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  1. #1
    FEP Super Member mmb617's Avatar
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    Default Race report 5-17-13, an early exit

    After getting rained out last week I was ready for some racing and the weather was great. For whatever reason the low car count in our class that we've been having lately wasn't a factor this time. We had 9 cars in our stick class, and since there were only 3 bikes present they decided to roll them into our class too, giving us a field of 12.

    First time trial was a dud for me as it usually is. I only had a 3300 pill in the two step but still I spun bad enough to back off the throttle then get back in it. I was lined up with a Pinto from the auto class and he had even more trouble getting out of the hole than I did. It's not pretty but here it is:

    http://youtu.be/r4zPzD5VAJ0

    A little side note on the first time trial pass. At first I thought I'd be running a real nice looking '72 Nova that was initially beside me in the lanes. I noticed he had a vanity plate that read FRD EATR, and thought to myself "we'll see if he can back that up". You never really know what's under the hood and maybe he would have whopped me bad, but I wanted to run him just because of the plate.

    As it turned out the way the cars were staggered in the lanes he ran somebody else just before I went against the Pinto. I did notice that he ran a low 13 second ET, so I could have re-established some Ford pride if we'd lined up!

    In an attempt to address the spinning problem I lowered the 2 step 200 rpm and dropped a pound of air from the tires for the second time trial. This worked so good that the car bogged a bit coming out. It's such a fine line trying to find just the right hook and launch rpm. At any rate the 60' was a lot better and the ET was close to what I expected at 12.03. Minus the bog I figured it would have been an 11.9x run.

    http://youtu.be/iuSswNVCgng

    Third time trial was supposed to be the next to the last but right after I ran someone blew an auto transmission and oiled down the entire track, thus making it the last one. I had brought the 2 step back up to 3300 and still had a very slight bog. It was a solid run at 11.94 which was what I'd dialed last time at the track, and in fact was still written on the window. I took that as an omen and left the dial there to start eliminations.

    http://youtu.be/KSiMl16JK1c

    First round I got the guy in the Maverick that I'd run in second time trial. He'd run a 14.13 then, but was dialed at 13.00. I thought he was either overly optimistic or something was up, maybe he was spraying or something. With my 11.94 dial I gave him just over a second head start, but I caught him by the 1/8, then pulled away. I knew I was having a really strong run so I braked well before the stripe. The car had hooked hard and not bogged at all. I ran 12.02 on the brakes way early. Definitely a solid run.

    Back in the pits I was glad to hear that both my friends Chris and Dennis had also notched first round wins. Two of the three bikes had advanced as well as a guy in a Fox Mustang that I'd never seen before.

    Second round the Fox matched with one of the bikes, I got the other bike, and Chris and Dennis got each other.

    I don't know why there were only the 3 bikes this week. Usually they have a good sized field and the regulars in that class are tough racers. Sitting in the lanes my opponent came over to wish me luck and express his dissatisfaction with the bikes being rolled into the stick class. I saw he was one of the big guns in bike and knew I had my work cut out for me.

    He was dialed 9.49 and I stayed at 11.94 so I'd get a big head start. I had the tree on him by a bit .038 to .044, and I hooked good. A little too good as I had a bit of bog and that killed me. I couldn't cover and he ran me down. Oh well, I've had a good couple weeks, it had to end some time.

    Chris vs Dennis is usually a good match up as their cars run close to the same times, and they both are good drivers. This time the edge went to Dennis as Chris had some traction problems.

    I loaded up and left then, but heard this morning that Dennis had transmission problems in the next round setting up the two bikes for the final, with the guy who beat me taking the title.

    So I didn't last too long last night but looking at the bright side, nothing is broken on the car and I still have a free pass for next time, so life is good.
    408/T5/3.73's

    We're not fast racers, we're more what's known as half fast racers.

  2. #2
    FEP Super Member IDMooseMan's Avatar
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    Awesome. You'll get 'em next time.
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  3. #3
    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    You got a round win and you seem to have a good handle of what to do for different traction conditions. You're doin' good.

  4. #4
    FEP Member brianj's Avatar
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    Nice runs. I want that Pinto. And the Maverick. Both favorites of mine. I am a little surprised they run bikes with cars- seems kind of dangerous for the bike guys. I am learning how fast the track can change- my last trip out, I was the first guy down the track. When I launched, at 2500 on street tires, my car bogged down badly, but I still had my best 60' time of the night. By my third run, launching at 2000 and riding the clutch, I was blowing the tires loose every time. HUGE difference. I imagine slicks react to track conditions even more, although I have never run on them. Another great report- and thank your camera girl again for us- love the videos!
    1983 Mustang G.T. No-option stripper- I like strippers.
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  5. #5

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    The Pinto had a pretty good run in the first video. Thanks for the report. How did that other Mustang run that you mentioned?
    1982 Dominator GT
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  6. #6

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    Say it with me, always dial the car a number you know you can cover

    I hate racing motorcycles, they have a big advantage with seeing the stripe and how they brake and accelerate. I have never beaten one when they are mixind into our no box class (likley never ran into someone on one that wasnt a bracket racer either).

    Still a nice day, both above the ground, then at the track
    Bob Myers ©

    84 Capri RS Turbo - Only a 4 banger - 1/8th 6.29@110, 1/4 9.87@137

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member mmb617's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by IDMooseMan View Post
    Awesome. You'll get 'em next time.
    That's the best part about the early season - there's always next week. I'll be the first to say I've been pretty lucky so far this year. In five races I have two wins, two runners-up and this second round exit. I'll take that anytime! I'm also still holding the points lead over my buddy Chris by a little. He's been having some traction problems lately, but once he gets going look out.

