It's been way too long since I ran brackets (a month!), so I decided to take a trip to Temple Academy Raceway just south of Waco to meet up with Coach. Modified was paying $1,000 to win, so it was worth a shot. It was pretty warm today...my weather computer reported 96 degrees and 41% humidity. I had to put a towel in the car to wipe my face down with in the staging lanes because I was sweating profusely with a fire jacket and helmet on! www.wunderground.com shows that the pressure was hovering around 29.98 corrected. You "timeslippers" would've died. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_tounge.gif" />

Coach was nice enough to reserve me a spot next to him under some nice, shady trees, and we took full advantage of it! I get unloaded, teched in, and warmed up, and it's time for the first time trial. They only ran 1/8-mile since the dragsters would've had a hard time shutting down w/ the limited space. Here's what the first pass looked like.

RT: .5133
60': 1.6083
330': 4.7426
1/8: 7.4240
MPH: 91.93

I backed it up the 2nd time trial with a 7.4182 @ 91.70 MPH. The third time trial I pushed my luck and redlit with a .488. You have to find the limits of the tree. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> The car spun out of the hole and went sideways on me, so I just let off and coasted through.

I threw a dial of 7.40 on the window for the first round. My weather computer was predicting a 7.42, but it only had two runs logged. It gets more accurate w/ predictions w/ the more runs you enter. I take the first round after the other guy redlights w/ a .4833.

RT: .5105
60': 1.6034
330': 4.7442
1/8: 7.4360
MPH: 91.42

I raise my dial to a 7.42 for the next round and try again. Unfortunately, I was not as fortunate this round. Naturally, I come up against the current points leader in modified, and he's killer on the tree. I knew I had to be on my game, but apparently I forgot my game in the pits. I do my burnout as usual and proceed to stage. I pre-stage, my opponent does the same, and I bring the revs up. I bump the brakes, get fully staged, and the car creeps on me a little. I was reaching the limits of foot-stalling the converter, so I glance down at the tach to get it back down to 2,200 RPM. I look up, and the tree is already dropping. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Sad]" src="gr_sad.gif" /> The car spins .03 off, and I get treed by .05. I should've been more careful in keeping the RPM's steady when I pre-staged, but such is life. You learn a little more everytime you make a pass. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> The car ran a 7.47 @ 91 MPH; it would've run .01 over had it not spun...GEEZ. It didn't matter because my opponent ran .01 over his dial as well, so he still had me on the light.

I had a BLAST, and it was really great to finally meet Coach. He definitely has one BAD hotrod! I'll wait and let him post so as to not steal his thunder (pun intended <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> ). The man is definitely an awesome bracket racer! He was putting automatics on the trailer with his six-speed. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> He was running just as close to his dial as the other competitive cars were, and his lights were killer all day! It's awesome to watch a six-speed take out some all-out auto drag cars. FWIW, I ran a 7.34 on my 11.63 pass last month, so I would've been running somewhere around an 11.75 today. Not too bad for a D.A. that was hovering around 2,800' or so. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

<small>[ June 23, 2002, 10:18 PM: Message edited by: Trevor D ]</small>

 

Congrats Trevor, those are awesome times in this heat. You were cutting some nice lights too, so I guess that practice tree helped? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

Justin

 

thanks Justin I was pleased w/ the car today. I was honestly expecting it to run high 7.40's to a 7.50 flat.
Yeah, the practice tree has definitely helped some. I'm still not where I want to be on the lights as far as consistency goes, but I'm getting better and better each time. I would like to see no worse than a .530 everytime I go to the track, so I'll just keep running the practice tree. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

<small>[ June 23, 2002, 10:44 PM: Message edited by: Trevor D ]</small>

 

hey man, whats been your best 1/8th and 60 anyway on your current setup??

lookin for some cam goals bro <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

 

Looks good Trevor! Excellent times for the weather. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> Coach called me as you were leaving the track and told me how you guys did. He was still racing and said he was running very well.

I know what you mean about being happy to race again. It was 4 months since I last raced when I finally hit the track last weekend. It sure is fun to beat the crap out these cars. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

Jason

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 98TAauto:
<strong>hey man, whats been your best 1/8th and 60 anyway on your current setup??

lookin for some cam goals bro <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">My best pass looks like this:

RT: .500
60': 1.588
330': 4.683
1/8: 7.342
MPH: 91.84
1,000': 9.663
1/4: 11.634
MPH: 114.06
raceweight: 3,515#
D.A.: 1,102'

It's 11.40's or bust w/ stock heads this fall. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

Jason - Yeah, he told me you had called. He was getting ready for the semi's in the street class as I left. I didn't know that it was only $15 to run street to win $100. I would've joined him in that class, too, had I known that earlier! It's good info for next time, though. It would've been sweet to see us meet up in the finals! His car was running very well in the heat, and he's still ready for more power. hehe

It definitely is a blast beating the crap out of these cars! I'm ready to do it again. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

<small>[ June 23, 2002, 11:05 PM: Message edited by: Trevor D ]</small>

 

Trevor,

Tracy, Brandy and I had a great time also. It was great to meet you. You are not so bad yourself.(bracket racer). I hope to race with you again, soon. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" />

Thanks, for the nice comments. <img border="0" alt="[hail]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" />

Check out the post on the race results. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_tounge.gif" />

Later,
Coach

PS. A bad day racing is better than a good day working, <img border="0" alt="[devil]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" />

 

Hi Trevor. Nice job. Up here at sea level, you'd be stomping some butt! We had rain & big time thundershowers this past wknd. Best wishes. Warren. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

damn man, a .500 light <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> best i can get is a dang .503(average .560)

but as long as i can cut some more 1.58's ill be happy cause that cam must be hauling a@@ on topend <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

just wanted a ET to shoot for <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

 

Nice times at the track. Keep up the exceptional work. I know this fall your car will be definitely running the new best times. Good luck bracket racing. Cheers. Kent. <img border="0" alt="[Burnout]" title="" src="graemlins/burnout.gif" />

 

Coach - It was great meeting Brandy, Tracy, and you as well. It was a great time! We'll definitely have to meet up again for another day of racing.

Warren - Yeah, I can only dream about the temps that you're seeing in the summer. Mother Nature roasts us here in Texas.

Harold - You ought to put down some REALLY nice ET's once you get the cam in. It's going to be fun this fall because there should be quite a few stock-headed cammed LS1's making some nice passes. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> It will be a completely different beast once the new bumpstick is installed.

Kent - Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />