[don_w]

Originally Posted by 5twenty

Do you keep good records of your runs? Do you use any race logging software?

I'm looking at Crew Chief Pro among others for the upcoming season.

Crew Chief Drag Racing Software and Professional Weather Stations Main Page

I keep a spreadsheet with data from 575 runs on it, but nothing special really. I need to get a weather station and start tracking even more data. Thanks for the link... I'll check that out.

Originally Posted by travelers

Good runs and videos it makes me want to head to the track again. This spring that is. it 12 out side.

Thanks! It was almost 80 degrees at the track here on Saturday... I'll be posting those vids, too (when I get a chance).

[5twenty]

Originally Posted by don_w

I keep a spreadsheet with data from 575 runs on it, but nothing special really. I need to get a weather station and start tracking even more data. Thanks for the link... I'll check that out.

I didi that last year, the spreadsheet thing, but I found I needed more data for bracket racing, especially the ET prediction and other cool things my spreadsheet would never be able to do. Also look at this software as it's the other I'm really considering. RaceLog Pro / ET Predictor Pro

I have this handheld weather station, It is really compact and has everything you need for the track. Family Software - Products - Digital Thermo-hygrometer

[don_w]

Originally Posted by 5twenty

I didi that last year, the spreadsheet thing, but I found I needed more data for bracket racing, especially the ET prediction and other cool things my spreadsheet would never be able to do. Also look at this software as it's the other I'm really considering. RaceLog Pro / ET Predictor Pro

I have this handheld weather station, It is really compact and has everything you need for the track. Family Software - Products - Digital Thermo-hygrometer

Thanks again for those links!!

BTW, congrats on your new purchase. I think you'll like it!

[don_w]

1/8-Mile Drags, Barona, February 3, 2007

Even though the temps on this day were approaching 80 degrees and the density altitude readings ranged from just under 2,200 feet to more than 3,000 feet, the car still ran pretty well. No personal bests, but both Donna and I both had 7.12s as our best of the day (although mine was 0.004 quicker). And Donna entered her first ever bracket race… a $20 entry “Gambler” event (with a $300 guaranteed purse), where the pool of money was paid out to the top finishers. Even though she was very nervous, she made it out of the first round, but broke out in the 2nd round when the car went quicker than we thought it could in the heat. But, she had fun and is looking forward to running competitively more often in the future.

The only mechanical issue of the day was a tossed belt on the 4th run. As I left the starting line, the car basically was a pig, and I knew something was wrong. A quick wiggle of the steering wheel confirmed I had no power steering, so I knew it was the belt or a broken tensioner. I limped down the track and made it back to the pits. Fortunately, my Meziere electric water pump kept the temps in check. After popping the hood, I found out the tensioner and belt were both fine, so we put the belt back on and went racing without any other problems. Oh, and I got a chance to personally tell George Meziere (who lives in the San Diego area, and races at Barona) how much I like his water pump!!

Here are the videos from Saturday, February 3 at Barona. The vids marked with the asterisks (**) are my favorites.

**Video #1, Time 10:04 am, DA = 2,178 ft:
Donna’s first run of the day was pretty good. It turned out to be her second best ET of the day. She cut an excellent 0.036 light, and laid down a nice 7.152 @ 97.480, with a 1.595 60-foot time. The Chevy in the other lane went red by 0.050, but ran a smoking 6.629 @ 102.395, 1.447.

Video #2, Time 10:10 am, DA = 2,216 ft:
Just a few minutes later, Donna lined up against an Evo and ran another nice pass. After cutting a 0.060 light, she went 7.199 @ 97.164, 1.624 against a 9.146 @ 78.654, 2.199.

**Video #3, Time 10:14 am, DA = 2,216 ft:
Her third run was another hot lap, and the car’s performance shocked me. Without any cool down at all, Donna made her best run of the weekend with a 7.127 @ 98.528, 1.607. The Camaro ran a 7.846 @ 90.096, 1.842.

Video #4, Time 10:23 am, DA = 2,350 ft:
My first run of the day pretty much ended before it started. Although I didn’t know it at the time, my belt came off right after the burnout. In the video, you can see it dangling under the car as I stage and launch. Not that it matters, but my timeslip showed 11.588 @ 49.369, 2.152. The Nova in the right lane ran 7.768 @ 88.110, 1.708.

