Gone Drag Racing

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

I'm headed out the door to go drag racing. Should be in Memphis for the NHRA event in about 6 hours. Not driving this weekend for the first time this year, just a crew chief. Try to keep this place lit up, there's plenty of crap to post about.

[DiabloTX]

Watch out for those slick buttererz from the dealership in thier l337 GT-R's!!!

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Watch out for those slick buttererz from the dealership in thier l337 GT-R's!!!

Won't find them in Stock Eliminator. And besides, a 69 Camaro that runs 10 flat has them covered. Hell the slow car we loaned out runs 11.50.

[DiabloTX]

Well then take same damn pics and post 'em here!





Please.

[FrodeMk3]

I'm headed out the door to go drag racing. Should be in Memphis for the NHRA event in about 6 hours. Not driving this weekend for the first time this year, just a crew chief. Try to keep this place lit up, there's plenty of crap to post about.

Virgil, How come you're not shoeing the car?

[Donzo]

I'm headed out the door to go drag racing. Should be in Memphis for the NHRA event in about 6 hours. Not driving this weekend for the first time this year, just a crew chief. Try to keep this place lit up, there's plenty of crap to post about.

Memphis Motorsports Park?

I used to be a photographer there 

[Ripsnort]

Well then take same damn pics and post 'em here!





Please.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

This thread is worthless without pictures. I better see a picture of ur fat belly next to a calimero with a hot chick next to you by the weekend.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

One reason I'm not driving is that I've been driving like crap this year, my first year back in actual National Event level competition in a stick car since 1982. I'm batting about 0.250 right now. The owner is a real nice guy, and knowing I need to get my feces cohesive, and also knowing the car is not right, put the car's original owner in it for the weekend, to help us out. I build EVERYTHING for the owner's other car, as well as crew it, in the same class, so the workload is high.

The driver change MAY have helped us, we'll see when I get back in. My wife wants to buy the car. If we do, it will undergo major changes, it'll get a new 427/425 to replace the current 350/255. I may take the Jerico 4 speed out, as it may not stand up under the abuse of the 427. It's an older unit, they are not as strong as the newer units. A new one would cost me over $6K, plus a new clutch that is $2500. Also, I get SOME backing from ATI racing transmissions, as I am a dealer/builder, I can go automatic for less than 1/2 the cost of the stick. I also am designing some new trick lightweight automatic transmission pieces we may start manufacturing late this year or early next year.

I have tried to post pictures, there are some online, but this board refuses to link the the car I drive OR the other car I built. We call them the "odd couple". The first car is a 69 Camaro, orange with white stripes, with a 427/425 and an automatic. It runs in AA/SA, and has been as quick as 9.97 at 131MPH. The second car is also a 69 Camaro, but it is white with orange stripes (we did not paint either car, and didn't buy on the basis of paint), and it has a 350/255 with a Jerico 4 speed. It runs either F/S or G/S, and has been as quick as 11.50 at 114 MPH. I built EVERYTHING in the first car, but have not been into anything but the 12 bolt in the second car. If it does not get sold, at the very least, I'll go into the engine over the Winter, it SHOULD go as fast as 10.90 at 117.

We did not do well this weekend. In the first round, a friend of ours strapped a 0.001 reaction time on the owner, and he just couldn't catch him. A 0.001 reaction time is SUPER rare in our class, there are NO electronic driving aids. The average reaction time is about 0.040 or so. In the second round, our "hired driver" was a little late off the line, and the car bogged slightly, so he couldn't run the number. So we were done early.

[alskahawk]

 Might have passed you. I passed through Nashville yesterday.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Might have passed you. I passed through Nashville yesterday.

We left Murfreesboro Thursday morning about an hour after I posted. We got back to Murfreesboro about 2 hours after I posted today.


The rig is a 32 foot Feightliner/ShowHauler toterhome (looks like the tractor from an 18 wheeler, but it has a 32 foot box that is a lot like a "motorhome" inside) pulling a a 34 foot Pace "stacker" (it has a drive on rack that lifts one car up, and the other car is parked under it)two car trailer. Both are white, with no lettering, except the loft over the cab says "ShowHauler" on the front.

[FrodeMk3]

We did not do well this weekend. In the first round, a friend of ours strapped a 0.001 reaction time on the owner, and he just couldn't catch him. A 0.001 reaction time is SUPER rare in our class, there are NO electronic driving aids. The average reaction time is about 0.040 or so. In the second round, our "hired driver" was a little late off the line, and the car bogged slightly, so he couldn't run the number. So we were done early.

You guys' are running on a .400 Pro tree, right Virgil?

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

You guys' are running on a .400 Pro tree, right Virgil?

No. NHRA Stock Eliminator uses a 0.500 Sportsman tree, as we have handicap starts, unless two cars in the same class race. For example, our first round was our AA/SA 69 Camaro against a friend and his B/SA 69 Camaro. They're both Stock Eliminator cars, but not in the same class. So we dialed 10.27, and he dialed 10.57. You can dial anything you want, so long as it is lower than your index. Our index is 10.90, so we can dial 10.90 or quicker. A few months ago, at Bristol, we raced the same guy "heads up", because we were BOTH running AA/SA. So we raced "heads up" with no handicap start, and "no breakout", so whoever gets there first wins, regardless of how quick we ran. Our 10.22 easily beat his 10.48.

[FrodeMk3]

No. NHRA Stock Eliminator uses a 0.500 Sportsman tree, as we have handicap starts, unless two cars in the same class race. For example, our first round was our AA/SA 69 Camaro against a friend and his B/SA 69 Camaro. They're both Stock Eliminator cars, but not in the same class. So we dialed 10.27, and he dialed 10.57. You can dial anything you want, so long as it is lower than your index. Our index is 10.90, so we can dial 10.90 or quicker. A few months ago, at Bristol, we raced the same guy "heads up", because we were BOTH running AA/SA. So we raced "heads up" with no handicap start, and "no breakout", so whoever gets there first wins, regardless of how quick we ran. Our 10.22 easily beat his 10.48.

Ok, that explains alot. I didn't know that in the stock/super stock classes, that they would run cars from different classes' together at a meet; I always thought that it was a strictly Heads up, same-class deal. Other than that, it's just like Bracket-racing?

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

No, it is not just like bracket racing. There are a LOT more rules involved. It's not even just like "no box" or "foot brake" racing. The added dimension of the possibility of one or more "heads up" races changes the entire scenario. It is NOT uncommon to see a "heads up", there were several this weekend. Also, the fact that you have a very restrictive set of rules controlling your performance, while you still have to try to maximize your performance, leads to cars that are a lot less consistent, even in "bracket mode". Having done both, I can say that I'd never go bracket racing again, and I'd never race one of the X.90 "Super classes", I hate them just as much. The ONLY reason I came back was because the guy I work with is running a class car, I'd been out just over 10 YEARS. After 10 years of bracket racing and X.90 racing I was sick of it.