see.....

I may need some shorter pushrods.....ugh.

Car is wrapped and looking SHARP !

I am not going to show the whole wrap yet, but there are a few "Sneak Peeks" as it were....

Some other "modifications" today, all good things I wanted to or needed to do eventually.

I am mad at myself for forgetting a few other names I meant to put on the "Credits"

Like "Mr M." and a few others, I was in a hurry when I put that list together and well, its the result, but its ok, just not as all inclusive as we wanted it.

But the old man showed up with a Rainbow pack of Sharpies, not an hour before I was thinking the same exact thing, so were going to have any helpers sign one side of the inside of the trunk, and DP owners who are willing sign the other side inside. So that will be cool.

Tommorow some "touch up" items and some dyno time if theyre able, if not friday, one of their guys is out sick, I hope not with the same crap I had, that was rough....

Mon Feb 22nd.....Loadout, back to ATL

Well I got tired of Spring compressors for the 3rd Gen Hemi's that SUCK !

So I spend about 20 minutes at the shop making a monster, a piece of 1 inch square tubing, a cracked 5/8 in socket and an old C clamp, cut weld grind Voila.....sucker spins em off in short order, just clamp to the rocker shaft mounts, Im gonna put wingnut tabs on the bolts so I can just put it on by hand....works slick as expected.

Grabbed a bunch of spares, coils, bolts, etc.

Hung out with the kids all night, took a nap and getting ready to take off this morning.

Our FI guys saved my butt (again) and took our heads to get them finished (our spare set) and well.....got some other things installed today.

Sitting here at the "Old Mans" watching some Repo show......

Gotta get ready for an "Early" night.

But WOW how nice it was to see my Mom, and the Kids in the last 2 days, kinda makes you just want to stay....I love my family so very much and am so lucky to have them.

My son and daughter were in rare form tonight, my 3 year old daughter informed me it looks like I have a "baby in my belly" ! I said, no its just the way Im sitting I PROMISE ! Lol...

In my illness Ive actually dropped about 20 much needed pounds, Im down to 220 again so.....I think Ill hold the soda a bit and keep it here....

(Plus I got a haircut, well all of them cut, that had to be good for like 7 ounces right :)

Friday Feb 21'st 2010.....ALIVE !

Well Im feeling more human after some 2000mg of Cipro, and some other goodies.

No fever no "I think I might die" when I get into a coughing fit....all better...

Kids today , then tonight after they have all gone to bed, shop take some things down , pick some up. Check some things.....(part numbers) Get things all laid out and make lists for finishing the 5.7 combo.

Get some long overdue items written out. I still owe 2 people a check I think are floating around on my desk somewhere....its really gnawing at me. Im never late because I cant pay, only because I keep forgetting to send it in....ayeeee.....Ive got to work on that....

But Im ALIVE !

Another day of "easy" goings and I should be "back" to damm near normal. Ill take 75% at this point.....

Feb 19th-22nd Home, get rest, run like mad again...

Well, Home on Saturday Morning, thanks to my old man the "Road Warrior" spend some time with the kids. Take car of some home business.

Get over this damm sickness what seems to be now pneumonia, back hurts, still fever cant catch breath, all the fun stuff......so home to get some "Mexican Antibiotics" ....really a 500 count bottle of Cipro from Mexico....cost in Mexico $8.99 made by Wyeth in the same factory the US counterpart is, stupid eh....here thats a $400 bottle EASY. But some antibiotics and rest, some kid time and 3 or so days Ill be right as rain as it were. People wonder whats wrong with the US health care system ? Greed plain and simple.....Greed.....greed of Doctors, greed of Pharmacudical companies, greed of medical supply companies.....greed....simple.

Watching "Who afraid of Virgina Woolf" from the bygone days when it was perfectly acceptable drink , drive and make accusations of significant import tounge and cheek. Wow.......how times have changed. 1966 but still Black and White....I dont think the film would have been the same in Color.

A very depressing movie, but an amazing job by Richard Burton...........surreal.....great directing.

A gret job on our part by buggering the second engine. Well......Its entirley possible it was a "true" accident....or an oversight on my part. either was effect the same, we tapped #6 exhaust valve, ever so slightly, just enough to cause about a .005 bend. Its possible the valve hum to full open (which is what it looks like) because a)the stem warped into the run b)there were slight interference issues on the chosen retainers for exhaust side after the valve job c)my rocker shim was a hair on the tight side.

