BACKFIRE!
FEBRUARY 1999
Postings are listed from NEWEST to OLDEST. Happy scrolling !
Subject: Sponsorship Articles
Date: Sunday, February 28
From: Michael Bavuso
I would like to thank you for the "Get Sponsored" articles that I've seen on your web page, they were a big help. Although I'm into that roundy-round stuff, a lot of the same principles apply to us circle track guys. If you ever get to the dairy state (Wisconsin) drop me an e-mail and the first round is on me. Thanks again.
Thanks very much for the kind words about our Sponsorship section. While I'm far from knowledgable about the subject, I have managed to collect a few "pearls" from people who really do know how it works. And in the interest of improving the collective knowledge of racers everywhere, whether they're going straight, or in circles, or around corners, I've posted as many articles as possible from various viewpoints. Over the next few months I hope to update the section and add some more current stuff, plus some of my own thoughts on where Motorsports Marketing and Sponsorship is headed and why. Stay tuned, and thanks for dropping in and saying hello.Subject: When last we heard.....
Date: Sunday, February 28
From: Wrenchski
Hey BW - something about a submission to Nitronic... memory's a little fuzzy... no time, or lack of interest?
Thanks for checking in to see if I was still alive or what. Yeah, I know, I've missed the boat again on Nitronic, but for the past two months I've been working flat out towards making the only boat that (really) counts: the one that's hauling my car to Australia. Heck, I haven't even had a chance to update my website for nearly three weeks now.The spirit is willing, but the constraints of the 24-hour day and the need for sleep on a (more or less) regular basis for this 48-year-old body and the demands of my real job just take away all the "spare" time and energy required to get anything even remotely creative accomplished. I keep thinking that after we get back from the (Australian) Winternationals (middle of June) then things will get back to "normal" (yeah, right, as if such a word is even in my vocabulary) and I'll be able to spend some time writing and webbing and such.
Thanks very much for remembering that I still exist and that I had promised to put something together for N.R., but time is marching on and I've just got to get the race car finished and shipped. Priorities, eh? Keep in touch though, as I'm still around and still following what's happening in the wonderfully weird world of drag racing.Subject: Thanks for the Update
Date: Thursday, February 25
From: Jerry Kumre
Wow! I'm surprised that they mentioned us in NHRA's E-Ticket. The writeup is due in National Dragster in the next couple of weeks: What's New Issue 2, but I'll take any press I can get. I forwarded this to the guy I have worked with on this deal here at Autodesk so I hope he will smile too. We are looking to test in early March but since the car is still behind it should be ready to fire about March 13, so we are probably going to miss the Phoenix divisional race as well. So now we are looking at the Bakersfield Division Seven race and running through the Autolite Nationals and at least one other national event and the Finals. The plan is one race a month from April on, unless I blow it all up.
Anyhow, hope all is well and that your hot rod is getting race ready. Edgecombe and Ormsby Jr. are running the C-S-K Nationals this weekend so we can keep up with the other Un-hemi on the net and when (Gary) Jr. calls me, I will get you the details.
Thanks again. We really appreciate the update. Oh yeah, you will love this one, my co-workers who know about my racing exploits have given me a new nickname: Jerry "Krash and Burn" Kumre.
Glad you liked the bit in E-Ticket. (It's always nice to see your name in print isn't it?) I'd share the item with the viewers of this page, but it's already been shredded and either my subscription to ND has expired again or the mail is slow, so you'll just have to wait a while to see it. Sorry to hear that the car is taking longer than expected to finish... gee, now where have you heard that tune before ??? but, like ours, it'll be done when it's done and not a moment earlier, right? Hope you can pass along some good news about the exploits of the other UN-hemi this weekend at Phoenix. Remember, "Krash", always try to keep the shiny side up -- and shiny too!Subject: Just a note
Date: Tuesday, February 23
From: Lance Ginbey
After two years of being on the Sunshine Coast I finally found out last week they have a club here, the Sunshine Coast Drag Racers Inc. (it pays to advertise?) Anyway I went to the meeting last night and who should be there but Peter Williams! (Until recently, the National Technical Director for ANDRA) It was quite a surprise as I hadn't seen him since he went to one of the races in Darwin a few years ago. You may have heard that he had resigned from ANDRA and is now living here on the Sunshine Coast.
