Read 'em and weep(I did!)... 13.992 seconds at 96.92 MPH!
But it was all for naught... read on...
It would be the first trip to the track for a couple months, so I was quite anxious to get things underway. The track event was an all-Ford race and show event at the Mason Dixon DragWay in Hagerstown, Maryland. Track conditions at the opening promised to be hot and sticky. For the first run of the day in the morning, it was already 88 degrees in low-visibility, hazy, humid conditions.
For the first time trial I find myself lined up against another Gen1 Mark VIII(a.k.a. aBill). The tree came down and with a reaction time of 0.166 seconds, I smashed into the throttle. The drag radials simply lit up and spun vicously! I was almost, ...{holds fingers up pinching daylight between the thumb and index finger}..., almost about to let up on the throttle to get it to take off when the car finally decided to leave the start line and depart down the track with a meager 2.255 sixty foot time. The new stall converter however allowed me to recover from such a poor launch and I crossed the finish line with new low ET of 14.287 @ 96.72. Bill(my opponent) put up a decent 15.552 number.
Dazed and confused now how to launch the newly installed combo of high stall converter, new chip and electric water pump - I staged for the second time trial with the temperature now at 92 degrees. This time I had slim hopes of getting the win light as I was against a very impressive looking S/C Marauder. I knew traction was poor(for everyone it seemed), so I forced myself to divert from my normal 'stab it' launch. When the last yellow light lit up I released the brake and rolled into the throttle purposefully taking maybe a full half second or more to reach WOT. Just a hint of tire spin seemed to justify my new launch technique while the redlight in the opponent's lane didn't seem to defer his attack to the finish line. He was soundly ahead of me at the 1320' mark despite the win light in my lane. I collected the slip showing a 0.102 R/T, a much improved sixty foot time of 2.010 and a new record ET of 14.078! OMG! Soooo close, yet so far!
The third and final time trial, again at 92 degrees, gave me a slip that was middle of the road with a 2.031 sixty foot and 14.138 ET but an improving R/T of 0.087 seconds. So now the dilemma was what on earth to dial the car in at.
Now this was only my second or third attempt at a true bracket racing type event, so I am far from being confident in my ability to choose a good dial-in. Listening to others in the class I was in, the temp was sure to be hotter and the times were sure to be slower, so a sure bet would be the last number run. In my case a 14.13? In the back of my mind, I wondered what to do about the launch. With a better launch I had picked up about 0.2 seconds despite increasing temperatures. Reluctantly, I painted 14.12 on the glass and waited for the call for eliminations to begin.
After a break and clean-up on the track, our class was called to the staging lanes and I found myself lined up against a 15 second TBird. The burnout was uneventful but that's where things began to go wrong. Slightly nervous, I staged and awaited the lights. The barrier was up between my lights and my opponent's lights on the tree. Good, I quickly thought, I won't get distracted by his lights.
Now things become unwound. Noise. The lights start to fall. Out of my peripheral vision, I unconciously see the movement of my opponent as he launches from the starting gate. I purposefully fight to hold the brake. I fail. Some unknown force lifts my foot from the brake pedal and smashes the accelerator to the floor. I knew the moment it happened it was too soon. I cursed as I left the line with the redlight signaling my mistake. Perhaps he redlighted too was all I could consol myself with as I held it to the floor going for broke.
Sadly I crossed the line with no win light in my lane and I drove to the timing booth to pickup my timeslip of shame. Eliminated in the first round due to a redlight. Talk about pitiful! Entering the pits, I then discovered the real suprise! Not only had I redlighted, I had broken out at the end as well! With a 14.12 dial-in I recorded a 13.992 ET!! I had not only beat my dial in, I had solidly trounced it!!! Loser! Two time loser! OMG! :B
Wait! A 13.992?! I had did it!!
I had broken the barrier and hit the 13s! }( Oh, he agony of loosing was much easier now! :7
DIAL - 14.12
R/T - (-0.269)
60' - 2.036
330' - 5.803
1/8 - 8.946
MPH - 78.31
1000' - 11.676
1/4 - 13.992
MPH - 96.92
Temperature - 94
Humidity - 67%
Barometer - 30.03
But it was all for naught... read on...
