New best @ NHRA Citris Nationals 10.79 ET 346ci LS1 N/A! GO THUNDER RACING! WOOT!!
11-30-2003, 10:41 PM
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New best @ NHRA Citris Nationals 10.79 ET 346ci LS1 N/A! GO THUNDER RACING! WOOT!! I had an absolute awesome time racing this past weekend. The NHRA Citris Nationals is the biggest event we have at my local track. Here is a run down of the whole weekend....Sorry its so long...
I got to the track on Friday for open test run day to get the car dialed to run NHRA Super Street class. Super Street is a 10.90 index race. I was also entering in the Pro ET bracket race each day.
My first runs right off the trailer were
With 3250 lb race weight:
10.91 @ 123.60 1.495 60'
10.92 @ 122.53 1.487 60'
10.90 @ 123.32 1.493 60'
Then something happend to my traction.
10.97 @ 122.10 1.511 60'
10.97 @ 122.19 1.509 60'
10.97 @ 122.36 1.518 60'
11.03 @ 122.83 1.511 60'
11.04 @ 122.74 1.527 60'
ok after these runs, I'm like WTF!!
So I pull into the staging lanes for another time run and get out of the car to notice my left rear tire is all crinkled. I checked the pressure and it was at 6 psi, I kneeled down and could hear air leaking out. I put some air in the tire and went back to my pit. After inspection I found 2 small holes in my tire, I also checked the wear on my ET Drags and I was getting really close to the nubs. Basically the tire was shot, both my tires were too worn out to try to repair. This was at 3:00 pm on Friday after noon, I was hoping the tires could last for 2 more weekends then I have no racing for a month. I made some phone calls and a speed shop about 80 miles from the track had the exact size tire I needed. Anyway my Dad and I pulled both rear wheels, jumped in his van and hualed *** there. Anyway long story short, I was able to locate a new set of slicks, pick them up, and have then mounted and balance and made a 80 mile drive to and from the speed shop and the track in about 3-1/2 hours. I paid $75 to be able to test run from 10am to 10pm the day before the Nationals. It sucked I lost all that time but it was worth it.
I put the new shoes on the SS and finished the night off with these runs:
10.88 @ 123.11 1.464 60'
10.89 @ 121.83 1.444 60'
10.89 @ 121.68 1.442 60'
10.90 @ 121.73 1.453 60'
I was like yea baby!! Back in action! I'm all set for Super Street!
So Saturday Morning comes and I line up for open track runs, the weather was really cold (Cold for us Floridians is low 60's maybe high 50's) but there was a 30 mph head wind blowing at us. In other words we had to race into a 30 mph wind. Anyway I goto get in my practice time runs, I had the roughly the same race weight as Friday night at about 3250 lbs:
10.79 @ 121.96 1.420 60' ** NEW BEST ET
10.80 @ 121.96 1.427 60'
The DA was only -100, but for Florida thats awesome!! Friday night the DA was around 1000.
Everyones MPH was off because of the head wind, mine was down about 2-3 MPH. Well anyway I was really happy to run a new best but this wasn't good because I had NHRA Super Street qualifying coming up. I needed to run a 10.90 now here I am a friggin tenth faster! I never thought I would have had to do this but I had to add 100 lbs to my car. I took the handle off my floor jack and put it in the well in the rear. My floor jack I guessed was about 50 lbs. Then I put my tool box, 40lbs, on top the jack and strapped everything together then to my rollbar in the back. I get on the scales and weighed in at 3340 lbs. Luckily it worked like a charm!
Qualifying run #1:
10.90 @ 120.91 1.436 60'
Qualifying run #2:
10.89 @ 121.31 1.449 60'
Even though I broke out on the second run I was seed in the top 3 because of my 1st qualifying run. Anyway that was it for the NHRA class, it was time for Pro ET Eliminations. I was lucky since I had just got done with my 2nd qualifying run and ran a 10.89 I dialed in a 10.88 and went at it. Well out of nowhere the car picked up some power!
1st Round Pro ET Eliminations:
10.84 @ 122.41 1.456 60' on a 10.88 Dial in!
