Last friday night was the first race of the points series for the 2005 Season in Street Stock. Tiff and I both went, but we left her car at home because she's not been feeling well. 
She spent the evening in the Timing Tower giving the annoucer a hard time and vice versa.
We got to the track at 7PM and I made a note of the 16 gallons in the gas tank. Dropped my spare tire and tool box in the pit area and waited for the call for time trials.
At 7:30 I made my first time trial, launching at 1000 rpms the the tires spin was evident by my 2.21 60 foot time, the car pulled well all they way to the finish line netting a 9.54 @ 74.52
Not to bad for first pass of the night and after a 100 mile freeway trip with only a 30 minute cool down.
So I went back to the lanes to make a "hot lap" to determine how much my car would slow down on a "round robin" run
{This simulates going from semi final round to the finals, as they are usually run Round Robin}
Same scenario..
Lauch the car at 1000 RPM's and leave the shifter in Drive.
Once again the car chirps the tires on the launch netting a paltry 2.24 60 ft and pulled cleanly to a 9.60 @ 74.34 MPH
Now I've determined that Round Robin Slow down is roughly .6, or so.
I drive the car back to the pits and let the car cool down.
There is roughly 1 hour between Elimination Rounds, so that is about how long we left the cars cool down between time trial runs.
50 minutes later I take back off for the lanes and get my next set of runs in..
I plan in making:
1 COLD PASS
1 Round Robin Pass
This will give me alot of good information.
Cold Pass gives me a much better 2.16 60 ft that terminates with a 9.41 @ 75.28 MPH
Round Robin Pass turns out a 2.23 60 ft(spun) and ended with a 9.50 @ 75.04
If you compare the 60 ft times and deduct the differnce it is .07
Subtract that .06 from the 9.50 ET and it "would have" ran a 9.43 had it not spun.
{makes a note in the log book as such}
Now I have a time trial and a round robin run with a "hot car" and I have a time trial and a round robin run with a "cold car".
Since I didn't have a full hour cool down between my cold runs and Round 1, I decided to "dial the car soft" and give myself a little breathing room. I write a 9.50 on the window
My opponent is the venerable Chris Barnes in a Lightning Pickup who has previously won the Street Stock Championship.
He's a good racer, without a doubt.
His truck had a tranny/convertor problem and he didn't think he would be able to compete/finish the race.. but he was out to gain as many points as he could.
I cut a "OH SO SLOOOOW" .600 RT and the car audibly chirped the tires on the launch, which told me dialing the car "SOFT" had been a good choice!
I got past the 330' mark and did a head jerk to check my oppponents track position.He's not in my mirror.
He's NOT next to me..
I have to look really close in my mirror to see him WAY back between the 60 foot clocks and the 330' mark. He's broke.
My elation turns to dread as I realize that it's still possible for me to LOSE THIS RACE, by breaking out on my "SOFT DIAL"
SO.. about 75 ft from the finish line I TOSS OUT THE ANCHOR and cross the line with a 10.15@ 48MPH
Now I have a "hit the brakes pass" and have to figure out what it "would have" ran had I not chunked out the anchor.
I grab my timeslip and log book and compare the 330' times.
My 330 was 6.23
During time trials I ran a 330' of 6.23 and that ended in a 9.54
So I log a 9.53 predicted ET in my notes in the log book.
First round of the 2005 season is in the bag..with a WIN LIGHT!
Round 2 I get paired up with believe this or not..
A 93 ish Black Lincoln Mark VIII. The guy that owns it comes out to the track from time to time and the car runs pretty close to mine.. or atleast it "DID".
we go to the line
His dial in a 9.20 {HUH??}
My dial in is 9.45 so he's going to spot me .25 on the tree.
I'd watched him in time trials and noted that he wasn't "sawing down the tree" with Killer RT's.
So I decided to not attempt to "saw down the tree myself", I just wanted to "make the green light come on"... I trusted my car would "do the rest".
I cut a SNOOOOZZZZY .617 GREEN LIGHT to my opponents 1.04 RT
Coupled with the .25 he spotted on our Dials in his additional have a second at the tree I had a very large lead at the 330 mark.
I got down to the finish line and he was no where close so once again I tossed out the anchor!!!!
I cross the finish line .1994 seconds ahead of him with my foot planted firmly on the brake to the tune of 9.70@ SIXTY TWO MPH!
He ran a 9.32 @ 78.03 {wow, that's some SICK MPH!!!}
I found out after the run he's recently put a "Jet Chip" a "C& L" meter and 4.10's in the car.
I have to admit and hate to say out loud.. but with "well known BAD mods".. he's running pretty good!
4.10's probably helped him the most though.