The valve "tapped" at full open it can be seen on the rings it left on the piston from the angle. So it went back up easy, and dosent look like it was repetitive.

With my bike I have enough spare to put at least 2 usually 3 or 4 motors and drive trains together at any given time.

We will get there with the DP , and in some cases we do, but the DP specific parts, not yet, like the Redline valves. Oh well..

Gary Stanton is Red Labeling us a valve and guides. So....they will go In Monday or Tuesday in our absence, then Tue after the car is wrapped, hopefully they will go back in, and well finish the dyno time and off we go to Atlanta......

Today, Feel Better
Tommorow, Spend the Day with the Kids
Monday, ? -----

Just kinda playing it by ear.

Apparently there is a limit to which my body will allow me to function and Ive reached it.....so a quick recharge and Mexican antibiotics....and voila....I could also use a shave and a haircut, Im starting to look pretty dejected and kinda have the whole homeless migrant look down pretty pat.....but CLEAN CLOTHES, MY BED, MY SHOWER, Good to be home.......so very good....

Thurs Feb 18th Welcome to the TB ward....

Ok, the hotel room here sounds like a TB ward....

Me hacking from drainage, my dad hacking from drainage.....

Running the shower now to act as our "Complimentry Days Inn Humidifier"

Dyno today, no issues, will probably continue into tommorow...

Not near as many gremlins as last time.....trans cooler is not leaking....that was a pain in the rear.

Cleaned out the trailer and backloaded it, started the generator, sorted and orgainzed the tools now that theyre all together.

Our FI Guy laughed at my Breather setup, he said "That has to be the most expensive breather system on a drag car" Unfortunatley I think hes right, but it was the only things I had, all the AN fittings and the Moroso dual inlet breather system....well Id say Im happy with it...it may be Maxium overkill but it looks good too :)

Sick still......half alive, I REALLY looked in the Mirror, Ive aged 10 years in 2 weeks down here....but I know being sick is part of it (and not shaving:)

Buttoning up some final items tommorow. Finish the Oil Accumulator plumbing.

I actually TOOK some pictures today but left the Camera at the shop. Duh....

Car is getting wrapped Monday ! Or Tuesday !......Ive seen all the "proofs" and wow I like it...

I need to find a laundrymat....again....I seriously underpacked....I did however bring about 4 hawaiian shirts and shorts, I just havent had a chance to see weather warm enough for them....

Looks like Im going to miss Gainesville as well....some testing on Sat at SGMP, but other than that HOME for a few days till Atlanta....

Dying to see the kids....I cant think of when Ive been without them this long since last year....

Feb 17th...Can You Dig It ?!?!

Ok, so Im watching Cheesy 70's movies and that was a line out of.....hmmm cant remeber....not what Im watching, but, well anyway another "Groovy" movie. (the "Warriors" was the Can you dig it line")

I actually got out of be today and went down to help finish putting the car back together, we decided to nix Gainesville, no reaons to rush, Atlanta will be our first Divisional, well test Sat at SGMP, it will be nice no pressure. Really run/wring and test things out PROPER.

But Friday Im thinking well haul down to Gainesville and grab a bite with some of the CR people. then back up to Valdosta (2hrs ?) on Saturday.

Lots of little details, changed / corrected we had planned on doing later but had time to do now so we did, a new breather system, and some other things....

So since Im stuck in slow gear anyway......nice and slow will be the plan.

There may be dissapoinment, but not from us :)

So tommorow final tuning, checking , scales, preloads, checking brakes, a few parkinglot launches :) and well, the worst part....

TRAILER LOADOUT !

I guess its good I grew up boating and am used to a quick and even loadout.....tommorow will involve a real Pain in the Arse of one.

Hopefully a few degreess south on the map and the weather will increase in temp relationaly.

Feb 15, 16th.......Uuuuugggghhhhhh

Sick as a dog for the last 2 days.

The old man is making monster progress on getting items ironed out, bulkhead fittings overflow plumbing etc. The stupid little stuff that got put off, but is no longer stupid little stuff but rather "showstoppers" for having us trackside.

