The big deal is all over.
We came, we saw, and we got lucky enough to complete our goal of becoming National Stock Automatic Class Champions.
We won A/SA Class. We beat a couple of cars, got a bye run based on our qualifying position (this is why running a good time when qualifying is important, it can get you a bye run somewhere in the race), and then our opponent in the finals broke.
And in Stock Eliminator, we won our first round, but lost in the second round by only a few hundredths of a thousandth of a second. Approximate 3 inches, after running a quarter mile, or 1320 feet. And, the reality, is that we got to the finish line first, in a double breakout. And as usually is the case, in a double breakout, the first one to the line loses, because they are usually further under their expected time (called a dial).
So nothing is left now but to wait until Thursday and get ready for the Division race where there is virtually nothing at stake, but it would be nice to do well there too.
And then we come home.
We have absolutely no idea when we get out Trophy for winning Class in Vegas, nor the Trophy and other items won for the Stock Automatic World championship. Apparently the sanctioning body, is not real big on planning and communication.
I was told that when we ran in Class here, that nobody had a program to run the Ladder sheets, where it takes the competitors and assigns them to whoever they are supposed to race. So they had to do it by hand. This is really clear evidence of confusion and a lack of communication, at best. This ladder sheet has been printed out at every race we have run from East Coast to Pomona, but here in Las Vegas, it is a problem. Go figure. You really do like to know ahead of time who you race against, and the delay in getting the ladders out is just another indication of the condition of the NHRA.
But for us, right now, it is the only game in town.
Will update you after we finish up the divisional.
God Bless, and Race Safely
David
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday, and Stock Eliminations start today..
Seemed like a very short night as we had to get up at 5:30 AM to get breakfast and get to the track knowing that we will called to the staging lanes before 7:30 AM.
After a nice but quick breakfast here at the hotel, we hit the road. We got to the track, and started undoing some things we had done yesterday getting ready to go battle in the classic David vs Goliath battle that never happened.
By the way, I really do feel bad for the Teutons who needed a couple of things to go right for them for the National Class Champion, and beating us was the first one. But due to a starter failure, we won without the bloody battle that surely would have ensued. With so much on the line, both of us were willing to do what was necessary, within the rules of course, to take down the prize. So, I honestly feel bad for them. But on the other hand, winning it, is what we wanted. And it isn't like we cheated, or sabotagued them. This time, is their bad luck, and not ours...And that folks, is racing.
But back to today. We had put weight in the car, add some oil, charge the battery, and a few other things to get ready. But we got it all done just as they called Stock Eliminator to the staging lanes.
Our first round run, and only run today, was scheduled against an E/SA car. The driver cut a pretty good light (.006) to our light (.022) and got more than a second head start. But we ran him down, took the stripe, and we didn't break out. We had dialed 10.08 and won with a 10.13. So the first round of Stock Eliminator is over, and we are still racing.
Tomorrow, again starting at 7:30 AM, I think we run a C/SA car, so he wont get such a big head start. But we still need to get a good light (reaction time) and and run close to our dial. We think we have the car figured pretty well out, and will try hard to pick a good number that we can run. So tomorrow we again go racing and will see what is in store for us.
And it has been interesting as the many of Keith's children came down Salt Lake, and even in from Hawaii to visit and root us on. It was great to see many of the them again, and to meet those that I had not yet met. Talk about a contingent of builtin fans! We have ours for a couple more days, and it is fun being around so many fine young people. The Lynch Mob is alive and currently inhabiting the Las Vegas Drag Strip!
God Bless, and Safe Racing!
David
After a nice but quick breakfast here at the hotel, we hit the road. We got to the track, and started undoing some things we had done yesterday getting ready to go battle in the classic David vs Goliath battle that never happened.
By the way, I really do feel bad for the Teutons who needed a couple of things to go right for them for the National Class Champion, and beating us was the first one. But due to a starter failure, we won without the bloody battle that surely would have ensued. With so much on the line, both of us were willing to do what was necessary, within the rules of course, to take down the prize. So, I honestly feel bad for them. But on the other hand, winning it, is what we wanted. And it isn't like we cheated, or sabotagued them. This time, is their bad luck, and not ours...And that folks, is racing.
But back to today. We had put weight in the car, add some oil, charge the battery, and a few other things to get ready. But we got it all done just as they called Stock Eliminator to the staging lanes.
Our first round run, and only run today, was scheduled against an E/SA car. The driver cut a pretty good light (.006) to our light (.022) and got more than a second head start. But we ran him down, took the stripe, and we didn't break out. We had dialed 10.08 and won with a 10.13. So the first round of Stock Eliminator is over, and we are still racing.
Tomorrow, again starting at 7:30 AM, I think we run a C/SA car, so he wont get such a big head start. But we still need to get a good light (reaction time) and and run close to our dial. We think we have the car figured pretty well out, and will try hard to pick a good number that we can run. So tomorrow we again go racing and will see what is in store for us.
And it has been interesting as the many of Keith's children came down Salt Lake, and even in from Hawaii to visit and root us on. It was great to see many of the them again, and to meet those that I had not yet met. Talk about a contingent of builtin fans! We have ours for a couple more days, and it is fun being around so many fine young people. The Lynch Mob is alive and currently inhabiting the Las Vegas Drag Strip!
