Summer Season winding down
 

I only signed up for two summer season classes this year, both run on Friday nights.

One class is actually complete as of last Friday, called "Trophy/Jackpot" (you win, you get a trophy - unless you buy into the jackpot in the staging lanes 1st round, $10 to enter, split quarterfinals on, pot depends upon how many get in it). It's a mix of delay box and non-delay cars, run separately until 4th round when we are laddered together (closest to dial-in in 3rd round without breaking out). I managed a 6th place finish this year, after going red 1st round last Friday. I could have done as well as 2nd if I had gone some rounds, but couldn't have caught the leader.

The other class, Street ET, is a DOT-required, no electronics, no tranny brake, 10.00-slower class. I went into last Friday's race in 1st place, having won two races so far. I managed to get to the final, but couldn't close the deal. Did have a perfect light in a semifinal bye - needed that for the final (no, I didn't have a very good light in the final). Lost to #2 in points, and lost a little of the gap between us.

This weekend is the final race of the series. It's combined with the Saturday race series, which I haven't run this year. It's a big 3-day event, with jackpot and specialty races Friday and Saturday, and the points race on Sunday. One time trial Sunday morning, then we start running it off. I also entered one of the Saturday classes, called "Run Tuff", just for this race, just to have a chance at the bigger pot offered for this race. Only difference from Street with Run Tuff is ET has to be between 10.00 and 18.00, and slicks are allowed. And, the payout is a little bigger.

Last year I also entered both of those classes, and managed to win them both. I don't expect a repeat, that's for sure. I had a bye into the final in both classes, which is unheard of. In the other pair of the Run Tuff semifinal, the quicker car went red, and the slower car (truck, actually) blew up the engine and trans about 400' down track. So, I had a bye run for the final. In the Street final, the other car was slower, didn't have a very good light, and I put the spank on them. The payout paid for my trip to the Division ET finals in Topeka.

This year in Street, I have to win at least 3 rounds to absolutely prevent the #2 points racer from overtaking me. Of course, if he goes out before me, it's mine. Or, if I go out before third, he has to go out at least the same number of rounds before the final (I go out 1st round, he has to go out before the quarter final; I go out 2nd round, he has to go out before the semis, etc.).

This isn't the first time I've gone into this race with a points lead. So far, I haven't screwed it up. First time for everything, I suppose.

I was doing a fluids change last night in prep for the weekend, and the Div V Finals in Topeka in two weeks. The engine oil change went pretty much uneventful.

I thought the gear lube change was as well - just intended to pull the drain plug and refill. I pulled the plug, let it drip while I did other things. When I got back to it, I wiped off the magnet in the drain plug, and noticed that it had small sharp stuff stuck to it. Hmmm, didn't expect that. Got my face up by the drain hole, seemed to be a chunk of gear sitting there. So, pulled the cover, discovered it was a piece of what looked like stamped steel (like a freeze plug). Fished around the pumpkin, found a few more sparklies, but nothing significant.

Drained the pan into a jug and found one more piece. Here are the two next to a dime for reference:

Attachment 344337


Everything operates smoothly, the gears look fine (from the best I could see with it still in the housing), so I put the cover back on (it's an aluminum support cover, in case you hadn't guessed that yet), filled it back up with fresh gear lube.

It's an Eaton posi I put in 3 years ago when the LS1/4L60E went in. 28 spline aftermarket axles, welded tubes. The 3.73 gears are a set of GM gears I found on line. All new bearings installed as well. The drivetrain shop that did the install said the gears set up very nicely.

It hasn't made any noise, but I have noticed the posi hasn't quite been holding when torquing the lug nuts without the park brake set and if the wrench is on a lug that adds to the lever arm of the torque wrench. But, it's been holding during the burnout just fine.

I took the pieces to the drivetrain shop, handed him the pieces without saying anything, and he said, "Looks like tabs from a posi clutch." I had shown the pic to a fellow racer buddy, who knows someone in the business, and had come to the same conclusion.

So, I'll be operating this weekend with at least one disabled posi clutch disk. Monday I'll pull the rear, and have a Detroit Truetrac installed next week. I really didn't want to spend more money on this rear, but it looks like I won't have much choice. I may go ahead and drain the gear lube out at the track, just to make sure more pieces don't find their way out.

I wanted the Truetrac 3 years ago, but don't recall the details about why we didn't do it. The shop suggested it this time, and I'm all for that. I also wondered if we should do new gears at the same time, but he said GM gears are about the best you can find now. So, we'll see how it all looks when taken apart next week.