Im feeling like Howard Hughes, stuck in a dark hotel room.......ugh. But I escaped for a few minutes to see the old mans progress he had his phone on silent and forgot to turn it back. So I ran down to let him know something.

A BIG item, BIG, Pain in the arse....couldnt find a good option for. The master cyclinder shipped with these use a 1/2-20 inverted flare fitting to come off to go to 3/16 brake line, well.....nasty. Even a call to strange yielded an answer, well to -3 AN, NO that wasnt what I wanted, but I could adapt, but I didnt like it, yesterday another call to Strange yielded the RIGHT answer.

Part number B3359C Summit couldnt "find" the right answer, but you can get it from Jegs , OR for all of like 2.29 (1/2 jegs price) direct from Strange......stupid little part......that SHOULD have come with the damm thing.

So until tommorow.......more feeling like crap, then tommorow.....get the last things ironed out and load the trailer out for Gainesville.

Feb 14th VD DAY !

Well pretty uneventful, tried to get things back together hit a few roadblocks, no show stoppers, those are few, delays are more appropriate.

But the Old man got back in town.....helped , what a machine, from 12 hrs on the road to the shop till 12:30......

Tommorow, Headers go back on but first I need put the EGT's in otherwise I dont think theyll fit....

Send the old man for some errands and try to get everything less the missing parts.....where DO they GO ?!?!?! Is there a PARTS FAIRY that steals crap....I can see it now.....a whole bunker full of 100 years of automotive goodies.

4 HOURS at Summit Today, 4 HOURS With what has to be the single slowest Summit Employee on the PLANET.....the South is nice, the weather mild, the people polite and kind, BUT EVERYTHING MOVE SLOW AS HELL ! From "Fast Food" to EVERYTHING ! Hardware stores, Auto Parts stores, it will be good to be back home....whenever that is....

Next steps ? I have NO idea, it will all depend on how fast I can get here back together, 1:00 is my personal deadline, easily doable IF I can get a few parts.

I HAVE to get some track time under this car....

Bradeton, Gainesville, Pheonix, Yeah....I have no Idea.....Ill let you know tommorow.

Sat Feb 13th 2010.....getting it back

As in getting it back together.....Engine today. Tore all down, went through, put all back together degreed cam, went through valve train set it up.

That was HARD, since I grabbed the WRONG bag of shims from the shop.....took a lot more time than normal, but I had to use the thicker shims in the places they would go and "shuffle" the shims around, I got it all, all right, just took a while (like an hour) more than I would have liked.

BUT one thing we learned on our last motor , the 8k pulls and the valvetrain looked like new, so stick with what works.

Used a new timing chain a Double Roller with Advance and Retard from Indy Cylinder head, I dont know who makes it, but well see.....I dont know about the chain, I just dont like it for some reason. But its a pretty good piece and with the Milodon pan and windage setup it went right in no mods (even though the instructions said the pickup tube hole would have to be slotted because of the 1/16 alluminum shims for the Oil Pump)

So tommorow engine in, headers on.....Run to Summit, and change tranny plumbing , I dont like it. Besides Ive got a metric "ass" ton, which is (2 1/2 times a normal ass ton) of stuff to return.

Nothing else exciting today just grinding along, like the damm pilot bearing, I used a dremmel and cheese sliced it out, it took about an hour, but it was a lot less "stressful" on both the crank and my temper than what we did last time. I regular pilot bearing puller wont get this thing out, and to avoid ANY chance of arcing the bearings I choose to do it this way , make 2 cuts 30 degrees apart and remove the slice, then the shell of the pilot will slide right out. Same way we used to section steam pipes when I was a plumber/pipefitter to remove a broken nipple. (other than a nipple extrator)

REALLY , REALLY Like the Milodon Pan, not as "trick" but way more functional for oil return.

So far so good at putting it back together.

Had a hard time finding a parking spot here at the Hotel, there is this Nightclub that does a MAJOR business on weekends, and well......I drove around the lot TWICE , and just happened to find a spot had opened up, and it happened to be right in front of my door......that was nice, I was starting to grumble.

REALLY Missing the kids......Gotta figure out how to get home to see them ASAP.

Feb 12th.....engines, speech, memories, fires and questions

1)New Engine
2)Apparently my speech runs something akin to "Wilson" when typed
3)Memories of what my parents gave and fostered in me
4)Fire (Fi guys building a sled for Georgia)
5)Questions ..... what next.

