Well had another weekend of racing with some ups and downs to go along with it.

On the up portion of the day I was able to get some new bests.

I was able to top my 1/8 mile ET and MPH at 6.422sec@107.25MPH and in addition get my new best 60' time of 1.370sec.

The car is hooking better than I believed possible back a few months ago. I figured a mid 1.4 was good as it was going to get and now I am nearing mid 1.3 pretty regularly. I had for my runs 1.388, 1.389, 1.401(different lane), 1.392 (different lane), 1.370

The keys I found to getting good 60' times were very short burnouts and high tire pressures. Most people with the same size tires/weight cars run their tires in the 12-13psi range. I am running mine at 16psi(cold). I set them at the beginning of the day and don't touch them the rest of the day/night. After the burnout, they are probably around 17-18psi (hot).

The reason the car hooked a little better on the last one is I went up on the converter a little more. If I were able to get the RPMs up higher, like on a transbrake - I think the thing would pull a MUCH better 60' time, but the rear probably would not take it. I am thinking it would do a 1.2x if I could leave at 4k RPM or more. Right now I am barely breaking 2k RPM.

Another thing I have been doing is running 2 shift lights. One for 1st to 2nd shifts which is 600rpm less & another for my 2-3rd shifts. Seems to work out real well for two reasons. On the first to second shifts it comes SO quick its sick, and it let me keep the Rs down. And then for 2nd to 3rd the 1-2 shift light comes on and stays on warning me that the next shift is coming REAL soon and lets me nail my shifts within 50rpm on my logs run after run.

I get lots of emails and questions as to what it is I am doing to keep getting faster and faster weekend after weekend and the reality of it is NOTHING physically to the car. I have not touched it (mechanically) in the past 3 months. The things you will notice I am doing is refining my techniques and "fine" tuning the car in the sense of what makes it run the best at the track.

This is rather uncharacteristic of me, because I like playing with the car adding new equipment and other changes to see what they will yield, but in reality I have made more gains with minor tweaks in the last few months than adding component in the past. Moral of the story is no matter where your at, chances are there are minor tweaks that can make you a tad better. Do I think I am done? Hell no. Lots more left in it.

The end result of the day was I ran a best ET of 10.19@131MPH in ~1900 DA weather.

I have a set of lightweight racing tires for the front on the way to reduce some rolling weight (~19lbs) and I am seriously thinking of buying a set of the new style drag radial slicks. From what guys are reporting they yield a min of 2-3mph on the topend and pretty large improvements in 60' times.

The downside of the day was a few of the people I was with at the track had some problems with their cars that resulted in one pretty serious motor problem (guy with a malibu)- which left holes in the pan and another with a freak iginition problem. Seems at the end of the year, there are always more breakages at the track. Lots of oil down situtions yesterday - guy's equipment gets tired at the end of the season.

 

I ran 30x9 radial slicks when they first came out, right up until I sold my Nova in the fall of 2002.

They were typically good for a couple hundreths in 60' and at least 2 MPH over a similar sized bias ply.

In a 3400 lb Nova (w/o driver) making CHP of 480, I was able to go 11.30 @ 119 with a 60' of 1.48 on the radials. Best 60' ever on bias plys was 1.52 and best MPH was 117.

They now make the radial in Super Stock width/sizes so you may be able to get one on your car.

I set my old Nova up exactly like a stock eliminator car was running and I was running better than my power would indicate. If you get your 60' in the 1.20s - look out!

 

Suprising part of yesterday - I was the last on the trailor.
I ran 3 times in mod - Average rt below .03.

I also ran 4 times in top - best rt .001. avg .02
Lost by .02 and it was due to my turning my lights on. The alternator effected my et.

Sorry to hear about your little misshap. I saw you pull to the side and then a bit later your pulling out. Sorry I could not say by, but it was my day for racing.

See you again!!!

 

great job Jessie. It's nice to see the car still picking up. It will be interesting to see how the Drag Radials work.

Jim,

nice job.

Mike

 

lt-4 that is what I am hearing with those tires....they work better than a regular slick - if the car is working; if its not, then it will make it worse since they have no forgiveness.

85vet...GOOD RACING MAN - I was a little bummed out after my first round loss with the redlight - first time all year long I went out first round - but that little extra hook caused me to go red by -0.010

Then in top eliminator due to the way I have my evac system routed and my valve covers not having any form of a baffle system what so ever in them, I pull oil out at WOT and it causes my oil level to go down after several runs, plus I usually run 1 quart low to begin with - When I started it up in the lanes and went to pull out onto the track, I noticed my oil pressure was only 10psi. I immediately shut down the car and let it set. The lane director had already told me to go out onto the track and got pissed at me. I called him over and told him I was going to pull across due to my oil pressure. I started it up and it still was at 10psi and I thought I had spun a bearing. I pulled across and let it set and corky came over and I told him what happened. Wife and Kid came over also to see what had happened. Usually when it gets low I will see it flutter a little and then its fine after you shut it down, but it needs oil added. This time after setting in the lanes and after corky came over and I started it up it was still at 10psi even if I revved it a little. After explaining to the wife that the way the day was going thus far with everyones elses bad fortune - figures something would happen to mine. I got in one last time after a few minutes of sweating bullets and already starting to figure out my next creation I turned the key and the pressure went to 60psi and held. I knew then it was just do to the low oil level...I putted back through the pits and watched the pressure. It was fine and I put it up on the trailer and called it a day.

