Conference vmsnet::drag$note:drag_racing

    Well, I was slated to be in colorado springs feb 3-15 but a customer
    engagement is changing that - so, it looks like (weather permitting)
    the re-opening of the season is quite possible for Feb 8th at Byhalia
    MS., and this sunday at Jackson TN.  The vega is ready...we are still
    installing the roll cage in the blown car....but it is getting very
    close to being ready for the maiden voyage down the track :^}}
    yeeeee-HAAAAAAAAaaa, slap on the 10.5 slicks and let-r rip.
    
    rich
    

There you go... Every spring you have to rub it in ! We still have 2.5 months
to go before the first test and tune... :-(
Go get em Rich !!!

    
    re: .-1
    Brian,
    I know all to well about the longish off season in colorado
    :^}...that's why I thought I'd post .82 :^)
    
    rich

You're far more of a racin' fool than I am... How many races a season do you
hit down there in warm land ? 
	I have been averaging 15-18 here and to tell you the truth, by the
time the regular points season is over, I have had enough.�I don't think I could
last the 8 or 9 months of your season. Of course the prize money you guys pull
in down there might be a better incentive ! (-:

					Brian... 

    Who's "we"?  And I'm south of you and we don't start until March.
    And I'm not ready yet either....  
    
    MadMike

>You're far more of a racin' fool than I am... How many races a season do you
>hit down there in warm land ? 
    
    hi Brian.... 
    Well, last season I made it to 57 races (including 2 Super Chevy, and
    2 B&M Racer App. meets), between the Vega and the 57' (with the mouse
    motor).  
    And, yes...I believe the payouts do make a huge difference.  I audited
    my race/payout and came within $200 of being even on the year :^}
    (including two sets of slicks for the Vega and the ignition upgrade
    from HEI to a MSD billet w/6al etc..)
    
    rich
    

    re: 

    >Who's "we"?  And I'm south of you and we don't start until March.
    >And I'm not ready yet either....  
    
    >MadMike
    
    ....the 'we', I should have said, is the folks (Ark/Tn/MS) here that
    can get to a couple of IHRA tracks, the NHRA season for us does not
    start til mid March :^}
    
                           rb

Holy S#!t !!! That has to be 2-3 races a week !!!!!


		Brian...

    remember I started last feb and the final weekend was dec 14th :^)
    spring runs saturday and sundays, summer saturdays with a number of
    special races (that span 2 and 3 days), fall is saturdays and sundays
    with a few friday nights thrown in :^) 
    
    And I counted each event that required an entry fee as a race...(a few
    of the three day events required seperate entires)  and then counting
    the times I managed to get both cars at a race :^} -----a "lot" of
    races....
             
    -rich
    
    
    

        Sunday!!!!! :^) Fulton MS.
    
    Took the Vega down...popped off 6.40, 6.41 in time trials....
    
    1st round dialed 6.40, .02 lite, ran 6.43 on the brakes (drilled the
    tree), 2nd round dialed 6.43 (heat in the car), 5.04 lite, 6.45 on the
    brake a little against a 5.34 in the other lane.
    3rd round the car sputtered and I ran a 6.51 on a 6.41 for a
    loss...good tree though 5.03 :^(  ---
    
    I think I might have a plugged up fuel filter the way the car
    acted...  Not a bad day though and I really needed a fix, it's been
    almost two months.
    
    There's another 2 races scheduled this coming weekend :^)
    Saturday Byhalia, Sunday in Fulton.
    
    -rb
    

The season continues in the early stages :^)
    
    ...went to Fulton again yesterday with the Vega:  
    the new Fuel Filter cured the stutter problem :^)
    
    ran 6.36 off the trailer...dial 6.35 and left it for four rounds and 
    made it into the money :^))
    
  r/t  60'   et    mph
 .504 1.399 6.378 99.57 on the brake a little WIN by .043
 .510 1.397 6.361 100.23 won at the tree :^)
 .512 1.399 6.350 100.47 dead on with a zero  
 .501 1.399 6.346 100.53 won on double breakout 1st by .003
 .523 1.398 6.359 100.44 lost at the tree to a .500 dead on 5.151 on 5.15:^(
    
    

    
    Saturady 8 MAR
    
    the Vega remains consistent - 6.38 off the trailer dialed 6.37 and ran
    to the fifth elim round for $20 round money on a $35 entry.
    