1)Well new engine is here at "home" wherever that is for the moment. Now its in Atlanta...thanks to the gracious hospitality of a sponsor, me, Ida kicked me out a week ago, good thing they have more patience than me :)

2)Someone said I remind them of "the guy you can never see his face" on the Tim Alllen show.....trust me its better to see me than hear me.

3)I had a LOT of time to reflect, (I think I missed my calling in classical greek and roman philosiphy) on the 3 hour ride back from picking up the heads from the "Magic Treatment" and NO FOR THE LAST TIME THE CASTINGS HAVE NOT BEEN TOUCHED.......Volume, EVERYTHING Perfect !, But the valves and valve job...ALL 100% legal....well the Pro Stock guy that did em his words...."They aint seen nothing like this"

BUT the MEMORIES....well...wrenching on this that and the other as a kid. When I was about 9 my IQ was tested and they said I was "Gifted" ... my opinion is too many hippies smoked too much dope and were trying to come up with the "next" thing in education. But well when I was about 12 my parents packed me off to Baldwin Wallace colledge for the summer courses, I live on campus all that stuff, Sailor hall last room on the right to be exact. And well , my course primary was "engine theory and mechanics" yes really......Mom and Dad.....thank you. Well the first day I finished our semester project and proceeded to torment my "classmates" who hated a 12 year old being in the same class....so I took a vertex magneto and hooked the leads to the table, and the other end to a drill, I sat under spinning it up every time some dipshit touched the metal work table....the professor "Mr. Bliss" saw the whole thing, and by the time the "genius" college kids "figured" out the problem, an apparent short in the junction boxes on the table, I heard for the first time "WERTMAN STOP IT !" ..... that was the first 3 days.... He "The Bilster" later years taught me Drafting. When he saw my name on the list and I said "Mr BLISS" he said "Oh GOD WERTMAN !" without ever looking at me....lol

I made some good friends there, Josh Rau in advanced Biology the smartest person I ever met, he was 10, went on to do either particle physics, or quantum mechanics, and burnt out by the time he was 18 and decided to "Follow the Dead man"....but hes 34 and HAPPY so whos to judge.

And many others....it was an "experience"

Today I reflected on what next after 5 or 6 national records I see within our grasp.

But.....

FIRE FIRE FIRE.......the shouts from across the shop, nothing but a rag, Our FI guru was welding some black iron and caught a rag he was under helmet and well, cant say I havent done it 321 times......he was making a sled....for ATLANTA....the weather is crazy here.

5)My mind as it always does is turning, what next ? Well, I think.....maybe , just MAYBE....something I can build and drive, or ride in this case....

When I told the "Old Man" the mechanics, he laughed, not a yeah right laugh but an "EVIL" laugh....Land Speed on a Motorcycle, non aero....15 cyliders.....yes really....easy with our idea it will be a 15 sylinder staggered radial design, much like the WWII bombers. well....Drag racing people could care less....so I wont bore you with details, but...............

Land speed in 2011 on a Motorcycle (non streamiliner....streamliners are for fairys) well......what harm can it do ? Its not like I havent been off a bike before at equal or slightly lesser speed....now some of those may have required 2000 stitches, 3 skull fractures and some recovery time...

My "girlfiend" at the time a PHD in Criminal Justince and Philosophy (I think she choose those becuase she had more nuts in her head than an almond Joy) well, I told her, Ill never be ona bike again dont worry.....she said....probably the only accurate and poingiont thing she ever did " If you dont have a bike youll be miserable"

Thanks to my Stepdad I simply have to go pick up a real vintage 200 mile rocket....when I end up PA way....he flipped it in 73-4 and never rode it again, he has in his generous way given it to me.

But I MISS bikes.........

I really MISS my bikes.....

When I was 18 my dad called and in his smart ass way said "Ive got a birthday present for you" ?!?!? I couldnt IMAGINE, A new Car, ? What ? "Get your bikes out of my GARAGE ! All 13 of them"

Happy Birthday.....lol....

Thursday Feb 11th....something.....

Well my brain is dead.....Im back in Atlanta.

New motor in tow. Tommorow changeup cam and have the heads gone through, thanks to a new friend in the area Ive located a capable prostock machinist that can do the valve work TOMMOROW , crazy but true.