God Bless, and Safe Racing!
David
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Class Winner A/SA in Las Vegas
We have now won Class in two consecutive NHRA events in which we have been entered. Two weeks ago, we won A/SA Phoenix in admitting that it was a pretty limited field, but that was divisional race. And this week was a National race with a much larger field, and faster cars .But we had one of those rare and unique combinations of good racing and good luck.
This week in Las Vegas, there were 11 cars in A/SA and as I have previously noted, every one them has a bigger engine than the one in the Mega Maniac.
Our first round was against a Camaro, and we won that race.
Next round we were pitted against an old Hemi and we fortunately won that round.
The Semifinal round, we had a bye.
The finals was poised to be a pretty interesting race. The other car in the finals is also a 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. It had previously been campaigned with a 6.1 Hemi and a stick shift transmission. But now it had a 6.4 Hemi in it, and an automatic transmission.
In fact as we readied to run the final round, many of the other racers were intently watching to see what promised to be a really good all-out race. There was a lot riding on this race because both drivers were locked in a tie (along with a few other folks) for first place in the National Stock Automatic Class Champions. And the one who won Class here, would clinch the first tie Breaker.
And a Class finals with two Dodge Challenger Drag Paks, both with different engines, but very much the same attitude, of race to the line, and may the best car/driver win attitude would mean that at least one, and quite possibly both cars would likely run fast enough to get horsepower.
As we approached the starting line, I could see that the other car, was still back in the staging lanes and had the hood off.
We pulled over at the starting line, to wait for the other car. I told the NHRA tech who was sending the cars to the starting line, that we would hold for the other car. At that point, another NHRA tech came from where the other car was in the Staging lanes, and said, "they cant start it. Run a single."
So everyone was cheated from seeing one heck of a race. But the good news is that nobody got hurt, and we won Class, giving us also the National Stock Automatic Championship too.
Tomorrow or sometime soon, I hope to have regained my balance. I am truly feeling beyond just being blessed. God has given me a great gift, of being able to accomplish a most impossible dream that Chris and I shared.
God Bless and Race Safely.
David
This week in Las Vegas, there were 11 cars in A/SA and as I have previously noted, every one them has a bigger engine than the one in the Mega Maniac.
Our first round was against a Camaro, and we won that race.
Next round we were pitted against an old Hemi and we fortunately won that round.
The Semifinal round, we had a bye.
The finals was poised to be a pretty interesting race. The other car in the finals is also a 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. It had previously been campaigned with a 6.1 Hemi and a stick shift transmission. But now it had a 6.4 Hemi in it, and an automatic transmission.
In fact as we readied to run the final round, many of the other racers were intently watching to see what promised to be a really good all-out race. There was a lot riding on this race because both drivers were locked in a tie (along with a few other folks) for first place in the National Stock Automatic Class Champions. And the one who won Class here, would clinch the first tie Breaker.
And a Class finals with two Dodge Challenger Drag Paks, both with different engines, but very much the same attitude, of race to the line, and may the best car/driver win attitude would mean that at least one, and quite possibly both cars would likely run fast enough to get horsepower.
As we approached the starting line, I could see that the other car, was still back in the staging lanes and had the hood off.
We pulled over at the starting line, to wait for the other car. I told the NHRA tech who was sending the cars to the starting line, that we would hold for the other car. At that point, another NHRA tech came from where the other car was in the Staging lanes, and said, "they cant start it. Run a single."
So everyone was cheated from seeing one heck of a race. But the good news is that nobody got hurt, and we won Class, giving us also the National Stock Automatic Championship too.
Tomorrow or sometime soon, I hope to have regained my balance. I am truly feeling beyond just being blessed. God has given me a great gift, of being able to accomplish a most impossible dream that Chris and I shared.
God Bless and Race Safely.
David
Sunday, October 23, 2011
On the way to Las Vegas
Well, actually I leave tomorrow morning, so I thought I would post tonight. I actually don't think I will be posting again until I am in Las Vegas in a couple of days.
I stopped by the Summit Racing store nearby yesterday, and found something interesting.
I found a metal, beautifully Chromed pair of valve covers. I think they will look great on the Mega Maniac. But it is possible that they wont fit those Drag Pak heads. And if that is true, so be it.
I am in the process of putting a 5.7 Hemi engine together for a project that Chris, his son David, and I started before we even got the Drag Pak.
The car is 1968 Pontiac Lemans convertible. Chris and I had built a supercharged 454 Chevy engine for the car, but we sold that when we knew we wouldn't be getting back to this car for a while...
So why not put a 5.7 Hemi in the 1968 Lemans? Chris was going to put one in his 72 Challenger, and put dual turbo chargers on it. I always thought that was a good idea, and so that may be the way I go on the GTO clone Lemans.
So, if the chrome valve covers don't fit the Drag Pak, they will look just fine... well actually real fine on the 5.7 in that car.
Las Vegas, here I come... again.. Can't wait to get down to Fremont Street for the light show on the ceiling and Queen tribute.... Always a good time hearing several thousand people singing "We will, We will...Rock You!" at the top of their lungs.