Oh, yeah, my son has the same posi in his LS1-clone S10 Blazer. I think we'll be pulling the plug on that one as well...

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

Hi Mr Kid, I just wanted to say I enjoy your war stories, keep them coming.

Thanks. I can understand if nobody cares.

My son didn't find anything in his rear, so that's good. Right now I'm at the track, waiting for it to quit raining so we can make our first pass.

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

Being a bracket racer myself, I really enjoy your track stories as well. Very cool to read. Also, congratulations on making it to the Division V finals. I finished 3rd overall in sportsman at Milan Dragway and will be going to the Division 3 finals in Indianapolis.

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

I've never done any serious drag racing so not familiar with the equipment. What's a delay box?

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

how's the son's blazer doing anyway? he get his gremlins worked out?

I spoke too soon about his posi. He didn't find anything when he drained it, but when he pulled the cover, there was a chunk waiting for him. It's still holding for burnouts, but its days are probably numbered. Otherwise, the Blazer is coming around. The LS2 intake isn't as quick as the BBK was at its best, but it for sure is a lot more consistent. And, the FAST knock-off TB works bunches better than the home-ported 5.3 TB did.

Friday night we only had one time trial per class, then went into the jackpot race because of a rain delay (scheduled for 2 time trials). I made it through the first round, but gave back the stripe in the 2nd.

Today we had 2 time trials per class, a 1/4 mile and an 1/8 mile jackpot, and a couple of high-dollar races (with higher entry fees). I only entered the high dollar race in the non-delay class, 32-car field, made it to the 3rd round then 2nd guessed myself on letting go of the brake pedal and got tree'd good. The guy I lost to ended up winning that race.

Tomorrow is the final points race for the season. I entered two classes, although I'm only registered for points in one. The one I'm not registered for goes first in the run order, so I can try to get the bugs out in that one. We get one time trial per class, then start running it off. They are doing a "dial for dollars" during the time trials, $5 to get into the pot for closest to dial without breaking out. I never do very well in those things, but I'm a sucker for them, anyway.

Base91, a "delay box" is a device that controls the launch of the car with the release of a button. It's tied to a tranny brake and usually a throttle control. The driver holds a button after staging until they see the top amber bulb (typically), and releases the button on the top bulb. The box holds the tranny brake and throttle for a set amount of time that the driver has entered based on experience, then launches the car by releasing the tranny brake and going to full throttle at the exact prescribed time. The advantage is the driver can practice hitting that top amber on a consistent basis, and then the car releases exactly when you want it to based on practice. This does a couple of things: 1) you get a "clean" first bulb, and 2) you don't have to time the release of the button to the 3rd amber. "Typically", cars with delay boxes should cut better and more consistent reaction times than leaving off the 3rd amber. Of course, the human element is still there, and you need to drive out inconsistencies from the car.

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

I love my delay box. Launching off the top bulb is much easier. You adjust the amount of delay so that you cut as close a light as possible without going red. If you're dead slow on the reaction time then the delay box won't help you but if you can react quick enough to get a red light then just add a little more delay into the box so you can't go red the next time. There's 1/2 second between the lights and you want to launch when the last yellow comes on. Everyone reacts differently and day/night reaction times are also different. I generally have around 1.045 seconds in the delay box. I can normally get .00x reaction times on a regular basis and anything slower than .02x is too slow which means I'm too slow because the box is set so it's very difficult to go red. I'd rather have a slightly slow reaction time than a red light.

With my delay box, I also use a starting line enhancer. Just before I prestage, I push what's called a bump button. It allows an air powered solenoid in the throttle linkage to extend. The throttle pedal falls to the floor and I stage with my foot to the floor and the engine is still at an idle. When I release the transbrake button, the solenoid is reactivated with CO2 which shortens the linkage and the engine goes to WOT. Just over a second later, the delay box releases the transbrake and away I go.

The starting line enhancer lets me concentrate on the top bulb and even if my opponent has a 10 second head start, I'm not up on the converter doing a burn down. I just sit patiently waiting for my bulb to light up so I can release the transbrake button and start the chain of events to get me going.

Wasn't my best outing. Couldn't seem to hit the tree during time trials.

1st round of Run Tuff (the one I wasn't registered for points in), I was paired with a big block Regal that runs 11.0's. He's given me fits this year when we've been matched up before. I had my first decent tree of the weekend, thought he was going around me so I stomped the brakes at the line to take the stripe by .0001 sec. Didn't matter, though, he broke out by .007 and I was .007 over.

