Here we are only half way through the season and I've already had some real exciting and fun times racing. A quick recap of the season so far:
On May 22 I was trying to hold off a faster car and was pretty sure I had enough to get to the stripe first when I got in something on the track and went for a wild sliding ride through the traps. Lucky I didn't hit anything, but I did need a change of shorts after that.
Then on June 6 I tore all the teeth off the input shaft in my transmission. I had to miss two races because I didn't get the parts as soon as promised and dropped from 2nd to 4th in points.
Then last night the icing on the cake. The car had been running very good through time trials and the first round of eliminations. On the second round I was chasing a slower car (brackets) and felt sure I could pass him before the stripe. About 10 ft from the stripe there was a loud bang, the motor quit and I was sliding down the track again. I even got in a little off road action on the grass beside the track. Once again I was lucky and didn't hit anything. Oil and water were pouring out of the motor when I stopped and it appears that a rod tried to escape from the oil pan.
This last one is a back breaker. I don't think I can afford to fix the motor this year since I expect pretty much everything to be trash. I may try throwing a junk yard motor in just to finish the season but I'm not sure.
I will be back as I enjoy racing too much to quit. I just don't know when. We racers aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.
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OFR - old fart racing
We're not the fastest car at the track but we might be having the most fun.
If you're not having fun, then you're taking this stuff too seriously!
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Breakage is always part of the equation with racing. We saw a 99+ Mustang blow off his intake the other night going down the track, and caught fire. I guess he didn't tune his car properly for nitrous. The engine bay is toast.....
I feel your pain. Last bunch of seasons haven't been good for me.
2004 July lost the 3rd engine on the top end of Atco and caught fire. Car was done for the season. No real fire damage thanks to the track crew but the bottom end of the engine was destroyed. Switched to the street car but really wasn't competive running Heavy elimiantor at Atco.
2005 Sold my 69 Judge to pay for rebuild and the cc bill from the previous build (the one with 70 passes and then kerboom). Built a conservate engine (reliable) and slowed the car to run 12's in heat. Made the Div 1 Finals.
2006 Changed my driving routine. Went deep and spent the season learning how to "wait for the yellow". Finished in the top 15 at Maple Grove with the race car and top 20 in the vette at Raceway Park track.
2007 Started out with a win and was in the top 3 at Maple Grove until July. Blew my knee out. Very painful to get in and out over the side bar. Ducked tape my leg together to finish the season. Finished a disapointing #10. Knee surgery 2 weeks after the seaon ended.
2008 Cut back on racing and ran the street mustang. Finished #8 at Raceway Park. Let the race car sit because it still hurt to get in an out.
2009 Scrapped the racing season in May due to financial reasons. I do try to get out every 3 or 4 weeks (withdraw). Race car is still sitting. I charged the battery and can get in and out without any issues. I hope to get the car back on the track in August for a few passes ($10k race at Atco on Aug 15th). I expect a job loss by the end of this year, selling the house, reloacting and racing the 2010 season in Florida.
Yep for some reason I just too dumb to quit.
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'07 Ford Mustang GT Alloy Metallic
4.6 Auto, 3.73 gears, C&L CAI, Diablo 91 octane tune, drag radials, and a saftey loop. What else do I need for a 14 second bracket car?
My wife has a job offer in Ft Myers. We want to stay on the coast. Ft Myers, North Ft Myers, Cape Coral area. A little closer to Bradenton would be nice for me. lol
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'07 Ford Mustang GT Alloy Metallic
4.6 Auto, 3.73 gears, C&L CAI, Diablo 91 octane tune, drag radials, and a saftey loop. What else do I need for a 14 second bracket car?
sorry about your loss. i know the feeling. unfortunatly, eventually everyone feels the wrath of catastrophic failure
Atleast you kept it on the track though and didnt get hurt
You're right on both counts. Racing does chew up parts which can be replaced. Not wrecking the car is the important thing.
My wife goes to the races with me every week and she always worries too much (it's what women do). She was pretty freaked out on this one because there was so much smoke and it was way down the track so she couldn't see if I'd wrecked or not. One of my fellow racers jumped on a four wheeler and rode down to check on me then went back to assure her I was fine.
It's the people that make racing great. When they towed my car back to the pits there were about 10 guys waiting to push it onto the trailer, and every one of them wished me luck in getting back to the action as soon as possible.
On the way home Sue (my wife) was expressing some concern about the safety of racing. I pointed out to her that I had my car built to a higher safety standard than what's required for my speed and with the cage and harness even if I did wreck I'd be ok. Then just to yank her chain a little I mentioned that since my car was out of commission for a while maybe I'd start racing my bike. That got a response that wouldn't be work safe due to language! I was just kidding, as even I think those drag bikers are nuts. There's a guy with a turbo 'Busa that hits 180 in the 1/4, and I'll readily admit I don't have the cajones for that.