And I can hardly wait to accomplish what we need to accomplish at the track. We currently are tied for first in the National Stock Automatic Class Championship race. And the way I calculate things, we hold a whole lot of the tie breakers, and if we can nail down one last one, that should clinch it, and then we are the Kings.
Like all things in racing, it isn't done, until it is done. So please root for us.
God Bless, and Race Safely!
David
I stopped by the Summit Racing store nearby yesterday, and found something interesting.
I found a metal, beautifully Chromed pair of valve covers. I think they will look great on the Mega Maniac. But it is possible that they wont fit those Drag Pak heads. And if that is true, so be it.
I am in the process of putting a 5.7 Hemi engine together for a project that Chris, his son David, and I started before we even got the Drag Pak.
The car is 1968 Pontiac Lemans convertible. Chris and I had built a supercharged 454 Chevy engine for the car, but we sold that when we knew we wouldn't be getting back to this car for a while...
So why not put a 5.7 Hemi in the 1968 Lemans? Chris was going to put one in his 72 Challenger, and put dual turbo chargers on it. I always thought that was a good idea, and so that may be the way I go on the GTO clone Lemans.
So, if the chrome valve covers don't fit the Drag Pak, they will look just fine... well actually real fine on the 5.7 in that car.
Las Vegas, here I come... again.. Can't wait to get down to Fremont Street for the light show on the ceiling and Queen tribute.... Always a good time hearing several thousand people singing "We will, We will...Rock You!" at the top of their lungs.
And I can hardly wait to accomplish what we need to accomplish at the track. We currently are tied for first in the National Stock Automatic Class Championship race. And the way I calculate things, we hold a whole lot of the tie breakers, and if we can nail down one last one, that should clinch it, and then we are the Kings.
Like all things in racing, it isn't done, until it is done. So please root for us.
God Bless, and Race Safely!
David
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Lost in first round of Stock Eliminator, and more news ....
We lost in the first round of Stock Eliminator to a very good car/driver combination, in a double breakout.
We dialed 9.89, and ran 9.88. He dialed 11.23 and ran 11.228, so although we both ran under our number, he was closer to his number than we were to ours. If we had run above our number, and he had run under, we would have won, because only he would have broken out, or gone too fast.
And that is racing in Stock Eliminator, some of these driver/car combinations have been together for years, and hit their numbers, or come awfully close as this one did, time after time. We are still getting a handle on our car, and every time we think we have it figured out, it runs a bit faster than we thought it would. And this is racing too!
Another interesting thing happened this past weekend too. There is a certain 5.7 Hemi Drag Pak (not ours...) who is known for doing stupid things, because his driver is a kid who doesn't understand racing, and doesn't have any investment in the car or the class, and is just out showing off.
In Columbus last year, when we were not running very well (before we found our coil pack problem) we ran him in the class finals. And in that race, he blew past us like we were standing still. In fact he passed us at about 800 feet out of 1320, and could have then just kept ahead of us, and won the race. But because he is an idiot, he ran the car all out through the traps, went too fast and got a horsepower hit.
When we get assigned more horsepower, that means that we have to add more weight to compensate for the additional horsepower. But this lug nut, has gotten more horsepower hits for the 5.7 than everyone else combined.
In Indianapolis, a month ago, and in a couple of previous races, his car was driven by a professional driver who knows that if he gets more horsepower, it affects HIS CAR TOO! So he drives to win, not to try to embarrass anyone and/or just show off. Unfortunately for him, In Indianapolis, he had engine trouble like we did. And he doesn't do his own engine work, as we do, so we got our engine back together, and competed in Indianapolis, and he was unable to. Frankly, I was rooting for him to be in a race with us, as I think we owe him one. And I like our chances against him heads up any day of the week. But as it turned out in Indianapolis, we had problem upon problem, and he didn't get his engine back together in time, so that is that. Not this time.
Well, his car showed up in Columbus again this past weekend, and he had the same joke of a driver as last year, who promptly went out and ran too fast, again getting horse power for the 5.7 combination. This time, it is 14 horsepower, and we are in a class where we have to carry nearly 8 pounds per horsepower, so that would mean that we need to add about 100 pounds, actually 8*14 = 112 pounds.... And frankly, that would pretty much force us out of A/SA, forcing us to run in AA/SA against supercharged Mustangs.
Now we can be competitive against most naturally aspirate (not supercharged..) cars. But just how is that fair?
So it really would take someone who doesn't care if the ever car runs competitively to do something like that. Or he is simply flat out ignorant of racing the NHRA. Because it isn't just my car that is affected, it is his car too! Man, talk about a death wish. That just isn't smart.
However, in the end, there is also good news.
If you go too fast and get horsepower for your combination, you get torn down(they ask you take your engine apart to show that everything matches teh specifications and tolerances) to see if you are legal or not. It happened to us in Chicago, (And in case you are thinking that we are the pot calling the kettle black because we have also gone too fast and gotten a couple of horsepower hits, when we did it, it was done during races, or in situations when we didn't have any idea that the car would go that fast. And if you total all of our horsepower hits which I think were 3, they all don't add up to his single last one.)
But my point is that we went too fast, got torn down, and we were legal by large margins.