    My other buddy Dennis is well back in third at this point. He's been bitten bad by the breakage bug so far, tearing up a driveshaft and a transmission already. He's running a new motor that took him from his bottom 11's last year to mid 10's this year. Makes me wonder about trying to make my car faster as most often faster = broke more. Back when I was running high 14's I never dreamed I'd someday have an 11 second car. I should just leave well enough alone, but any racer can tell you how that goes.

    Quote Originally Posted by gmatt View Post
    You got a round win and you seem to have a good handle of what to do for different traction conditions. You're doin' good.
    I'm certainly not upset in any way. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. I have fun either way, and it's nice to once again bring the car home unbroken.

    Quote Originally Posted by brianj View Post
    Nice runs. I want that Pinto. And the Maverick. Both favorites of mine. I am a little surprised they run bikes with cars- seems kind of dangerous for the bike guys. I am learning how fast the track can change- my last trip out, I was the first guy down the track. When I launched, at 2500 on street tires, my car bogged down badly, but I still had my best 60' time of the night. By my third run, launching at 2000 and riding the clutch, I was blowing the tires loose every time. HUGE difference. I imagine slicks react to track conditions even more, although I have never run on them. Another great report- and thank your camera girl again for us- love the videos!
    The Pinto was indeed pretty sweet. I've always liked a racing Pinto. That one was an automatic and the driver went on to win the street/auto class. The Maverick was a little rough, but they too make a nice racing platform.

    Trying to keep up with changing track conditions is one of the hardest things to do I think. Lately I've noticed that no matter if I have some traction problems in time trials, the car always seems to hook in eliminations, probably due to lots of rubber down by then. I'm going to start assuming I'll have hook in eliminations and see how that works for me.

    As for the bikes with cars thing, I don't really care for it myself, and the biker I was running expressed his displeasure as well. Usually there are lots of bikes so I'm hoping this week was a fluke and the class will be back at full strength after this. I don't know what class they could roll them into when there are only three bikes present. Maybe the track owner should just bite the bullet and run the class no matter how few entries there are?

    When our stick class is small I always expect them to combine us with the autos, and I wouldn't have a problem with that. We had a decent sized field this week because they toughened up the rules for True/Street and some of the stick cars that were going to run that got bumped to our class instead. True/Street is supposed to be completely stock cars, no drag radials, factory stock exhaust, only very minor engine mods allowed. The class was created last year specifically aimed at the new Mustangs/Camaros/Challengers. But a lot of semi-stock cars have been permitted to run it till now, some of them used to be in our class every week. Somebody must have complained because the track announced this week that the rules would be strictly enforced from now on, and a lot of cars got bounced to either Street/Stick or Street/Auto. None of the cars that got bounced to our class made it past the first round. Maybe that's why they were ducking us?

    Quote Originally Posted by bull-vette View Post
    The Pinto had a pretty good run in the first video. Thanks for the report. How did that other Mustang run that you mentioned?
    It was a nice looking areo-nose Fox, but I didn't get to see it run. He was in front of me in the lanes during eliminations, but being busy with my burnout when he ran I didn't take notice of his time.

    Quote Originally Posted by martin0660 View Post
    Say it with me, always dial the car a number you know you can cover

    I hate racing motorcycles, they have a big advantage with seeing the stripe and how they brake and accelerate. I have never beaten one when they are mixind into our no box class (likley never ran into someone on one that wasnt a bracket racer either).

    Still a nice day, both above the ground, then at the track
    Well Bob it's easy for a guy like you who can actually drive the stripe to "hold a tad". I just plain suck at judging the stripe, and readily acknowledge that shortcoming in my racing skills. With that strategy I usually either take too much stripe and breakout or cut it too close and let the other guy back around me. Both of those have happened enough that I just feel my best plan is to dial hard and run it out. Not to say I don't brake when I'm positive I have enough lead, but if it's close I'm staying in it. Looking back I feel my win percentage is better since I started racing this way.

    I agree that a bike ridden by an experienced bracket racer is real tough to beat. You need a real small package, and not the kind of small package I do have.

    The weather was great, I didn't break anything, and I spent an evening talking racing with my friends. What's not to like about that?

    Next week is the big Holiday weekend jet truck night on Friday and I always skip that as the crowd is huge and I hate being somewhere crowded like that, so I'll be back in action May 31.
    408/T5/3.73's

    We're not fast racers, we're more what's known as half fast racers.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by mmb617 View Post
    it's easy for a guy like you who can actually drive the stripe to "hold a tad"..
    LOL, I'm not sure i'm any good at it either, I just struggle a lot with 60' time consitancy and had to learn it. I think we discussed this before, it's not holding on ET as much as it is holding on the combo .... I could be dialed quicker in a lot of cases but if i put the hard number on there I have no back-up ... If i spin on a slower ET I can run it hard and try to push a guy under (while always intending to give the stripe). That was the hard thing for me to learn, not as much of how much stripe to take, but more when to GIVE the stripe. I would much rather run at the stripe hard but it's become necessity to either hold or try to push someone.

    Quote Originally Posted by mmb617 View Post
    I always skip that as the crowd is huge and I hate being somewhere crowded like that, so I'll be back in action May 31.
    Better than me anyway, i'm back in China until the 31st so I miss our Memorial day race plus Memorial day Looking forward ot NMRA at Norwalk however
    Bob Myers ©

    84 Capri RS Turbo - Only a 4 banger - 1/8th 6.29@110, 1/4 9.87@137

  9. #9
    Venomous Moderator Hissing Cobra's Avatar
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    Nice runs Mike! That little Pinto ran pretty good.
    Pete Slaney

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