I have been out of racing for about 4 months due to no trailer...that is a whole 'nother story...I borrowed a trailer from a friend to get some seat time...SSS points are beginning at the new Lakeland track next weekend...

First off, I bend the bottom lip of my drivers side door to get out of the car once I get it on the trailer because the fender is too high...then I gouge my driveway because the trailer tongue sand foot sits so low...then I get 30 minutes down the road and forgot my cell phone so I had to come back...sheesh...

I finally get to the track and a buddy gets me into the car with his racing jack on the trailer...sigh...the last time I ran 4 months ago the car quit in the water box for no reason...I checked every thing I could, particularly the grounds since it seemed to be spark related...the car ran fine at home...

I pull up for my first time shot and stage...I am off!...for a total of 20 feet...it shut off like 4 months ago...grrrrrrrr....I mean it is like I turned off the ignition...

They tow me back to my pit...we fiddle around and, lo and behold, the Mallory box is loose from the firewall...we tighten it up and she starts right up...woot!...I go up for another pass...

This time I am doing my burn out and it quits again...same deal...they tow me back to the pits again...this is getting old and it is pretty hot, btw...nothing like the Carolina's but it was 96 when this happened...it cooled down to 88 at 9:30PM...

Anyway, it seems the cool down is what allowed the car to restart, not the loose box...an hour later we fiddle some more and I move the wire coming out of the bottom of the coil to the ignition box...damn if we don't get spark again...

I don't play around and put it on the trailer while the getting was good.....seems like I have a bad wire...fingers crossed hoping it is not the Mallory box...car goes in the shop Tuesday and I think I will have them put in a start button as well...no need to use a key anymore as this car is not going back on the street...

Are we having fun yet?.....

 

Good luck with the repair

 

One day at a time Dan. That's drag racing.

 

I think your drop spot is a bit early. Constantant but early. Good luck with the electrical gremlins.

 

Nothing worse than an intermittant electrical problem.

 

Hey Dan, do you have any info on Lakeland? I would be interested in running points again. I hit their web site but it has little information.
Thanks Jim

 

"To young to quit to old to change......49 mercury blues"
Its always some little PIA isn't it. Hopefully an easy fix Dan. You been goin to Lakeland ? Hows is that track doing. OSW sounds like its done this December.

 

 

Yup..."race it, break it, fix it, race it"...lol...I knew the front end lifted more than normal on my first hit and they told me I was wheels up...fooey!...anyway, it will fix and I'll be back...

Lakeland, which is now called Stingray Dragway at Lakeland is back in force...it always hooked like a motha and still does...Ozzie who owns Horesepower Sales in Orlando took it over...new timing system, scoreboards, rest rooms and snack bar...pot holes all patched...12 staging lanes now and starting line moved 30" back...guaranteed money as well...

Ozziew went IHRA a month ago and has decided to put a team together for the finals in Sept.....he was gonna wait till next year but Jim Woods talked him into this year...

He will be running double events this coming weekend and the following...point races on both Saturday and Sunday...same thing in August...he got a waiver from the IHRA to field a finals team with only four events...

I hope to run but need to find a trailer quick and I work on Sundays.....so we'll see...no particulars on the times or money yet...keep checking the website and facebook...

Speedworld will hopefully get a new operator next year...that place has incredible potential....Ozzie is trying for that track as well and may very well get it...if so, he will go IHRA with it..Yahoo!...everyone wants the NHRA out of there, sooner the better...I know someone else bidding for it so we'll see what happens...

 

IEEEEE CRUMBA MOMMA....... scratch the mustang will be there this saturday and sunday with the firebird. I'll will be fixing the lights on the trallier 4th of July. Looking to kick some a$$ IRHA style.

 

I plan to be there no matter...see ya then Kaz...

 

Thanks for update on our local tracks
see ya soon Dan.

 

kaz, do you know how to find the track, or need ideas on places to stay in the area for the 2-days of racing?