    Missed the last round - opp. dialed 6.62, I crossed, flipped the switch
    (suppose to leave on his lite)...pulled a major DUH...left on my lite
    instead .... and popped off a 5.65 r/t --- see ya...I'm on the trailer
    :^( it takes a 10 or less lite to win 99% of the time around here...
    
    
    well, it's early and I've got to get back in the swing grove again
     :^)
    
    the '57 is closer to being done, the cage is done, the seats are out
    getting covered, the 7 new gauges are being installed this week....and
    the carb's are getting a major custom tuning done.
    
    It will be ready for Super Chevy and a few passes completed at the
    local tracks :^)  Yeee HAAAAA!  Oops, I got carried away again :^)
    

    Saturday Mar 15.
    
    It was a bit chilly...but the Vega performed fairly well :^) 
    Had some problems hooking but changing air pressure helped.
    
    Off the trailer-
    left lane  6.506, 6.502, 
    right lane 6.499
    
    elim:
    
L    dialed 6.50, 5.10 lite ran 6.524 (a little brake) win by .023
L    dialed 6.49, 5.16 lite ran 6.509 close one :^)
L    dialed 6.50, 5.09 lite ran 6.542 plenty of room :^)
L    dialed 6.50, 5.07 lite ran 6.490 :^(
    I managed round money, got all but $10 bucks of the entry back :^)
 
    going to Jackson TN later today (after woork) to make the sunday race :^)
    
    
    hope everyone's projects are coming along well - hope to see your
    reports soon!
    
    rich
    
    
    

    Sunday: Mar 16... Jackson TN.
    
    Great day for racing :^)   ...the Vega
    
    To make a long story short - I got runner up :^) and the Vega developed
    a carb problem...and was running awful :^( my last pass was a 7.46 when
    the car runs Jackson at 6.95.   My luckiest day ever :^)
    But, like I always say "I'd rather be lucky than Good!"
    
    TT: 7.003
        6.96
        6.95
    Elim:
        6.96 on 6.95, . 510 lite
        6.96 on 6.95,  .516 lite
        7.24 on 6.95  .536 lite (got lucky!) the other car broke
        7.36 on 7.00  .598 lite "      "      "           "     again!
        7.46 on 7.00  .548 lite (drew a bye run)
       last round,staged, and backed out  (to stay with the money)
       - I knew the car was sick...no point in running :^) 
    
    The money got me even for the year to-date :^)  Yeeeee-Haaaaaaaaaa
    
    rich
    
    
    
    

  ...the Vega....Busted Roller Rocker 
    

>>Been there.  I don't have roller rockers, but I busted a
>>couple stock  ones on two different occasions last year, so
>>I know the sound all  too well now, and pull the valve
>>cover first thing.  We got a new set  this winter - still
>>stock *style*, but they are obviously thicker,  plus they
>>don't have 100,000+ miles on them!  8)

>>Do brand-new rockers have any performance lag
>>in them,  meaning do they require any special break-in
>>time?

 I don't know for sure. I'm going to find out though.
 Things have changed for the worse. Ran a few passes
 and the car started dropping off again...checked the valves and the 
 cylinder that snapped the rocker is not making the full lift...it
 appears the lobe is flat :^(

 I'm taking the motor out and swapping in a borrowed 12:1
 motor - that is pretty much a twin to this pump gas motor -
 just a bit more compression :^) - to be ready for Super
 Chevy in April (Memphis).   We're suspecting the 12:1 motor
 will shave about 4 tenths off....and put the Vega 
 to about 6.50 in the full 1/8th, and 6.10's at the outlaw tracks
    
    
 I'll be driving the blown 57',
 and a friend of mine (his motor) will drive the Vega for
 me. We'll be ready :^)
                               
 -rich
 Brat Racing, Memphis TN.

