Drag Week Competitor Update

[jayb]

I've been hearing from some of the competitors, not all good news.  Kevin Rolf informed me that, unfortunately, our forum member Jim Kitchen with the 68 Torino is out with valvetrain issues.  However, Scott Miller is doing very well, running first in class and averaging around 9.10 after the first couple days.  However, 200 miles from the hotel on the drive today Scott broke a T&D rocker.  I happen to know this because Scott and Jack called me today around 4:00 looking for one LOL!  Fortunately I had a few spares, so I raced down to the UPS store and sent a package with four rockers to their hotel, for early morning delivery tomorrow.  They were going to tie up the lifter pair and run on 7 cylinders to the hotel.  Just got a text from Scott and they have 29 more miles to go to the hotel, looks like they are going to make it.  With luck Scott and Jack will get the engine repaired at the hotel in the morning and will be running low 9s again tomorrow.  A road repair in the finest Drag Week tradition 

[thatdarncat]

Hopefully Jim K. may get a chance to give us an update later when they get back home, but I'm sure they have their hands full right now. They had to rent a car to get back to Cordova to pick up their trucks & trailers, and then of course back to Gateway for the race cars. As Jared mentioned, Jim's brother also broke today. Although I'm sure they are all bummed right now it was nice to see that they were able to get their whole family together, along with their son Daniel's best friend, for this effort to do Dragweek in Daniel's honor. I had a great time talking to them all this week, I hope they get a chance to do it again some day.

[cjshaker]

That's a real bummer about Jim.
I'm glad Scott got his run in for the day, and let's hope he holds out for the rest of the week for the class win. Go Scott!

That's a real advantage of the T&D race system, being able to deal with only one cylinder or rocker as needed.

[thatdarncat]

...  However, Scott Miller is doing very well, running first in class and averaging around 9.10 after the first couple days.  However, 200 miles from the hotel on the drive today Scott broke a T&D rocker.  I happen to know this because Scott and Jack called me today around 4:00 looking for one LOL!  Fortunately I had a few spares, so I raced down to the UPS store and sent a package with four rockers to their hotel, for early morning delivery tomorrow.

Proving again that it's who you know in life that matters  Glad you could help them out.

[CaptCobrajet]

Jack called me also, and I overnighted some rockers as well.  I have some funny offsets on there.  It will take rockers exactly like what he has to clear the pushrod tubes.  I sent four as well.....hopefully they will get there, and if not, maybe Jay's would work if they have to.  A little insurance can't hurt!  Hope they get it straightened out in the morning.

[CaptCobrajet]

The Miller's did make it to the motel.  Parts should get there and cure it.

[jayb]

Gotta keep those FEs running!

[Stangman]

Missed scotts runs will have to look better

[FElony]

For what T&D charges, I'd expect the engine block to split lengthwise first, taking the intake and trans case with it. Better stick with Pro Comp rockers. I mean, "Pro Comp" sounds a lot more hi-po than "T&D". Pro Comp is blowers, wings, and wheelie bars in my opinion. Unless T&D legally stands for "Terminate and Destroy", in which case I digress.

Call me zany and lighthearted (or call me Shirley), but I would think that the real fun in slithering hither and thither about the map would be to steal a license plate in each state so you can look like a local anywhere you happen to be. Sure to be a hit on your Facebook stream every time you score a plate, whereupon the Deep State can note your brazen cheekiness and offer you a satisfying career.

Am I rambling here? Sorry, looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue. Um, do any of you guys like movies about gladiators?

[machoneman]

Um, do any of you guys like movies about gladiators?

Oh yeah, especially ones with bare-chested, nubile (translation: big-boobed) female warriors.

[FElony]

Normally, this would be my cue to post several pics of said bare-chested nubiles to, you know, make sure we are on the same wavelength and all. However, at this point I'm sure this would cause Jay yet another FElony-inspired case of heartburn and indigestion. Jay cringes every time I get on a posting roll. He views me as the earwig that has made a comfy condo deep in his frontal lobe, and is driving him to consider removal via a power drill and a 1/2" bit (properly sterilized, of course).

[machoneman]

No need to post those pics FElony. See, I have a vivid imagination! LOL

[jayb]

FElony, thanks for your discretion    After all, you don't want the price of those clear valve covers going up 

Was getting worried about Scott Miller, they are closing the lanes at Drag Week at 2:15, but Scott and Jack just made a side by side pass, so they are back.  Scott ran 9.29 to cement his lead in class.

[FElony]

FElony, thanks for your discretion 

 

Discrete? Me? That's the fourth time this week I've been insulted, and it's only Wednesday. I need to check my food items for soy content.

After all, you don't want the price of those clear valve covers going up 

I ain't buying no high-falutin' valve covers without a matching clear distributor cap. Take THAT, Mister Extortionist!

Haven't checked yet, but is there a West Coast DW like the one they sprung on me out of nowhere last year? Or was the turnout so pathetic from lack of planning and promotion that it is yet another write-off?

[FElony]

No need to post those pics FElony. See, I have a vivid imagination! LOL

Yes, but do you imagine the movie reference?

