Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Captain Virgil Hilts on September 25, 2008, 07:39:22 AM
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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.
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Watch out for those slick buttererz from the dealership in thier l337 GT-R's!!!
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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.
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Well then take same damn pics and post 'em here!
Please.
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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?
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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 :)
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Well then take same damn pics and post 'em here!
Please.
:aok
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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. :pray
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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.
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Might have passed you. I passed through Nashville yesterday.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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Savage. I live 1 mile behind Bristol Motor Speedway. Next time your in town give me a holler. I'd love to meetcha.
ReDhAwK
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We won't be back to Bristol until the National Event next year. I'll try to start posting a little something about some of the trips.
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Anyone watch PINKS. Local strip around here is Delmar, DE
LET EM ROLL!
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I'll try to start posting a little something about some of the trips.
Heck yeah! You ought to blog it.
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Sure sound slike fun.... 9.97.... man that's getting down the road... with that mph your 60 times must be stellar.
Will you get as far as Phoenix?
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Sounds like a blast :)
Lotta rules in class racin. And teardowns when you win.
Always liked brackets .. pretty much anything goes as long as you got the safety gear.
Much more laid back. Can work with a motor/car to get the most out of it.
Can be competitive without having the latest tricks or bein stuck with a class-mandated rule.
ie: How many pounds do the Hemi's have to add these days I wonder?
I am also struggling with .200's in reaction times with the Vette
.. gonna have to do a coupla things to cut that down a bit.
I posted an .01 ..once .. and a few in the .0X's ..just not consistent enough to suit me.
(3 .0X's out of 4 days at the track, I need to work on that :D
I am sure I can dial into the Vette to get consistent .0X's ..
..it's got short wheelbase, great weight txfer (when it hooks) ..an such.
Thinkin 4.10's, 3k converter, sticky tires will help a lot :)
-Frank
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Virgil ,id go with a lenco in it and a tall deck merlin . I'd have to step it up to top comp though :D
the pain in top comp is when you break something its gets way $$$$ expensive... I even took the mainline/camline out of this one.
(http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/4416/cimg0820wg5.th.jpg) (http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cimg0820wg5.jpg)
Yes the 5/10ths tree is a pain ,my rt avg .020's -.030's on it even after practicing for hours ... now on the pro tree my avg rt is .004-.010 with the rare red once or twice a season.
Greyeagle you just need to bench race the tree at the track and/or get a Real practice tree,,,you will eventually get into a RT that you can work with , consistancy with the tree and your 60 foot, thats the secret in bracket racing. sandbagging helps too :D
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Sure sound slike fun.... 9.97.... man that's getting down the road... with that mph your 60 times must be stellar.
Will you get as far as Phoenix?
We just can't justify going any further West than maybe Texas. It costs a ton to go. It's $250 per car to enter. These days it takes $600 in diesel to get to a CLOSE track, we spent over $1K in diesel to go to Florida in March. I paid $157.50 for gas for the cars this weekend, but since we were out early I have plenty left. We take 2-4 people, so we spend $150 or so on food. It costs about $75 to change the oil, we do that every 20 passes. We get about 35 passes on a set of $350 slicks. A national event only pays $1800 to win. Bonus contingency money depends on who makes the parts you run. We're eligible for up to about $15K. After the 4th round, you get about $100 for winning a round. This weekend there were 64 cars, we've been to races with at least twice that many cars.
The record for AA/SA is held by a friend of mine, Bobby DeArmond. He runs the same combination we do, except he uses iron cylinder heads . You can often see him in Phoenix. He's been as fast as 9.74 at just over 135 MPH. You can also catch the Sorenson brothers out there, with the same combination. Bobby's Camaro is blue now, the Sorenson brothers Camaro is green with flames. Clark Holroyd does my carburetors, his 396 powered A/SA Nova is usually at most of the West coast races.
Actually, the 60' times don't look that great, since we usually trip the 60' clocks with those 9" slicks, around 1.45 to 1.47 seconds. We broke a front shock at Orlando and the car went up so high it stayed on the back wheels until it was 330' down track. I'm hoping my new engines will take the orange car well into the 9.7 zone. We'll see what the future brings for the white car.
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Sounds like a blast :)
Lotta rules in class racin. And teardowns when you win.
Always liked brackets .. pretty much anything goes as long as you got the safety gear.
Much more laid back. Can work with a motor/car to get the most out of it.
Can be competitive without having the latest tricks or bein stuck with a class-mandated rule.
ie: How many pounds do the Hemi's have to add these days I wonder?
