Hero....to zero...in 9.5 seconds

I rolled in to South Georgia Motorsports park (SGMP) pretty confident, since I had a great outing there in March. I had my best transmission and converter in the car and a tune up that ran the 9.50 index very accurately at Gainesville last year. My spare trans was all fresh and ready if needed.
I noticed a lot of bearing play in my Moroso vacuum pump, so I planned to service it when I got the the track on Thursday. The bearings were flat worn out and one had spun on the shaft, making a press necessary to get it apart. I used blocks of wood and my trailer tongue jack to press the bearings off, reassembled the pump, and called it a night.
Woke up Friday moring ready for time runs and a qualifying pass. Since I had noticed 2 cylinders gaining valve lash recently, I popped the covers to do a quick valve lash check and found #6 exhaust with .060 lash. The roller lifter was bad. I spent all day changing the lifters and checking the engine for damage. Luckily the lifter was intact and the cam was not damaged. As I waited for the RTV to cure, I watched all of my competitiors test and qualify.
Saturday AM, unloaded the car and the trans brake was stuck...applied. Grrrr. The plunger in the valve body was stuck "in", apparently from a left over particle left over from the broken pump gear (caused by a broken flexplate) back in January. It was a quick fix, but added stress, since I was being called to the lanes!
I qualified #4 with a pitiful 9.56. In round #1 my opponent beat me on the tree by .035 and as the wheels were in the air, I felt it start to spin the tires. He was GONE.....
I rolled closer to him and at the fish line he nailed the brakes. Something made me follow suit and also lift. A really bad decision. He only took the stripe by .007....and I gave it to him big time. The '58 was rolling at about 146 and caught him off guard. If I had ran it out the back door, he would have looked like the big dummy, instead of me.
On the good side, my 9.50 setup ran a great MPH with the new 5" collectors (146.5 MPH) and the car is fine.
557 Mazda and 69F100 stopped by to visit and help out. ( Their picture is on the Aerospace Components Facebook page with me and the '58) It was a beautiful week end.
Now, I have to reload and recalibrate the '58 to run Super Gas (9.90) at the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway this week. Gotta get pitted on Wednesday, so time's-a-wastin'...better get busy....
Keith

I know you and the 58 are #1...,but we all make mistakes...good luck @ Atlanta this week

Thanks!
That nice comment has motivated me to get off my tail...shut of this computer and go get busy!
Keith

well get to it mister! ..if you ever get to Maryland to race I will be out!

Damn....... Better Luck next time Keith. Sounds like it was a blast by any means. Git er done

great job Keith , go get them in Atlanta !!!!

Go get 'em Keith.

Kerry

Hey keith me and my son are going to try and make it..will look you up...

Keith it was nice meeting you and I learned a few things just talking with you.Good luck this weekend maybe all the bugs got out of it last weekend and will be bug free for you.

Jim

557 mazda wrote:Hey keith me and my son are going to try and make it..will look you up...

No Fair I got to work this weekend

Good Luck this weekend Keith

Thanks...
If any other forum members happen to stumble in to the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway this weekend, look me up!
There may be several 1958 Fords in competition there, but mine is the only red one.
Keith

Don't worry Keith you can't win them all!
Plus weekends like those make winning that much sweeter.
Justin

Wheelie58 wrote:Thanks...
.... several 1958 Fords in competition there, but mine is the only red one.
Keith

You funny.

David Cole wrote:

Wheelie58 wrote:Thanks...
.... several 1958 Fords in competition there, but mine is the only red one.
Keith

You funny.

All of the cool kids have one.

he is right he had the only red one last weekend