[thatdarncat]

Haven't checked yet, but is there a West Coast DW like the one they sprung on me out of nowhere last year? Or was the turnout so pathetic from lack of planning and promotion that it is yet another write-off?

Hot Rod said they gave up on that idea. Replaced it with Roadkill nights events at various places around the country.

[FElony]

Haven't checked yet, but is there a West Coast DW like the one they sprung on me out of nowhere last year? Or was the turnout so pathetic from lack of planning and promotion that it is yet another write-off?

Hot Rod said they gave up on that idea. Replaced it with Roadkill nights events at various places around the country.

Works for me:  http://www.roadkill.com/events/roadkill-zip-tie-drags/

What do you guys think if I let one of my cabinet members leak to the media that I will be attending the January event?

[cjshaker]

Was getting worried about Scott Miller, they are closing the lanes at Drag Week at 2:15, but Scott and Jack just made a side by side pass, so they are back.  Scott ran 9.29 to cement his lead in class.

Outstanding!!! That's cool they got to run side by side, just bummed I didn't get to see it. That's the only drawback to participating.

[turbohunter]

It's on vid any time.

[CaptCobrajet]

All seems well with the Cougar now.  They made today's drive without issue.  Jack said Scott just rolled into it off the line today, and let off early.  Just making sure everything was okay, and like Jay said, an easy 9.29 still really stacked the average.  I keep nagging Jack to "let it eat" but I know they are doing the right thing.  Maybe he'll make a 100% run Friday after they seal the deal.   I hope Doug and Alan are fairing well.  I have not had much time to follow the progress..... just getting a few texts from Jack.  Rooting for all of our FE'ers....

[cjshaker]

It's on vid any time.

A guy can watch porn anytime, but it doesn't come close to the real thing   

[millerptl]

Day 1 at Cordova was a good day with a second pass of 9.10 and 1.26 60' leaving off foot brake again. I tried the trans brake first and just roasted the tires. Shift point was 7200 rpm
Day 2 at Gateway was all my fault. I foot braked it, another 1.26 60' but then accidentally short shifted from 1st to 3rd. I was so mad at myself because the launch felt really good. I moved the shift point to 7400 to see if I could be quicker but the missed shift screwed that up. I also found out when I returned to my parking spot that the linkage to the front carberator was not hooked up, I had placed a towel over my carbs while prepping the car for my run and when I removed the towel unbeknownst to me I pull the clip off the linkage. So I made that run with only the rear carberator hooked up. I got a 9.22 and it was good enough to stay in first so I played it safe, however the road trip from Gateway to Byron was your typical Drag week gremlin showing itself. The trip was 280 miles, we left the track at 12:30pm. About 1/3 of the way in we heard a loud tap tap tap. Turned out to be a broken intake rocker on #4 cylinder. Guess where my spare rockers are......not with me, crap, how could I forget that. I called Blair and Jay to have parts coming from two directions especially with the hurricanes wreaking havoc with FEDEX and UPS (rightfully so). We received both packages this morning at about 8 am. We installed the rocker, packed up and made it to Byron at about 11:30am.
Day 3 at Byron. Waited for 2 hours in the pits and since I arrived late I knew I would only have one pass. So I moved the shift point to 7300, foot braked, and quickly rolled into the throttle instead of my normal just mashing the pedal to the floor as fast as I can. I didn't want to break traction off the line. I also lined up horribly in my lane because when I left the car pulled hard right and I was WAY out of the grove and had to correct it back into the grove. the run was a 9.29 with a 1.30 60', again good enough to stay in 1st so I was pleased.
My Dad, Eugene, and I are in the hotel near Great Lakes dragstrip now, the trip was a good trip. I will footbrake again tomorrow, stomp the throttle, shift at 7400, and see what happens. On the last day after my safe run should I be blessed to still be in the completion I will try the transbrake again and go for it.

The car is making 912hp at 6900 rpm and does not fall off very fast. I have 4.30 gears. It weighs 3250 with me in the car. I have a 4500 stall converter, Hoosier 30x10.5x15 slicks. I think if I have a good cool morning run and I launch well and shift correctly I can get close to an 8.99.

Thanks for the incredible willingness, comradery, interest that Blair and Jay have shown me to make this Drag Week as successful as it can be. Thanks for all who are following all us FE guys at Dragweek, you all make it fun!!!

[Barry_R]

Congrats for making through the adversity.

The red cars lined up side by side was a great video!

Good luck and can't wait to see it on the last day when you can let her rip!

[FElony]

No need to post those pics FElony. See, I have a vivid imagination! LOL

Yes, but do you imagine the movie reference?

OK, nobody got that "Shirley", "I picked the wrong week to...", and "movies about gladiators" are from the movie "Airplane". Sorry to waver a a Drag Week thread. I'm a blasphemous heathen. I will cover my feet in corn and let the neighbor's chickens peck them to the bone in atonement.

I will be going to the Zip Tie Drags in January, so I gotta do some stuff to the car. See ya then.