No Video
Time 11:10 am, DA = 2,421 ft:
After getting the belt back on, we headed back to the staging lanes. This next run was my best (and the car’s best) lap of the whole weekend. Somehow, Donna did not get it on video (I’ve accused her of erasing it… hehe). Anyway, I cut a good 0.031 light and then ran 7.123 @ 97.868, 1.574. My opponent went red by 0.056, and ran 7.522 @ 95.755, 1.738.

Video #5, Time 11:15 am, DA = 2,517 ft:
Predictably, the car slowed down on this run since it was only 5 minutes after the previous one. And the low 6-sec Nova running against me made it look even slower. Both of us turned on the red lights. He was 0.009 early and I was 0.002 red. Close to perfect, but red nonetheless. I ran a 7.225 @ 96.110, 1.604 to his 6.402 @ 105.741, 1.381.

Video #6, Time 11:20 am, DA = 2,513 ft:
My next run was against a Bullitt Mustang. He left early and I left way late. I ran a 7.209 @ 96.298, 1.599 to his 9.016 @ 78.951, 1.966.

Video #7, Time 11:28 am, DA = 2,454 ft:
Donna had time for one more test-and-tune run before the lunch break. The Gambler bracket would be starting right after the break. Ideally, this would have been a solid practice run for her, but it didn’t work out too well. She apparently over powerbraked it, and it kind of two-stepped it on the launch. You can see the car move to the left on the launch. The bad launch resulted in a 7.346 @ 96.906, 1.701. The Scion ran a pedestrian 10.251 @ 69.940, 2.308.

**Video #8, Time 12:36 pm, DA = 2,805 ft:
So, now it was time for Donna to enter the world of competitive racing. As mentioned previously, she had never run in bracket race before. Even though I’ve tried to “coach” her (as she described it), it’s not the same as getting out there and doing it. Anyway, as it turned out, she would have had a 1st Round Bye if there had been an odd number of cars, but at the last minute another car entered. She was the in the final pair, against a 6-sec Duster. He was dialed in at 6.75, and Donna was dialed in at 7.26 (the temp had gone up considerably, so we felt that was a good starting point). Donna did not have a good RT, but the Duster lit the red bulb, and Donna got the automatic win, and advanced to Round #2. But, the car definitely ran quicker than I expected in the heat. She recorded a 7.182 @ 96.959, 1.597. The Duster clicked it off early and ran 6.825 @ 91.396, 1.480.

**Video #9, Time 12:55 pm, DA = 2,880 ft:
Round #2 was run less than 20 minutes later. Since it was very warm outside, and the car didn’t sit very long, I didn’t expect it to go 7.18 again. We decided to push her dial-in to 7.20, which seemed reasonable all things considered. Her opponent was dialed in at 6.61, so Donna was getting about 6/10 head start. Neither driver cut a stellar light, but Donna was about 0.3 slower on the tree. Even though she tapped the brakes at the stripe, she still broke out, running a 7.159 @ 95.283, 1.593. I have no idea where in the heck the 7.15 came from. Her opponent ran 6.654 @ 101.939, 1.450 on his 6.61 dial, so she was eliminated. But, she’s got the fever now. Expect future bracket events for her!!

**Video #10, Time 1:03 pm, DA = 3,001 ft:
Undeterred, Donna went right back for another test & tune run. She was lined up against a Henry J, and ran a 7.228 @ 97.842, 1.652. We could have used that 7.22 on the previous run. The Henry J ran 7.744 @ 91.983, 1.832.

**Video #11, Time 1:28 pm, DA = 3,066 ft:
I was back in the car for the next run. And just to really confuse me, the car decided to crank out an awesome run considering it was the hottest part of the day (about 78 degrees), and the DA was at it’s worst. I was racing the orange Camaro Donna had run earlier, and I ran a nice 7.131 @ 98.867, 1.573 vs a 7.670 @ 91.039, 1.739. My 60’ time and the trap MPH were both the best of the day. In fact, the 98.867mph was the highest trap speed I’ve ever recorded personally. And the ET was close to the two 7.12s we ran earlier. Go figure…

**Video #12, Time 1:28 pm, DA = 2,968 ft:
Recently, this track started allowing motorcycles and cars to run at the same time. Personally, I don’t like it. It seems dangerous for the bikes. But, like it or not, I was paired up against a Suzuki GSX1300RZ Hayabusa. Those things are seriously quick crotch rockets!! On this pass, the bike clearly had some trouble right off the starting line, but he sure came on strong at the top end! I got the holeshot win light by 0.032 sec, running a 7.241 @ 94.598, 1.599 vs the Hayabusa’s 7.216 @ 107.302, 2.105.

