I went to the two day event at Gainesville last weekend..I actually went some rounds for a change..while the results look decent, let me pull back the curtain..

I got to the track friday afternoon about 6PM...unloaded the truck and went off to dinner and the hotel..saturday morning came bright and shiny and a lot cooler than orlando last weekend..lol..off to breakfast and then the track to get the Dime ready for battle..there was a pretty strong head wind and the air was very sticky...sun shining but 92% humidity...whew!..my junk ran real slow on my one and only time shot going .6.45 @ 104 mph...my slicks chunked a bit..oh well..

Remember, I am racing off the bottom because my delay box is at K & R for repair..I have decided to keep using the mushroom button on my steering wheel rather than switch to the adjustable on my dash since I have been using the mushroom the past few months in top..made sense at the time is all I will say now..btw, I was 115 green on my time shot...sigh..

First round is called and up I go..I catch a mustang 2 dialed 7.18..I put 6.44 on mine..he leaves green and I follow with a -016 red eye...sigh...he was .006 so I would have had my hands full..of course I ran it out and went dead one..

I buy back in and get ready for round two..they call us up and I line up with a third gen camaro dialed 7.24..I put 6.46 on mine, holding a couple..I wait on the tree this time and miss it with a .079..oops..he did as well with a .079 also..he lifts at 300' for some reason so I blow by him..I lift and coast through for the win...when I launched I knew something was different..my wheels went way up..I almost pedalled it to come down..turns out my 330' tells me I was going a 6.39..yipers!...on to round next..

Round three I pull up on a buddy in his 70 challenger..he dials 7.77...I put 6.43 on mine holding around 4..I completely miss the tree with a .127 but, oh my, he goes .003 red...lucky gift for me..I did run it out and went dead on with a 4..

I go up for round 4 and meet up with a mustang dialed 6.14..I put 6.43 on my junk..off we go and he is 55 on the tree to my 51..we both missed it..I drive the stripe better than him and take it by .009 for the win..good race, actually..he tried to drop me om my head but I caught it...nice try, sir..

I have now made the ladder and am in the money...yeah!..round five sees me paired with a 68 camaro dialing 5.85..he has lane chice and puts me in the left..I have been running right all day but changing lanes does not bother me like it does some..I forget the left lane at gainesville at night is very dark for some reason..I miss lining up in the groove by two feet, I am told...I know I am off some and admittidly am a bit flustered...I let go 39 red..of course he is .121 green.fooey!..my stuff chunks and spins and goes left and right all the way to 400'...I did not wreck but probably should have...what a ride!..at least I made some money for my efforts...btw, we had a 15mph head wind all day with gusts to 20..

Off to a late dinner at Ford's Garage and then to the hotel..Sunday arrives bright and sunny with less humidity..off to the track I go for another race..no time shots today, it is dial and go off the trailer..they call first round and up I go...I line up with a lady in a mustang dialed 6.20..I click 6.42 on the Dime..I let go and, qwap, I am red again with a -.014...sadly, she did something wrong and was .646 on the tree...good grief!..I lifted to save parts and headed for the buy back desk..dirty rat a frats!..

I have now had enough of the mushroom button on the steering wheel...it is just not doable for me in bottom bulb..I decide I have nothing to lose and switch to the adjustable button on the dash...I put 6 of 7 shims in it and cross my fingers..round 2 finds me lined up with a guy dialed 7.52..I put 6.43 on my truck and off we go...lo and behold I have a .028 light..yay!..he is 68 so it is over..I am two above ftw..

Round next I meet another camaro...he is dialed 6.48..I put 6.46 on my junk holding a bit..I miss it completely with a .065 but, thankfully, I get another gift with his 16 red..I run it out and go 6.41..huh?..that's 3 less than I thought it would go..yipers!..I get ready for the next round..

I get called up for round four and line up with a buddy in his maverick dialed 6.97..he is last seasons track champion on Pro ET...he is a tough out fo sho..I put 6.42 on mine and off we go...it turns out to be a good race and my best lap of the weekend..he is 20 on the tree like always but I flinch well and am 10..he tries to push me out and drops me..I see it and whomp for the win going 3 above...he he...good race..

Now I am on the ladder again and in the moolah...I pull up in the lanes and am matched up with the number 8 qualifier...I am number 3..he is a good friend and a full time preacher..he runs a 67 camaro...he dials 6.02 which is no surprise...I always tell him to paint that number on it with house paint...it never runs anything else...always does big wheelies every time as well..I put 6.42 on mine..off we go and both miss it..I am .048 to his .044...we have a race until...I get near the stripe and he is coming at me fast..I cannot lift so I drive it out the back door...dadgummit, I go 6.39 on my 42..he goes dead on with a one, naturally...sigh..I took the stripe by .018...off to the pay window for my measly winnings..lol..

So I am done for the weekend..I did OK but the truth be known it was mostly luck...I had no spot on the tree and guessed every pass..I did take home a couple of hundred for gas money so I am not complaining..I raced four weekends in a row so I will take a little braek and race on may 11 in orlando next..it will be my 77th birthday so I hope I find something...I should be back in top bulb with my delay box by then..we'll see..

 

Anytime you get to make a lot of laps, it’s a great weekend.

well done!