Lucky for me though I broke out by .04 but the guy I raced broke out my .09 and I took him on the tree with a .061 light to a .087
So now I'm like damn the car is hauling *** and I have an extra 100 lbs in the car. I guess if 100 lbs = 1 tenth ET that run should have been a new best somewhere around a 10.74 ET. Anyway I dialed down for the 2nd round of eliminations with a 10.82 on the window.
2st Round Pro ET Eliminations:
10.89 @ 122.38 1.502 60' on a 10.82 Dial in
The car got sideways off line on my, I steered back into the groove and ran her out but ended up loosing. I cut a .042 light to the other guys .001 I ran .07 over he ran .04 over. My 60' cost me that round. Oh well, thats racing.
I was VERY pleased with the way the car was running. And that I was able to run with these NHRA Super Street guys. I got to talking to some of them and they couldn't believe I was racing with the footbrake in Super Street. You should see some of these setups, they have crazy delay boxes and throttle stops etc.
So this morning I got in 2 time runs the car was running right on 10.90 & 10.91 ET.
1st Round Super Street Eliminations: 32 car field
10.94 @ 120.88 1.458 60' Opponent broke out with a 10.88. I won.
2nd Round Super Street Eliminations: 16 car field
10.84 @ 122.24 1.441 60' Oppenent Redlighted. I won.
Thank god he red lighted I brokeout bigtime an .84 on a .90, I have no Idea where the car got the extra muscle from for that one run, I had just ran a 10.94 about an hour and a half earlier and I picked up 2 mph. This was still with the extra 100 lbs in the back.
3nd Round Super Street Eliminations: 8 car field
10.88 @ 122.39 1.437 60' Opponent 10.95 on 10.90. I lost.
I knew from my lauch that I that the car was hualing *** so I lifted at the end to try and slow down because it felt like the previous run where I ran a 10.84. but I didn't slow down enough and broke out. I was proud I did as well as I did, this was the closest I've been to winning a NHRA Wally.
I had a blast going rounds this weekend and having the car run a new best ET. It was crazy having to try and actually slow my car down. I never thought I would have to add 100 pounds to slow my car to a 10.90. And I still broke out with a 10.84!! The best thing is running next to Big Block cars that are running about the same ET as me and all I have is a stock cube H/C LS1
Here are 2 pictures the track photographer took during the morning time runs. I bought these 2 pictures from him in a nice frame and he was cool enough to put them on a disk for me. Here are the 2 pictures from this weekend that I have framed:
I also have a ton of video footage of my runs. I will put it together and post it when I can.
Time to get some sleep!
Lee
I got to the track on Friday for open test run day to get the car dialed to run NHRA Super Street class. Super Street is a 10.90 index race. I was also entering in the Pro ET bracket race each day.
My first runs right off the trailer were
With 3250 lb race weight:
10.91 @ 123.60 1.495 60'
10.92 @ 122.53 1.487 60'
10.90 @ 123.32 1.493 60'
Then something happend to my traction.
10.97 @ 122.10 1.511 60'
10.97 @ 122.19 1.509 60'
10.97 @ 122.36 1.518 60'
11.03 @ 122.83 1.511 60'
11.04 @ 122.74 1.527 60'
ok after these runs, I'm like WTF!!
So I pull into the staging lanes for another time run and get out of the car to notice my left rear tire is all crinkled. I checked the pressure and it was at 6 psi, I kneeled down and could hear air leaking out. I put some air in the tire and went back to my pit. After inspection I found 2 small holes in my tire, I also checked the wear on my ET Drags and I was getting really close to the nubs. Basically the tire was shot, both my tires were too worn out to try to repair. This was at 3:00 pm on Friday after noon, I was hoping the tires could last for 2 more weekends then I have no racing for a month. I made some phone calls and a speed shop about 80 miles from the track had the exact size tire I needed. Anyway my Dad and I pulled both rear wheels, jumped in his van and hualed *** there. Anyway long story short, I was able to locate a new set of slicks, pick them up, and have then mounted and balance and made a 80 mile drive to and from the speed shop and the track in about 3-1/2 hours. I paid $75 to be able to test run from 10am to 10pm the day before the Nationals. It sucked I lost all that time but it was worth it. I put the new shoes on the SS and finished the night off with these runs:
10.88 @ 123.11 1.464 60'
10.89 @ 121.83 1.444 60'
10.89 @ 121.68 1.442 60'
10.90 @ 121.73 1.453 60'
I was like yea baby!! Back in action! I'm all set for Super Street!
