Fuzzy Dice

I just returned from the World Footbrake Challenge at Bristol Dragway...what a trip it was!...

Big Mike came along to help me and we stopped for the night in Ashville, N.C. on the way up...my good buddy Rob met us at the motel...the next morning we all ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel and took off for the track...about 2 hours later we arrived and unloaded our stuff...

I had been having trouble with my brakes so w2e pulled the hood immediately...I had planned to suck out the fluid in the master and replace it with new as a band aid...when I pulled the cover, lo and behold, the rear reservoir was empty...good Gawd amighty!...no wonder I was pushing through my staging...I emptied the front and we cleaned both and refilled with new fluid...bingo...great pedal and solid stopping...

This allowed me to stage at up to 3200 rpm again...woohoo!...my buddy was not so lucky...he rolled out of the trailer with a broken car....water in # 1 and 3 holes...he had them welded but one apparently let go...he got some ceramic goop and it actually stopped the leak so he could race...

Mike and I left to check in to our motel...we came back to the track at 5PM for the gamblers race at 6...no time shots so I dialed in the dark...I know the mountain is .10 to .20 slower...I had run 6.90 at Jax two weeks prior so I threw a 7.10 on the car and figured I would play the finish line if need be...

I got a guy dialed 6.98...I leave and he chases but he went red...best thing ever for me, so I ran it out as a time shot...I had a .029 tree and went 7.064...no complaints here...

Round two I catch a dude dialed 10.63 in a Chrysler 300...must have broke his race car...anyway, I dial 7.06...he leaves green and so do I...I catch him early and rip him through for the win...he was .164 on the tree and I was .019...I didn't know it but I was in the money...hey paid 50 bucks for a round 2 win...yippee!...

Round 3 I line up with a nice Mustang dialed 6.48...I put 7.05 on my window as the air feels better...I leave and he follows, both green...he catches me and parks it for the win...He was .019 on the tree and I missed it badly with an .053...this was the beginning of problems but I just didn't know it...off to the motel for us....sigh...

We get to the track at 8AM for the first 10 grander...very exciting...I go to warm up my car and the idle is going nutsy high by itself...we pull the hood and no wonder...the bracket that holds the two return springs on the carb is swiveled back a bunch...the little "ear" that is supposed to stop this is broken off...cutting and repositioning one spring and a zip tie did the trick...idle is back to perfect...woot!....

I take a shot at a .00X light in my time shot.....I go 12 red...oh well...in round one I get a nice 68 Camaro dialed 6.45...I put 7.06 and leave first....he turns it red by .004 so I run it out and go 7.039...

Round two I catch a Duster with a 6.38 dial...I try 7.03 and leave first, of course....lol...he goes dead on with a one and I go dead eight...sadly I am .086 on the tree and he is .058, FTW...I am so mad I have to go off by myself for a bit...I usually don't get that upset but all I had to do was have a 44 or better tree and he was mine...my schmeckle can cut a 44 or better!...I did not by buy back in because I couldn't see straight...on to supper and the motel for this chump...

Today is the big one, the 20 grander...I decide I need to hit the tree extra hard to improve my lights...I do so on my time shot and run 7.019 with a......wait for it.....a .131 tree...yes, I am in deep doo doo...

First round I get a 65 Mustang dialed 5.81...I know this car and it is deadly along with the driver...I have decided to put on polarized sun glasses to get a better light...it worked to some extent as I was .042...unfortunately he was .003 and parked it at the stripe to go two over...can you say mathmatically ineligible.....sigh...I went 7.044, btw...

I do the walk of shame and pay my buy back fee of $150...they gave me a fudgesicle as well...woopie!...

The buyback racers all go against each other with the winners advancing to the second round...I pull up next to a nice 90's Mustang dialed 7.54...woohoo!, a car slower than me as I am dialed 7.03...I dial 7.03...he completely misses the tree with a .090 light...I am 7.07 whomping for the win...I had a .049 light, not bad but not nearly good enough...