About Darwin, (remember, my info is two years old), John Buchannan from Perth and John Noonan from Brisbane went up there a couple of years ago with their T/AD's. Mostly their runs were full quarter mile burnouts and pedaling duels. I think the best time Noonan managed was a high 6.9. John (Crazyman) Taylor took his nitro Funny Car up there for one meeting with only about 30% nitro and mostly just smoked the tires and shut off at around the 330'. On his last run he tried to pedal a few times and banged the blower badly.
When I first moved to Darwin I had a head full of ideas about track prep from Ravenswood (which used to be famous for being a super track) and was told none of my Ravenswood ideas would work because of the humidity and because it was a multi-use track they had heavy restrictions about what they could do. Sounds similar to Eastern Creek, doesn't it?
When discussing this with Peter Williams last night he told me they are building a new purpose built track there now, so things might change. From memory there are four blown doorslammers with smallblock Chevys and Fords as well as Bob Powers' bigblock. There were two injected smallblock altereds but I don't think they are racing anymore. There were also many street cars and a heap of bikes. One thing you can be sure of is the after race party will always be the best you have ever had. I was dragged home quite often after 10 am the next day!
Have you seen the latest results from Calder? Harker over Phillips! Good luck with the progress.
Thanks again for taking the time to educate me about racing up north in Darwin, Lance. My only impressions of Hidden Valley have been what I read in Dragster AUSTRALIA and the first-person accounts you've sent about it. Despite the distance from Brisbane (3600 km each way) it's still something I'd like to attempt some day. Just like the trip across the Nullarbor to Perth. I might only do it once, but at least I can say I was there. And it sounds like the parties can make for a very memorable trip, to say the least. Hope to see you at the Winternationals -- only 108 days away... and counting (down).Subject: Watching for e-mail
Date: Monday, February 22
From: Tony Duncan
How's the weather? Hey I wanted to see the business end of those new heads. How are those wedge heads going to make as much power as a hemi head? Also, will the TFX block accept hemi heads? I want to see the finished product on the manifold when it's done, maybe with the blower sitting on it. All the new stuff sure looks nice. I hope you have much success. Talk to you later.
Thanks for the compliments, Tony. The weather? Well, let's not talk about that, shall we? Suffice to say that spring looks a long way away. Now to answer some of your questions. We're really not sure how much air the heads will flow, but we assume it will be a bit less -- but not that much less -- than Brad Anderson heads. As for power output; we'll be a bit down over a Hemi, but (again) not that much. There's more reasons than just power that we chose the wedge heads though. Reliability, costs - to buy and maintain, and my crew chief's "comfort level" with working on wedge's. Plus the uniqueness factor. After all, everyone else (well almost everyone) runs a hemi, don't they? Sure, if we had the money, we could phone BAE and order up a store-bought combination that would go out and run well right away. But we'd never get ahead of the game that way. Starting to see a little "method in our madness"?The TFX-96 block was designed for hemi heads and to adapt our wedge heads to it, we've had to do some major work. Like filling in the slots where the valley studs go with a hemi, drilling and tapping and then putting a row of studs there to mount the B-1's. Then, since the block came with 9/16" stud holes, and our heads are already hogged out to 1/2" (and can't go further), we're having to make up some special studs to mount them.
The block will be finished in early March and the manifold by the middle
of the month and as soon as we can afterwards, we'll have lots of photos of
all the stuff on the website. Hang in there and you'll be impressed - at least
we hope so.
Subject: The Ken Lowe diary
Date: Monday, February 22
From: Ken Lowe
I wanted to drop you a quick note just to let you know what all was happening.
Tuesday, February 16Phone ringing off the wall. Checked four fuel pumps. Talked to a dozen racers, some even bought parts. When 7 pm comes to close, I feel like I have been holding my breath all day. Odyssey Battery guys stopped by and we did a deal to have them as one of the Drag Racing School sponsors. Now that takes care of the batteries for all of the DRS cars.
Wednesday, February 17Busy work day. Had to knock early to get on the "Cackling Pipes" chat line. Lots of questions, including some that had a rather distinct (north) american accent.
Thursday, February 18Surfer was to arrive at 6 am to start laying up the funny car body but he is late and that pushes back all my day as I have an 8 am appointment in Brisbane with Kym Petterwood of Lifestyle. I met Melissa, my account manager, and she, Kym and I took a couple of hours going over the details for the Drag Racing School t-shirts and the DRS polo shirts. It was a long day for Surfer and Jack his helper, but the funny car body is done. Reinforce some critical areas and on Monday it will be ready to pop out of the mould. Dave made two racks for a total of three for all of the FC bodies. This way the bodies can cure out of the mould without going wonky.