So Saturday Morning comes and I line up for open track runs, the weather was really cold (Cold for us Floridians is low 60's maybe high 50's) but there was a 30 mph head wind blowing at us. In other words we had to race into a 30 mph wind. Anyway I goto get in my practice time runs, I had the roughly the same race weight as Friday night at about 3250 lbs:
10.79 @ 121.96 1.420 60' ** NEW BEST ET
10.80 @ 121.96 1.427 60'
The DA was only -100, but for Florida thats awesome!! Friday night the DA was around 1000.
Everyones MPH was off because of the head wind, mine was down about 2-3 MPH. Well anyway I was really happy to run a new best but this wasn't good because I had NHRA Super Street qualifying coming up. I needed to run a 10.90 now here I am a friggin tenth faster! I never thought I would have had to do this but I had to add 100 lbs to my car. I took the handle off my floor jack and put it in the well in the rear. My floor jack I guessed was about 50 lbs. Then I put my tool box, 40lbs, on top the jack and strapped everything together then to my rollbar in the back. I get on the scales and weighed in at 3340 lbs. Luckily it worked like a charm!
Qualifying run #1:
10.90 @ 120.91 1.436 60'
Qualifying run #2:
10.89 @ 121.31 1.449 60'
Even though I broke out on the second run I was seed in the top 3 because of my 1st qualifying run. Anyway that was it for the NHRA class, it was time for Pro ET Eliminations. I was lucky since I had just got done with my 2nd qualifying run and ran a 10.89 I dialed in a 10.88 and went at it. Well out of nowhere the car picked up some power!
1st Round Pro ET Eliminations:
10.84 @ 122.41 1.456 60' on a 10.88 Dial in!
Lucky for me though I broke out by .04 but the guy I raced broke out my .09 and I took him on the tree with a .061 light to a .087
So now I'm like damn the car is hauling *** and I have an extra 100 lbs in the car. I guess if 100 lbs = 1 tenth ET that run should have been a new best somewhere around a 10.74 ET. Anyway I dialed down for the 2nd round of eliminations with a 10.82 on the window.
2st Round Pro ET Eliminations:
10.89 @ 122.38 1.502 60' on a 10.82 Dial in
The car got sideways off line on my, I steered back into the groove and ran her out but ended up loosing. I cut a .042 light to the other guys .001 I ran .07 over he ran .04 over. My 60' cost me that round. Oh well, thats racing.
I was VERY pleased with the way the car was running. And that I was able to run with these NHRA Super Street guys. I got to talking to some of them and they couldn't believe I was racing with the footbrake in Super Street. You should see some of these setups, they have crazy delay boxes and throttle stops etc.
So this morning I got in 2 time runs the car was running right on 10.90 & 10.91 ET.
1st Round Super Street Eliminations: 32 car field
10.94 @ 120.88 1.458 60' Opponent broke out with a 10.88. I won.
2nd Round Super Street Eliminations: 16 car field
10.84 @ 122.24 1.441 60' Oppenent Redlighted. I won.
Thank god he red lighted I brokeout bigtime an .84 on a .90, I have no Idea where the car got the extra muscle from for that one run, I had just ran a 10.94 about an hour and a half earlier and I picked up 2 mph. This was still with the extra 100 lbs in the back.
3nd Round Super Street Eliminations: 8 car field
10.88 @ 122.39 1.437 60' Opponent 10.95 on 10.90. I lost.
I knew from my lauch that I that the car was hualing *** so I lifted at the end to try and slow down because it felt like the previous run where I ran a 10.84. but I didn't slow down enough and broke out. I was proud I did as well as I did, this was the closest I've been to winning a NHRA Wally.
I had a blast going rounds this weekend and having the car run a new best ET. It was crazy having to try and actually slow my car down. I never thought I would have to add 100 pounds to slow my car to a 10.90. And I still broke out with a 10.84!! The best thing is running next to Big Block cars that are running about the same ET as me and all I have is a stock cube H/C LS1
Here are 2 pictures the track photographer took during the morning time runs. I bought these 2 pictures from him in a nice frame and he was cool enough to put them on a disk for me. Here are the 2 pictures from this weekend that I have framed:
I also have a ton of video footage of my runs. I will put it together and post it when I can.