Video #13, Time 1:51 pm, DA = 2,912 ft:
My last run of the day was not all that great… I spun a little on the launch. I was running another Evo, and all I could muster was a 7.331 @ 95.283, 1.640. The Evolution ran 8.735 @ 81.488, 1.984.

Video #14, Time 2:23 pm, DA = 2,679 ft:
Donna was lined up to run a 1994 LT1 Camaro with nitrous on this pass. However, at the last second, he shut off and she had a solo run. The track starter didn’t really even let her know it was a solo. He kind of walked up to the window as the tree was coming down. It caught her by surprise, but she cut a nice 0.046 light, but did not have time to powerbrake it correctly. The 60’ time was way off (1.727), and all it could run was 7.364 @ 97.161.

Video #15, Time 2:40 pm, DA = 2,667 ft:
This time, Donna was racing the same Bullitt Mustang I ran earlier. She ran a 7.269 @ 94.844, 1.645 to his 8.977 @ 78.632, 1.996.

Video #16, Time 2:45 pm, DA = 2,705 ft:
Donna was asleep at the tree on this run, giving up about 0.35 second right at the start. But, she was able to drive around the Nova and get the win light by 0.092 sec. Donna went 7.312 @ 98.540, 1.709 to the Nova’s 7.755 @ 88.334, 1.705.

**Video #17, Time 2:52 pm, DA = 2,725 ft:
Donna sure picked a good time to lay down a great run. She was up against the juiced LT1 Camaro that shut down against her earlier. This time he made the run. Donna combined a good 0.040 reaction time, with an excellent 7.159 @ 96.256, 1.582 run, to wipe out the Camaro, who ran 7.437 @ 96.072, 1.725. Again, I’m not sure where this 7.15 run came from. It had only been 7 minutes since here last run, and it was still pretty warm out there. But, it’s never a bad thing to put a hurting on a Camaro!! hehe

**Video #18, Time 3:00 pm, DA = 2,679 ft:
The final run of the day was respectable. Even though Donna was a tardy on the tree, the other guy went red, so it looked lopsided at the beginning. She ran a 7.247 @ 97.054, 1.629 to his 7.642 @ 91.512, 1.823. After this run, I bought Donna and me ice cream cones. Those sure tasted good!

[don_w]

1/8-Mile Drags, RaceLegal at Qualcomm, February 16, 2007

Well, this turned out to be a less than stellar night at the track. The track surface wasn’t prepped very well, and the staging lines were long. And to top it off, my alternator began giving me some issues, so we had to stop early (after only 8 runs). All runs were on the 10# blower pulley.

The only upside to the night, was that I managed to win another trophy (my 13th overall) in the Super Street class (7.50 index). Click here for Race Legal results

Here are the videos from Friday, February 16 at Qualcomm. My favorite vids are marked with the asterisks (**).

Video #1, Time 6:30 pm, DA = 221 ft:
Donna’s first run was against Ed’s car, with AJ driving. The track was very green, and they both spun right on the launch. The numbers were bad… Donna ran 8.048 @ 88.06, with a 2.010 60’ time. AJ could only muster an 8.461 @ 80.06, 2.024. Donna really over-revved on the burnout, and was banging the rev limiter. When I asked her about it later, she said, “I don’t know what I was thinking about”. I think it was a blond moment. haha

Video #2, Time 6:40 pm, DA = 191 ft:
The track was no better on the next run. Donna faced off against AJ again. You can see her getting real loose early in the run, but she drove through it. AJ improved, but left way early (red light), and Donna was way late. Anyway, the numbers weren’t good again. She ran 8.292 @ 88.58, 2.108 to AJ’s 8.005 @ 88.06, 1.808.

Video #3, Time 6:49 pm, DA = 164 ft:
Run #3 was a little better, but she still spun in 1st gear (as evidenced by the 60’ time). The opponent was an ’83 or ’84 Fox body Stang. Donna ran 7.754 @ 91.46, 1.923 vs. a 9.873 @ 70.09, 2.298.

**Video #4, Time 7:13 pm, DA = 127 ft:
My first run of the night turned out to be as good as it would get. I’m not sure, but I think that’s a Buick Grand National in the other lane. Anyway, I ran 7.487 @ 90.72, 1.702. The Buick ran 8.239 @ 87.21, 2.050.