The round 3 call is heard thru the pits and I have conceded that my car is running in the 9.50 range due to not being able to get cooled down to the 9.40's range...
So, I dial the car with a 9.48 and get paired up with a Lightning Pickup with a 7.70 dial in.
5.4 liter supercharge truck.. and I'm only going to get a 1.78 second head start, meaning before I get to the 60 ft clocks "he's gonna be COMING".
We stage, my side of the tree comes down and I'm off with a .578 RT just as I notice that I haddn't REDLIT I hear the shreiking of the supercharger as the Lightning gives chase with a .616 RT.
At the 330 mark I see that he's approaching rapidly as he moves from my rear view mirror to my side view mirror. The race is going to come down to the stripe!
about 50 ft from the line I check his position again and he's about 2 car lengths back and coming with a 15 or so MPH ADVATAGE {this is gonna be close}
At the stripe he left me a little room and I dipped into the brakes to be on the safe side.
WIN LIGHT.. LINCOLN LANE!
I ran a 9.51 tipping the brakes on my 9.48 dial on
I checked my 330 times.. !!??!! 6.14! compared to the 6.20's from earlier..
I checked the 60 ft times..
2.16 equal to my best pass of the day!!
23 cars entered into Street Stock at this race.
I won the first 3 rounds and now am finding myself in the SEMI FINAL ROUND.
we are down to 3 cars left!!!
a 04 Mach 1
a mid 90's Tbird MN-12 car Driven by Hollis Vaugh sponsored by 50RESTO.COM
and.. myself.
WE had TWO 50 RESTO Cars in the SEMIS!!!
The cards are drawn for the BYE run and my luck..
RAN OUT.
I didn't get the bye run, I drew the Mach 1.
Jamie Meridith in the Mach 1 runs Mod Motor Class in Fun Ford Weekend and has long be a very good racer.
I know I have my work cut out for me.
I also know I CANT go SOFT on the TREE and I CANT DIAL the car Soft Either.
SO.. I gotta LUMBERJACK the TREE and RUN FLAT FOOT the ENTIRE WAY.
THE plan is set.
I dial the 9.48 the car ran on the previous run, feeling that 25 minutes wasn't enough time to cool down to a lower ET.
If anything, I felt the car would run... 9.50-9.53 because of the heat in the car.
Jamie Dials in the Mach 1 at 8.08
He's going to spot me 1.40 at the tree
We stage the cars, and my side of the tree comes down.
When I left I had to check my mirror to see if I haddn't REDLIT..
it felt OH CRAP SO CLOSE.
AS I hear the Mach 1's tires CLAW at the track as he begines to REEL ME IN like some 4000 LB Marlin!
At the 330 mark I check on Jamie and he's right there on my 1/4 panel.
That is TOO CLOSE and I'm getting nervous because I dont think I can hold him off til the finish line.
At the finish line it was so close... I hit the brakes out of instinct rather than DECIDING to hit the brakes.
I stared intensely at the Win Light in my lane.. but it failed to burn.
I had lost.
I looked at the timeslip.
The plan worked well in theory,HAMMER THE TREE AND RUN IT ALL OUT!
I'd cut a .530 RT to his .541 RT,I had beat him on the tree!!
He ran a 8.12 on a 8.08 dial in..
he had "left me ROOM" at the finish line.
Here's the clincher.
I ran.... 9.407 @75.00 on a 9.48 dial in...I broke out!! BUT????
NINE FOUR ZERO HARD ON THE BRAKES?
The MPH didn't indicate that I scrubbed off much speed but I assure you, I hit the brakes pretty hard.
I beat myself, in the semi final round..
I took myself RIGHT OUT of the race, by making a mistake I conquered two years ago.
Here is where I "went wrong".
I HELD the brakes on AS I crosses the line
{frowns}
I "dipped" the nose of the car down into the beams rather than letting the wheels trip the lights.
I've done this twice in past years and THOUGHT that once I figured it out, it'd never happen to me again.
BUT.. at the FIRST race of the Season, I didn't have all my brains fired up, and it "cost me the race" ala BRAIN FADE.
Both times before when I had "dipped" the nose I had ran a FULL .1 faster than my quickest pass of the day.
"IF" I haddn't "dipped" the car likley would have ran a 9.51 on a 9.48 dial in which would have been .03 off
Jamie ran .04 off his dial in, and since I had beaten him on the tree I would have WON THAT RACE!!!
{shakes head}
Sometimes, MOST OF THE TIME..
it's "not the other guy in the other lane".
More times than not,the driver in YOUR lane will LOSE the race for you! *HAHA*
I came in 3rd out of 23 cars, I made it to the semi-finals before brain fade took me out.
I feel like it was a successfull night regardless of how hard I beat myself up over it all.
