Sunday, June 29, 2008

On a Roll

I could definitely get used to this. We tested the Orange car at Carolina Dragway thursday night. It's first time out on slicks in awhile. After two unsuccesful hits at it, i was getting discouraged. The engine is beyond its due rebuild time (120 passes) and it will be monday before i can get it out and give the old girl a much deserved overhaul. It's amazing how different a radial tire tune up, and a slick tune up is. I changed everything on the car from fuel and timing maps, to weight, to shock settings. Finally it payed off. Shaking loose a modest 5.081 @143.1 MPH Which was good, except for the mile per hour. Where was it and why? I decided to make one more pass and load the car for bear. Wheelstandapalooza. The car came down pretty hard and punched a hole in the oil filter. Not happy with the results from thursday, Friday night me and Brian headed to the new track in Bowman, Sc. After two passes we got the hot rod to run a 5.12. But the MPH was only 141. I was looking over the engine and there was our problem. A crack in the supercharger charge pipe. I was happy as a pig in slop. We welded up the pipe and left for Darlington, Sc saturday morning. First round qualifying, 5.18. Problem. Broken rocker arm. Again. We thrashed and fixed the motor. Thanks to everyone that helped us. I don't even know who all brought me tools and parts but thanks again. Second round qualifying we blew off a 5.06. That was good enough to give us the number two Qualifying spot. Which was good because it earned us the first round bye. We used that as a test pass and loaded the super swamper tune up in. Of course it stood up and i had to pedal, still bumping the clocks with a 5.09. Man i wish the front end wouldve stayed down. That thing was on a pass. Second round my opponent broke. It was getting late by this time. Like 1:30 am late. Me being a night owl was loving it. In the Semi's we squeeked by with a 5.19 getting the win. I absolutely couldnt believe it. Were we really going to our third final round in a row? Bad news was, our opponent was the current PTRA record holder Jason Richards. And on his last pass he went a 5.02. Holy smokes how was i gonna get around that. I went big nasty with the tune up and did a monster burnout. Brian put me dead in the groove and radio'd to me to get his ass on the tree. We staged and bam we were off. I was actually winning for about 30 feet. Then the tires shook. But thank goodness his did too. It was a pedal fest. He was still there. I burped the thottle once and it shook again. He was still there. I blipped again and nailed it. The old girl bit. We won the race with a 5.19. Not the most impressive e.t but we will take the win. I cant thank everyone that helped us enough. For example, Just to show you how good the people we race with are, The thread repair kit that fixed my engine in qualifying, came from Jason. The guy that i ran in the finals. The Orange car will be down for a few weeks for some much needed TLC. That will give me time to concentrate on my NHRA deal. Time is ticking away to find a sponsor for 2009. We leave for Gainesville, Fla this coming weekend. I'll be attempting to finish getting my NHRA top alcohol licsense. Boy am i excited about matting the throttle on the blown alky dragster again. Hopefully we'll get some video this time. I'll keep you guys and gals updated on how its going.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Here Comes The Boom!!!!