**Video #5, Time 7:25 pm, DA = 113 ft:
On this run, I was up against a late-model F-body Z28 Camaro, running nitrous oxide. I over-powerbraked it on the launch, causing a little spin early. Even though the Z28 was only about 1/10 of a second slower than me, I had over 4/10’s of a second advantage on the tree, so it wasn’t even close. My 7.566 @ 91.64, 1.760 was more than a half-second ahead of the Chevy’s 7.682 @ 90.73, 1.703 at the finish line.

Video #6, Time 7:43 pm, DA = 82 ft:
My third and final run of the night was against another 2005+ Mustang. The margin of victory for me was over two seconds, so I’m thinking his massive rear wing and “Euro” tail lights probably slowed him down. I ran 7.613 @ 89.11, 1.731 vs 9.562 @ 80.93, 2.537.

Video #7, Time 8:46 pm, DA = 14 ft:
Donna’s next run was against this Volkswagen “jalopy”. Basically, it’s a roll cage on wheels. haha. It’s completely stripped down, and ugly as can be. But, it’s pretty quick, too. In fact, it beat Donna on this run. I wanted to go hide. Actually, I wanted to go change pulleys and run him again. Anyway, Donna’s 7.696 @ 90.90, 1.828 wasn’t enough to beat the VW “POS” time of 7.574 @ 91.46, 1.724.

Video #8, Time 9:09 pm, DA = 18 ft:
Prior to this run, the car wouldn’t re-start in the staging lanes. We used Ed’s car to jump start it, and just left it running until after the pass. Frankly, I think the problem started on the previous run. I’m convinced that the VW zapped my car with an “Ugly POS Ray” and messed up the alternator. LOL. Donna was running against Ed on this pass. Ed decided to cheat and leave before the green light was on, but Donna tracked him down and passed him anyway. She ran 7.602 @ 91.28, 1.797 to Ed’s 8.123 @ 87.03, 1.896. Because of the alternator issue, we decided to call it a night after this run.

[psfracer]

Don, time to go with 14 psi and break into the 6's . Actually, seriously, I was looking into putting a bar into the car and its freakin expensive. I wish I knew how to weld. The kits out there are reasonable, but who knows how they will fit--and the labor to put them in isn't exactly cheap either. The days when I spent $600 for the 8 point bar installed in my 67 I guess are long gone...

I am going to make you come up to Irwindale in March.......

[don_w]

Originally Posted by psfracer

Don, time to go with 14 psi and break into the 6's . Actually, seriously, I was looking into putting a bar into the car and its freakin expensive. I wish I knew how to weld. The kits out there are reasonable, but who knows how they will fit--and the labor to put them in isn't exactly cheap either. The days when I spent $600 for the 8 point bar installed in my 67 I guess are long gone...

I am going to make you come up to Irwindale in March.......

I'm expecting to have to pay $1500-$2000 for the cage I want. So you're right, no cheap cages.

I'm not going to crank up the boost until I've upgraded the fuel system... from pumps to injectors.

[psfracer]

I am going with 60# injectors and the GT500 dual pumps (comes with the whipple kit). What are you going with??

[don_w]

I'm leaning towards the dual GT pumps, but I'm not 100% decided yet. And yea, 60# injectors for me, too.

[don_w]

1/8-Mile Drags, Barona, February 24-25, 2007

For me, this was much anticipated weekend of racing. It was the beginning of the 2007 Summit Series at Barona Dragstrip. Race #1 was on Saturday, and Race #2 was on Sunday.

However, things did not go very well at all. The key to winning bracket races is consistency, for both the car and the driver. The car was not running consistently… especially when it mattered. And my driving was less than impressive. I had a few good reaction times, but overall I was disappointed with my performance. Other than the pure fun of drag racing, I left the track after two days feeling very frustrated. And to top it off, the alternator died on the drive home from the track. Fitting ending.

Because of the Summit Series, I did all the driving this weekend. Donna was there to help with the car, take videos and provide moral support, but she did not drive. She will get all of the seat time next trip to the track.

Here are the videos from Saturday, February 24 at Barona. The vids marked with the asterisks (**) are my favorites.