Stay tuned for next weeks update on Crazy 8's Racing!!!!
..sorry for the NOVEL!
She spent the evening in the Timing Tower giving the annoucer a hard time and vice versa.
We got to the track at 7PM and I made a note of the 16 gallons in the gas tank. Dropped my spare tire and tool box in the pit area and waited for the call for time trials.
At 7:30 I made my first time trial, launching at 1000 rpms the the tires spin was evident by my 2.21 60 foot time, the car pulled well all they way to the finish line netting a 9.54 @ 74.52
Not to bad for first pass of the night and after a 100 mile freeway trip with only a 30 minute cool down.
So I went back to the lanes to make a "hot lap" to determine how much my car would slow down on a "round robin" run
{This simulates going from semi final round to the finals, as they are usually run Round Robin}
Same scenario..
Lauch the car at 1000 RPM's and leave the shifter in Drive.
Once again the car chirps the tires on the launch netting a paltry 2.24 60 ft and pulled cleanly to a 9.60 @ 74.34 MPH
Now I've determined that Round Robin Slow down is roughly .6, or so.
I drive the car back to the pits and let the car cool down.
There is roughly 1 hour between Elimination Rounds, so that is about how long we left the cars cool down between time trial runs.
50 minutes later I take back off for the lanes and get my next set of runs in..
I plan in making:
1 COLD PASS
1 Round Robin Pass
This will give me alot of good information.
Cold Pass gives me a much better 2.16 60 ft that terminates with a 9.41 @ 75.28 MPH
Round Robin Pass turns out a 2.23 60 ft(spun) and ended with a 9.50 @ 75.04
If you compare the 60 ft times and deduct the differnce it is .07
Subtract that .06 from the 9.50 ET and it "would have" ran a 9.43 had it not spun.
{makes a note in the log book as such}
Now I have a time trial and a round robin run with a "hot car" and I have a time trial and a round robin run with a "cold car".
Since I didn't have a full hour cool down between my cold runs and Round 1, I decided to "dial the car soft" and give myself a little breathing room. I write a 9.50 on the window
My opponent is the venerable Chris Barnes in a Lightning Pickup who has previously won the Street Stock Championship.
He's a good racer, without a doubt.
His truck had a tranny/convertor problem and he didn't think he would be able to compete/finish the race.. but he was out to gain as many points as he could.
I cut a "OH SO SLOOOOW" .600 RT and the car audibly chirped the tires on the launch, which told me dialing the car "SOFT" had been a good choice!
I got past the 330' mark and did a head jerk to check my oppponents track position.He's not in my mirror.
He's NOT next to me..
I have to look really close in my mirror to see him WAY back between the 60 foot clocks and the 330' mark. He's broke.
My elation turns to dread as I realize that it's still possible for me to LOSE THIS RACE, by breaking out on my "SOFT DIAL"
SO.. about 75 ft from the finish line I TOSS OUT THE ANCHOR and cross the line with a 10.15@ 48MPH
Now I have a "hit the brakes pass" and have to figure out what it "would have" ran had I not chunked out the anchor.
I grab my timeslip and log book and compare the 330' times.
My 330 was 6.23
During time trials I ran a 330' of 6.23 and that ended in a 9.54
So I log a 9.53 predicted ET in my notes in the log book.
First round of the 2005 season is in the bag..with a WIN LIGHT!
Round 2 I get paired up with believe this or not..
A 93 ish Black Lincoln Mark VIII. The guy that owns it comes out to the track from time to time and the car runs pretty close to mine.. or atleast it "DID".
we go to the line
His dial in a 9.20 {HUH??}
My dial in is 9.45 so he's going to spot me .25 on the tree.
I'd watched him in time trials and noted that he wasn't "sawing down the tree" with Killer RT's.
So I decided to not attempt to "saw down the tree myself", I just wanted to "make the green light come on"... I trusted my car would "do the rest".
I cut a SNOOOOZZZZY .617 GREEN LIGHT to my opponents 1.04 RT
Coupled with the .25 he spotted on our Dials in his additional have a second at the tree I had a very large lead at the 330 mark.
I got down to the finish line and he was no where close so once again I tossed out the anchor!!!!
I cross the finish line .1994 seconds ahead of him with my foot planted firmly on the brake to the tune of 9.70@ SIXTY TWO MPH!
He ran a 9.32 @ 78.03 {wow, that's some SICK MPH!!!}
I found out after the run he's recently put a "Jet Chip" a "C& L" meter and 4.10's in the car.
I have to admit and hate to say out loud.. but with "well known BAD mods".. he's running pretty good!
4.10's probably helped him the most though.
The round 3 call is heard thru the pits and I have conceded that my car is running in the 9.50 range due to not being able to get cooled down to the 9.40's range...