So, they tore him down. And guess what? He was illegal! His piston dome height was too high. If protocol holds true, he will get a six month suspension, and frankly he really does deserve it. Not because he built an illegal engine, since I don't know whether he even knows which end of a connecting rod goes on a crack, but because he wasn't smart enough to drive sensibly enough to win without getting torn down. But it is normal that if you get caught cheating, as he was, you get a six month suspension from racing. And the result of him being declared illegal is that the horse additional power is not in effect.
OK, my rant is over... He is a moron, who got caught while doing something stupid. There is justice, and I will let it go at that.
Our next race will be the Nationals at Las Vegas, and I just looked at the current entry list, and saw something that I find interesting.. Can you see it?
My car has the smallest engine of any of the cars running currently registered in A/SA. And in some cases it smaller by nearly 80 cubic inches. So, considering that each cubic inch equates to more horsepower, it would seem that we are significantly over matched in Las Vegas.
But I guess that how things look on paper isn't really all that important. You still have to go out and run the races. So we all will just have to wait and see.
See you in Las Vegas.
God Bless, and Race Safely!
David
We dialed 9.89, and ran 9.88. He dialed 11.23 and ran 11.228, so although we both ran under our number, he was closer to his number than we were to ours. If we had run above our number, and he had run under, we would have won, because only he would have broken out, or gone too fast.
And that is racing in Stock Eliminator, some of these driver/car combinations have been together for years, and hit their numbers, or come awfully close as this one did, time after time. We are still getting a handle on our car, and every time we think we have it figured out, it runs a bit faster than we thought it would. And this is racing too!
Another interesting thing happened this past weekend too. There is a certain 5.7 Hemi Drag Pak (not ours...) who is known for doing stupid things, because his driver is a kid who doesn't understand racing, and doesn't have any investment in the car or the class, and is just out showing off.
In Columbus last year, when we were not running very well (before we found our coil pack problem) we ran him in the class finals. And in that race, he blew past us like we were standing still. In fact he passed us at about 800 feet out of 1320, and could have then just kept ahead of us, and won the race. But because he is an idiot, he ran the car all out through the traps, went too fast and got a horsepower hit.
When we get assigned more horsepower, that means that we have to add more weight to compensate for the additional horsepower. But this lug nut, has gotten more horsepower hits for the 5.7 than everyone else combined.
In Indianapolis, a month ago, and in a couple of previous races, his car was driven by a professional driver who knows that if he gets more horsepower, it affects HIS CAR TOO! So he drives to win, not to try to embarrass anyone and/or just show off. Unfortunately for him, In Indianapolis, he had engine trouble like we did. And he doesn't do his own engine work, as we do, so we got our engine back together, and competed in Indianapolis, and he was unable to. Frankly, I was rooting for him to be in a race with us, as I think we owe him one. And I like our chances against him heads up any day of the week. But as it turned out in Indianapolis, we had problem upon problem, and he didn't get his engine back together in time, so that is that. Not this time.
Well, his car showed up in Columbus again this past weekend, and he had the same joke of a driver as last year, who promptly went out and ran too fast, again getting horse power for the 5.7 combination. This time, it is 14 horsepower, and we are in a class where we have to carry nearly 8 pounds per horsepower, so that would mean that we need to add about 100 pounds, actually 8*14 = 112 pounds.... And frankly, that would pretty much force us out of A/SA, forcing us to run in AA/SA against supercharged Mustangs.
Now we can be competitive against most naturally aspirate (not supercharged..) cars. But just how is that fair?
So it really would take someone who doesn't care if the ever car runs competitively to do something like that. Or he is simply flat out ignorant of racing the NHRA. Because it isn't just my car that is affected, it is his car too! Man, talk about a death wish. That just isn't smart.
However, in the end, there is also good news.
If you go too fast and get horsepower for your combination, you get torn down(they ask you take your engine apart to show that everything matches teh specifications and tolerances) to see if you are legal or not. It happened to us in Chicago, (And in case you are thinking that we are the pot calling the kettle black because we have also gone too fast and gotten a couple of horsepower hits, when we did it, it was done during races, or in situations when we didn't have any idea that the car would go that fast. And if you total all of our horsepower hits which I think were 3, they all don't add up to his single last one.)
But my point is that we went too fast, got torn down, and we were legal by large margins.
So, they tore him down. And guess what? He was illegal! His piston dome height was too high. If protocol holds true, he will get a six month suspension, and frankly he really does deserve it. Not because he built an illegal engine, since I don't know whether he even knows which end of a connecting rod goes on a crack, but because he wasn't smart enough to drive sensibly enough to win without getting torn down. But it is normal that if you get caught cheating, as he was, you get a six month suspension from racing. And the result of him being declared illegal is that the horse additional power is not in effect.
OK, my rant is over... He is a moron, who got caught while doing something stupid. There is justice, and I will let it go at that.