I no sooner got back to the truck and got the car up on and Dave's wife started yelling that Dave hit the wall. I saw corky heading down the return road and I ran down also to make sure Dave was ok. Turns out something left loose in his bottom end...he did not hit the wall, just got off to the side to keep from oilling down the track. I helped them load the car into his trailer and then headed out. You must have been up on the lanes when all this was happening. Sorry I missed you and congrats on the runs.

What a day of emotions though - highs/lows/lucky dodge of a bullet....figured I would hit a deer on the way home or something like that to top off the day.

See you this weekend hopefully!

 

I watched a guy with a low 9 sec Mustang take off a set of 29X10.5W slicks and put on a set of 28X10 MT Drag Radials..guess what it didn't work on spray, he did run a 9.90 motor pass and they were fine.

I also have a friend with a BBC in a 65 Nova and his best ever 60' with these in 26X10 is a 1.46..we'll be comparing his tires this weekend with my 26X10 drag slicks and a 175 shot..i can let you know how that works out Monday.


Might be easier to get 200 lbs out of the car ? Seats and carpet are 85 lbs. I know of for sure. Is your batt still in the front ?

 

A local Mustang racer that my chassis builder did a car for (he runs NSCA "Hot Street", I think) has just moved over to a drag radial class... This is a killer setup Mustang (25.5, etc) running an N2O big inch Windsor and pulled...Get this...a 1.19 short time off the back tires running the M/T 315/60/15 drag radial. That's a 29.5" tall tire...The Mickey's ARE STICKY!!!! That's what I'm building my car for, Outlaw Drag Radial, which has become big in the South. Plus it's the only thing my weird engine will be legal for. Big end speeds are increasing with the radials too, as Jesse stated. Less rolling resistance because of higher pressures and stiffer sidewalls I suspect. But they come out of the hole HARD, too! I've driven several mid-8 second DR cars and can tell you firsthand that they're much friendlier on the big end of the track... With full slicks and the typical sub-10 psi run in them (usually between 7.5-8 psi) the car gets loose on the big end. You can feel it trying to walk a little bit, a little "sashay" if you will... DR's DO NOT do this... They're stable as can be and give me none of that uncomfortable feeling that I get at 800' on full slicks.
-Jeb

 

I would love to see that car run in a -1500 DA.. How far are you from Englishtown?

 

We are a good 6-7 hours from E-town unfortunately. We usually get out there at least 1 time a year to do some racing. But its almost too expensive now with the cost of gas. Your looking at a good 100 dollars or more in gas, 80 dollars to get a room, and another 50 in food, and then 75 for entry fee (two event days) and fuel for the car 50 dollars....its a pretty expensive weekend when all is said and done.


But your right - that is the place I would probably get a 9 sec run. Last year inland the best I was able to run was 10.47 in FREEZING cold air. Went there and went 10.33 on a worse 60' time because the car was running like a raped ape.

The BP I believe is the main driving force in weather - at Keystone we never see over 28.xx BPs, over at Beaver its usually around high 28s to low 29s....every time I have been to Etown its been into the 30s - which makes for some pretty quick ETs.

My ultra-lightweight front wheels came in today; should shed about 19 lbs off the front wheels. What a deal on Ebay. Got two brand new M/T ultra lightweight front tires for 150 dollars. They are usually 150 EACH. Every once in a while I land a good deal on there.


Wish I had a lightweight hood on the car....

 

Jesse,

Great 60's !

When I still had the IRS things held up until I started hitting those 1.30's. After a little while those deadhooked .30s took their toll and the carnage began. I was warned it would happen and didn't believe it, hopefully your cyro treatment will save it for you.

Know of anyone with wheelie bars for sale? This weekend I went to 75-80, first run it felt like it spun a little so I loosened the front shocks. Next pass it went WAY up in the air Time to tighten down the front end again! Ran footbrake(78 cars) down to the semis, hit a 10.01 on a 10.01 dial but was red by .0032, thats racing.

Are you coming to M-D anytime this year? I will return your call if I ever get home at a reasonable hour, stay tuned for a new sig pic

Dave

 

Dave,

Lets not talk about the carnage! I did some eyeing up of solid axle setups this weekend and sheetmetal work at the track this weekend trying to get some ideas.

Make you a deal. I will buy your wheelie bars for you - you put me in a solid rear setup.

Don't know anyone selling them off the top of my head. www.summitracing.com would probably be the best place to check for pricing and availability.

Yeah we will probably be coming to MD for the turkey race this fall.

 

i know all about a bad weekend , i think i had the worst one out of all you guys

 

You may be right, but we all have bad days - hopefully the good days will offset them. Just don't get to caught up in the negative.

 

i don't know , did your friend crash your car

 

Da@n, I searched for a post you might have made about your weekend and could not find one. Does your statement mean what I think it does? If so, I hope it is minor and did it happen at the track? Not to be to nosey - but what happened?

 

ill pm you some info

 

Red - hope that your not in too bad of a situation. Know you have lots of time and effort in to that car.

Damn, that is a tough one to swallow from the sounds of it. That is what I always say about everything in life.When someone thinks they had a bad day - someone else is having usually a worse one that makes what your dealing with look trivial.

Someone else running your car is a big no-no. I ran PeteK's at beaver to feel it out when he was concerned about something, but I took it pretty easy. Don't want something happening on my shoulders. Stepping into a 10sec car without experience is REAL trouble. Stuff happens REAL quick - and if your not acustom to it, that is REAL trouble.

Hope everything works out; it usually does.