I am also struggling with .200's in reaction times with the Vette
.. gonna have to do a coupla things to cut that down a bit.
I posted an .01 ..once .. and a few in the .0X's ..just not consistent enough to suit me.
(3 .0X's out of 4 days at the track, I need to work on that :D
I am sure I can dial into the Vette to get consistent .0X's ..
..it's got short wheelbase, great weight txfer (when it hooks) ..an such.
Thinkin 4.10's, 3k converter, sticky tires will help a lot :)
-Frank
We run two classes with the orange car, A/SA at 8 pounds per HP, and AA/SA at 7.5 pounds per HP, we have a 427/425 with aluminum heads that is factored at 435HP, we have a 427/430 (ZL-1) that is factored at 445HP, and I'm building a 427/425 with iron heads, factored at 425HP. Some of the Hemi cars are under factored, like the "NASCAR" Hemi (it's not really legal, but they let them race), and some are factored fairly, like the "Street Hemi". The "NASCAR" Hemi has 14:1 compression, a huge cam, and an 850 carburetor, yet is factored at 430HP, less than our ZL-1. It never was sold in a street car, but NHRA let's it run. The "Street Hemi" is factored at 453HP.
The only cure for bad reaction times is a practice tree AND plenty of seat time. So long as the car leaves consistently, you just learn to adjust what you react to. On a 0.500 Sportsman tree, it's hard not to go red in a car that reacts fast, like the little stick car.
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Virgil ,id go with a lenco in it and a tall deck merlin . I'd have to step it up to top comp though :D
the pain in top comp is when you break something its gets way $$$$ expensive... I even took the mainline/camline out of this one.
Yes the 5/10ths tree is a pain ,my rt avg .020's -.030's on it even after practicing for hours ... now on the pro tree my avg rt is .004-.010 with the rare red once or twice a season.
Greyeagle you just need to bench race the tree at the track and/or get a Real practice tree,,,you will eventually get into a RT that you can work with , consistancy with the tree and your 60 foot, thats the secret in bracket racing. sandbagging helps too :D
We're considering Super Stock, once we get what we have really working. Driving two similar cars at most races makes you drive better. The ideal situation would be to have two each in Stock and Super Stock, that's what the most successful guys are doing. Fletcher, Biondo, Helms, and Bertozzi all have two or more cars, they're all friends of ours, and all champions.
Competition Eliminator, AKA Comp, is WAY beyond our budget. He'd have to be able to pay me to do EVERYTHING myself AND it'd have to be a full time job for me. Even the "econo" classes, like Econo Dragster and Econo Altered are way beyond our budget. I could have us both running both Stock and Super Stock for less than it'd cost to run a really good competitive Comp operation. I can easily build an engine for one of the Stock Eliminator cars from scratch, starting with no parts on hand, for what it costs to buy a set of fairly competitive HEADS for a Comp engine. And I'm not really good enough to build a truly competitive Comp engine, yet. We'd have to buy one. Figure $50K for an engine that CAN win.
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Heck yeah! You ought to blog it.
I don't know. I'm not really sure it'd be all that interesting to an outsider, 3 or 4 10 second passes a day isn't that much to write about, especially since ideally, they'd all be pretty much the same. It's sort of a visual thing anyway. I'm not sure what anyone would want to hear about.
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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.
Ah I actually went through on Saturday. Kool!
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I don't know. I'm not really sure it'd be all that interesting to an outsider, 3 or 4 10 second passes a day isn't that much to write about, especially since ideally, they'd all be pretty much the same. It's sort of a visual thing anyway. I'm not sure what anyone would want to hear about.
That's one of the things I find so paradoxical about drag racing; never has so much time and money been focused on such a thing to have it expended in such short of time.
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Yassir .. seat time rules.
Practice trees are something I never used .. I just went to the races a lot :)
The last pass I made with the Duster was Oct 1991 .. that was the last bracket race I was in with that car, the first pass was March, 1976.
Lotta passes between those two dates and 4 times at the Bracketfinals when I could get a good year an make every race :)
(TDY's sucked, and PCS's, ..and got out of the service, and job changes .. etc :)
To say I was 'familiar' with the car would be a bit of an understatement :)
I even drove it to work and back most days.
It was fun to drive :)
It will be awhile before I am dialed into the Vette .. but .. it has a lot of promise.
Very do-able.
-Frank (next year I plan to be runnin once a month, and rampin up from there)