Our next race will be the Nationals at Las Vegas, and I just looked at the current entry list, and saw something that I find interesting.. Can you see it?
| 25 | A/SA | Kevin Helms | Schriever LA | 10 Challenger | Dodg 392 | SOUTHLAND DODGE, M/T, VP | ||||
| 71 | A/SA | Rusty Hall | Chandler AZ | 67 Shelby | Ford 428 | HALL BROS RACING | ||||
| 383 | A/SA | Larry Hill | Hickory KY | 71 Plymouth | Plym 440 | AARP CUDA | ||||
| 575 | A/SA | Les Norton | South Jordan UT | 10 Dodge | Dodg 392 | NORTON RACING | ||||
| 1044 | A/SA | John Shaul | Fultonham NY | 64 Fury | Plym 426 | MR. 426 RACING | ||||
| 213A | A/SA | Anthony Bertozzi | Ashland VA | 69 Camaro | Chev 427 | NITROPLATE | ||||
| 3610 | A/SA | Leonard Mattingly Jr | Coxs Creek KY | 00 Firebird | Pont 346 | LEONARD MATTINGLY | ||||
| 5035 | A/SA | Keith Lynch | Greenville OH | 10 Dodge | Dodg 345 | NEW HEMI RACING | ||||
| 6413 | A/SA | Jon Percy | Pocatello ID | 64 Plymouth | MOPR 426 | BLACKFOOT RACING | ||||
| 6633 | A/SA | Joe Sorensen | Woodburn OR | 69 Camaro | Chev 427 | JIM SIGEL B.A.M, II. | ||||
| 703D | A/SA | Kyle Rizzoli | San Luis Obispo CA | 69 Camaro | Chev 427 | BRIDGEWATER EQUIPMENT | ||||
| 7063 | A/SA | Brian Sanderson | South Jordan UT | 63 Plymouth | Chry 426 | SANDERSON RACING | ||||
| 7446 | A/SA | Chuck Rayburn | Castro Valley CA | 64 Belvedere | Plym 426 | CHUCK RAYBURN RACING | ||||
| 7911 | A/SA | Clark Holroyd | Chino CA | 69 Nova | Chev 396 | FIRE ESCAPE RACING | ||||
| T700 | A/SA | Paul Cannan | Devore Heights CA | 69 Camaro | Chev 427 | BRIDGEWATER EQUIPMENT |
My car has the smallest engine of any of the cars running currently registered in A/SA. And in some cases it smaller by nearly 80 cubic inches. So, considering that each cubic inch equates to more horsepower, it would seem that we are significantly over matched in Las Vegas.
But I guess that how things look on paper isn't really all that important. You still have to go out and run the races. So we all will just have to wait and see.
See you in Las Vegas.
God Bless, and Race Safely!
David
Friday, October 14, 2011
First round of qualifying is done...
The first round of qualifying in Phoenix is done. And the weather is hot, hot hot...
So it doesn't look like we will even run the second round of qualifying. I explain that in a second.
But later in the day, some time around 11:30 to noon Phoenix time, with the temperature even hotter, we will run the first round of Class.
The reason we won't run the second round of qualifying is actually pretty simple. We really don't need to make another run. Our first run was at 9.88 seconds, and 133.5 mph.
There are no results posted anywhere yet, but I have to expect that we are Very, Very close to being most under index at 1.112 under. So there is no need to beat up the car with another qualifying run. We can just go back to the pits, relax, charge the battery, refuel the car and get mentally ready for the Class competition. And we are far enough under, that if someone wants to get further under index, they will be flirting with horsepower on Monday. Top qualifier is good becuase it offers a possible bye somewhere along the race. And we really want to win Class.
This is a really big deal my friends. If we can take down just one more Class win, then we are sitting pretty for National Class Champions. And because I am not at the track with Keith and the car, it is like waiting for a baby to be born.
HERE IS NEWS: 1:22 Ohio time.
They finally posted the first round, and we are not first as I had hoped. Drew Skillman wheeled his AA/SA Mustang to 1.119 under.
So we are currently qualified at number two, sandwiched between two AA/SA Mustangs.
MORE NEWS: 3:30 PM Ohio Time
The second round of Stock Qualifying has been posted and nothing changed at the top.
In our Class A/SA , there are only three cars. Seven were "signed up" or at least they were listed on the NHRA Entry List for Phoenix, but at least one changed to B/SA, and I don't see a couple of them including Big Daddy Don Garlits, who I thought would be there, but do hope is in Las Vegas.
But here is how we stand. So now, all we need to do is go race and win.
A/SA 5035 Keith Lynch, Greenville OH, '10 Challenger 9.888 11.00 -1.112
A/SA 71 Rusty Hall, Chandler AZ, '67 Mustang 10.356 11.00 -0.644
A/SA 726 Dave Gertschen, Glendale AZ, '01 Firebird 10.562 11.00 -0.438
MORE NEWS: 4:05 Ohio Time
First round of Class is over and we are still alive.
We had a single run (BYE) as a result of being a higher qualifier than the other two. Keith took it easy on the car and ran 14 something. So we run Rusty Hall who beat Dave Gertshcen. The Finals will be run in about an hour.
Once again, we just need to go race and win.
MORE NEWS: 5:00 PM Ohio Time
We did it! We ran Rusty Hall, and we won the race. We won A/SA Class in Phoneix and have another Wally for my Mantle. And we are now in the points lead for National Stock Champion. So now, we just need to go some rounds in Stock in Las Vegas, and we clinch all of the tie breakers too.
God Bless, and Race Safely.
David
So it doesn't look like we will even run the second round of qualifying. I explain that in a second.
But later in the day, some time around 11:30 to noon Phoenix time, with the temperature even hotter, we will run the first round of Class.