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OFR - old fart racing
We're not the fastest car at the track but we might be having the most fun.
If you're not having fun, then you're taking this stuff too seriously!
My wife has a job offer in Ft Myers. We want to stay on the coast. Ft Myers, North Ft Myers, Cape Coral area. A little closer to Bradenton would be nice for me. lol
Bradenton is a great reason to live on the west coast of florida....
but factor extra money for new axles.....
Bradenton aka "the house of hook"......
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Reggie
Real Racers Don't Street Race
PERIOD.......
'88 LX Hatch With A Little Of This & A Little Of That...... 10.39 @128 MPH Soon to be faster....
You're right on both counts. Racing does chew up parts which can be replaced. Not wrecking the car is the important thing.
My wife goes to the races with me every week and she always worries too much (it's what women do). She was pretty freaked out on this one because there was so much smoke and it was way down the track so she couldn't see if I'd wrecked or not. One of my fellow racers jumped on a four wheeler and rode down to check on me then went back to assure her I was fine. My girlfriend is the SAME WAY! All women must think alike at the track.
It's the people that make racing great. When they towed my car back to the pits there were about 10 guys waiting to push it onto the trailer, and every one of them wished me luck in getting back to the action as soon as possible. I had about 6 people assist in pushing my car back to the pits last time i went to the track. There TYPICALLY really is a great group of people at the tracks. Even strangers
On the way home Sue (my wife) was expressing some concern about the safety of racing. I pointed out to her that I had my car built to a higher safety standard than what's required for my speed and with the cage and harness even if I did wreck I'd be ok. Then just to yank her chain a little I mentioned that since my car was out of commission for a while maybe I'd start racing my bike. That got a response that wouldn't be work safe due to language! I was just kidding, as even I think those drag bikers are nuts. There's a guy with a turbo 'Busa that hits 180 in the 1/4, and I'll readily admit I don't have the cajones for that.
I mentioned that one time to my girl friend. I'm 19 years old. She and my mom,dad and brother were bout to whoop my @$$! I was just kidding as well. Guess they didnt think it was too funny.
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Soon To Be:
Switching over to an '87 COUPE, Carb'd 331, 100-150 shot of giggle gas, TKO 600
Damn, sorry to hear that happened. That friggin blows, I just got my car back on the road after a 3 month hiatus, so yeah I know how that goes. Just good to see that once again the car made it out unscathed along with the driver. Keep your head up there's always next season .
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Single Cam Hatch
VTEC - All the lag of a turbo............None of the boost
If its Fast and reliable, it ain't cheap.
If its Cheap and reliable, it ain't fast.
If its Fast and cheap, it ain't reliable.
I can't face waiting till next year to get back racing, especially when the last race this year isn't till Oct 30. That's 3 whole months of racing I'd miss!
So I have a plan. I just ordered a bone yard motor. It's a 68k mile 351 roller motor. I'm going to put that in with whatever of my parts can be salvaged and run it the rest of the year, then put a stroker kit in it over the winter. It'll be a lot slower for now, but it's brackets, and at least I'll be racing.
Hanging with the guys at the track every Friday night is a big part of the enjoyment I get from this. Id miss that a lot. I'm going to tell them up front that I don't want them making fun of my slow ass car! I'm sure they will though, I'd do the same if the shoe was on the other foot.
__________________
OFR - old fart racing
We're not the fastest car at the track but we might be having the most fun.
If you're not having fun, then you're taking this stuff too seriously!
I can't face waiting till next year to get back racing, especially when the last race this year isn't till Oct 30. That's 3 whole months of racing I'd miss!
So I have a plan. I just ordered a bone yard motor. It's a 68k mile 351 roller motor. I'm going to put that in with whatever of my parts can be salvaged and run it the rest of the year, then put a stroker kit in it over the winter. It'll be a lot slower for now, but it's brackets, and at least I'll be racing.
Hanging with the guys at the track every Friday night is a big part of the enjoyment I get from this. Id miss that a lot. I'm going to tell them up front that I don't want them making fun of my slow ass car! I'm sure they will though, I'd do the same if the shoe was on the other foot.
good luck on the rest of the season......
i'm with you a lot of the enjoyment is a hanging out with guys on friday nite.....
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Reggie
Real Racers Don't Street Race
PERIOD.......
'88 LX Hatch With A Little Of This & A Little Of That...... 10.39 @128 MPH Soon to be faster....
Isn't racing fun! 
