It had been a long time coming, but I finally got to run at the track again today.
The event was at the Mason Dixon Dragway and the venue was the All-Ford Event rescheduled due to rain back in August. It was hot and miserable running conditions but through it all it was good to line up in the staging lanes again. The temperature at the track was over 90 degrees by the time I got to run down the 1320' strip and it seemed a head wind was in order for most of the day.
The first time-trial was the best run of the day after a 2-1/2 hour cool down from the trip to the track. I lined up against an early model Cougar when the Cougar/T-bird 'mixed' class was called up to the lanes. I settled after the burnout and approached the tree with aprehension wondering how rusty my reaction time would be. As suspected, the Cougar blew me off the starting line with an 0.018 RT to my 0.227 RT!
Lincoln / Cougar
R/T - 0.227 / 0.018
60ft - 1.918 / 1.947
330ft - 5.730 / 5.628
1/8 - 8.876 / 8.663
MPH - 76.75 / 80.77
1000ft - 11.608 / 11.304
1/4 - 13.908 / 13.539
MPH - 98.28 / 100.88
DA - 3700'
A little off from what I expected. Had I been asked to set a dial-in, I would've picked a 13.85, so all in all, running 13.9 didn't upset me.
The second time-trial was a near copy of the first including the air quality and temperature. I even somehow managed to line up against the same opponent who this time jumped the tree at the launch but otherwise ran stronger.
Lincoln / Cougar
R/T - 0.186 / -0.061
60ft - 1.931 / 1.917
330ft - 5.753 / 5.528
1/8 - 8.909 / 8.517
MPH - 77.70 / 82.10
1000ft - 11.650 / 11.116
1/4 - 13.963 / 13.317
MPH - 97.47 / 102.32
DA - 3700'
By the time the eliminations started after 3 PM, the heat at the track seemed to have peaked at about 94 degrees, but still the headwinds prevailed. Figuring I would never match my first run, I dialed in with a 13.9. I answer the call to the lanes and line up against a MN12 T-bird who had dialed a 14.10.
T-Bird / Lincoln
DIAL - 14.10 / 13.90
R/T - -0.067 / 0.170
60ft - 2.105 / 1.965
330ft - 5.913 / 5.789
1/8 - 9.133 / 8.949
MPH - 75.00 / 77.64
1000ft - 11.945 / 11.695
1/4 - 14.297 / WIN>>14.009
MPH - 95.96 / 97.59
Left 1st 0.1493
Right MOV foul
DA - 3860'
Having sneaked past the first round I awaited the next call to the lanes. I tweaked the dial-in to a 13.95 for the next run. When it finally came an hour later, I found myself lined up against a known veteran in an electronics equipped big-block early-model Couger sporting a 12.58 dial-in. I have raced him in the past and have never been able to beat him.
Lincoln / Cougar
DIAL - 13.95 / 12.58
R/T - 0.118 / 0.047
60ft - 1.951 / 1.775
330ft - 5.829 / 5.183
1/8 - 9.001 / 8.020
MPH - 76.17 / 86.22
1000ft - 11.758 / 10.478
1/4 - 14.091 / WIN>>12.724
MPH - 96.68 / 94.12
Right 1st 0.0682
Right MOV 0.0682
DA - 3827'
Again, my rusty foot did not help, but the race was done in the last 100 feet or less as he ran me down and did his sandbag dance across the finish line.
Time to pack up and head on home.
The event was at the Mason Dixon Dragway and the venue was the All-Ford Event rescheduled due to rain back in August. It was hot and miserable running conditions but through it all it was good to line up in the staging lanes again. The temperature at the track was over 90 degrees by the time I got to run down the 1320' strip and it seemed a head wind was in order for most of the day.
The first time-trial was the best run of the day after a 2-1/2 hour cool down from the trip to the track. I lined up against an early model Cougar when the Cougar/T-bird 'mixed' class was called up to the lanes. I settled after the burnout and approached the tree with aprehension wondering how rusty my reaction time would be. As suspected, the Cougar blew me off the starting line with an 0.018 RT to my 0.227 RT!
Lincoln / Cougar
R/T - 0.227 / 0.018
60ft - 1.918 / 1.947
330ft - 5.730 / 5.628
1/8 - 8.876 / 8.663
MPH - 76.75 / 80.77
1000ft - 11.608 / 11.304
1/4 - 13.908 / 13.539
MPH - 98.28 / 100.88
DA - 3700'
A little off from what I expected. Had I been asked to set a dial-in, I would've picked a 13.85, so all in all, running 13.9 didn't upset me.
The second time-trial was a near copy of the first including the air quality and temperature. I even somehow managed to line up against the same opponent who this time jumped the tree at the launch but otherwise ran stronger.
Lincoln / Cougar
R/T - 0.186 / -0.061
60ft - 1.931 / 1.917
330ft - 5.753 / 5.528
1/8 - 8.909 / 8.517
MPH - 77.70 / 82.10
1000ft - 11.650 / 11.116
1/4 - 13.963 / 13.317
MPH - 97.47 / 102.32
DA - 3700'
By the time the eliminations started after 3 PM, the heat at the track seemed to have peaked at about 94 degrees, but still the headwinds prevailed. Figuring I would never match my first run, I dialed in with a 13.9. I answer the call to the lanes and line up against a MN12 T-bird who had dialed a 14.10.
T-Bird / Lincoln
DIAL - 14.10 / 13.90
R/T - -0.067 / 0.170
60ft - 2.105 / 1.965
330ft - 5.913 / 5.789
1/8 - 9.133 / 8.949
MPH - 75.00 / 77.64
1000ft - 11.945 / 11.695
1/4 - 14.297 / WIN>>14.009
MPH - 95.96 / 97.59
Left 1st 0.1493
Right MOV foul
DA - 3860'
Having sneaked past the first round I awaited the next call to the lanes. I tweaked the dial-in to a 13.95 for the next run. When it finally came an hour later, I found myself lined up against a known veteran in an electronics equipped big-block early-model Couger sporting a 12.58 dial-in. I have raced him in the past and have never been able to beat him.
Lincoln / Cougar
DIAL - 13.95 / 12.58
R/T - 0.118 / 0.047
60ft - 1.951 / 1.775
330ft - 5.829 / 5.183
1/8 - 9.001 / 8.020
MPH - 76.17 / 86.22
1000ft - 11.758 / 10.478
1/4 - 14.091 / WIN>>12.724
MPH - 96.68 / 94.12
Right 1st 0.0682
Right MOV 0.0682
DA - 3827'
Again, my rusty foot did not help, but the race was done in the last 100 feet or less as he ran me down and did his sandbag dance across the finish line.
Time to pack up and head on home.
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