The reason we won't run the second round of qualifying is actually pretty simple. We really don't need to make another run. Our first run was at 9.88 seconds, and 133.5 mph.
There are no results posted anywhere yet, but I have to expect that we are Very, Very close to being most under index at 1.112 under. So there is no need to beat up the car with another qualifying run. We can just go back to the pits, relax, charge the battery, refuel the car and get mentally ready for the Class competition. And we are far enough under, that if someone wants to get further under index, they will be flirting with horsepower on Monday. Top qualifier is good becuase it offers a possible bye somewhere along the race. And we really want to win Class.
This is a really big deal my friends. If we can take down just one more Class win, then we are sitting pretty for National Class Champions. And because I am not at the track with Keith and the car, it is like waiting for a baby to be born.
HERE IS NEWS: 1:22 Ohio time.
They finally posted the first round, and we are not first as I had hoped. Drew Skillman wheeled his AA/SA Mustang to 1.119 under.
So we are currently qualified at number two, sandwiched between two AA/SA Mustangs.
MORE NEWS: 3:30 PM Ohio Time
The second round of Stock Qualifying has been posted and nothing changed at the top.
In our Class A/SA , there are only three cars. Seven were "signed up" or at least they were listed on the NHRA Entry List for Phoenix, but at least one changed to B/SA, and I don't see a couple of them including Big Daddy Don Garlits, who I thought would be there, but do hope is in Las Vegas.
But here is how we stand. So now, all we need to do is go race and win.
A/SA 5035 Keith Lynch, Greenville OH, '10 Challenger 9.888 11.00 -1.112
A/SA 71 Rusty Hall, Chandler AZ, '67 Mustang 10.356 11.00 -0.644
A/SA 726 Dave Gertschen, Glendale AZ, '01 Firebird 10.562 11.00 -0.438
MORE NEWS: 4:05 Ohio Time
First round of Class is over and we are still alive.
We had a single run (BYE) as a result of being a higher qualifier than the other two. Keith took it easy on the car and ran 14 something. So we run Rusty Hall who beat Dave Gertshcen. The Finals will be run in about an hour.
Once again, we just need to go race and win.
MORE NEWS: 5:00 PM Ohio Time
We did it! We ran Rusty Hall, and we won the race. We won A/SA Class in Phoneix and have another Wally for my Mantle. And we are now in the points lead for National Stock Champion. So now, we just need to go some rounds in Stock in Las Vegas, and we clinch all of the tie breakers too.
God Bless, and Race Safely.
David
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Parked in Phoenix
Some distance from Phoenix, in small town Arizona, we broke a trailer axle. I told you this in my last post. So that part isn't a surprise.
On Wednesday, after talking to a lot of people, and making a lot of phone calls, Keith managed to locate a replacement axle about 100 miles away.
So off he went, and about four and a half hours later, he returned to that small town in AZ with the axle. The spring perches were different than the existing axle, so a bit of welding done by a local trailer shop, and Keith was back on the road with the trailer around 8:00PM AZ time.
Life is just an endless string of hurdles. Jumping them is only way to get to your destination. And even when you knock one down, and need to set it back up. But once again, the hurdles between us and our next adventure are completed.
The car, trailer, and Keith are currently safely pitted at Firebird International Raceway.
Stock runs at 8:00 AM AZ time, and I will be watching and rooting via 1320go.com.
Definitely not like "being there", but it better than not knowing. This is only the second time this car has run that I was not present. The first was a few months ago, when we tried out our backup motor at Stanton MI, Keith and Tonya went alone as it was a last minute decision, and I couldn't make it. This one was also kind of last minute, or at least it sneaked up on me. I already had a Cat Scan scheduled, and an appointment to hear what it shows. So I needed to miss this first phase of the trip.
More tomorrow after qualifying.
God Bless, and Race Safely
David
On Wednesday, after talking to a lot of people, and making a lot of phone calls, Keith managed to locate a replacement axle about 100 miles away.
So off he went, and about four and a half hours later, he returned to that small town in AZ with the axle. The spring perches were different than the existing axle, so a bit of welding done by a local trailer shop, and Keith was back on the road with the trailer around 8:00PM AZ time.
Life is just an endless string of hurdles. Jumping them is only way to get to your destination. And even when you knock one down, and need to set it back up. But once again, the hurdles between us and our next adventure are completed.
The car, trailer, and Keith are currently safely pitted at Firebird International Raceway.
Stock runs at 8:00 AM AZ time, and I will be watching and rooting via 1320go.com.
Definitely not like "being there", but it better than not knowing. This is only the second time this car has run that I was not present. The first was a few months ago, when we tried out our backup motor at Stanton MI, Keith and Tonya went alone as it was a last minute decision, and I couldn't make it. This one was also kind of last minute, or at least it sneaked up on me. I already had a Cat Scan scheduled, and an appointment to hear what it shows. So I needed to miss this first phase of the trip.
More tomorrow after qualifying.
God Bless, and Race Safely
David
Monday, October 10, 2011
Another Broken Trailer Axle.....
Last year, we managed to break a trailer axle in Wytheville, Virginia, and got totally ripped off by Complete Truck and Trailer.
