Three, count 'em, three rounds of time trials. Amazing! To keep a long story as reasonable as possible, for me, I'll recap the TTs. First: 5:09 PM; Temp, 104.6; rel hum, 18%; barometer, 25.72; density altitude; 8618'. RT: .683; 60': 2.294; ET: 15.344 @ 90.32 mph. Second TT: RT: .550; 60': 2.281; ET: 15.201 @ 91.33 mph. Third TT: RT: .535; 60': 2.333; ET: 15.22 @ 91.37 mph. These TTs seem just a little faster than usual. Is it the heat? Shouldn't be. The new exhaust? It isn't all that different, but it's the best guess. Always expecting the worst, I decided to dial a 15.23.

First round. I'm racing a 17.70 car. After a 2 & 1/2 second wait, my tree finally started. I cut a sleepy .620 light. I caught the guy just past half track. It was difficult, but I wanted to stay "in it" until the 1000' mark so I could judge my ET. I lifted at the 1000 and coasted to a 15.409 @ 73.60 mph, .3889 ahead of him. He had a .782 light and could only muster a 18.105 ET. My computer said it was a 15.245 run, based on the 1000' time. I'm feeling pretty good about my dial. Based on the above, I decided that a 15.25 dial would be appropriate.

Second round.
..........Left (me)..........Right
Dial.......15.25...........14.88
RT..............614..............473 (yea!)
60'..........2.297...........2.376
ET.........15.262
MPH......90.81

Due to the dial ins, I left first. I wasn't too far out when I saw my win light come on. I get to go to the third round and a free time trial to boot. A .012 deviation from my dial made me feel even better about my dialing. It also gave me a bye in the third round. ANOTHER free time trial.

Third round (bye). RT: .536; 60': 2.298; ET: 15.318 @ 90.51 mph. It looks like I'm starting to slow down, as I often do, if I last a few rounds. I decided to dial a "safe" 15.35.

Fourth round.
..........Left (me)..........Right
Dial.......15.35..........16.90
RT..............567.............758
60'..........2.314..........2.681
ET.........15.404........16.799 (Break out)
MPH......76.42..........84.30
Left First by .0364....MOV .0364

Pretty obvious what went on, here. Lucky, again! "Run Completion" pegged that at a 15.254. OOPS! Slowing down? Maybe not. I felt that the last 15.245 was more of a fluke than the previous 15.318. I dialed a 15.29 to hedge my odds.

Fifth round.
..........Left (me)..........Right
Dial.......15.29...........15.53
RT..............530..............682
60'..........2.327...........2.307
ET.........15.300.........15.439 (Break out)
MPH......89.25...........90.55
Left First by .0516....MOV .0516

Am I a dialing genius, or WHAT! Don't look at the mph. The computer said it was a 15.283. Either way, it wasn't a bad dial. Am I going into the finals??? YES!!! It is me against Bart Williamson in his white, '98 (?), blown, Mercury Cougar. He took 2nd place for the season in the ET Series Sportsmans class last year. We've raced several times and I HAVE beaten him, but I think he holds the advantage. Anyhow, this was the race of the night. Not only for me, but the whole track. Check out the RTs! I decided to leave my dial alone. I was too close, either way, to fool with it now. We flipped a coin for lane choice and I won. Check it out!

Sixth round. The Finals.
..........Left (me)..........Right (Bart)
Dial........15.29...........15.75
RT...............522..............522
60'...........2.315...........2.231

By half track, I just about caught him. Just when it looked like I would pass, his blower started to kick in. He starts to pull away, again. Then, I start catching back up. Finally, I get ahead. Later, he told me he dumped it on me. Apparently, to avoid a break out, when it was clear that he couldn't cross ahead of me. Seeing a little daylight, I jammed on the brakes at the last second. Good thing! The computer says I was on a 15.250 run.

