I'm interested in everyone's experiences at the track. Be it recent or in the past. Bracket racing, grudge night, 1/8, 1/4 whatever. Especially hamb friendly cars I guess. Tell us what you're running, what you did to imrove your e.t. etc. Who cares if it runs 20's or 8's. It's all fun right? I know there are a lot of you guys out there and there are lot of scattered threads about this but it would be cool to consolidate. I'm sure the insight and stories would be great to hear. After all - weren't hot rods originally built to go fast?!
Well my 31 Pontiac has run a 12.10 @ 115.10 on slicks and 12.50s on my street tires. I drive her everywhere. I'm still sorting bugs out of the digger. Build it like you own it, drive it like you stole it.
Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week last week....5 races in 5 days at 4 different strips, with 1300 miles of driving mixed in. Ran a best of 11.28 in Tulsa, worst of 11.99 in Amarillo (high elevation there). It was a hell of a fun trip. My friend Dan went with me, we drove over 1100 miles to get there, and then that to get back home, no trailer. Met several HAMB guys, as well as a bunch of other gearheads, everyone was nice, and out to have a good time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7aJsgeskRg
Here was last Sundays episode for me I made it to the track (Empire) yesterday, nervous about a new car and what could go wrong. I unloaded and went to tech which was being held in the staging lanes and it passed, now we're here in the lanes hmmm. I strap in and say lets just get it out of the hole and see if it handles at speed. The burn out feels good and is holding straight in the box, up to the line and bring it up to around 2 grand. The lights come down and I'm off, wow, loosing my stomach under accelleration. I short shift to second and it's still pulling hard, now I'm thinking huh oh how's it handle at speed, don't know yet. I get out of the gas and ease down the rest of the track and the damn thing is going pretty straight, turns a 8.24 in the 1/8 mi. The temp is good (180), so I go under the car and make sure everything is still tight, it is so I wait for time trials call. Up to the line and I stay in it a bit longer, seems to break up around 5 grand so I shift and go through the traps at 7.75 86 mph with a 1.70 60 ft time. I decide hey, might want to check air pressure in the slicks which I never did since they were mounted, 19 lbs holy crap ! I lower them to 12 and decide a little more rpms off the line should work. The 60 ft goes up to a 1.90 and turns a 8.03 at 85 mph, must have spun lets not do that again and it's still breaking up at 5 grand. I shift right at the breakup to keep the rpms lower to avoid the breaking up. Back at the pits I turn the fuel pressure up a pound and get paired up with my friends Anglia in first round. I didn't want to race, just time trial to get a feel for the car but what the heck, a pass is a pass. I walk down to his car and he has a 7.71 dialed so I do the same to just have a heads up tree. At the line he gets shut down for leaking coolant and I get the bye run. Leave at 2 grand, shift at 5 and it turns a 7.60 at 90 mph with a 1.62 60 ft. Man I'm liking this car ! Round 2 I'm out on the guy so I get off the gas and turn a 8.04 at 64 mph. Round 3 leave hard, short shift at 5 grand through the lights, off the gas and it grenades the freaking motor !
Very cool stuff guys. I just love that so many of these cars are being beaten on. Waiting for DW, Buzzard and the rest of the gang to chime in. Kerry... absolutely love your car. I have a 1928 Pontiac in my basement. One day...
I was driving it till the motor thing, enjoyed the hell out of the few passes I was able to make in it.
Playing with shift RPM's got me a full second off my 1/4 mile ET (I was sifting to high for the cam I had). Playing with launch RPM saved more. Playing with the ladder bar mounts shaved 1/2 second off 1/4 mile ET. Port matching the header adaptors and rebuilding the cold air ducting in my hood shaved .40 seconds off the 1/4 mile ET.
Swade- How would you feel about just putting a cobbled together small block in it that you didn't have much money in? That way it wouldn't hurt your feelings and your wallet so badly if it let go. Of course it wouldn't be as fast but it would get you back to the track right? Or do you feel that would just be counter- productive? Judd - that's awesome. 2 seconds of elapsed time for almost no money! I shaved off about 1.5 seconds by changing my shifting and spending about 200$. ... and about 20 passes to start learning what the car liked. haha Derbydad- tell us about your car!