    
    ...Well, While the Vega was down at the shop it got traded off :^(
    
    A fella had a  69' Z28 302 4speed car and he really wanted the
    Vega....I let him have it less engine and tranny (a roller)
    The 302 is missing, but everything else is there and it's a fairly
    nice...Z.  The body is good, the interior is good just missing the 302
    245hp muscle.  I've had folks already tell me the car is worth whatever
    I want for it....as it's a nice old car and worth a few bucks...I've
    not done any research on it yet though.
    
    I've never owned a Camero...so now I do.  I hope I don't regret it :^)
    Now, I have to find something to put the roller motor in :^)
    
    
    -rich
    
    

    Regret owning a Camaro?!!!!!!  <shock/horrors>  
    
    I've had 4, and am looking for more.  just 1 more.
    I got the 1980 Z/28 drag car.
    The '79 Road racing deal
    I need a 1970-72 RS, 4 speed for cruising around.
    
    MadMike

    re: .-1
    
    Mike,
    
    Well...I was just thinking out loud...since I've never had - (heck, I've
    never drove) one now that I think of it...:^)                  
    
    The more I look at it, the more I'm already likeing it :^)
    
    Speaking of a four-speed crusier...this is what this car is...I'll not
    hack it up for racing.
    
    rich
    
                                                                   

    
    In search of.....
    
    the 69' Z28
    Q: Anyone know a source (other than hemmings) to begin searching for a DZ
    302 motor/shell/block? I'm starting to hear this 69' Z28  is quite unique
    and sought after? Are folks just trying to feed me a line? I don't have
    an uptodate Hemmings or collector blue book....
    
    rich
    
    

    The '69 Z/28 is.... ah... you didn't hear this from me...
    Not really rare.
    
    It did have the 302.  Here's the deal.
    RPO Z28 is a Special performance Package.
    
    In 1967 602 were produced.  In 1968 a bunch more were produced, but
    they still didn't market the car as a Z/28.  Those are rare.  In 1969
    they started marketing the car as a Z/28.  They made 19000+ of them.
    In 1970, the body style changed, the SCCA rules changed and they could
    install the 350, so the 302 went away.
    
    A Z/28 is unique and "sought after", but it's easier to find a 1969
    Z/28 than other Z models.  It would be nice to find a 302 to try and
    make the thing origonal again, if that's what you're into.... 
    
    I have a bunch of restoration sources for the camaro.
    Year one, GM restoration parts, the paddock.
    
    Get some books on the Camaro/Z/28 history before you cut the car up.
    
    MadMike

    mike,
    
    won't cut it up :^) it's too nice...
    I'll just putter with it and make it street again...perhaps sell it
    later, and get a tube car.
    
    rich
    

    ...Yeeee-HHAAaaaaa
    
    Got the '57 out of the shop again....with al the bells and whistles
    - roll-cage, - suspension re-tuned, - new front end
    parts/springs/90-10's, the car is setting right now and with the
    monster Hoosiers DOT's...it's actually hooking some and goes straight.
    
    We piddled with it some yesterday and managed to lite the tires up
    through all three gears <BIG GRIN> out on the parking lot blacktop.
    Super Chevy is this weekend!!!!! 
    More later.........
    
    -rb
    
    

    ** Best to date with the 57'
    
    R/T   60'    330    1/8    mph    1000    1/4    mph
    
    .527  1.715 4.923  7.670  89.74  10.048  12.078  110.64
    
    the car is starting to work a bit better, still smoked the Hoosier's
    off the line and thru the 60 beams :^(....but it's gettin there
    and across the scales after this pass (fuel level up) 4,205 w/driver
    :^)
    
    I'm trying to get the $'s to put on a new set of 11" to 12" slicks
    by Super Chevy in Atlanta next month 
    
    still no boost, and running pump gas... :^)
    
    rich
      

    
    well,   work has put a stop to making it to Atlanta Super Chevy...and
    I'm stuck with my pre-registeration entries :^(  Maybe they will let me 
    pass them on to someone at super chevy in denver in august.....
    I'm bummed out :^(
    
    PS: the Hoosier' Quick-Time DOT's have made 7 passes...and the ole 57'
    has skinned off more than half of the rubber... I'll not buy any more
    of these!!! :^)