I was at Stantons today and he went out of his way to make us happy, excellent , excellent, Coulnt be happier, too tired to really write much and Ive got a splitting headache from driving.

One hell of a shop/setup/procedures there , I expected a LOT, I was however blown away at how much I underestimated their operation and knowlede, the whole crew there were "good people"

Ma Mopar , has been stellar in this whole thing.

Were made proud today to be running under the BIG M......

Tommorow work, lots to do, lots to replan, plans change, Pomona changed, our plans have to be dynamic.........

I cant believe I ran the old man back and forth to Florida, twice.....lol....I dono how he did it.....I couldnt.

But He is willing to do it again tommorow I explained we may need to lend a hand in some spares to another DP......his answer "Hell YES" Thats the old man.

Today I learned things at Stantons, GOOD things , motor things, I am more confident than ever we are pursuing the right path.

I also came to a conclusion as well on the drive back. We will share everything with the DP owners once we have Phase II underway....(all the Phase I items that it :) If they choose to follow that fine, but it wont be for lack of us sharing.

I am ONLY going to share things we earned and learned on our own dime however, other secrets are just those. The things we learned on our own are ours to share and we will do so happily and with the generousity and well wished the DP community has shown us.

tired....road weary

Typing from my phone up in KY to pickup new engine...Can't say what a pleasure Gary Stanton has been to deal with...I will be there sharp in the AM....Good fellow and knows his engines. I will be pleased to head back to Atlanta with our new engine in tow......I just realized that my mom, one of the other family world traveling vagabonds is down here on a Goodyear mission not five miles away ...will try to grab lunch with her tomorrow....

My thumbs hurt from the phone keyboard ...how does my son do it ?

Schedule now is;

1. New engine picked up tomorrow and taken back to Atlanta...

2. Engine installed Fri....

3. Other chassis items this weekend, thanks to our main sponsor and the use of their well equipped shop.

4. Bradenton LX meet on Tuesday.....

5. Then on to the world records ahead....


Seriously....

Editorial Comment: Thumb typing errors corrected by David Wertman. I still wonder how he got that much content typed on his phone... and I agree with him, I have no idea how my Grandson can go so fast on the tiny phone keyboard, when us older folk have trouble entering someone's name in phonebook with capital letters where they belong...

Feb 9th.....All is well...remain calm all is well....

Like in the end of Animal house where Kevin Bacon is on his back and trampled, saying "Remain Calm as is well!" in a very desperate voice.

All is well, we pickup our new engine tommorow.

I am shocked, pleased and amazed at what happened....All good.....Mopar and Stanton were on this in lickety split fashion. Were 1000% satisfied with the answer and not doing Pomona will be Ok, there are 4 races here inside the month, well have great air and well, lay some monster times out I hope.

Gives us a chance to wring it out right.

Also in Talking to Stanton today we learned things, things learned are always a good thing.

So in the end well all be on the same page, there is a real good chance well end up in BETTER shape, Im thrilled

We are going to shoot for (but not push it) form Bradeton.....if not Next Tuesday there is an LX gathering we have been ivited to by Fred Vetter, I think well definatley try to make it.....

Hell back home is covered in snow....I am in no hurry to return to that, EXPECIALLY with Challenger in Tow.....

And ME , and the Old Man will get some seat time in this beast ourselves :) That will be just plain Awesome.......awesome....

Moving forward like a herd of turtles !

But at least its now slow steady and methodical again, instead of the last 2 weeks being like trying to herd cats.

Feb 7th (what day is it ?) FLIES EVERYWHERE !

No I havent snapped, yet....

"Flies in the ointment" I feel like Im in that scene from Amityville Horror where there are all those damm flies, or when I was young and my stepsister killed a whole mess of flies but didnt hit them hard enough and threw them all in the trash....well they were appraently just stunned later a whole swarm flew out at her...

Mack Reeves was as Ive said the most gracious help we had, right when we needed it.

There are other flies in the ointment however than an engine, Summit and Barnett are open tommorow so......maybe theres a chance.

If not were considering a run home, but the weather up there......I may just move here :)

Need a few hrs of sl
eep, still plugging, brakes done (yes really) it only took about 1/2 hr or so , well almost done, I need 1 adapter yet for the MC and although I wasnt going to run one our wilwood proportioning valve sits right under the splash apron real nice, keeps it from getting bumped or someone screwing with it.