Video #1, Time 10:14 am, DA = 1,843 ft:
My first time trial run on Saturday was against a 2005 GTO. The driver of this car is an accomplished drag racer, with more than 20 years of experience. He was the NHRA Division 7 ET Challenge winner in 2006. This run was the first on a new set of drag slicks for me, and I tried to give them a good burnout. But, I don’t think it was enough, there was some tire spin on the launch. I ran a 7.337 @ 96.485, with a weak 1.725 60-foot time. The GTO ran 8.344 @ 87.029, 1.978. Even though I finished first, I went red on the start and he got the win light.

**Video #2, Time 10:48 am, DA = 2,011 ft:
Run number #2 was much better. After a 0.068 light, I ran a 7.136 @ 97.945, 1.609. The ET on this run was the 2nd best of the weekend, and the trap speed was the highest all weekend. As good as this run was, I still finished well behind the opponent, who ran an awesome 6.383 @ 106.827, 1.388.

**Video #3, Time 11:27 am, DA = 2,187 ft:
The next run was also pretty decent. I was racing a classic Camaro, and I ran a 7.182 @ 97.761, 1.622. The Camaro ran 9.622 @ 73.084, 2.213.

Video #4, Time 11:57 am, DA = 2,366 ft:
The track started a new event today called the “Run for the Money”. For a $10 entry fee, you get one run against a dial-in of your choice. The car closest to its dial, without going under or going red, gets half the pot. The other half goes to a Summit Series Finals fund for the track. I decided to stick with a 7.18 dial (which was my previous run). But, of course, the car decided to pick it up a notch, running a 7.154 @ 97.425, 1.604. My opponent, an Olds 4-4-2 W31, ran a 7.707 @ 87.429, 1.635 on a 7.73 dial. So I was .026 under and he was .023 under. Neither one of us would win the $100 winner’s share of the pot.

**Video #5, Time 12:55 pm, DA = 2,438 ft:
After the lunch break, the Summit Series eliminations began. In the 1st Round, I was up against a 55-57ish Chevy. I stuck to my 7.18 dial, and he was dialed in at 6.59. I was determined to cut a good light, and I did with a reaction time of 0.023 (my best of the weekend). But the Chevy was not far behind with a 0.034. But, here’s where my car started messing with my head. After three straight runs in the 7.1x range, it could only muster a 7.285 @ 95.972, 1.644 on this pass. That extra 1/10 of a second was all the Chevy needed to catch me and win by 0.023 sec.

Video #6, Time 1:26 pm, DA = 2,532 ft:
After the loss in the Summit Series, I wanted to get in a few test and tune runs before the Gambler bracket race started later in the day. On this run, I was up against a 2003 Z06 Corvette (with a For Sale sign in it). I ran a 7.249 @ 97.758, 1.686, to the Vette’s 10.357 @ 68.482, 2.397. I don’t know for sure, but he may have spun his street tires on the launch. And on the video, you can clearly see a lot of smoke coming from the car as he crossed the finish line. He probably hurt the motor. So, if you’re looking to buy a 2003 Z06, you might want to make sure it’s not this one.

Video #7, Time 2:22 pm, DA = 2,473 ft:
My next run was yet another in the 7.20s. After a 0.017 red light, I ran 7.220 @ 95.847, 1.614. My opponent went 9.588 @ 73.413, 2.287.

Video #8, Time 2:34 pm, DA = 2,473 ft:
Just 12 minutes later, I made another run, this time against Ed’s car (with his son AJ driving). For the 4th run in a row, I ran in the 7.2 zone, with a 7.217 @ 96.580, 1.611. I’m not sure what happened to AJ, but the car slowed to an 8.458 @ 81.299, 1.861.

Video #9, Time 3:06 pm, DA = 2,467 ft:
Now it was time for Round 1 of the Gambler Bracket ($20 entry). Since the car had four straight runs in the 7.20s, I decided to dial in at 7.25. I figured if I cut a good light, and had a lead at the end, I could always hit the brake to keep from breaking out. Well, I was real tardy on the tree, giving up about a tenth to the ’37 Fiat Topolino in the left lane (who was dialed in at 5.41). And once he passed me, there was no reason to brake, so I stayed in it. The car didn’t run another 7.2; instead it went 7.191 @ 96.600, 1.627. The seriously quick bantam ran a 5.464 @ 114.882, 1.176. Yikes!!

**Video #10, Time 3:57 pm, DA = 2,291 ft:
After getting knocked out, I had time for a couple more runs. This one was against Ed, and it ended up being my best run of the day. Even though I went red by 0.029, the car clicked of a 7.128 @ 97.244, 1.578. The ET and 60-foot times were the lowest of the weekend. Ed ran a 7.982 @ 89.891, 1.869.

