Good luck this weekend! Looking forward to hearing about it!
1960 Chevy Belair Outlaw
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Rapid Randy Baker
- Posts: 8075
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:05 am
- Location: Des Moines, Iowa
- Contact:
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Mike-Casella
- Posts: 2204
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 6:53 am
- Location: Middleboro, MA
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jim sanders
- Posts: 8740
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:54 am
- Location: St.Louis Mo.
- Contact:
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Mike-Casella
- Posts: 2204
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 6:53 am
- Location: Middleboro, MA
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Mike-Casella
- Posts: 2204
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 6:53 am
- Location: Middleboro, MA
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Rapid Randy Baker
- Posts: 8075
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:05 am
- Location: Des Moines, Iowa
- Contact:
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Mike-Casella
- Posts: 2204
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 6:53 am
- Location: Middleboro, MA
This is one of those times where things just happen and there's nothing you can do but grin and bear it.
We got the car all ready to make my first of two full pass license runs at the Nostalgia Drags in Epping, NH on Sunday the 28th. Everything looked and felt great, we even had our entire uniformed crew at this event, we looked pretty damned impressive, even if I do say so myself. I pulled up for the burnout and unknown to me, the water box person pulled me too far out of the box. The resulting burnout was terrible. Knowing it was a wash, I was brought back to the line by my stepdaughter Kathy, (Racechick) performing her first ever back-up, with my son Mike, (Mcas7) relaying directions from behind to get me back in the groove. Even though this was her first time even setting foot on a drag strip, she did it like a seasoned veteran. She was so focused on her job that she didn't notice the starting line guy asking me if I wanted to do it again and me shaking my head "yes". I must have looked like one of those bobble-head dolls. Finally he got her attention and they brought me back to the box. This burnout was the one I should have done the first time as it was perfect! Kathy chased me down to the 60' clocks this time, and got her second chance to line me up in the tracks I had just left. In no time I was back at the line ready for the blast-off.
I was brought to the line by my son, and lit the pre-stage bulb, then the stage bulb and set the trans brake. As soon as I released the foot brake the car started to back up. It was at this point I knew we had a transmission problem and decided to leave the line from and idle. I stabbed the throttle to get moving. The instant the nitrous came on the engine flew up to 7800 rpm, so I let off and gave it another go. This time it shot up to 8600 rpm. Once again I backed off and found myself at the 1/8th mile mark not going anywhere fast. I slipped it into second gear and went for the floor. From this point on there was no stopping my charge for that stripe at the end of the track. I stopped the clocks at 154 mph, but it took me 10 seconds to get there.
Back in the pits, I checked the transmission fluid and the smell turned my stomach. Unfortunately the transmission was finished for the day. We just buttoned it back up and decided to hang around for a while. I had a ton of visitors, fellow racers, and spectators, stop by and give me their condolences on the transmission and compliments on the car. It actually made me feel pretty good about what we had accomplished with our project.
One of the other highlights for the day was when a guy stopped by to see what was going on. He introduced himself and it was none other than the infamous engine tuner, Tommy Howell of the Follow A Dream FC. We sat and chatted for what seemed like an hour. Unfortunately he didn't have a spare transmission in his back pocket, but it sure was great talking to him. I had to chuckle at one of the comments he made while looking at the engine compartment on the car. "Hey, do you need a plumbers license to work on this thing?"
Despite ending up with a transmission that wouldn't transmit, we still had a great day at the track.
Mike
We got the car all ready to make my first of two full pass license runs at the Nostalgia Drags in Epping, NH on Sunday the 28th. Everything looked and felt great, we even had our entire uniformed crew at this event, we looked pretty damned impressive, even if I do say so myself. I pulled up for the burnout and unknown to me, the water box person pulled me too far out of the box. The resulting burnout was terrible. Knowing it was a wash, I was brought back to the line by my stepdaughter Kathy, (Racechick) performing her first ever back-up, with my son Mike, (Mcas7) relaying directions from behind to get me back in the groove. Even though this was her first time even setting foot on a drag strip, she did it like a seasoned veteran. She was so focused on her job that she didn't notice the starting line guy asking me if I wanted to do it again and me shaking my head "yes". I must have looked like one of those bobble-head dolls. Finally he got her attention and they brought me back to the box. This burnout was the one I should have done the first time as it was perfect! Kathy chased me down to the 60' clocks this time, and got her second chance to line me up in the tracks I had just left. In no time I was back at the line ready for the blast-off.
I was brought to the line by my son, and lit the pre-stage bulb, then the stage bulb and set the trans brake. As soon as I released the foot brake the car started to back up. It was at this point I knew we had a transmission problem and decided to leave the line from and idle. I stabbed the throttle to get moving. The instant the nitrous came on the engine flew up to 7800 rpm, so I let off and gave it another go. This time it shot up to 8600 rpm. Once again I backed off and found myself at the 1/8th mile mark not going anywhere fast. I slipped it into second gear and went for the floor. From this point on there was no stopping my charge for that stripe at the end of the track. I stopped the clocks at 154 mph, but it took me 10 seconds to get there.
Back in the pits, I checked the transmission fluid and the smell turned my stomach. Unfortunately the transmission was finished for the day. We just buttoned it back up and decided to hang around for a while. I had a ton of visitors, fellow racers, and spectators, stop by and give me their condolences on the transmission and compliments on the car. It actually made me feel pretty good about what we had accomplished with our project.
One of the other highlights for the day was when a guy stopped by to see what was going on. He introduced himself and it was none other than the infamous engine tuner, Tommy Howell of the Follow A Dream FC. We sat and chatted for what seemed like an hour. Unfortunately he didn't have a spare transmission in his back pocket, but it sure was great talking to him. I had to chuckle at one of the comments he made while looking at the engine compartment on the car. "Hey, do you need a plumbers license to work on this thing?"
Despite ending up with a transmission that wouldn't transmit, we still had a great day at the track.
Mike
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Mike-Casella
- Posts: 2204
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 6:53 am
- Location: Middleboro, MA
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