They did a crappy job, charged too much, and didn't even hook the trailer brakes up on the new axle. And I hate getting ripped off.
So now, as the car is on it's way to the Phoenix National races, in Arizona, the other axle broke.
I got the trailer at a good price just before we took delivery of the car. Around $4000, and I have spent an amount equal to what I paid for the trailer, in getting it refurbed and the new axle in Va.
I feel badly that I didn't make this part of the trip with Keith. But I have confidence that he will get it back on the road, before the race this coming weekend. He is probably only a few hours from the track. So he has a couple of days to get something done. We talked today, and have a couple of options, some good, some not, but still have a little time, so we can only hope.
So the real question is, can we get an axle that fits well enough, that will get the car to Phoenix, and on to Las Vegas..
So the real question is, can we get an axle that fits well enough, that will get the car to Phoenix, and on to Las Vegas..
I will keep you posted about what is happening.
God Bless, and Race Safely!
David
Thursday, October 6, 2011
More Drag Pak information that you won't find anywhere else...
There is still a lot of Secret Squirrel Information about the Drag Pak in general, and our car in particular, that will be withheld, until I decide that we are either done racing, or just don't care anymore.
So don't expect to see that very special stuff here soon. But there are a lot of other things that we know/have done, that I will happily share as a contribution to the Drag Pak Community.
Did you know?
Did you know that you can change your Cam without pulling your heads? You Can!
Chris and I first discovered this when our second cam arrived. We had originally had LSM do us pretty aggressive Cam, but they couldn't do the grind that we wanted as they didn't have a proper core available. So we put that cam on back order, and it was finally done. Gun Drilled core, and more duration than seemed possible. We were ecstatic about receiving, but didn't have a spare set of head gaskets, so we started trying to figure out how to change the cam without pulling the heads.
To solve a problem, And Chris and I were both pretty good at that, you need to break the problem down, and question all assumptions.
First assumption: You need to remove the heads.
Question: Why do you need to remove the heads?
Answer: To get at valve lifters, and remove them.
Next Assumption: You have to remove valve lifters to remove Cam.
Question: Why do they need to be removed?
Answer: Because if not removed, they will drop down and interfere with Cam removal.
Next Assumption: The lifters will fall down and interfere with Cam removal.
Question: What makes them fall down?
Answer: Angle of lifter, and gravity.
Next Assumption: The angle is such that gravity will cause lifter to fall.
Question: Is that true in this engine?
Answer: Nope, these lifters are almost horizontal.
You can buy small telescoping magnetic tools at Harbor Freight, and a lot of other inexpensive suppliers. You insert this magnetic tool into the lifter bore, through the push rod hole in the head, and because the heads are aluminum and don't mess with the magnetics, you put the magnet on the lifter and pull it back. It probably will stay, now that you have actually pulled it back further than the Cam lobe. Then you can do the same to any others, two is the most we have have had, and you are good to go.
We have changed Cams without removing heads no less than four times. You might ask why so many times? But the truth is that what seems like the best today, may not be the best tomorrow. And in one case, we sheared the Cam alignment pin, and replaced the Cam for that reason. So, there are reasons to do it. And it isn't as bad as it is on a lot of other engines.
God Bless, an Race Safely!
David
So don't expect to see that very special stuff here soon. But there are a lot of other things that we know/have done, that I will happily share as a contribution to the Drag Pak Community.
Did you know?
Did you know that you can change your Cam without pulling your heads? You Can!
Chris and I first discovered this when our second cam arrived. We had originally had LSM do us pretty aggressive Cam, but they couldn't do the grind that we wanted as they didn't have a proper core available. So we put that cam on back order, and it was finally done. Gun Drilled core, and more duration than seemed possible. We were ecstatic about receiving, but didn't have a spare set of head gaskets, so we started trying to figure out how to change the cam without pulling the heads.
To solve a problem, And Chris and I were both pretty good at that, you need to break the problem down, and question all assumptions.
First assumption: You need to remove the heads.
Question: Why do you need to remove the heads?
Answer: To get at valve lifters, and remove them.
Next Assumption: You have to remove valve lifters to remove Cam.
Question: Why do they need to be removed?
Answer: Because if not removed, they will drop down and interfere with Cam removal.
Next Assumption: The lifters will fall down and interfere with Cam removal.
Question: What makes them fall down?
Answer: Angle of lifter, and gravity.
Next Assumption: The angle is such that gravity will cause lifter to fall.
Question: Is that true in this engine?
Answer: Nope, these lifters are almost horizontal.
- So, you do remove the rocker arm assemblies, and push rods, so that nothing is pushing the lifters down to the Cam.
- Then you take the cam removal tool, screw it into the end of the Cam, and turn it slowly, 360 degrees. This causes the lifters to be pushed back into the block at the highest point on the cam lobes.
- Then you slide the Cam out, and slide new cam in.
You can buy small telescoping magnetic tools at Harbor Freight, and a lot of other inexpensive suppliers. You insert this magnetic tool into the lifter bore, through the push rod hole in the head, and because the heads are aluminum and don't mess with the magnetics, you put the magnet on the lifter and pull it back. It probably will stay, now that you have actually pulled it back further than the Cam lobe. Then you can do the same to any others, two is the most we have have had, and you are good to go.
