Some runs from Sacramento

So summer is officially over now that I got back into the car to race.   A nice 78 degrees during the day and mid 60s at night, just perfect for old folk like me.

I ran a couple 1/4 mile passes in TNT earlier in the day to test out my new ladder bar set up.  I adjusted the pinion angle at -1 degree and adjusted everything to where I thought it was "square".  The car leaves straight, level (no twist), and pretty flat.   With some adjustment I think I can get some mid 1.2Xs out of it.  First time out got a 1.298 and a 1.300, but I am sure I can improve upon that next time out Nov 2nd and 3rd.

A couple funny stories though:

My very first pass was a 9.11 @ 151.  I thought at first I might have hurt something.  Checked this, that, and the other.  Then checked timing, it was only at 14 degrees.  I crossed the M(+) and M(-) lines, apparently, when hooking back up the ignition box.  Switched the wires, timing went back up to 22 degrees, and ran an 8.76 @ only 147 as I got out of it way early, but problem solved.

I entered the Horsepower University event at Sacramento Raceway on Saturday, and I end up racing Chris Alston from Chassisworks in the finals.  The crew came up to me in the staging lanes and wanted to know what lane I wanted to run.  I lol'd and said it ain't going to matter.   That car is awesome and can go 6.60s in the 1/4.   I ran a 5.57, a 5.58, a couple of 5.63s, best mph was 127.45.  This is actually good for me as my second battery took a dump, so I couldn't keep the bottles heated properly in the lanes.  I was racing with approx 850 psi vs my typical 1000--so it was hitting pretty soft out of the hole.  I think 5.4Xs will be mine next time out.  

anyway, some video.  Excited that (for me anyway), drag racing season is starting.

Curious as to why you went ladder bar? Car looks killer with those bead locks btw...

I didn't want to back half the car (which I would of had to do in order to 4 link it).  Still has stock frame, notched of course.    Yeah those wheels are 15X12 now, and the rearend was narrowed 3 inches on each side.  I find the ladder bar really easy to adjust also.  I am an idiot and even I found it easy to adjust pinion angle, the wheelbase, and centering it. The only part I was guessing was IC, I just kept the bars centered on the front brackets, which is roughly parallel with the ground. I did also lower the car all around by about 1 1/2 - 2 inches.

Nice laps, and damn nice lookin car.  

Nice

ladderbars are fine....... car looks badass...... and sounds good also.

are you using a waterbath to heat the bottle and a pad just to maintain?

No. And that is what I need to do. I have a heater that is in the dual bottle bracket, but yeah that should really be just to maintain it once I heat them up to the right pressure before heading to the lanes. I was using the bracket heater for everything so it killed my second battery pretty fast. I thought it would last longer but apparently that takes a lot of juice.

  i realy like that car!

yeah hot water bath to heat soak the bottles, we throw it in the car as we are called to the lanes. I use a 12v pad to maintain on cooler nights or if we get stuck in the lanes. The sb car has to batts and the pad runs off the cars power, the 69 has a single 16v and I use a 12v batt on the 4wheeler if it needs a little boost. I keep the hot box pretty warm on cooler days to give the bottle a little room to cool down...... not so much the hotter it is outside.

richter69 wrote:ladderbars are fine....... car looks badass...... and sounds good also.

I agree. Not sure of the geometry of those new body styles or what the factory setup consisted of. I assume that it was difficult to get a handle on.

As long as that 15x12 doesn't turn into a 15x33:lol: 

tank tracks for the win lol

Haha. No 29.5 X 10.5W is the largest tire I will run.

W's dont count............;-)

Damn it!  

Here are a few more vids.  The race against the Chevelle---its funny how that thing left hard, got some air, mine looks kind of flat, but we both had the same 60 foot times.

That is on cool car. Good #'s to ! Hope to get to see at a race track some where again. I'm looking forward to getting my new pile of junk om the track soon.

"new pile of junk" lol. Well, your "old pile of junk" was pretty damn fast, so its all relative I guess.

It might happen. Do you ever go out to Oklahoma area? We might be moving to Colorado next year, if we do it wouldn't be hard at all for me to make it to some Oklahoma races.

Now you're talkin...Bring that thang down here...I'd like to see it.!