Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

Another week of Jr Dragster racing at Thunder Valley in Bristol, TN is in the books! More pics to come, but a whole lotta this last week:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...pscd3aa263.jpg

Hmmmm.... What do we need to do next......

Note to self, don't install a new clutch system 4 runs before going to Bristol, that track is hard enough to figure out! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/mad.gif[/img]

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

Ben doing a gear change! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] We put the new engine on and went from a 6.0 gear down to a 4.55, but didn't see the mph we wanted. So, we went even further with a 4.33 gear! Still blew the tires off at the hit - even before breaking the beams, with only 6 pounds of air! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/eek.gif[/img] Traction issues.... We eventually hooked when they prepped the line and we moved to 5 pounds, this really wrinkled the tires - made me wish I had bead lock rims installed....

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...psff20bd26.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...psd752a4d0.jpg

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

Spare engines &amp; food! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...psd9426f02.jpg

Chapel service:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps3845b54e.jpg

A little R&amp;R at the bowling alley:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps3dbad97d.jpg

Maple Grove Raceway Pizza Party:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps5b0d4828.jpg

Kids hanging out playing cards:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps3bf01ac2.jpg

Won round 1!!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps8ac8058f.jpg

Then the rain:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps86f8dc57.jpg

Went out in Round 2, but a great time nonetheless!

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

I hope the 1st picture wasn't breakfast.

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

Nah, we have a light breakfast at the hotel then head to the track.

A few more:

Rolling up into the tunnel where 'Cowboy' checks their safety gear and we wait for the 'start your engines' command

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps29807d39.jpg

This is 'Cowboy', the kids love him!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps56718d3a.jpg

Then it's out to starting line to go through the water box and then the burnout routine

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps2b43dcfc.jpg

Hurry up - and wait, time to relax after your run (there are 700 Jr Dragsters there, so it takes about 4 hours to cycle through!) We park the golf cart up in the grandstands in an entrance way and watch

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps76f90b12.jpg

Each car usually has their home track entourage out at the starting line for their run, makes the kids feel great - especially for Round 1. The week builds for Round 1 of The Big Race, and there are so many people between the tunnel and the starting line that sometimes us Dads need to clear a path for the kids to drive out to the starting line! What a wonderful event, great memories - win or lose. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...psc7f4ac61.jpg

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

Anyone wanna guess who is in the red boots and/or the ZMax Jr?

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...ps41f24cb8.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...pscadff23e.jpg

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

No guessing? Not even Sammy? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

BTW, we found a new way to lose - spin the tires so hard that you kill the reaction time [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/mad.gif[/img] The red line is engine RPM, the gray line is the jack shaft RPM (think drive shaft). The gray line should be a perfectly even arc from 0-6500'ish, but when the tires are blown off the line will jump sharply and then come back down when the tires hook.

In less than 4 inches, the jack shaft speed was over 1,000 RPM - absolutely killing his light and the run. It took a while for him (us) to get over this one. This is after moving from the typical 6.0 rear gear to a 4.55, and then to a 4.33 with 6 #'s of air and treated/wrapped tires! Bummer! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/frown.gif[/img]

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h6...psd2895edf.jpg

Oh, the engine RPM spikes to ~7,500 at the hit, and then the clutch system 'shifts' at a peak of ~8,100 RPM (that's the red vertical line) - and these are relatively low RPM's! Our previous engine like to shift at 8,500 and then go through the stripe at 8,500+! When a rod goes, it will really 'window' the block!

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

Need more pics of the girl we're guessing at!

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

&quot;...red boots&quot; <span style="font-weight: bold">&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</span> Nancy Sinatra! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/shocked.gif[/img] (the older fellas will know what I'm talkin' about [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/wink.gif[/img] )

Re: The newest drag racer gears up!
 

Oh! The 'boots' gal is Bob Bode's wife, who always wears brightly colored boots to the National events. His crew picks the color she wears at those events. Well, she wears them to little Bode's events too! This year was red, [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

The ZMAX Jr is Antron Brown's son, who was at the big event this year, pretty good racer - I was impressed with his lights. Antron has a 'hired gun' running the car for him since he is typically away at the National events, and this tuner is very good - even with the 12.90 stuff.

The Professionals kiddies have now entered the world of Jr's, not a bad thing. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]