5 minutes ago my dad said something poingiont right before he started snoring.

If we dont make Pomona there will be a lot of happy people, there will also be a lot of dissapointed people, unfortunatley the people we want to be happy will be the dissapointed ones and the ones we want to dissapoint will be the happy ones.

Feb 6th....Only a couple days to go

TURKEY TROTS TO WATER GG FROM CINCPAC ACTION COM THIRD FLEET INFO COMINCH CTF SEVENTY-SEVEN X WHERE IS RPT WHERE IS TASK FORCE THIRTY FOUR RR THE WORLD WONDERS

Today, have to leave tommorow for Pomona....

Forgot blog last night so here it is.

Motor issues on dyno, cause unknown will investigate after dont have time for speculation or forensics now, opinions are obviously worthless, our assumption was fuel related , not an issue, no det on #3 non fuel air related.

New motor from #43 on its way courtesy Mack Reeves, this is one of the most AMAZING things to happen now Pomona will be because of him and his infinite generosity in loaning us a motor, for no other reason.

Note:Motor is even more capable than originally thought, evil is a good word for the 3rd Gen Hemi, ableit probably not usefull in marketing materials.

Torque is off chart (not really but amazing with out cam/header combo.) Wheel speed for trap speed/ converter combo looks JUST right, targeting a 1.30 60ft with a 10.0 1/4 from Dyno results looks to be possible.

Getting new tires courtesy Hoosier and our Driver, went with Goodyear originally because of "family ties" mom retired from there, Goodyear refused even discount early on even with moms status and connections. Bought anyway, now wont even run. 1 more thing to do "reshod" the car. Thanks to Hoosier and our driver.

Hoping Coughlin gets his issues squared away, car is capable, would be a shame not to have at least 3 DP cars at Pomona.

"Where is, repeat, where is Task Force Thirty Four? The world wonders."

Tenneson wrote a poem that is credited with the quotes by Halsey

"Flashéd all their sabers bare,
Flashéd as they turned in air,
Sab'ring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered."

END TRANSMISSION

STOP.

Feb 5th Dyno

Well I never thought Id see the car on the Dyno,

Not too many gremlins, a few....like the alternator pulley nut I forgot to tigheten...whoooopppssss no biggie.

And well some fittings issues. and a couple other kinks in the system. But the car is plugging away as we speak, I left for a couple of reasons 1) I was tired and 2) I wont do anything but ask nervous qurstions as they do the dial in, best for me not to be there for the high speed stuff, but LOTS and LOTS of Torque.....HP well see....looking good.

Too tired, Dyno vids tommorow (sorry you wont see the ratings)

If converter / trans /trans computer are right its gonna be CRAZY sick....CRAZY ! I HOPE

I HOPE HOPE HOPE,

Long days ahead, must sleep , typeing this with only one eye open......

Till tommorow....

Thursday Feb 4th 2010

Well, were out on the road on our way to Atlanta, our load out and forgotten items run took a hair longer than expected.

But well be in Atlanta tommorow around 10am rested and raring to go....

We now have a car that will run, everything is in place now its just a matter of making it stop....

I have to finish the brakes tommorow....good thing I was a plumber :) Should be an easy one, yeah right something will go wrong and well have to "improvise" but thats ok, not like were not used to it.....people often ask, how did you think of that, or the like my answer is usually its because I come from a long line of people who never have the right tools for a given job....the things Ive done to tools and with the "wrong" tools.....makes me shudder.

But the drive has been good other than the old mans driving, but its not near as scarry as either X wife,....

Had a good day Tuesday and Yesterday with the kids, I miss them horrible, they had been out of town for much of Dec and Jan so ..... well I wasnt able to see them, now that everything is "normal" again , well I am out of town. BUT Come this summer.......Ill be toting them around, they are the ONLY thing Ive ever done, or ever will do that actually matters. And that I have done right. I am immortal if they are loved. THAT Will be my legacy , the love for my children and the time I spend here with them.

Coughlin ran out tonight at Vegas.....I heard he didnt do so well......but what has me thinking is IS he Running the BS3 with the external crank trigger ? Not that that would make him slow, but its a bit of an untested system, with the Hemi, I shouldnt say untested with the 3rd gen hemi, but Unproven is a better word.

