Fuzzy Dice

I got back to Melbourne at 4AM this morning...the event finished on Saturday night but we towed up to Rockingham for the next race, the Carolina Footswap Nationals...the division finals did not go as planned...my issues began on the first day, Thursday, when the tech director checked out my truck and declared me ineligible to race due to lack of certain safety equipment...I knew we did not have some items since we ran out of time to get them done...things like window net, level 5 pants, chassis and cage certs and competition license...I did have all the paper work filled out for the license...I did not argue with the guy since he was correct...BUT...his attitude sucked...he jumped my butt and got nasty telling me to go home...I told him I was racing and he said no I was not...I said watch me...I then proceeded to slow my truck down to 6.40 or slower and he couldn't say a word...

The first day I used my right foot and kept it around 6.44 to 6.46...I went out in round two due to a different issue....sigh...my truck pushed through the beams to be 36 red before I even left...I was trying to foot brake it and the brakes would not hold while staging...it is not a foot brake truck which I knew...oh well... on to day two...

I decided to make a change and dropped my shift point from 6800 rpm to 6100 rpm...this gave me a 6.45 which worked for me...sadly I still had my brake issue...BTW, I was only trying to leave at 2200 rpm...sigh...I pushed through in the second round again for an 11 red this time...fooey!!!...

Now it is Saturday and time for the division finals...I pushed on the brake pedal so hard my right butt cheek was off the seat...lmao...at least it held at 2200 rpm...look, I knew coming in my converter was set up to leave at 4000 rpm off the button...it is way too tight for foot feeding...oh well, I was trying anyway...I did not leave off the button for two reasons...first, we put it on methanol last week so it wanted to go 6.20's and second, a big foot brake event is coming up this weekend so I needed seat time off the foot...

So I win my first round on a joke pass...I have a 101 package and was dead on with a one...that tells you how sweet my tree was...ha!...my opponent broke out by a hun...oops!...in round two more foolishness on my part for the win...I spin off the line, go right and just miss the wall...I have to lift and get back in it...I run 9 numbers high but my opponent goes 76 red...sheesh...better to be lucky than good...

The third round caught up with me...I am 33 on the tree and in the way...he was 18 dead 2 for a 20 pack..."turn out the lights, the party's over"...he eventually won my class and a trip to Las Vegas for the NHRA world finals...so I put my feet up and spectated from that point...I went back to my hotel for some rest and to be ready for the trip on Sunday morning...

My buddy and I packed up on Sunday morning...we froze our cajones off...it was 41 degrees...cold for us Florida boyz...we finally took off for Rockingham Dragway 3 hours north...he had some motrohome issues so we did not get there until 5PM...he left his 80 foot rig there and I left my race truck and trailer as well...we are now in place for the Carolina Footswap Nationals this coming weekend...three 10 granders to win...I feel like I am bringing a knife to a gun fight at this point but I am gonna give it my best...we piled into my Yuke and got home early this morning...

We will head back up on Thursday morning...it is an 9 hour drive each way...whew!...when we get there we will re-lash my valves, put in new plugs and tune my carb...once this coming event is done I want to test leaving off the button but am a bit worried she will go on the bumper...off the foot at 2200 rpm it is going wheels up pretty good...off the button at 3600 rpm, well, who knows?...

ralph

Fuzzy....good write-up as usual. You have an amazing commitment to this. Now-a-days, i would never tow 9 hours to anything. The tow i have to the only track left within 2.5 hrs of me is a total drag (no pun intended). The ride home seems to take forever and makes me question why i'm still racing . I do enjoy hearing about your escapades tho. I feel like you're almost there and then something sets you back. Good luck......i'm a fan.

Fuzzy Dice

Thanks Ralphy...yeah, I'm close but I will get it, I promise...the new deal on methanol is a little tricky...I will need to find a new spot on the tree when I go off the button again...sigh...btw, we will be putting in another new master cylinder when we get to the track tomorrow to try and get the brake pedal less mushy...the one in there is only a few months old but might be the problem...we have replaced everything else and bled them multiple times...next up is this event...

96collector

Too bad I can't join you . The last race I blew out my transmission. The blueberry would be leaving today to go to that race. It would had to be a nice three days of racing. Good luck up there my friend too bad I couldn't join you. Hopefully they have that race next year.

kazman

Dang Rick, maybe you should of kept the T350? That trans was pretty stout. Yea I know you don't like that many shifts.

96collector

I got a aftermarket Powerglide case. Because the powerglide cracked leaking fluid everywhere. And I broke the pin also. Hopefully be ready for the next race. If not I still got the silver car.