1st round of Street, my son's Blazer wouldn't start in the pits (happened to him in the lanes during his time trial, too), so I gave him a jump with the Camaro. That caused us to get to the lanes late, the right lane that we favor was over filled, so we got moved over to the left lane. #2 in points won first round in front of me. I was paired with a 12.2 Vega. For whatever reason, the left lane was about .02 slower in 60' for me all weekend, and it bit me again. Also had a poor RT, couldn't run my dial, so I'm out 1st round.

2nd round of Run Tuff was called while I was still in the lanes for Street, same story about right lane being full. So, I pull over to left, paired with a low-11 sec El Camino. This guy had taken me out a few races back in 3rd round of Street with a .010 light to my .023. I had another good light, he had a crappy light (which is typical of him - good once in awhile, terrible other times), I had another win.

2nd round of Street, #2 gets a red light win. Not looking good for staying ahead of him. If he gets to the semi-final (round 6), he'll overtake me.

3rd round of Run Tuff, I'm paired with a 11.6 1st gen Firebird with 454, dude wins a lot of rounds in several classes. We're the first pair out, RTs were his .010 to my .013, but I dialed wrong. Not sure why, but the car was .03 slow and he backed into me for the stripe. My day of racing is done.

3rd round of Street, #2 goes red. Season championship is mine. Final tally 545 to 514.

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

you made it a lot further than i did this weekend! lol. congrats on the season championship in Street.

Thanks. Over 3 days, I won a grand total of 5 rounds. Not exactly overwhelming...

The season championship comes with a "Gold Card", which gives me free admission to this race series next year, plus all the test & tunes I want, and a spectator ticket when I'm racing. And, 2 spectator tickets to any event in which I am not participating, including the Mile High Nationals. That's the really sweet part of the deal.

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

Congrats on the championship! Norwalk does a similar gold card theme. However, I work at the track on big event weekends, and they give me similar benefits. I haven't paid for a T&T or non-money class for the past two years. Definitely a huge perk. I haven't done much this year in our points series, but its my first full year of points racing. Not to mention, driving two different cars in it, with two different setups in the Firebird. Its been a year of re-learning the car and the spot on the tree. I've been as fast as 11.99 and as slow as 16.80 this year. I think I'm finally done swapping cars and tinkering on the Firebird. Its a steady 12.0x car, which is perfect for the Sportsman class cutoff of 12.00. Next year, I plan on hitting it hard right out of the gate, now that I know what the car will do. Next year, I hope to be in the same spot you're in now.

Thanks. The Gold Card really is sweet.

I pulled the rear yesterday (after clearing the stall next to the '57 so I could pull the Camaro in). The rear is now at the shop for a Truetrac install (I don't have the tools for rear gears setup - I suppose if I had bought them 4 rear end rebuilds ago, I could have paid for them by now...). The gears and bearings looked fine, but that Eaton is coming apart - this time a plate guide is about to come out (that's what came out on my son's posi). Should be ready to go back in tomorrow or Thursday.

I'll probably be running 12.0's in Topeka. Last year it ran 11.95 with a bit of a tail wind, 12.0 on Sunday with no wind and warmer weather. We'll see what it runs this time. I've started letting the computer do the shifting, trying to dial in the correct shift points (2-3 is okay, 1-2 is still a little early). I started that when running the nitrous a couple of weeks ago, that first shift comes a lot earlier with a shot/at sea level, easier to just put it in 3rd and let it happen on its own.

Re: Summer Season winding down
 

Any plans for the 57 over the winter to had it ready for next season??.

Please excuse my bad manners.Congrats on the win.You know who your racing and that helps a ton.

The plan was to have the '57 running for this season. Then, for the 2nd month, then by the 3rd month...

I finally gave up in early July. Figured it would still take weeks instead of days, what with needing to get an exhaust system built after it was running, then getting a dyno tune after getting the exhaust done. To say nothing of switching horses midstream. So, I haven't touched it for almost 2 months.

The big thing with it right now is routing and re-terminating about 60 PCM wires. I'll get back to it after the season is over, and hopefully have it running well before next season.

It's kind of funny, because I get asked about it all the time. But, if you look at the facts, I actually race much better in the Camaro than I did in the '57. But, for whatever reason, the '57 is feared, and people tend to lose when it's in the other lane (although the Camaro is starting to get a reputation now).

One good thing is at the Super Chevy Show last month, I won the "LS Shootout" class (any vehicle with an LS engine allowed to run). The "prize" was a dyno tune from a local LS specialist outfit. It'll get used on the '57.