Yall forgive me if i seem a little excited but by goodness i am. We left off with us about to make the first round qualifying sat. morning. We were slap tired after the all nighter friday night. I was napping in my hammock when they called us around. Brian looked like a walking zombie. The poor old boy just isnt used to good old hard work i guess. LOL He is gonna kick my butt for saying that. Anyways we were first in line and elected to go with the right lane. I was semi skeptical if my bandaid patch job on the engine was gonna hold up. I figured if it was going to grenade, then i might as well go ahead and help it along so i rolled through the water and dropped the hammer for the usual Steve Jackson style long burn out. I always burn in with the windows down and there is nothing better than stopping about the 330 and when the motor comes back down to idle hearing the people in the stands screaming. Im addicted to this stuff. I backed up and brian keyed up the radio and asked if the rods were still in the motor. I brought the hot rod up on two step and turned loose. 5.10 @146. Hell yes thats what we wanted. After about 3 seconds of talking about what to do next round, we decided to turn the wick up a little. Me and the orange car have this understanding that if she will do what i tell her to, then i wont wheel stand her and beat her up and blow her tires off and stuff. She blew off a 5.06, second round qualifying. Thats a new EZ Street World Record. But we still had to back it up. I was having nightmares about the Carolina race, Remember went i went John Wayne on the tune up in the finals going for the record and almost gave the race away? I decided if we were going for the record this time, that we were gonna do it right now. No more pussy footing the tune up. I loaded in king kong. The track was cool and the air was good, and as my old buddy Dean always says, I Let That Bitch Eat!!!! We went a 5.01. The new record was set. And we were tired. We planned on going out to celebrate, but after about 30 minutes into dinner at the Outback, me and brian elected to get some sleep. Well Sunday morning we got to the track with high hopes. We were Qualified 2nd and drew a first round bye. It was hot so I loaded the bracket tune up in and she did what i told her. 5.11. Good enough for me. But there is a problem. Brian checked the oil overflow and ouch it looked like a vanilla milkshake. Crap the head gaskets are torched and leaking coolant into the crankcase. I guess the 110 passes the poor motor has on it has taken its toll.oh well we came to race so we kept the oil changed and our fingers crossed, Second round we won with a 5.11. . Earning us lane choice in the semis against none other than Charles "smack talking" Hull with his new buddy David Reese doing the tuning. Well lets just say this ass whipping has been a long time coming. We staged and i never looked back. Another 5.11 secured the win. Thats 3 5.11's in a row. WOW. Well we headed to the finals against super nice guy Chad Hendersen. Chad went a 5.16 in the semis. It was gonna be a good race. Unfortunately he broke something in the water box. I hope it wasnt anything major. I know they thrashed all night friday night too. The starter flagged me to stage. I went a solo 5.06 @147 plus. Which may be a new MPH record. Orsca is checking on it. Lady Luck was definitely on my side this weeknd. Hopefully i didnt tear up the motor too bad. A special thanks to my crew chief Brian. He is always there through thick and thin. We win together and get our butts kicked together. We will be in Carolina thursday testing for the PTRA points race in Darlington, Sc this weekend. I'll keep you guys posted on how she runs.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Sleepless in Montgomery

Well boys and girls, We got to Montgomery Motorsports park Around 6pm friday. The line to get in was out to the road. This place is absolutely packed. We unloaded the orange car and loaded a safe tune up in the old girl. We were just trying to make a clean pass to start the weekend. The car launched hard and straight. We were on a hell of a pass when. dun ta daaaaa. Disaster strikes. The car lays over and start making the boat motor sound. You know that sound race engines make when they are really eating parts. That low loud mercuiser inboard sound. I shut it off and coasted around. Spun the motor over and it sounded like a pinball machine rattiling around. got back to the trailer and pulled the valve covers. Lets just say it looked Stanky. Two broken rocker arms, a shot out pushrod. one broken lifter, and the rocker stand pulled the threads out of the head. Yummy. We snatched the intake off and lo and behold, the lifter is stuck in the block. Will not come out. After four hours of prying, beating, banging, heating and framming. NOTHING. I put on my mad Scientist hat and welded a piece of all thread to the lifter, took a weight bar out the car and welded a washer on the other end. in other words a makeshift slide hammer. Me and brian put the oompaloompa on it and by goodness the lifter came out. We rethreaded the holes, and put the motor back together. Got in bed at 5. We just busted the old girl off this morning and she sounds like a champion. Bout to run first round qualifying. Yall keep your fingers and toes and whatever else you can cross crossed.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

BUSY WEEK

THE TOOL BUSINESS IS A FUNNY ONE. SOME DAYS YOU ARE RELAXED AND KIND OF COASTING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THEN THERE ARE DAYS LIKE THIS WHOLE WEEK, WHERE YOU WORK LIKE A MANIAC AND CANT PLEASE ANYONE. AT ANY RATE IM READY TO GET TO SOME WEEKEND DRAG RACING. WE HEAD TO MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA THIS WEEKEND FOR THE NEXT STOP ON THE ORSCA SCHEDULE. I AM PUMPED AFTER THE CAROLINA WIN. I KNOW THE COMPETITION WILL GET STIFFER, BUT HOPEFULLY I HAVE A TUNE UP FOR THEM. WE MAY TEST IN CAROLINA TONIGHT. I FEEL THE CAR IS ABSOLUTELY READY AND I HATE TO RISK HURTING ANYTHING, BUT MAYBE THERE'S A TOUCH MORE LEFT TO BE FOUND IN THE OLD GIRL. WISH US LUCK. I'LL UPDATE AS THE WEEKEND GOES ON.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Hard Work Pays Off

