I Got A Hot Date Wed Nite!!

"Rollout" or distance between beams is 12 inches at all tracks...
You shallow stage for a better et by getting a run at the light.
And you deep stage to get a head start.

In heads up racing the pro's shallow stage during qualifying to be lower in the ladder.
And stage deeper (depending on how quick the car reacts) in eliminations.

Good luck!:3gears:

 

OK about 12 inches for stage is not enough advantage to fool with for a novice. I'm going to focus on the lights.

He was asked when talking slicks how it launches with the street tires. Without knowing I was within earshot, he replied " I don't know" Very novice unless he saw me. I do know Joe well enough that if he has been running it at the strip, I would have heard. Perhaps a few stoplight encounters is all.

Yes I have been launching by jacking it up against the brake. The last amber works good for me with the on-line trees.

On playing me, I was playing niave and we talked about the xmas tree. I never ran against one which is the truth. He said with our old guys reaction times leave at the first amber!!!! I'm old but not that old! He went on about his fear of breaking something, someone told him the slicks would do that, and how he's going to take at easy at the line and shift at 4000. I'm after a GTO first and a respectable time slip second. No overconfidence here! Low 14s and, if very lucky, high 13s by pure seat of the pants.

Chuck

Chuck

 

I think you should be into the 13s pretty easily with a 455

 

I want an update as soon as you get home. Ive been excited about this since you started the thread.

 

Yep, I'm really excited to find out how the race went too.
:3gears:

 

What happened Chuck! Sorry, I couldn't make it to see for myslef!

 

A MAYBE DRAW? !!!!

It was a disappoining night with unusual setbacks but makes a great tale and memory!

We arrived at Palm Beach International Raceway to find we needed long pants to run. Now this is S Florida in 90+ heat and we are both in shorts! Other guys said say the long pants are in the trunk and maybe the starter will give you some slack. Paid the entry and got to the line no slack! Some good guy in the pits comes up with a pair of pants and here we are 2 drivers, 2 cars and one pair of pants so its a time slip faceoff.
GTO Joe puts on the slicks and makes 5 passes. The GTO has extreme hook up problems trying to feather the trips on progressive linkage (the two end ones are on the last 1/2 inch of petal) also he's missing and sputtering at the end. Runs in the 16s.
The jeans won't fit they're from a young guy with a 30 inch waist. They pour me in. I can't even think of starting the zipper much less a belt--I wear them open in a V--you get the picture!! I have divitucular disease which you young guys will find out about later. The worst thing you can do is wear tight clothes. The pain started in the wait for the first pass. Joes a little guy --advantage Joe.

Mandatory water tray no way to go around! The lane is a rubber pad from thousands of burnouts. I don't burn out. I launch in D and go on off many times finally get hook up at the end of 1st. Rubber oil and water its like racing on lce. Plus the car that ran the lane in front of me split his fuel line at launch and went through laying down gas. Later, I lent him some tools to repair his fuel line in the pits while waiting for the jeans, Oh yes a great 17.2!!!

Next two runs I did small burnouts but didn't get all the water all off, best time was no jack up, no launch and gently press down at about 30 MPH. Upon reflection I should have smoked them up good but didn't. The final and last disappointment is that when the mechanic changed the ignition curve he must have moved the total timing. If you want it done right do it yourself! Even hooked up, the car wouldn't pull like it did before he worked on it. So a poor 16.2 was the best.

THe three runs were all I could handle in those jeans.

We will compare time slips next cruise night. Joe ran another 10 times or so so he has 15 runs to pick from.

Oh well there's always another night.

Chuck

 

Don't sweat it Chuck. You will get em next time when you get everything just right.

 

Wow what kind of tires are you running?

You should be into the 13s I would hope with a 455. I know a pretty much stock 455 in a GTO will get you low 13s high 12s EASY

 

So, the kid musta looked pretty silly sitting in the stands in his underwear?:laugh:

Get em next time!!

 

Under the circumstances Chuck, I call you the winner!
Next time you set this up, I'll be there with an extra pair of my XXL's for ya!

 

MAYBE A DRAW!

It was a very disappoining night for both of us with an unusual setback, however a great tale and a memory forever!

