Today was an NHRA SSS points event at Orlando Speedworld...weather was cloudy and 72 for a high with a breeze of 15 mph...gates opened at 9AM for juniors and we ran starting at 1PM...

My car needs a bit of tuning but it is OK to race for now...heck, it is all about the shoe polish anyway...my first time shot she was cookin' and ran 6.85 @ 100.00mph...best it's ever been...DA was + 600...I happened to line up with Big Mac and he had a nice .022 tree...let's just say it was not quite enough to take me...

My second time shot the DA went up and I ran 6.870...late on the tree with a .052 light...for some reason my idle climbed to 1400 rpm from 1100...I took the hood off back in the pits and ZR1John noticed the throttle linkage attachment point was crazy loose...oops...fixed her up and waited for round one...

They call up Pro ET and one of my best buddies pulls up next to me...qwap!...he is driving his daughters third gen Camaro with a 461 BBC...he dials 7.18 and I know he is holding 4 or 5...I put 6.86 on the window...everything is good until I try to final stage...the car pushes a bit and puts me in deeper than I want...I was staging at 200 less rpm than normal too...fooey!...

Now I know I have to wait on the light a little but I couldn't wait enough...I go .006 red...I did not run the number either which is expected when you go deeper than dialed for and went 6.89...btw, he went 7.09 out the back door and was holding 9....lol....

I noticed a ticking sound after my second time shot...it got louder after the first elim round on the return road...we pulled the hood and it sounded like it was under the passenger floor board...then a buddy came by and found it...a header exhaust leak at the gasket around the # 8 hole...we tightened the nut as much as we could but the gasket was obviously torn so it kept leaking...

At least it did not stop me from running so I made the walk of shame and bought back in...

Round two was called and I left the 6.86 dial on the glass...I felt it would run that staged shallow like I am supposed to...I catch a nice 70 Dart dialed 7.86...we both leave green with me chasing...wait a sec, why can't I catch him?...he parks it at the stripe to go 3 over for the win...what!...I run dead on with a 5...only one answer...I sucked iguana nuts at the tree...

Not a good time to be right but I was...he was .033 and I was a snappy .114...great guggemooga!...why don't I just wait for the green...the good part is the car ran great...throwing out the deep stage fiasco it went 6.864, 6.865 and 6.859...the 330' times were 4.41, 4.41 and 4.42...short times were 1.50, 1.51 and 1.51...

My great experiment on the tree is killing me...I need to change things up...my theory was to drop my launch rpm to 3000 so I had some room to leave higher if I was slow on the tree any particular day...oops!...

At this point I feel I can either stay with the lower rpm and suffer until I find a good spot...or...I can go back to leaving at 3200 rpm and my old sweet spot...or...I can set the two step at 3000 rpm and leave off the button...I am leaning towards the last one but I need some practice time before I put that in competition...

So there you have it...next outing is another two race day at Palm Beach on the 21st...notwithstanding all of the above I am so happy and thankful to be back racing again.....hi ho, hi ho, it's off to replace a gasket I go...

 

FD,

Great to see you back at OSW. Not the best of days for me either. A first round red eye and a tardy .100 light in the second round buy-back put me on the trailer early. My stay at the #1 slot in Pro ET points was a short one . Good luck at PBIR.

BIGMAC

 

Thanks buddy...you will crack 'em next time...thanks again for the help also...

 

I can't recall you running much-more than 95-96 MPH is season's past, so the new hammer is making good steam

 

At least you're racing. I have three feet of snow in front of my garage and can't even get to my race car!

 

Yeah, Glen...I've picked up 5 mph for sure...

Sorry Mike...c'mon down and you can double in my turd...you can laugh at us in July when it is 96* , 95 % humidity and bright sunshine...ugh...

 

It's funny how we try to stay away from our frends in the first round then you have to race them. Somebody pulls out for the bye run...........

 

So you don't work a first round deal to split the buy back???

 

We sure did...

 

You know your having a bad season when you make more money on splits than on winning rounds.

 

That was me last year...............

 

1st Round Runner-Up sucks, don't it?

 

There goes the points. Yep that sucks.....

 

Point is don't loose first round.

 

Good news for me is I do not race points at OSW...heck, I don't really race points at PBIR...I only plan on 5 events there...just enough to qualify for the division team if they have a spot open...

 

Anybody going to lakeland this weekend. I was thinking about it but it just don't pay that much 300 to win ru 150 and it's a hell of a drive. I may just take the weekend off....PBIR is around the corner.

 

I am going to ride down to your track banquet with Rob on Sunday...be at PBIR to race on the 21st...new header gaskets go on this Saturday afternoon...

 

Being in the top 5 last year i never receive my invitation to go and Dino never got one in the top 3 in quick 16 door car unless we get it by sat in the mail. Hop to see you over there on sunday.

 

I once won a Points Championship, but didn't receive an invitation to the banquet, and was never put on the mailing list to that track

 

I would give them a call....I know you would be welcome...