**Video #11, Time 4:19 pm, DA = 2,146 ft:
My last run of the day wasn’t bad. I missed a perfect reaction time by 0.001 second (d’oh!), and ran a 7.175 @ 96.869, 1.598. But that big-block Camaro in the right lane was gone in a flash, stopping the timers at 6.377 @ 108.207, 1.374.


As Sunday dawned, I had high expectations to do better than I did on Saturday. But, other than a couple moments early on in the day, it turned out to be even worse and more frustrating as the day went on.

Here are the videos from Sunday, February 25.

Video #1, Time 10:12 am, DA = 1,927 ft:
In the first time trial run, I went 7.198 @ 96.670, 1.620. Not a bad start. But, the Chevy II/Nova in the other lane made it look bad. He cut a 0.008 light and ran 6.616 @ 101.871, 1.399.

**Video #2, Time 10:37 am, DA = 2,055 ft:
This was probably my favorite run of the day, even though I lost. My opponent (Rick Reynolds) was driving his classic Ford Fairlane, with a 427 medium-riser engine in it. Basically, this is one of the factory super stocker cars from the early-mid 60s. Our cars are pretty evenly matched, so it’s always fun to run against Rick. On this day, he was 0.040 better on the tree (an 0.028 vs 0.068), and slightly quicker, so he beat me by about 1/2 a car-length (0.056 margin), even though I was gaining on him at the top end. My 7.185 @ 96.664, 1.604 just wasn’t enough to top Rick’s 7.169 @ 94.860, 1.568. But it was still fun!! Donna was standing right at the finish line for a really different perspective for the video, too.

**Video #3, Time 11:22 am, DA = 1,955 ft:
This one was another race between two evenly matched cars. On Saturday, we had pitted next to the guy who owns this Chevelle, and he had been running in the 7.1-7.2 range. So he and I decided to go heads up. Donna had moved even farther down track. She was just behind the win light, maybe 80’-100’ past the finish line. Once again, I gave up too much on the tree (his 0.052 vs my 0.098), and then my car fell off to a 7.269 @ 95.807, 1.630. George ran a 7.153 @ 95.815, 1.530 and beat me by about a car length. By the way, if you listen to the beginning of the video, you can hear my “dial in”. haha.

**Video #4, Time 12:09 pm, DA = 1,869 ft:
This was a “Run for the Money” pass. Just like Saturday, it cost $10 to enter and you get one run against a dial-in of your choice. The car closest to its dial, without going under or going red, gets half the pot. Just because my car had been so unpredictable this weekend, I decided to dial in quicker than it had run all day thus far. I figured what the heck. So I put a 7.15 on the window and rolled in. The dragster in the other lane was dialed in at 6.09. I cut a decent 0.064 light and had a 60’ time of 1.591. When I saw the 330’ time of 4.59 flash on the board, I knew it was going to be close. But I ended up going 9 thousandths too quick, running a 7.141 @ 97.624. LOL… go figure. For what it’s worth, the dragster ran 6.137 @ 112.731.

Video #5, Time 1:14 pm, DA = 1,723 ft:
This run was Round 1 of Summit Series #2. The weather was cooling off, and my previous pass had been 7.14, so I decided to dial in at 7.15. The Chevelle in the other lane was dialed in at 6.66, so I was getting about a half second head start. Unfortunately, I was asleep at the tree and the car slowed a couple ticks, and once again I lost in Round 1. The numbers were 7.180 @ 96.982, 1.601 vs. 6.760 @ 93.513, 1.455. He won by 0.048 sec.

Video #6, Time 1:52 pm, DA = 1,731 ft:
Back to some test and tune runs again… this time against another dragster. Running heads up against a 5-sec dragster sure can make you look slow. My 7.222 @ 96.578, 1.630 was no contest for his 5.968 @ 119.611, 1.295.

**Video #7, Time 2:37 pm, DA = 1,770 ft:
This run was against a 460ci Ranchero running nitrous. Even though he left early and went red, I passed him at the 60’ cone, and ended up running a 7.212 @ 97.075, 1.621 against his 7.885 @ 89.507, 1.880.

