Well, Joe's out of town, Rocky & Lee aren't coming down and I doubt Cindy & the Vegas Heat bunch'll be there, so it looks like I'll be "Lone Ranger"ing it for the HA/GRs again this year. Bunch of the main boarders'll be there so that'll be good. I'll try to remember to take pictures, and maybe someone'll get a running one of me too. I have to run up to Tehachapi for another engine tomorrow so I can swap it in next week. It must have a fresher cam in it than the one we've been flattening for a year and a half. Still hope to have the real engine ready by next year's Opener at the latest. Have most of the pieces, just need to pick out a cam, get some fresh spring keepers and do the porting. Maybe even have it for the last race this year if we're lucky. See ya there ..... Be cool, gentlemen.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!! We'll be there cheering you on. May be the weekend for the first sub 14 second p*** for the Barn Job.......either that or the best time recorded running in the rain.
No such luck, the cam in the other engine was flatter'n the one we have. We decided to leave it alone and go ahead with our plans to play with some stock set-ups for now. We'll start with the 2bbl (BBD) and then a single (BBS). Later we'll try out the YH I've been diddling. If I can find a decent stock cam I'll pop it in. For now we'll see what a stocker can do in a 1300# car. Meanwhile, we've chosen and ordered a cam and some valves, and during the year we'll build the engine I brought down. Then it'll be back to the SUs and into the 13s. So it'll be the 2bbl at the 'Nats tomorrow.
About to stuff some breakfast in the face and load up and head out. Bringing the camera and looking forward to seein' some good runs and some cool cars. Film at 11:00.
Got a few pictures to post tomorrow, but it was a great day of drag racing how it should be done. lots of neat cars and great people, the weather was good and Old6 ran well even if he broke out 1st round. Lots of people were breaking out big time as the track really changed in the afternoon from the morning runs as the day warmed up. Didn't get a picture but the Purple People Eater made a good p*** later in the day. Something for everyone from Whizzers and Mo-peds on up, T Ford speedsters, roadsters, coupes, 4s, 6s & 8s, (inline and V8s at that), and a nitro burning GMC rail that was just plain awesome. The racing was like a time warp and if watching this stuff didn't get your blood flowing, just fall in the hole and take the big dirt nap, 'cause ya must be dead. As a friend said late in the day, "if this is what heaven is going to be like, I think it will be fine."
Here's a few pictures for ya. Should of taken more, but I was having too much fun hanging on the fence like the old days. Old6rodder got paired with a roadster first time out, I'll let him give the details of his two runs for the day, but must say the slant did quite well considering it's basically a tired old stocker in need of a camshaft. All kinds of neat stuff made p***es during the day, this Studebaker was geared for the lakes and you could hear it in the revs on the launch, but it sure looked cool running the quarter mile. Another cool pairing with the '32 and '40. If you have never heard a Mopar flathead 6 at full song, you haven't lived. Not fast by today's standards, but the guy was having a ball running in the high 60s in the low 20s. This was a total flashback day of drag racing like it was back in the late 50s and early 60s. Real Hot Rods running on a track that wasn't that far away from the layouts of those days, a couple of old style bleachers and some chain link fence to hang on and watch the runs. The main change is the pits are actually paved, but the feelings are the same and the grins and fellowship are just as big. Saw some old friends, made some new and had a wonderful day.
Thanks for the rolling shot, Tom, nice one. You know I'd take'em myself 'cept for those damn arm restraints. The meet was great, the weather was solid overcast but sans rain, the folks were cool and the racing was wild. Cold asphalt in the morning left many of us using up first gear before we cleared the tree on our first Q-run. The tighter valve settings and the 2bbl ran well but it didn't help much in figuring a dial-in. Managed a 14.883 @ 91.52. The speed's back but wasting first gear blew the time out. At least we're safely out of our 15 sec doldrums. A bit of consternation ensued when they announced we'd be getting only that one Q-run after all, so I put off changing the water in the Barn Job 'til after lunch and tried to guess how much time we'd shave off if I could hook'er up. So it was that when (without pre-amble) they called us up for Q-2, we were not ready and missed it. Decided I could shave a quarter sec off with a better start and dialed us in at 14.6 for first round. The car hooked up great and the top end was better in all three gears, the other lane was asleep at the wheel, the track was warm, the sun'd squeezed between two cloud banks, the world was right ....... and I readily shaved off the expected quarter sec. Unfortunately I also shaved off nearly another quarter sec as well, turning in a 14.397 @ 92.49 for a m***ive .203 break-out. (insert "screaming" icon here) I wasn't alone, break-outs were rampant the first rounds. Seems many'd fallen to the early cold track problem. But the smaller carb set-up's getting better work from the tired cam again, if not full tilt of course. The 'Nats was once again as close to being back there as it can get out here these days, and I had an absolute ball. Several guys from the club (Trompers) showed up and ran, so Wednesday's meeting'll be stories first, business second. Many, many flatties, 'liners and flat'liners, good friends, good racing, good day, good time. The Antique Nationals, again a prime meet. Thank you Forever Fours.
Glad you had a successful weekend. The Antique Nationals looks to be a near perfect event. Wish I was there.
The Jalopy Journal