We have changed Cams without removing heads no less than four times. You might ask why so many times? But the truth is that what seems like the best today, may not be the best tomorrow. And in one case, we sheared the Cam alignment pin, and replaced the Cam for that reason. So, there are reasons to do it. And it isn't as bad as it is on a lot of other engines.
God Bless, an Race Safely!
David
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Temporarily All Quiet on the Racing Front...............
Lots happening, but just not much on the racing side of things.
An idle thought: After the Class Win in Columbus, we stopped the Jegs team trailer, to chat with Jeg about his car. He is one terrific nice guy, humble and just plain a good guy. I am glad I finally got to meet him.
The car will be going to Phoenix for the Nationals on October 14-16. Keith will be alone for that race, except obviously for all the racing friends he has. But I have some health related things that will keep me in Akron for that week.
After the race, Keith will take car to Las Vegas for the Nationals there on the 27th thru the 30th. After dropping the car and trailer in Vegas, Keith will attend his youngest daughter's wedding in Salt lake City. And I wish the young couple all of the best.
Once the wedding celebrations are complete, Keith will return to Las Vegas, and I will fly in to join him for the races there.
I say races, because there is a National one week, and the a divisional the next week. And we will likely attend both.
For those who wonder what has been going on with the car, we are currently ranked number five in Stock Eliminator rankings. And interesting enough.... at least for me... we are positioned to take the who thing down... If we have one more Class Win, we are Number One and hold all of the tie breakers...
Obviously, we still have to "git er dun", but we have a couple of chances... So, I think we have a shot at it. Stock Automatic National Champion is pretty cool.
Then, at the Divisional, we will try to do something, that Chris and I believed we could do, and had as a goal from the very beginning. We will run in Super Stock (running in Super Stock isn't the goal), and get a World Record in some NHRA Class. That, a World Record, always has been the goal! Chris and I talked about it, at great length. We dreamed, and we laughed, and we knew we could do it.. So now is the time to do it.
Because of the way the NHRA punishes you for going fast, we will not try it in Stock where our Horsepower rating is over 400, and will go for it in Super Stock where our Horsepower rating is still 305. So in Super Stock, even though we will break the index, and be penalized with more horsepower requiring us to carry more weight in Super Stock, we can afford that hit.
Chris said it originally, and when he said it, the lights went on, and I immediately agreed with him. The New Hemi, the 5.7, the 6.1 and now the 6.4, all the same basic engine, is the LAST GREAT PUSHROD ENGINE that will ever be produced.
And it is about time that the Mega Maniac, the most successful and best known Dodge Challenger Drag Pak car running that engine, takes it proper place at the top of the list, amongst the greatest race cars in the NHRA with a Stock Championship, and a Super Stock World Record.
Even if we dont get either or both of these accomplishments, the Mega Maniac is a winner.
God Bless, and Race Safely
David
An idle thought: After the Class Win in Columbus, we stopped the Jegs team trailer, to chat with Jeg about his car. He is one terrific nice guy, humble and just plain a good guy. I am glad I finally got to meet him.
The car will be going to Phoenix for the Nationals on October 14-16. Keith will be alone for that race, except obviously for all the racing friends he has. But I have some health related things that will keep me in Akron for that week.
After the race, Keith will take car to Las Vegas for the Nationals there on the 27th thru the 30th. After dropping the car and trailer in Vegas, Keith will attend his youngest daughter's wedding in Salt lake City. And I wish the young couple all of the best.
Once the wedding celebrations are complete, Keith will return to Las Vegas, and I will fly in to join him for the races there.
I say races, because there is a National one week, and the a divisional the next week. And we will likely attend both.
For those who wonder what has been going on with the car, we are currently ranked number five in Stock Eliminator rankings. And interesting enough.... at least for me... we are positioned to take the who thing down... If we have one more Class Win, we are Number One and hold all of the tie breakers...
Obviously, we still have to "git er dun", but we have a couple of chances... So, I think we have a shot at it. Stock Automatic National Champion is pretty cool.
Then, at the Divisional, we will try to do something, that Chris and I believed we could do, and had as a goal from the very beginning. We will run in Super Stock (running in Super Stock isn't the goal), and get a World Record in some NHRA Class. That, a World Record, always has been the goal! Chris and I talked about it, at great length. We dreamed, and we laughed, and we knew we could do it.. So now is the time to do it.
Because of the way the NHRA punishes you for going fast, we will not try it in Stock where our Horsepower rating is over 400, and will go for it in Super Stock where our Horsepower rating is still 305. So in Super Stock, even though we will break the index, and be penalized with more horsepower requiring us to carry more weight in Super Stock, we can afford that hit.
Chris said it originally, and when he said it, the lights went on, and I immediately agreed with him. The New Hemi, the 5.7, the 6.1 and now the 6.4, all the same basic engine, is the LAST GREAT PUSHROD ENGINE that will ever be produced.
And it is about time that the Mega Maniac, the most successful and best known Dodge Challenger Drag Pak car running that engine, takes it proper place at the top of the list, amongst the greatest race cars in the NHRA with a Stock Championship, and a Super Stock World Record.
Even if we dont get either or both of these accomplishments, the Mega Maniac is a winner.
God Bless, and Race Safely
David
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