What a week at the races. The Outlaw Racing Street Car Association (Orsca) came to Jackson, Sc this week. We headed to Carolina Dragway thursday afternoon for some testing. This was the first time we had radials on the car in two months and only the second time ever. The first four hits were pretty much the same. Tire Smokeapaloooooza. I was getting a little frustrated. With time for only one more pass that night, me and Chris Johnson loaded a ridiculous crazy should not ever work or go down any racetrack tune up in the old girl. I burned in and staged with no expectations other than immediate tire smoke. I brought the engine up on the two step and turned her loose and bam she sat me in the seat and off we went. I couldnt believe that aggressive tune up actually worked. We buzzed the clock with a 5.14 @ 146.mph. I got out the car and was jumping up down like a kid. We left the car at the track and I tried to work friday. By lunchtime the phone was ringing off the hook. Everyone was fired up about going racing. I knocked off at 1 and me and Brian headed to the track. Boy it was hot. 99 degrees at 5 pm. Which was perfect test weather for what we would be qualifying in Saturday. Second pass, The old girl started showing a little attitude and busted off a 5.09 @146.8. I was estatic. Had i really found a tune up that would work in the heat? We would find out on Saturday. Around 10 pm the track cooled off and the air got good. Now if you arent familiar with Carolina Dragway, Let me just say that when Jason is working the track, and the sun goes down, you better have your drivetrain up to par. Cause there is no track anywhere that works like it. I got ballsy and loaded a pour the coals to it, no holds barred, let it it all hang out, lift up your skirt and show me what your workin with, Steve Jackson tune up in. Keep in mind now that we are on street tires here. I staged and turned loose. WWWWHHHHOOOOAAAA. The orange car carried the left front tire six inches off the ground for 3oo hundred feet. I didnt know how fast we were going but i knew we were slap hauling ass. 4.98 @147.97 mph. I was so excited i could hardly get out of the car. i bear hugged some poor guy on the top end that i didnt even know. After 93 passes in 3 months on the procharger motor. WE ARE FAST. Saturday it was 100 degrees. First Qualifying pass we shook and went a 5.40. Second we rocked the box with 5.10. Which put us number one. Third round i loaded old girl up and went a 5.03. A new Ez Street world record, if i could back it up on sunday. We drew the first round bye and i put the slick track tune up in it. It was 102 degrees and the track temp was 138. We busted off a 5.10 @146.9. good enough to earn lane choice for the next round. We burned in and my competitor lit the top bulb. I lit mine and then we sat. I guess he was trying to rattle me. They must have not got the memo that i have been grudge racing my whole life. I don't get rattled. I was talking to Brian on the radio for what seemed like forever while we sat there prestaged. We talked about the weather. And about whether or not The Georgia Bulldogs were going to win a National Championship this year. (I definitely think so) Poor brian is a lost Florida Gator fan. Anyways, Im rambling. So he stages and i click in and off we go. We won with a 5.11 @146.9. Next round we won with a 5.12 @146.7. So we are off to the finals. Now most people would take a car that is running that consistent and leave it alone. Which is always the smart thing to do. But then again im not too smart. we had to go a 5.083 to back up the record and i knew the car wouldnt do it on the 148 degree track like it was. So like Tin Cup on steroids i let my balls overload my brain and i put the go fast tune up in it. We Staged and for a split second i thought the track would hold it. The tires shook and i had to pedal it. We still got lucky and won only running a 5.40. The good lord helped us out on that one. So maybe next time I'll listen to good judgement in a situation like that. but probably not. we missed the record but got the win. So it was a weekend for the books. One of my best ever. Thanks so much to everyone that believed in me when all the rest said i was lost. It's gonna be an interesting rest of the year.