ET.........15.295.........15.853
MPH.....85.14............77.25

Left First by .0985....MOV .0985

For the most part it wasn't very good racing on my part, but I love the results. That final round was worth the price of admission, alone. The announcer made a big deal out of the identical reaction times. It DID make for one Hell of a race.

That's the end of another "Friday Report". Stay tuned. Same time, same station, next week. For now...

Race on!

 

:cheers:

One good thing about double duty, everyone gets to make 3 time shots, those of us with two tech cards get to make 6.

I usually go with four(two on each). Really helps out if you want to see what the car is going to do under certain conditions.

 

Congrats CFI !!

A lot of good racing their, some good lights too.

Thats gotta put you in the thick of things in the points !!!

cheers,
Beach

 

Congrats CFI on the win.

I had to go 7 rounds.

I will be brief

Rnd 1. me v Panuzzo (Red96Coupe). i am shaking in my boots but tree my bounty placing on me arch rival;) with a much better tree.

Rnd 2. me v Aaron Askenback(QuickVet). Hit the tree hard, .535 and found I did not have to cause Aaron can only run 25 seconds with 1st gear only (since time shots). He dialed 15.6 and I ran through at 70 MPH

Rnd 3. me v Bill Wilson number no. 3 in points. Identical .536 lights and a late tap on the brake cause I felt I was going to fast and I run 12.737 on a 12.73

Rnd 4 me v. Sheila Murchan (Aviatrix). Her fist time on in the 4th round. Unfortunate for her I hit the tree .541 and she spun a little so I coasted through the traps

Rnd 5 me v me in a competition by. Relaxed on the tree and took a time shot ran 12.724 on a 12.72 dial

Rnd 6 me v Eric Fischer in the newly converted LT4 to M6 to A4 Collector 96. Neither light was spectacular but I got the better one with a 12.725 on a 12.72 dial and the brakes.

Rnd 7 me ve Raph Savarese (Ralph). Dialed it down so I would not have to hit the brakes cause Ralph is much quicker than I am and one of the drivers I fear. So I aim to run out the back by dialing 12.69. I got the better light and Ralph had to push through the traps with 11.852 on an 11.86 dial. He had to do it cause he only took the stripe by .03.

I take the win for the second time in the Corvette Challenge this year.

PS, I am back....................on BFG's that is:D

 

Nice report CFI (& Edgar) as usual. I'll try to post my results if i ever get a few minutes to sort thru my time slips. I'm usually pretty organized, but it seemed like i was patching the car back together after each round, so my time slips look like bar money after an all-nighter :crazy:

 

Good blow-by-blow! I could imagine being there! Great driving guy's! :cheers:

 

Nice job! I wish I had been there. (I usually pit with both of these guys on s.l. nights.) Sounds like you both are back on track and I had better watch out!

 

Thats one heck of a race. You did just what you had to do, Cut a good light, know how/what to dial and played the big end.

Sounds like you did them all correct. Congrats, great job :cheers:

 

Thank you! Everyone.

Yes, and thanks again.
That's once in a row! Like most of us, I know WHAT to do, it's doing it correctly that has been elluding me. Only a BIG dose of good luck prevented a break out in the final round.

Beach,
I entered this contest in 4th place. At least two of the three were a mile ahead of me. Of course I made up some ground, but I couldn't have advanced past third place. It will be a lot easier to tell if the track gets the points straightened out. This was our local track's Street Legal Series. In the Summit ET Series, where I race against Joel, I'm way back in tenth place. I believe that Joel slipped back to second the previous weekend. Aww.

Joel,
What happened to you. We were all concerned by your absence. I hope all is well with you. See you Friday?

Thanks, all! Race on.


[Modified by CFI-EFI, 8:02 PM 7/15/2002]

 

The wife and I went to Wyoming for the weekend on a little getaway. I'll see you Friday.

 

Now THAT'S confidence!!! I think, maybe you should go for another week. At least through the 24th. Take Les Taylor with you. That way he won't be able to gain any points on you. Can I help you with your travel arrangements? I hope you know I'm kidding. See you Friday.