We arrived at Palm Beach International Raceway to find you need long pants to run! Just what you want to hear in 90+ S Florida heat and were're both in shorts! The word was passed just tell them the pants are in the trunk at inspection and the starter may give you some slack. No slack no go!! A nice guy in the ajoining pits donates a pair of jeans but they're size 30. Two cars one pair of slacks= no match off.
GTO Joe is a little guy and they fit fine. He makes 5 runs and has extreme launch problems even with the slicks, the trips are on progressive linkage and its hard to feather, misses some shifts and is caughing and spitting at the end. He runs in the 16s.
I get the jeans and they have to pour me in. Can't zip and have to wear them wide open. The big V-- you get the picture. The stomach starts to hurt in the line --ever hear of Diviticular disease? the worst thing you can do is wear tight clothes.
First run there's no street tire lane around the water trey. I spun them a little but apparently didn't get the water off. I launch hard and its like being on ice, I'm on and off several times then get hooked up and find that the ignition work (advanced the curve) wasn't done right and the car's lost its pop. It didn't help that the car that ran that lane in front of me sprayed the lane with gas from a ripped line. Got a 17 plus.

I made two more runs both improved with my stomach pain building but couldn't handle changing the timing and getting back into the corset!
Still being way to cautious in the burnout so had extreme traction problems so just launched gently both times. Best was 16.2

The GTO got the jeans back and he made probably 10 more runs. Neither car ran anywhere near its potential. We had to leave before he finished. We will discuss next week at the cruise!

 

This is just what everybody experiences their first time out. Now that you both have an idea of what's going on you can start to improve.

It's cool that you are both at the same starting point - nothing to do but improve!

 

This really reminds me of the first time I had my '85 GMC 1/2 ton (see posting #356 p. 15 of "Other Cars We Own" in the Members Rides section) to the track. I knew I had about 350 horsepower to the flywheel, and I was expecting big things. My best run that day was a 17.20 (if memory serves) and I was crushed. I put in 3.73 gears and an Auburn posi in it and it was a different truck. The next time I had it to the track I ran a 15.09. The only change was the gearing and I bumped the rev limiter to 5500!

 

My first time was in my dads 73 GS with the 455. We had street tires on and I remember thinking when the light goes green put the throttle to the floor and hold it straight. Light goes green and next thing you know I look in my rear view mirror and I see a cloud of smoke behind me ou: found out first hand how much torque it really has haha. That time was a 15.81. So a year later we took it out to the track again street tires and all, this time I launched it at about half throttle and ran a 13.60 at 103 :grin: .

 

your not the only one im coming back her to check on the out come as soon as I get off work. an good luck

Doug

 

Just testing I've posted the end of the story twice and it disappears into cyberspace

 

Testing --having problems getting a post to sticko No:

 

great story, hope to hear about future races..

 

"Aaargh, the dragstrip be a harsh mistress!"

That was a great story Chuck. Many of us have learned the same lesson the same hard way. "Racing" down the street and a real dragstrip are two different worlds.

In 1976 when me and my '67 GS400 4 speed went to the strip the first time it was a near disaster. I had plenty of "experience" buzzing around on the street but every time I'd go down the strip the car wouldn't shift into 3rd and I'd have to leave off it. 5-6 runs and never got it in. My best was a 15.30 around 65 mph. After a couple of runs and even slower ET's they stopped writing in the MPH's(those were the days when ET slips were hand written). I think when you get frustrated you stop thinking clearly.

The only good news was I beat my buddies '72 Maverick with 302's best of 15.31. To top it off I broke a rocker arm before it was over. Had to limp home. Found out when I got home that the POS factory shifter has a bracket that runs from its housing to the body for support had come loose. It would only go into 3rd with absolutly no torque applied to the engine. Many years later I wonder why I didn't try just going into 4th from second. Might've broken into the 14's which for a completely stock engine would've been great.

As for your problem with the shorts I always take a pair of lightweight extra large running pants that slip over everything. Just put them on as needed.

Also if you have to go through the water definitely do a hard burnout to clear the water from all the little nooks in the tires. If you don't go through the water a slight spin is done to clean debris off them. Normal street tires generally like to be run around 30 psi depending on size because lowering the air pressure just ends up cupping the centers. A slight amount of power brake at the line, couple of hundred above idle, takes the slack out of the powertrain and chassis and allows you to feel if the tires are gripping as you ease into it.

Good luck next time and have fun. I'm sure much lower ET's are in your future.