I had somone mention Irv Johns car and for our "baseline" items we copied most of his stuff, ratios runout, converter, and headers, so we have a "know quantity" to fall to on those items. The headers, well I think ours are better so well try em, if we fall on our faces with them I have the TTI as a "know quantity" backup. But they also mentioned his "tuner" and if ours was better.....I dont now, I think so, but I also think our system is better.........

Pomona wont tell that , it will take some wring out on the system AND the Combination of converter, headers, etc.....a lot on the chassis side, little on the motor.

I would LOVE to for our Main Sponsor to be able to snap a monster time out the first sanctioned pass.....I will be doing some of the driving in testing so dont expect it there, I will be playing the role of the "Challenger Whisperer" I need to feel the car, the motor, all of it, so I know how it is when its right and when its not......

My toes and my fingertips are the best mechanical diagnosis tools I have, car , well the toes are less important, and the palms less important, but the feel of everything will be interesting.

My dad says if I touch the car too much it will become obvious I need a woman in my life ? Why I would never let my girlfriend touch the car....sheeh pop....:)

Pomona is going to be tight, I am making contingencies with our driver for alternate testing on Sunday....In case the Texas weather sucks.

Right now here in Virginia it sucks....whats with all the snow down here , and colder than home ?!?!

Feb 3rd 2010.....Its almost THURSDAY ?!?!?!

Not much DP related today except "Phone work" and some calls with other DP teams.

It dawned on me as much as I tell other DP team, I hope they dont take what I say as gospel (and I dont think they do) but its was a fear that people might take what I say as fact, when most of it is just what I have found, THEY may find a different and Better path to these solutions.

Got my Indy Timing setup in today, Im pleased that I got it same day, but well Im not real certain of the quality......on a DP motor, it concerns me, what also concerns me is that it uses 1/8th inch alluminum spacers for the oil pump......why that concerns me is the pickup and pickup bolt clearance at the front of the pan.....its gonna be close. The chain seems, well it seems a bit on the flimsy side.....I dont know this and if I were you would still buy one, I THINK because of the way its done it can be retrofitted to the stock chain/gear, even if the lower is only used as a "pattern"

Other items for the 5.7 finalized.....lots of things thought of and remebered for the trip to Pomona.

Tired, and going to sleep ......

Im looking for a couple of gags for the old man in Pomona....be warned pop :) Well see how good his ticker is .... lol......

And I am looking forward to going for a swim in Cali.....I need some water....in the summer I am an avid swimmer and I miss the water the most in winter of any other Summer activity.

Tommorow.....off to Atlanta again...."lather , rinse , repeat"

Feb 2 2010...Hungry ?!?!?

Last night or this morning it dawned on me, the build is done.....

There are little things to do, but now more than 1/2 will be changeups and alternations. Not build....

So I have decided to "Officially End" the build blog, its purpose was to document what got done on the car what day, there was a point at which it changed from what I intended and carried commentary, some of that was "refrence" for our point of view, but some was hell just rambling of an overworked and under rested New Hemi Maniac.....

SOOOOOOoooo....not to dissapoint, the blog will continue, just it like all other things in life changes. Now its to be about our Journey through the season and from Point A to Point B, as well as lots of pictures, kinda like the "Travelling Gnome" I REALLY want a Pic of the Drag Pak car in front of "Bigfoot Cave" and in front of "The Giant Ball of Twine" Ill get em.....

Right now were on the road back from Atlanta, it is UNREAL , the snow is bad and they have apprently no idea how to clear a road in Wyteville (what state ?)

We stopped at a gas startion this morning and pulling in we saw a "Grill" that had more signs "Burma Shave" Style in the long entrance road and at the end was the picture you see.....

My first thought was Id never eat there, then I thought about it, with all the signs something had to pay for it, and well.....maybe their grub isnt bad, there is a place back home, its been there since the 30's tucked in a negihborhood that has EXCELLENT burgers, 1 of the 2 best in our area. They are the offender of more health code violations and vermin than anywhere, but everyone knows and still eats there, why ? Its a damm good burger :) Hell the Japaneese take their lives into their hands everytime they eat Fugu ( the blowfish sashimi that can kill you) so.....why cant I enjoy a burger.