Friday, February 19Doing payroll this morning so I can leave everyone happy when I leave for Melbourne and Calder Park Raceway. The cylinder head gets here this morning and the valves are arriving via Singapore air at mid-day. That means a late night tonight. I just spoke to Mark on the phone and we have grabbed a garage at the race track so that will help a little bit. I leave today at 2 pm and arrive at 5 pm. The race track is only about 10 miles from the airport and the motel is at the airport (Travelodge), so the logistics should not be a problem.
Arrived at the airport on time at 5pm and Grant Harvey picked me up and we went straight to the track. Mark was setting the spring installed height on the heads. Later at 7 pm Milli (Mark Miller) arrived at the airport and Grant picked him up as well. Late night assembling the engine.
Saturday, February 20Up early and at the track at 8 am when it opens. First qualifying session is not until 12:30 pm but we have a lot of work to do. I have nearly 20 fuel ssytems in the Melbourne area and one of my fuel system customers' was having a lot of problems so I spent some time helping him. It was to no avail however, as his mag was very weak. We ran 6.03 - 223 off the trailer in 950' air... We have taken the MSD mag out of the engine and put the old Mallory Supermag back in and turned the fuel volume up a lot. We were sure we were "rich" so we nipped a bit out for the second qualifier and ran 6.09 - 222 in 2600' air and were disappointed but allowed that the performance slump was due to the air.
In the first around against (Wayne) Newby in 1600' air we took a bit more fuel away to hop it up and tuned ourselves right up to a 6.20 - 218. Bummer! This car loves the fuel and does not like it at all when we take it away. Newby beat us by about three inches because he dropped a valve and banged the blower. Harker broke the wheelie bars so Mark and Milli were welding them back together and I assisted Steve checking the bearings. Phillips had a bye in the first round due to his opponent breaking. He got another single when Newby could not show so his only race was in the final against Harker. Phillips shook and Harker scorched the track with a 5.78. First Funny Car win in national event competition since 1996.... now maybe they will get off the skipping record of "dragster domination". What a day of racing! I fell into bed at 1 am Sunday.
Sunday, February 21Mark and Fran are bringing the car, truck and trailer back to Brisbane today. They will leave about 10 am and drive straight through and should get in around Monday afternoon. Grant and I had a chat in the lounge at the hotel before he had to leave for Adelaide. My plane didn't leave until noon so I had a bit of time up my sleeve. Milli was flying out at 9 am so we had breakfast together. I thought I would attempt to get an earlier flight with him into Brisbane but the plane was too full. There was a 10 am flight to Coolangatta that I was able to grab a seat on.
The person in the seat next to me was Fred Christy, a ship's captain. Real neat guy. We talked for the entire trip and it seemed like the flight only took ten minutes. He explained to me about the weather charts and what they all mean and how you can predict the weather (Good for a racer to know). We agreed to have dinner together some night in the near future. He lives down at Mermaid Beach not far away. He was on his way back from delivering a new gas tanker to England.
Monday, February 22New week. I have worked out the plans for enclosing the little 26 foot open tag trailer. The top has to be able to be unbolted as I often need an open top trailer. Dave is cutting and welding the steel today. It will be 1.8 meters tall inside, which is tall enough for most people to walk in. Surfer and Jack are popping the funny car body out of the mould and popping the Fiat out of the mould. I think we will lay up an extra Fiat body so I have one for stock.
I just called Mark on the cel phone and he was at Goondiwindi. They lost about six hours yesterday when the radiator split on the truck. They found someone at Seymore with a soldering iron and some solder to patch it up. Life on the road! They should be home by 6pm tonight. I'll send more as it happens....
Just another typical week for Ken Lowe it looks like. (Scroll down the page to see the events of the previous two weeks leading up to the Calder Park race. As I've always said, his "busy" makes my "busy" look like I'm in reverse. Drag racing really is this man's life. Thanks for putting together a roof for the tag trailer too Ken, since we'll need to borrow it to drag our car out to the Winternationals. Oh, I hadn't asked yet?? Ooops...Subject: Big Trip to the Land of Oz
Date: Monday, February 22
From: Tony Parfitt
Only being an enthusiastic spectator of Drag Racing, I was touched by your trials and tribulations regarding your planned trip to Australia. Not being able to offer anything in the way of financial support, I would however, like to offer assistance with regard to accomodation and transport to and from Willowbank (The Greatest Track in the Southern Hemisphere) during your stay.