It would be the first trip to the track for a couple months, so I was quite anxious to get things underway. The track event was an all-Ford race and show event at the Mason Dixon DragWay in Hagerstown, Maryland. Track conditions at the opening promised to be hot and sticky. For the first run of the day in the morning, it was already 88 degrees in low-visibility, hazy, humid conditions.
For the first time trial I find myself lined up against another Gen1 Mark VIII(a.k.a. aBill). The tree came down and with a reaction time of 0.166 seconds, I smashed into the throttle. The drag radials simply lit up and spun vicously! I was almost, ...{holds fingers up pinching daylight between the thumb and index finger}..., almost about to let up on the throttle to get it to take off when the car finally decided to leave the start line and depart down the track with a meager 2.255 sixty foot time. The new stall converter however allowed me to recover from such a poor launch and I crossed the finish line with new low ET of 14.287 @ 96.72. Bill(my opponent) put up a decent 15.552 number.
Dazed and confused now how to launch the newly installed combo of high stall converter, new chip and electric water pump - I staged for the second time trial with the temperature now at 92 degrees. This time I had slim hopes of getting the win light as I was against a very impressive looking S/C Marauder. I knew traction was poor(for everyone it seemed), so I forced myself to divert from my normal 'stab it' launch. When the last yellow light lit up I released the brake and rolled into the throttle purposefully taking maybe a full half second or more to reach WOT. Just a hint of tire spin seemed to justify my new launch technique while the redlight in the opponent's lane didn't seem to defer his attack to the finish line. He was soundly ahead of me at the 1320' mark despite the win light in my lane. I collected the slip showing a 0.102 R/T, a much improved sixty foot time of 2.010 and a new record ET of 14.078! OMG! Soooo close, yet so far!
The third and final time trial, again at 92 degrees, gave me a slip that was middle of the road with a 2.031 sixty foot and 14.138 ET but an improving R/T of 0.087 seconds. So now the dilemma was what on earth to dial the car in at.
Now this was only my second or third attempt at a true bracket racing type event, so I am far from being confident in my ability to choose a good dial-in. Listening to others in the class I was in, the temp was sure to be hotter and the times were sure to be slower, so a sure bet would be the last number run. In my case a 14.13? In the back of my mind, I wondered what to do about the launch. With a better launch I had picked up about 0.2 seconds despite increasing temperatures. Reluctantly, I painted 14.12 on the glass and waited for the call for eliminations to begin.
After a break and clean-up on the track, our class was called to the staging lanes and I found myself lined up against a 15 second TBird. The burnout was uneventful but that's where things began to go wrong. Slightly nervous, I staged and awaited the lights. The barrier was up between my lights and my opponent's lights on the tree. Good, I quickly thought, I won't get distracted by his lights.
Now things become unwound. Noise. The lights start to fall. Out of my peripheral vision, I unconciously see the movement of my opponent as he launches from the starting gate. I purposefully fight to hold the brake. I fail. Some unknown force lifts my foot from the brake pedal and smashes the accelerator to the floor. I knew the moment it happened it was too soon. I cursed as I left the line with the redlight signaling my mistake. Perhaps he redlighted too was all I could consol myself with as I held it to the floor going for broke.
Sadly I crossed the line with no win light in my lane and I drove to the timing booth to pickup my timeslip of shame. Eliminated in the first round due to a redlight. Talk about pitiful! Entering the pits, I then discovered the real suprise! Not only had I redlighted, I had broken out at the end as well! With a 14.12 dial-in I recorded a 13.992 ET!! I had not only beat my dial in, I had solidly trounced it!!! Loser! Two time loser! OMG! :B
Wait! A 13.992?! I had did it!!
I had broken the barrier and hit the 13s! }( Oh, he agony of loosing was much easier now! :7 DIAL - 14.12
R/T - (-0.269)
60' - 2.036
330' - 5.803
1/8 - 8.946
MPH - 78.31
1000' - 11.676
1/4 - 13.992
MPH - 96.92
Temperature - 94
Humidity - 67%
Barometer - 30.03
