Nitro Madness AA/FA

[CStifel]

hey thanx im not really to that phase yet tho but ill definately get a hold of u when i am
creighton

[Rapid Randy Baker]

We put the head back on the old heap last race car night. I went out and finished it up today. We fired it up, and tested the trans. Everything works fine.

I did learn some interesting things about the Lenco-drive in doing the research on the "Not holding when hot" problem. I think these will help in the long run make sure we don't have this issue again.

Even with the high humidity of the day, compared to the 4000 foot air we raced in last, this girl sounded ready to thump at the Sling shots. Scott and I are working on a higher % of "Spank in the Tank". I also have a few ideas that I may try if the opportunity presents itself over there. I expect this new class to be pretty good. I can't wait to race some of the funnycar guys.

I should make up a few signs for us to have in the pits: Warning to all the funnycar drivers, must wear proper sunscreen to be in our pit space. The sunshine and fresh air is more than you are used to! After all, you drive around in those caves all the time.

Rapid {busting the funnycar guys chops}

[Mike-Casella]

Good one Rapid.

[Lippy]

Randy, I saw a deal on a roadster years ago that said,...Coupes are for chickens!

[Rapid Randy Baker]

I found something on the video. I will have to study on how to solve. When I release the trans-brake button, the car moves. The wheelie bar hits the ground and comes back up. The car is rolling forward and then you see the engine come up and the car really launches, back on the bar, tires squat. What clued me into this was watching the video I asked myself why the bar hit the ground, came up, then hit it again. I was watching it in slow motion and saw the fuel blow out the headers at the hit. It was when the car launched and the bar hit the 2nd time the fuel came out.

So what is happening is, the staging controller is delaying the opening of the throttle blades. I don't have a way of knowing, but it could be that the car is actually rolling out of the beams starting the timers before the car is accelerating off the line.

I need to do some investigating to see if/ and what the cure is for this. I will come up with something. It has an adjustment for opening speed, and of course the adjustment for stage rpm. I think we have it set to snap open as fast as possible. I will have to see if there is someway to make it react sooner.

What is happening now is the trans-brake in the Lenco-drive is reacting faster and releasing before the throttle controller can open the throttle.

[jim sanders]

didn't I read somewhere about stripping all the gadgets and gizmo's off the car and let the driver do his job ?

[Rapid Randy Baker]

Seems like I read something like that also.

I have to fig this out. If not, I may have to pull it off the car. We took the tach out of the car this year. I still miss it at this point. However the 1st round at Tulsa the shift light wasn't working, and I got the thing to make a record MPH run with just shifiting when it felt right. So maybe there is something to that deal.

[jim sanders]

I'm just yakkin' Rapid... celebrating our deal yesterday as we never got a chance to open a beer while franticly loading the car and support stuff and getting out of town before hail beat the snot out of everything

[WildcatOne]

Not to interject anything other than a very interested opinion here, Rapid, but Doc may have solved the situation for you on this a couple of posts back...in other words, I'd trust your feel for the car over anything else. As long as it remains safe and reliable, the more you are physically connected to that machine, the better. You've got what it takes to make it work. A transbrake is a safeguard at the line and it helps with consistency and accuracy, but I can tell you if I was competing against Rapid Randy Baker, I'd be big-time spooked if I knew he was staging and racing against me using his manual driving skills and relying on his instincts. Sweat would be dripping from my visor. My 2 cents...WC1

[jim sanders]

as i stated i have a buzz goin' but i think Randy understands what i mean as it has been discussed on the classicfunnycar boards.. NitroMadness is not a bracket race car these days.. it has become a full blown matchrace car. Horsepower and Driver is all that matters !! How is a driver going to know if the transbrake and a throttle controller is going to react correctly if there is anything hooked between his (her) brain to the injector ??IF and i think Rapids car has brakes on the front, i would strip it of all the gadgets (other than a rev limiter in case of a driveline failure )