Time to get some sleep!
Lee
12-01-2003, 06:40 AM
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Congrats Lee... Sounds like you had a nice weekend!
The NHRA S/ST stuff is fun. I actually have an S/ST number and planned to run some divisional events last year, but things just didn't work out. Maybe next year?
Nice pics, too!
The NHRA S/ST stuff is fun. I actually have an S/ST number and planned to run some divisional events last year, but things just didn't work out. Maybe next year?
Nice pics, too!
12-01-2003, 07:49 AM
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Nice!
I don't understand why drag strips rarely have stocked retail outlets for things that are needed.. like tires, driveshafts, u-joints, oil, etc.
ATCO has a retail Speed Shop.. it should be made bigger, IMO.
I don't understand why drag strips rarely have stocked retail outlets for things that are needed.. like tires, driveshafts, u-joints, oil, etc.
ATCO has a retail Speed Shop.. it should be made bigger, IMO.
12-01-2003, 08:03 AM
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Thanks guys!
I'd like to thank Thunder Racing for all their knowledge, help and support! I'd also like to thank Alan Futral, he put together a nice little forged 346 short block for me back in Feb. And Kevin at TCI for putting together my custom TCI converter. In racing 1/2 the battle is having a consistant car the other half is driver skill. Its nice to know that the car will run the numbers, all I have to do is cut a good tree.
My car got alot of attention this weekend, it was really cool to see spectators walking around the pits and stop to take a picture of my car. Many times a parent would tell thier kid to go stand by my car so they could take a picture, like my car was a top fuel dragster or something. Makes ya feel really good about all the blood and sweat. There was only a handfull of LS1 based race cars at this event, I was the fastest. There was another SS running 11.60's in Pro ET. I definately earned the respect of some of these other carberated racers. They were drooling when they would see me pull out my laptop and make a tuning change.
I've got the Snowbird Nationals in Bradenton, FL this coming weekend. After that it's time to change all the fluids and double check all the bolts. And get ready for next season. My goal next year is to be the Pro ET champion at my local track. I want to represent my track at the NHRA division 2 finals, just like Derek Putnam on here did, that was really impressive.
mrb00formula: The track has a little tiny *** shack that has a few supplies, all they mainly do is nitrous refills. There was some people selling some parts in the swap meet area, but all the tires I saw where like 32x14x15.. a little too big hehe.
I'd like to thank Thunder Racing for all their knowledge, help and support! I'd also like to thank Alan Futral, he put together a nice little forged 346 short block for me back in Feb. And Kevin at TCI for putting together my custom TCI converter. In racing 1/2 the battle is having a consistant car the other half is driver skill. Its nice to know that the car will run the numbers, all I have to do is cut a good tree.
My car got alot of attention this weekend, it was really cool to see spectators walking around the pits and stop to take a picture of my car. Many times a parent would tell thier kid to go stand by my car so they could take a picture, like my car was a top fuel dragster or something. Makes ya feel really good about all the blood and sweat. There was only a handfull of LS1 based race cars at this event, I was the fastest. There was another SS running 11.60's in Pro ET. I definately earned the respect of some of these other carberated racers. They were drooling when they would see me pull out my laptop and make a tuning change.
I've got the Snowbird Nationals in Bradenton, FL this coming weekend. After that it's time to change all the fluids and double check all the bolts. And get ready for next season. My goal next year is to be the Pro ET champion at my local track. I want to represent my track at the NHRA division 2 finals, just like Derek Putnam on here did, that was really impressive.
mrb00formula: The track has a little tiny *** shack that has a few supplies, all they mainly do is nitrous refills. There was some people selling some parts in the swap meet area, but all the tires I saw where like 32x14x15.. a little too big hehe.
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12-01-2003, 08:24 AM
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12-01-2003, 08:53 AM
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Thanks Coach!
I don't plan on adding any electronics to my car at all. Although I didn't expect to have to slow her down so much. I originally built the car to be dialed in at around 10.90 every weekend.
Its such a hassle to run in the footbrake classes with electronics. You either have to remove everything before you can go through tech or people cry that you have a box in the car even though its off. Hell my Cheetah shifter has the red button on the side, and I have to prove to tech that it doesn't do anything. Once a tech buy made me go under my car and cut the wire to my transbrake before I could race at this IHRA track.