Video #8, Time 3:08 pm, DA = 1,827 ft:
This is Round 1 of the $20 Gambler Bracket. Since the last two runs were in the 7.20s, I decided to dial in at 7.25. I needed to cut a good light, and then hopefully be able to brake at the end. My opponent was the same Chevy I raced in Round 1 of the Saturday Summit Series, and like Saturday, I managed to get him on the tree. My RT of 0.049 was a little better than his 0.056. But, as soon as I hit the throttle, the car felt like a pig. It felt like it was in the wrong gear, or the e-brake was on, or the belt came off, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. It just bogged real bad. Shortly after leaving the line it took off, but the bog at the launch was all it took to end my day. With a crappy 1.874 60-foot time, all it would run was a 7.548 @ 95.953. The Chevy’s 6.819 @ 94.069, 1.425 (on a 6.63 dial) was plenty to beat me. It was shortly after this run that the alternator died, so I’m wondering if that had anything to do with the way it ran. I just don’t know.

[psfracer]

I liked the #2 video on Sunday....except for the end, I guess she couldn't pan fast enough! But the sound is awesome, and its cool the track will let you video from that angle....FE engines can run pretty strong, I used to run a 428 in my 67 mustang....

[don_w]

Originally Posted by psfracer

I liked the #2 video on Sunday....except for the end, I guess she couldn't pan fast enough! But the sound is awesome, and its cool the track will let you video from that angle....FE engines can run pretty strong, I used to run a 428 in my 67 mustang....

All she had to do was sign was a "photographers" waiver and she can go pretty much anywhere. She needed to go to wide angle quicker at the end. But, for a first attempt from there, it came out pretty cool.

And the guy that has the Fairlane, also has a Pinto with a 514 in it (800hp). It runs high 5s! He's rebuilding the 514 and waiting on pistons right now.

[don_w]

1/8-Mile Drags, RaceLegal at Qualcomm, March 9, 2007

This was a fairly good night at the track… even after having to switch from the 12psi supercharger pulley down to the 10psi pulley to try and stay above the 7.49 roll bar rule. The weather was cool (in the 50s), but the humidity was pretty high. Dew point was only 5 to 10 degrees below ambient temp all night. As the temperature went down, humidity went up, and so did the ETs. Funny thing about water in the air… you can’t compress it and you can’t burn it.

Also, RaceLegal has what is known as the “3 on, 3 off” rule. If you win trophies at three races in a row, you aren't eligible to win one for the next three races (kinda dumb, huh??). Since I had won trophies the last two times, we decided to skip trying for a trophy tonight, so we could be eligible again next time. But, it kind of backfired.

Believe it or not, if we had gone to the trophy booth at 11pm, we would have won not one... but two trophies!! Arrgggg... Donna's 7.54 run (video #9) would have got her the Super Street class trophy (7.50 index) and my 0.504 light (video #2) would have won for best reaction time of the night. As it was, a 7.60 ET and a 0.507 RT won the trophies. Oh well… at least we’re eligible for the next night.

Here are the videos from Friday, March 9 at Qualcomm. My favorite vids are marked with the asterisks (**).

**Video #1, Time 6:27 pm, DA = 49 ft:
This track is usually real green on the first couple passes (what do you expect for a parking lot with marginal prep), but it wasn’t too bad tonight (at least in my lane). My first run turned out to be the second best of the night. I was racing against Ed’s son AJ driving Ed’s Mustang. AJ had some traction problems, and his 60’ time showed it. I ran a 7.371 @ 91.46, 1.645 against AJ’s 8.459 @ 88.23, 2.104. My 1.645 60-foot time was as good as it got all night.

**Video #2, Time 6:38 pm, DA = 35 ft:
My second run was against Ed, and it turned out to be the best of the night for my car. I cut a near perfect 0.504 light (0.500 is perfect), and then ran 7.367 @ 92.59, 1.676 to Ed’s 7.952 @ 89.29, 1.922. Ed also had a great light, 0.562. It was a fun race!

Video #3, Time 6:54 pm, DA = -1 ft:
My third run was against AJ again. I powerbraked it too much on the launch, and it caused some tire spin and slowed down in the first 60 feet. But, it also ran the highest trap speed of the night, 94.94mph. Here are the numbers: 7.463 @ 94.94, 1.741 to 8.092 @ 89.99. AJ had a good 0.553 light on this run.