Both of my passes were only about 12 flat. Roo clicked it off at half track to run an 11:60 after the popping. I was a bit nervous about that but the plugs looked good and she fired right up back at the hotel. I went to run the valved a few nights ago and found some broken pushrod adjusters and several others bent. That'd do it. The 1/4" adjusters don't like my stiff roller springs. I'll be drilling the rockers for 3/8-24 adjusters and making some different pushrods. Kinda hope I can still make the Mokan nostalgia deal on Oct 9 but who knows. Here are the links for the youtube videos. http://youtu.be/uFqtpXrwq7E http://youtu.be/wxtO9uhwH_U
I love drag racing. What I hate is the clicks at the track. Your either part of the in crowd or your not, and I hate that. Thompson is notorious for that. I pass tech then get in line to run my car, but I beat the track favorite, so the next time I am lined up again, its his buddy, they stop the race and say I am disqualified, so I fix the issue, and then get disqualified again for another, I had parts of my bussies car on mine after he got eliminated, It was rediculous, and needless to say I wont race at Thompson. My favorite track is Milan. Gret group of racers, no attitudes just good times. I love drivin by the crowd on the return road.
Looked great, hope you get your engine/pushrod situation corrected, this build has alot more in for sure, great work Allen in PA,
I've got the engine that the car came with still, but it was weak on compression (110-120) and the season is over here after the next race. I could have pulled the engine out of my t-bucket http://youtu.be/vBX9TBKSCD8 but for one race it's not worth it. Not that it wouldn't be fun, I've run the bucket at the local grudge night no tech races and had a blast. I've got the next six months to be ready and I can't wait !
Well my fastest has been an 11.77@109 at the hamb drags this year with my A but I found a lil goofed up number mistake last week with rear springs and am going to try a change and run before the end of the year at a local 1/8 mi. my springs are 300lbs and WAAAYYYY to heavy going down to a 150 but with angle correction will be about a 112lb spring rate. Even with the large springs she low 1.6 60's of the foot brake but if I can get it down I'd be a lot happier, hopefully figure out what the car likes too and get her a lil quicker there too. I think alot is left in the tune and its just finding it but the Drag radial car is keeping me WAY busy!!!
i started in highschool (86-87) with a 73 camaro... was my daily ran low 13s..then got into jeeps and took a break from cars.got my ford running years ago, went to the hamb drags and was hooked.. did drag week this year, car ran 12:12 raced in the nitro nationals this weekend here in tulsa ,went 12:07 @ 111 mph...im shooting for 11:99 before the season ends... have always had street cars ..would like a full on race car but no room for another car....always 1/4 mile !!!!!!!
yeah... 50lbs lighter would dip him in the 11's right? I often think that when I see really overweight guys drag racing. What better reason could you need for a diet?! not saying anyone on here is fat...
Ok: 1) nhra sucks, are a bunch of idiots and sellouts. It's just shameful. 2) will discuss my first time later----parallels my first time doing other things as well. 3) What i want to really get into(also later, perhaps in a new thread) is brackets vs. a decent, viable heads up/maybe handicap start but definitely no "breakout" b.s. class. In other words no indexes, no such thing as breakout. This class would not nessesarily cost appreciably more than under 13/12/11/10 second bracket racing.
I'd like to see you pull that one off.....there's always someone else with deeper pockets, more ambition to win, etc. Which is why they invented bracket racing.
Damn Jim! I was at Great Bend, saw your car and didn't put 2and2 together!! I just can't believe I didn't recognize your car. Crap. Lippy
I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about after the Jalopy Drags this weekend. Can't wait!! btw - in my opinion, if you are gonna film a drag race, please do everyone the courtesy of filming the trap speed and et at the end of the run! I can't believe how many people don't do this. It's so frustrating.
Drag racing's been called a sickness for which there's no cure. We've only been out twice this year. Smashed a brand new oil pan on this pass. Didn't make 60' under power. Then spent 5 days in Bowling Green and made 3 laps. My "cost per run" is way outta line. As frustrating as it can be, all it takes is one good pass to get all jazzed up again.
The Jalopy Journal