Now I am back in round 2 and I get a young man in a 69 Camaro...nice piece...he dials 6.82 to my 7.03...we leave together which, as y'all know is not good...sheesh...I was slightly early for tomorrow's race...I had a .111 to his .020..."that's all I have to say about that"...lol...

It is now Sunday morning and the last 10 grander...no time shot today...this was one nutty deal...I had a time shot yesterday about the same time in the morning so I dial the same as that....a 7.01...I am paired up with a Gen 1 Camaro dialed 6.02...I have decided to hit the tree or red eye...I leave first and think I actually had a decent light...it turns out I di with a .025...sadly my opponent had a .013...he caught me, parked it at the stripe and took it by .009...they guy could drive...oh well...I ran it out for a 7.036, btw...

I decide to fork over another Hun to buy back based on the .025 light...when they call me up to run the buyback round, I go to my car and am mortified...once again I forgot to shut my power off and left the water pump and fans running...the car would only click with no chance of starting...I have rarely been as mad as I was at that point...

Here is the thing...I made 14 passes all weekend...I forgot to turn the power off after the run, 12 of the 14 times...that's why I was pizzed to holy heck!...Mike and I wrote a note on a box and put it on the dash of my Yuke and we still forgot...sheesh...don't get old fella's...lol...

So I did the only thing I could and went to the tower to get my 100 bucks back...as I am coming out of the tower, it begins to rain...I get back to my pit and my buddy says why don't we charge my battery now since we will be down a couple of hours...makes sense but I guess I was too mad to see it...so that is what we do and I go buy back in again...no, I did not take another ice cream...he he he...

They finally get the track dry and off we go...I catch a nice mopar dialed 6.76...I dial 7.03 and off we go...my tree felt just OK but he wasn't catching me...I ripped her 2 times and went 7.06 for the win...I had a .049 light to his .132...yeah!...I got a break this time...

I am now back in round two and I get another mopar, this time a dart...he dials 6.91 and I put a 7.05 on my window...this was my closest race of the weekend...I had a .041 tree to his .046...at the stripe I back into him going 7.068 to his 6.932...I took the stripe by .009...

On to round three...I line up next to "Ducky", Michael Beard...a world champ. he will be tough...we have been friends for a long time...he dials his Volare super stocker 6.79...I put a 7.06 on mine...then the fun begins...

We both pre-stage...I go up on my converter as he final stages...with three bulbs lit I am in trouble...I went right past my stage rpm of 3100 to 3400...oops!....now I need to get in without time to shed the 300 rpm...I do so and try to wait a bit extra knowing my reaction should be quicker...I knew I would be holding so I would play the finish line...

It was and I went .028 red...sigh...naturally my 60', 330' and et were way too quick...I went three under at 7.03...unfortunately, Michael was there for the taking...he had a .041 tree...man was I pizzed at myself...FWIW, he went on to win the 10 grand...coulda, woulda, shoulda...

Well, that was it for me...we packed up and booked out of there after I got my 50 bucks round money...we stopped in the smoky mountains for a bite to eat and drove to the Georgia border and got a room...drove the rest this morning...I do have to repair my trailer...apparently I hit something with my left rear taillight assembly and bent the chit out of it...or some one hit me...oh well, it will fix...

Next up, I am off to the last points event of the season in Palm Beach on Aug. 1st...then a labor day event followed by the division finals in S.C. the end of Sept....The WFC is one tough event for sure...footbraking at the highest level...I had nothing but fun and love that track...see y'all around the water cooler...

Red 69

Good write-up with play-by-play of the action. As you say, the WFBC IX was a shark tank with a feeding frenzy underway for the green. It was a fun road trip that turned out safely, nothing broke and another adventure ended. Time to plan the next move!

C5 Pete

Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. One day I'd like to go to that, or should I say, one day I'd like to be good enough to go to that.

Glensgages

wouldn't we all?