But I made it to the stick finals again!
First, we ran 4 qualifying runs and my best was an 11.66@120.54 with the best 60'er of the night of 1.70. Seemed like it was going to be a good night, but couldn't get the thing to hook properly. Had to drop the launch RPM from the get go, even with my normal "safe run" 15lbs in the tires. I should have tried lower, but didn't want to mess much with my "canned" safe setup. I had the adjustable clutch set up at a lighter 980lbs and it seemed to be on the border line of grabbing properly or not. Decided to run it that way all night and that was big mistake that cost me in the end. Got to get those counterweights!
During the next to last elimination, I had the bye run. I came up to the line and waited until the light was "very" green so I wouldn't red light. I had a .470 reaction time for that run. LOL I then ran the car hard and noticed that I had clutch slippage going in 4th gear. Oh Oh. I decided not run it out and coasted through the traps @108.77 mph. At the time I was concerned as to how I was going to go into the finals with a slipping clutch and no time was available to add some static pressure to it (plus it was nearing mid-night and the pits suck at night for doing under car work.) I left the clutch alone.
For the finals, I got to run up against the last 3-4 years track stick champion-he has probably 40-50 race win stickers on his windows. Mr. S.S. Furious has a 66' Fury that runs a big block and a typical 11.80 dial. He has the availability of running NOS and I've seen the boat do 11.4's with it during T&T.
Before the final, Mr. Furious comes down to see what he can learn and I didn't have a dial in figured out yet. He asked if I wanted to flip for lanes since we both prefer the LH one. I won the toss and got home turf. He asked if I wanted to dial at 11.80, and I put on a poker face and didn't answer. He knew that my car was quicker N/A and I know that he avoids hitting the NOS during our races. When we were called up, as he was rolling by toward the staging area, I quickly scribbled 11.75 on the window. I was concerned about the clutch slippage and thought that maybe he might breakout as he knew I had the quicker car. (He did last week.) He pulled a typical .0xx something R/T to my not-to-shabby (for me) .164. Due to his lower dial in, he went first and I was pulling on him in 1st and then 2nd gear. Then my earlier miscalculation on clutch static pressure bit me in the ass. The clutch slipped lightly going into 3rd gear (my heart sunk in my chest,) and then hard in to 4th. I left out of it and coasted through the traps with a 12.468@97.29mph to Mr. Fury's 12.1 second run.
So, for the year, I've had 2 races, made it to the finals both times, and have been 1st loser both times.
Here we are staging for the finale:
Of course I am having fun knowing that this year I am in a similar league as the track stick champion. We do a couple of faster stick street cars, but they normally run in the quick-8 outlaw street class (which is auto or stick and has cars that run 9-10 second 1/4's.)
To advance my drag racing career and have even more fun, I am now consider going to other tracks too and joining the Pro/Stick club that is active here in the northeast.
Pro Stick Racing They are a bunch of mostly 60's cars, all with sticks or clutched automatics, that run 11.99 seconds or quicker. They make a circuit of various 1/4 mile and 1/8 mile tracks in PA and MD. There are some pretty stout cars in the club, and I've raced with many of them at our track over the past year.
Most of these old cars could be detailed show winners, as there is a lot of pride being shown with these cars. A quick look at that site shows that Mr. S.S Furious was #4 in points in the Pro/Stick club, so I will keep my sights on him. There is a nice picture there of the silver 66 Fury. Other cars of note that are pictured are the purple wheelstanding van that was on Pinks All Out, and my neighbor's (and back yard machinist friend,) Fred House's blue 8.4-8.6@160mph Turbo 4 cylinder Pro modified Ford Probe (which is pictured about 1/2 way down.)