So, I dial the car with a 9.48 and get paired up with a Lightning Pickup with a 7.70 dial in.
5.4 liter supercharge truck.. and I'm only going to get a 1.78 second head start, meaning before I get to the 60 ft clocks "he's gonna be COMING".
We stage, my side of the tree comes down and I'm off with a .578 RT just as I notice that I haddn't REDLIT I hear the shreiking of the supercharger as the Lightning gives chase with a .616 RT.
At the 330 mark I see that he's approaching rapidly as he moves from my rear view mirror to my side view mirror. The race is going to come down to the stripe!
about 50 ft from the line I check his position again and he's about 2 car lengths back and coming with a 15 or so MPH ADVATAGE {this is gonna be close}
At the stripe he left me a little room and I dipped into the brakes to be on the safe side.
WIN LIGHT.. LINCOLN LANE!
I ran a 9.51 tipping the brakes on my 9.48 dial on
I checked my 330 times.. !!??!! 6.14! compared to the 6.20's from earlier..
I checked the 60 ft times..
2.16 equal to my best pass of the day!!
23 cars entered into Street Stock at this race.
I won the first 3 rounds and now am finding myself in the SEMI FINAL ROUND.
we are down to 3 cars left!!!
a 04 Mach 1
a mid 90's Tbird MN-12 car Driven by Hollis Vaugh sponsored by 50RESTO.COM
and.. myself.
WE had TWO 50 RESTO Cars in the SEMIS!!!
The cards are drawn for the BYE run and my luck..
RAN OUT.
I didn't get the bye run, I drew the Mach 1.
Jamie Meridith in the Mach 1 runs Mod Motor Class in Fun Ford Weekend and has long be a very good racer.
I know I have my work cut out for me.
I also know I CANT go SOFT on the TREE and I CANT DIAL the car Soft Either.
SO.. I gotta LUMBERJACK the TREE and RUN FLAT FOOT the ENTIRE WAY.
THE plan is set.
I dial the 9.48 the car ran on the previous run, feeling that 25 minutes wasn't enough time to cool down to a lower ET.
If anything, I felt the car would run... 9.50-9.53 because of the heat in the car.
Jamie Dials in the Mach 1 at 8.08
He's going to spot me 1.40 at the tree
We stage the cars, and my side of the tree comes down.
When I left I had to check my mirror to see if I haddn't REDLIT..
it felt OH CRAP SO CLOSE.
AS I hear the Mach 1's tires CLAW at the track as he begines to REEL ME IN like some 4000 LB Marlin!
At the 330 mark I check on Jamie and he's right there on my 1/4 panel.
That is TOO CLOSE and I'm getting nervous because I dont think I can hold him off til the finish line.
At the finish line it was so close... I hit the brakes out of instinct rather than DECIDING to hit the brakes.
I stared intensely at the Win Light in my lane.. but it failed to burn.
I had lost.
I looked at the timeslip.
The plan worked well in theory,HAMMER THE TREE AND RUN IT ALL OUT!
I'd cut a .530 RT to his .541 RT,I had beat him on the tree!!
He ran a 8.12 on a 8.08 dial in..
he had "left me ROOM" at the finish line.
Here's the clincher.
I ran.... 9.407 @75.00 on a 9.48 dial in...I broke out!! BUT????
NINE FOUR ZERO HARD ON THE BRAKES?
The MPH didn't indicate that I scrubbed off much speed but I assure you, I hit the brakes pretty hard.
I beat myself, in the semi final round..
I took myself RIGHT OUT of the race, by making a mistake I conquered two years ago.
Here is where I "went wrong".
I HELD the brakes on AS I crosses the line
{frowns}
I "dipped" the nose of the car down into the beams rather than letting the wheels trip the lights.
I've done this twice in past years and THOUGHT that once I figured it out, it'd never happen to me again.
BUT.. at the FIRST race of the Season, I didn't have all my brains fired up, and it "cost me the race" ala BRAIN FADE.
Both times before when I had "dipped" the nose I had ran a FULL .1 faster than my quickest pass of the day.
"IF" I haddn't "dipped" the car likley would have ran a 9.51 on a 9.48 dial in which would have been .03 off
Jamie ran .04 off his dial in, and since I had beaten him on the tree I would have WON THAT RACE!!!
{shakes head}
Sometimes, MOST OF THE TIME..
it's "not the other guy in the other lane".
More times than not,the driver in YOUR lane will LOSE the race for you! *HAHA*
I came in 3rd out of 23 cars, I made it to the semi-finals before brain fade took me out.
I feel like it was a successfull night regardless of how hard I beat myself up over it all.
Stay tuned for next weeks update on Crazy 8's Racing!!!!
..sorry for the NOVEL!
