End of Season Wrap-up

[skids72]

Not bad for a rookie... last weekend of the season here at Bandimere and I had my best two days of my rookie year with a semi-finalist Saturday and I took it all on Sunday.

The way the fall season was going, I didn't think I had a prayer of making the top 10 in points but I managed to finish 8th in the sportsman class.

http://home.comcast.net/~cjwells/A_G..._the_Races.htm

Sorry if the time slips are too hard to read, this is also my first attempt at a web page.

Now it's time to work on the car... we'll see if we can get into the 12's (11's?) next year!

[skids72]

BTW: I know I can't compete with mooneye's excellent drag pictures. These photos were taken by my photographer/crew chief/lovely wife Lauren who was in the stands sick with the flu.... what a gal!

[Stu Cool]

Wow, I'm impressed! Super consistant driver and Super consistant car. Also excellent performance at 6000 ft for a car that you drive to the track! And don't feel too bad losing to the "Chuck Wagon", I used to run District V over 20 years ago and I think he was around back then. Been a lot of people seen that tailgate.

Congratulations! I know you will go nuts waiting for next year after this

Pat

P.S. Tell your honey she did great with the camera too

[mooneye777]

she did a wonderful job with the pictures. she is a real trooper to be sick and still be there. my wife always was there, i think sometimes she would rather have stayed at home. those were the days like when you drive 90 minutes to the track, its 50 degrees and windy. and in 1st round your parachute mysteriosly rolls out at 1/2 track when you brush the release lever. then she repacks the chute and encourages you to load up and drive 90 minutes back home. its a great trophy you won, congrats!

[Oldf100fordman]

Wow, Skids, like Pat says, very impressive. Your better half takes great pictures, too. Thanks for sharing.

[skids72]

Super consistant driver and Super consistant car. Also excellent performance at 6000 ft for a car that you drive to the track!

Thanks, Pat.... I owe at least 85% to luck, haven't been near as consistent throughout the season but I was having a couple good days cutting lights. As I was telling a fellow at the strip, 9 times out of 10, the race is won at the starting line

[skids72]

Concerning altitude, actual elevation at Bandimere is 5800ft. Over the summer there were a couple days with corrected altitude about 10,100ft, about a month ago had great air at about 6800ft (ran about a 10th faster) and last weekend about 7800-8500ft.

Sometimes I wonder if I ought to re-jet when the air gets good, but it can change so quickly here it's hard to keep up... I'm running a little lean right now.

[skids72]

Thanks, mooneye.... Let's hope it's not too much a fluke and I can collect more trophies (or better yet, $$$) next year.

It's a rare woman that gives up her weekends (not to mention the $) to support us guys with our fast toys in whatever weather mother nature can throw at us.

[Stu Cool]

Concerning altitude, actual elevation at Bandimere is 5800ft. Over the summer there were a couple days with corrected altitude about 10,100ft, about a month ago had great air at about 6800ft (ran about a 10th faster) and last weekend about 7800-8500ft.

Sometimes I wonder if I ought to re-jet when the air gets good, but it can change so quickly here it's hard to keep up... I'm running a little lean right now.

With a bracket car I don't think rejetting will gain you much in terms of wins and losses. Just dial it in based on time trials and adjust with the weather. Easier to change shoe polish than jets I would think you would be better to run a little fat than lean, then if one of those good air days comes along you won't take the chance of hurting something.

I know with outboard motors on our bass boats, every fall we would get those good dry days when the boat would run like stink and there would be a couple people who would melt a piston. But they were hauling a$$ when it blew! After I did that the first time I learned that when it was 40 degrees in the morning and no dew on the boat, don't run it too hard.

Pat

[skids72]

Excellent advice... thanks, Pat! I'm not sure exactly where I am on the mix but that could be subject for whole other thread. Reading my plugs, looks like rear cylinders are right on (tan) but the front cylinders are fouled black and the ones in between are a gradation between the two. I'm guessing that probably means idle circuit or primary jets too rich.

The reason I was guessing I might be lean is when the air gets good, the car goes slower... Hmmm

[Stu Cool]

When are you reading your plugs? The best time to do it is after a time trial. Make your run and as soon as you cross the finish line, pop it into nuetral and shut off the engine and coast onto the return road. Bring your spark plug wrench and pull the plugs right then. That way your time spent idling or driving back to your pit area won't change your reading.

Pat

[skids72]

Thanks, Pat... I've only looked at the plugs when I'm changing them in the garage at home. I've read about clicking the engine at the end of the run, even under full power in gear . The impression I got was this was to read the insulator to determine whether timing is too advanced or retarded.

I'll start a new thread on this maybe tonight and we can talk about plug fouling vs. mix, time, etc...

The part I don't get is the black plugs up front and the leaner plugs in the back. One guy at the track with big poncho motor (mine's a BBC) said these GM motors are always leaner in the back cylinders but I just don't get why other than poor atomization of fuel especially with a dual plane intake I would expect the mix to be more uniform. Meanwhile, I'll search CHR as this must have been discussed before...

Thanks again,

Chris

[fourty1]

Cool Chris,..
Great photos and equally fun narrative to go along with.

Quite a bit of starting line stress, must make for a energised weekend.
Your TROPHY is sure testament to skill.

( I grew up in Durango, four corners way,...so running a mile high is Great !
thanks for sharing,...
41

[skids72]

Thanks, 41! It certainly was an energized weekend if not a long one to boot. We were at the track a total of 28 hours over the two days. As for my skillz, I think we'll have to see what happens in another six months when next season starts. I think there's at least an equal measure of luck in the mix But, I'll take lucky over good any day

Durango is beautiful country... the wife and I get down there to four corners area every couple years. How do you like port townsend? I used to live in Everett as a boy... loved the rain BTW: Love your truck!