At the gas station this morning we both got a fried bologna sandwich about 3/4 of a lb of hunk of meat.....me and my dad reminissed about my Grandma Lombardi and her cooking , that was one of her specialties.

My father grew up very poor, poor but loved. He laughed "hell I didnt know until I was 12" I was poor I thought everyone lived that way. My Grandma was frugal, heck all of my family both side, I am , My dad, he spends like a Sailor on Shorleave :) But its nothing about money, its ALL about family and love. My Grandma and Grandpa Lombardi were the sweetest people on the planet. I wish they could see our adventure first hand.

Ive got to go order some "Goodies" for Phase II engine and trans for after Gainesville.....so until tommorow.....(or later tonight)

Ill leave you with a quote from (well my father often says it)

"The biggest detterent to progress is common knowledge of what supposendly cant be done"

Feb 1....Blog from the road

Well we saddled out tonight at about 9:30....long and fairly unproductive day for us at least.

More running that anything, a 3 hr fuel run to and from VP for our "Mojo Juuse" , as well as some other running, me trying to find something that I have realized about this area of Georgia.....they dont have CRAP here in as much as fittings and places that do have the fittings, maybe in Atlanta proper, but wow...not out here. I was suprised, nearly every "Auto Parts" store clerk , and not the chains, but Napa, and some others that were met with blank looks... uhhh.hh...... I mean I get some of that at home but, wow....then again I frequent places at home where I dont get that look, rather places like Workmans Napa, where I can walk in with a wheel cylinder off a 39 Chrysler Royal Winsor (yes Royal Windsor, not Royal not Windsor, they were made specifically for the NY / Pa market ?) And say Jim, what can you do, and by lunch Ive got rebuild kits sitting back on the counter.

Frustration.....had I known this I WOULD have called someone down this way who offered to help in regards to some things, parts....duh...

But were back on the road , old man is driving for now, Im beat.

Car is all ready for a start when the last of the harness gets completed tommorow, and the trans computer is wired in.

So, back down Thursday....and fire, dial and head to testing.

Im tired, it will seem anticlimactic, unless we blow something up (thats not a good ending) or we set some records.....I think we will after Gainesville, when our 5.7 is in and weve really wrung chassis items out and found the best ratios etc.

This now is where we depart completley from the "others" we did certain things as a basline as "known quanitites" as in headers TTI, Converter ATI, etc......now were on our own.

Im going to do this car so a monkey can set a record in it.....those monkeys would be us.. :) And I am thinking, after Gainesville we may just beat to see how many records we can set, while our driver only concentrates on Nationals, we do some record banging at Divisionals....

We , me and the old man have 1 run at this, were gonna make it RIGHT for US, HAVING Fun is a goal........not for others, for me, the engine and something that can run like a scalded cat with a firecracker up its ass....the other DP owners we will share what we learned freely to make them just as competitive, if they share with us, or have, and most have, there are only about 3 exceptions, and I dont worry about them, I understand their position, I have been there myself, Im just not this time so........Itll be fun, there are a couple guys out there that dont need the "Collective" learning some of us are doing, like Caughlin, hes got his own team/money and brains on it.....cool. I think Jeggie is gonna be awful disappointed with something on his car after Pomona, and Im not the only one that thinks so............So he made a mistake or someone he listened to, it will be corrected In short order Im sure. But there are a few others maybe 1 or 2.....I cant wait to run them when we get REALLY dialed in, not first outing, but 3 or 4 events down the road.....thats gonna be fun....

There was some discussion over at Class Racer, I think, and still do the ENGINE is capable of pushing this car to an 8.99...There is no reason not , with a 6.1 at max overbore thats 383 ci (I love the fact that it comes out to that) Cryo treated engine components, driveline, good valves in it, a fuel system that can handle hyperaccurate delivery, and every coating, friction saving technique and item that can be thrown at this engine. I think it can be done, apparently Mike Roth thinks Im insane or yanking his chain or as he said "You have no idea of what it takes" Thats the same underestimation I hope from all our competitors. Well we do know EXACTLY what it takes, and unlike other people who just say that WE are WILLING to do it, is it the easy road no, but "It takes what it takes"

The Nav says 10 hrs till home, yeah right, I believe her when I start beleiving my ex wives.