I like the skill thats involved in footbrake racing. The finese of using both feet, insteas of your right thumb on a button. But the big $$ is in the Super Pro racing and I know eventually I will get into that, but probably not for a couple more years.
Those super street guys had some impressive setups. It was really difficult switching from a sportsman tree to a pro .500 tree in the same day with the footbrake. The sportsman tree you can wait for the 3rd bulb and cut the light. The pro tree as soon as you both stage 2, blink 3 yellow, green! It doesn't give you much time to hold the rpms. Also you have to hammer it as soon as you see yellow. I was cutting .080-.090 (000 tree) which is .580-.590 (.500 tree) rt on the pro tree, it was tough.
I don't plan on adding any electronics to my car at all. Although I didn't expect to have to slow her down so much. I originally built the car to be dialed in at around 10.90 every weekend.
Its such a hassle to run in the footbrake classes with electronics. You either have to remove everything before you can go through tech or people cry that you have a box in the car even though its off. Hell my Cheetah shifter has the red button on the side, and I have to prove to tech that it doesn't do anything. Once a tech buy made me go under my car and cut the wire to my transbrake before I could race at this IHRA track.
I like the skill thats involved in footbrake racing. The finese of using both feet, insteas of your right thumb on a button. But the big $$ is in the Super Pro racing and I know eventually I will get into that, but probably not for a couple more years.
Those super street guys had some impressive setups. It was really difficult switching from a sportsman tree to a pro .500 tree in the same day with the footbrake. The sportsman tree you can wait for the 3rd bulb and cut the light. The pro tree as soon as you both stage 2, blink 3 yellow, green! It doesn't give you much time to hold the rpms. Also you have to hammer it as soon as you see yellow. I was cutting .080-.090 (000 tree) which is .580-.590 (.500 tree) rt on the pro tree, it was tough.
Last edited by FEAR THE LS1; 12-01-2003 at 09:14 AM.
12-01-2003, 09:10 AM
#11
Lee,
I know all about the footbrake stuff. I run in this class all the time. At the tracks that I run at, tech checks for electronics and trans brakes all the time. You cant have a trans brake in the car at all and run footbrake.
Yes, the big money is in top et but footbrakin is real racin!
The 2 different trees are hard to run in the same day. I did it last year at the Thunder Shootout.
I plan on running some Super Street races next year also. I will run it as a footbrake car.
Coach
I know all about the footbrake stuff. I run in this class all the time. At the tracks that I run at, tech checks for electronics and trans brakes all the time. You cant have a trans brake in the car at all and run footbrake.
Yes, the big money is in top et but footbrakin is real racin!
The 2 different trees are hard to run in the same day. I did it last year at the Thunder Shootout.
I plan on running some Super Street races next year also. I will run it as a footbrake car.
Coach
12-01-2003, 10:11 AM
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Here is my 10.79 run:
as you could see I was lined up against a Mopar Pro Stock race car. That car was badass.
Here is my next run 8 minutes after my new best, 10.80:
These damn tickets never scan good, I hope you can make them out.
Lee
as you could see I was lined up against a Mopar Pro Stock race car. That car was badass.
Here is my next run 8 minutes after my new best, 10.80:
These damn tickets never scan good, I hope you can make them out.
Lee
12-02-2003, 05:49 PM
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Originally Posted by gator's 99TA
what is a prostock car pulling 1.4s for? just wondering.
We left off the protree together, I ran my new best and was pulling away from the whole time. 8 sec ET to my 10 lol. It was cool to line up against a professional car like that, my dad got the run on his camcorder, unfortunately I don't have anyway to get itfrom VHS tape onto the PC. That was a beautiful car, I believe the body was a dodge stratus prostock.
Lee
12-03-2003, 08:48 AM
#18
Congrats on the ET and glad you had a great time Lee. Those are the first pics of your car I have seen, it looks intimidating!
I have to agree with you, I really do not like electronics in bracket racing. In fact, when those guys start racing I take a **** or beer break. BORING!
Tony
I have to agree with you, I really do not like electronics in bracket racing. In fact, when those guys start racing I take a **** or beer break. BORING!
Tony