I live about 4 miles (as the crow flies) from the strip, and could give ideas on the various hotels in the area, if you've never been here yet

 

I did a mapquest. I do plan to stay over night. The 2 1/2 hour tow (one way) would be brutal back to back then have to work monday morning. Any recomendations would be appriciated. I make the fort myers/douglassville pa trek more that a couple times last year. I think lakeland is exit on I4 near the T-rex.

Does anyone know when the gates open Saturday and Sunday?

 

(I don't know where you're coming-from, but) Lakeland Drag Strip / Stingray Dragway @ Lakeland is located off Exit 38 of I-4:
that is 39 miles West of the Florida Turnpike / I-4 interchange (milepost 77 of I-4), and 29 miles East of the I-4 / I-75 cloverleaf (MP 9 of I-4):
after exiting at #38, take State Rt 33 East 3/4 mile, just-beyond the Lakeland Auto Auction on the Right, and the entrance to the strip is on your Left

lodging is available the next exit West of the track, exit 33, and it offers LaQuinta Inn & Suites, Crestwood Suites, Jameson Inn, & Hampton Inn, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, with 5 Guys, Applebee's, McDonald's, Cracker Barrel, Waffle House & Wendy's for grub

the next exit West, #32, is even-bigger, and has HoJo, Ramada, Motel 6, Travelodge, La Quinta (again), Comfort Inn, etc., and many more places to eat (steakhouse, Italian, burgers, seafood, BBQ, Hooters, etc.) along Rt. 98, the main North / South route into Lakeland

I hope to attend (but not race) and help Dan in any-way that I can, maybe take some pictures, etc.
I live (roughly) between Exits 32 & 33 of I-4, so if you get into a jam on your first visit to Lakeland, maybe I can run you to the parts-store, get gas, etc.


Dan seems to speak with Ozzy often, and he can tell us what time the gates open, TT being, etc.

 

That's some great information looking forward to going over there myself. I know next year they will have the IHRA Pro-am tour and the southern stock superstock Association will be over there also. I know Dan will have all the information I need for any motel rooms or I can PM you. Never been at that track. I heard they put some good money into it...

 

a few weeks ago, Dan gave me this link, showing the entry-fee / payouts for their weekly races, before they announced a Summit Series for this year:
I don't know if this is what they will use for their Points-series, or if they have another purse in-mind

http://lakelanddragstrip.com/saturday-braket-racing/

I went to the Southern Stock and Super Stock Association meet held at Lakeland in late-May, and here are a pair of pictures from that event, so 1st-timers will have an idea of what the place looks-like



from the grandstands ~ the perpendicular road behind the starting-line runs to the Left, and is the entrance from Rt. 33



180* opposite, this shows those bleachers (I was at the top of the near staircase for the 1st picture), and the grass-covered pits are behind those seats:
directly across the track from this vantage-point is the control tower, with the restrooms & snack-shack built into the ground-floor of that block structure

 

My car goes in the shop tomorrow for that electrical gremlin...I am also going to look at an 18' tilt trailer tomorrow as well...if the car gets fixed and I get the trailer it would be great...if not, I will be there with the Yukon King...he he he...I can only race on Saturdays presently due to working Sundays...hopefully this will change soon...

I have not heard of the entry fee/payout structure or event times yet...I will post as soon as I do...due to the short notice deal it may very well be identical to the regular brackets that Glen posted...he is the local guy so go with him on the motel/food info...

See y'all soon...

 

Dan good luck on your car hop everything works out right. But sometime in the future I will be taking a ride up there not too far away from LP. Instead of going down to IRR I will come up to Lakeland instead.

 

My race car is fixed...it was a heavy gauge wire under the motor...it had a soldered splice that cracked...an hour's labor and a dollar of wire...sheesh...I will be racing on Saturday it looks like...

Also. I picked this up today...



18 footer...open in the middle...hydrolic tilt...6 years old and completely refurbed...6 new 10 ply tires...my car goes on/off slicker than whale snot...no ramps, no problems and it clears my driveway with no problem...gave $2500 for it...