Video #4, Time 7:14 pm, DA = -38 ft:
It was Donna’s turn now. Her first opponent was that VW “jalopy” that she had raced on another night. Like I’ve said before, it’s basically a roll cage on wheels. It’s completely stripped down, and ugly as can be. But, with its turbo, it’s pretty quick, too. Anyway, because of my previous run (where I spun due to powerbraking it), Donna decided to try to launch from an idle. She rolled in deep and cut a great 0.538 light, but the launch was weak and resulted in an equally weak 1.838 60-foot time, and the worst ET of the whole night, 7.56. At the stripe, the VW nipped her by 12 thousandths (0.012) of a second. I just wish I could run the 12psi blower pulley whenever he’s in the other lane. She ran 7.561 @ 92.21, 1.838 to his 7.388 @ 99.11.

**Video #5, Time 7:50 pm, DA = -78 ft:
Donna’s next run was against a 6-sec Duster known as “El Picoso”. He left a little early and turned on the red bulb. Donna clocked a nice 7.438 @ 92.59 (no 60’ time recorded), to El Picoso’s 6.759 @ 102.51, 1.584.

Video #6, Time 8:18 pm, DA = -155 ft:
A Fox-body Mustang lined up against Donna on this run. Donna went red by 20 thou (0.480), but backed up her previous 7.43 run with a 7.452 @ 92.21. The Fox ran 7.736 @ 91.46, 1.796.

**Video #7, Time 9:26 pm, DA = -229 ft:
My next run was against AJ again. He was very close to a perfect light, but ended up going red by 0.007. I managed a decent 0.553 light, and then ran another 7.3x pass, 7.378 @ 92.21, 1.665 to AJ’s 7.861 @ 89.46.

Video #8, Time 10:16 pm, DA = -268 ft:
This run was against Hector’s Cobra. Unfortunately, his street tires just would not stick to this track, and it killed his chances at any good runs. One look at his 60’ time of 2.963 and you can tell how bad his traction was. I ran a 7.465 @ 91.83, 1.727 to his spinning 9.844 @ 73.53, 2.963.

Video #9, Time 10:39 pm, DA = -297 ft:
Donna had another good light on this run (0.556) en route to a 7.543 @ 92.59, 1.782. The generic import in the right lane ran 9.809 @ 72.34, 2.301.

Video #10, Time 11:01 pm, DA = -287 ft:
OK, this video has a little lesson in it. The lesson is: don’t try to do a burnout while the traction control is still on. It doesn’t work and it makes you look silly. hehe. I’m surprised she didn’t slide all over the track on the run; I thought there had to be some water left on those slicks. On this pass, Donna raced Hector in his Cobra. And the traction bug bit him even worse. After missing a perfect reaction time by a mere 6 thousandths (0.494), Donna ran a 7.475 @ 92.59, 1.737 to the Cobra’s 10.456 @ 78.80, 2.982.

Video #11, Time 11:29 pm, DA = -294 ft:
Hector lined up against me on this run as well, and it was the same story for him. I ran 7.545 @ 93.55, 1.749 to his 10.245 @ 74.13, 2.529.

**Video #12, Time 11:41 pm, DA = -294 ft:
This video is amusing. The other car is not fast to begin with and it slowed down even more on this run. I’m just about at the turn-off before he crosses the finish line. Donna has a funny line at the end of the video about me coming back around and “lapping” him. haha. Anyway, I ran 7.545 @ 93.55, 1.747 to his 12.367 @ 36.73, 2.272.

**Video #13, Time 11:52 pm, DA = -294 ft:
Donna made the final two runs of the night, and against the same Evolution each time. On this run, she left early, but still clicked off her best ET of the night, 7.415 @ 92.97, 1.702. The Evo ran 8.640 @ 80.93, 1.905.

Video #14, Time 12:06 am, DA = -294 ft:
Donna drilled the tree this time, cutting a 0.545 light and running a 7.495 @ 92.59, 1.749, against the Evo’s 8.569 @ 80.93, 1.864.

[zmanm3]

You should have gone to the trophie room 1100pm!!! That would have been 2 more for GO!

[kj_cinci]

Dang... you keep track of your track time...

I just go, shoot the dodo and let it rip every now and then... maybe I should get more serious too...

In regards to fuel systems. Did you get that figured out? I think the GT500 uses 'smaller' 130 lph pumps? Are you looking at the GT40 pumps or the Mustang GT ones? I have two Mustang GT (SVT Focus) pumps that I think are rated at 190 (some are 130?) lph if I remember correctlly? I also have a BAP for good messure...

Here are some options:
http://www.modulardepot.com/index.php?cPath=85_87