I live 1.25 hours from the track and am a regular spectator. If I can be of any assistance to you or your crew please do not be embarassed to ask for any help. I usually spend the entire three days at the Winternationals (what you might call temporary divorce). As you have indicated in reading the recent results of Top Alcohol, we need MORE competitors. To assure you of my sincereity let me tell you it has taken me almost an hour to type this message. (I am not known for my typing skills). Looking forward to hearing from you and to seeing you in our country.
Great to hear from you Tony. And thanks very much for the kind offer of help during the Winternationals. As soon as we get squared away down at Ken's place on the Gold Coast, we'll give you a call and see what we can arrange. Drop in regularly for updates until then and thanks for going to so much effort to write; an hour to type that message ?? Thank goodness I took typing in high school.Subject: Starting to wonder where you are
Date: Sunday, February 21
From: Darren Fahy
It's Darren from Australia just wondering how you are where you've been. I sent an e-mail to you about a week and a half ago and I was wondering if you had received it. Anyhow, I hope the problems have sorted themselves out and aren't causing you too much grief.
As for problems, I have been encountering a few of my own. Last week I was having problems downloading from the net so I had to reinstall internet explorer. No problem; I can handle a little thing like that. So after that was completed I jumped back on the net. That night, after a couple of hours browsing, I couldn't open a new page because I had run out of hard drive space.
Again I thought: No Problem. My computer was an old 486/33 with 340 MB hard drive but we had 24 MB of RAM so I thought "I'll just give it a little tune-up". Yeah, No Problem. Money is a little on the tight side, so I thought I'd just buy a cheap Pentium 75 processor and motherboard, and a case (I forgot to mention the old computer was a Packard Bell, so no upgrade parts fit inside the original case). Okay, what the heck, I'll put another 850 MB of hard drive in as well; No Problem....
Thursday afternoon I get home with the new motherboard, processor and case. Great, I think, a couple of hours and I'll have a NEW computer. Yeehah! The computer shop I bought the gear from closes at 6pm and I walked out of there about five minutes after that. At about 7:20pm I find out all the port connectors on my old computer were part of the motherboard.... "Darn, darn, darn" (or words to that effect) So I finish putting together what I can; No Problem....
Next morning I rock up to the shop, explain the problem and walk out with a video card and about five different connecting cables; No Problem. I get home, finish assembly, put my 16 MB stick of RAM in one slot and my 4 MB in another slot and try to boot the machine. No Problem.... The bloody thing wouldn't even change from a blank monitor. So I pick up the case and take it to the shop. About an hour later I remembered the guy saying the RAM might not be compatible, so we put two sticks of 4 MB in and and the computer starts to boot, or at least does something anyway.
Okay, No Problem; I'll take it home and give it a go, you beauty. On getting home I put the floppy in and finish assembly, plug it in, turn it on and the floppy won't work.... (Really unprintable words) Temper tantrum time.... Okay, I've spent too much money to stop now so I'll have to buy another floppy drive now. No Problem; I get home, put the new floppy in and it's no bloody different... now I'm really pissed.....
So I go back to the guys at the computer shop, telling them how sorry I am to keep annoying them and how I'm starting to go crazy (starting?) over all this aggro about now. Then I feel stupid because I know nothing about BIOS settings, well I didn't then anyway, I know a little about them now. So now we've got the floppy working and the hard drive going too. Yeehah! I'm on my way now. I get home, plug it in for the umpteenth time, start it up, get just past the BIOS page and the (censored, censored, censored) locks up on me again.
This just can't be happening to me. No, I'm having a nightmare, I'll wake up in a minute. Hang on, I'm not waking up and that pinch hurt. So I ring up the poor bastards at the shop for the thousandth time, apologizing all the while for being a pain in the posterior and you wouldn't believe how bad I was feeling about that. In the meantime I had spent about two hours changing the BIOS settings to get it to start loading Windows 3.11. Talking to the guy on the phone, I told him the error it was coming up with and in about two minutes we, or should I say he, had the problem fixed.
Okay, let's load it again, windows starts loading and keeps loading, but I notice an eorror come up on the NVS write command. Who cares, the computer started and Windows booted so I didn't care, well not too much anyway. Looking back up the page I'm sorry to burden you with all this b.s. but I thought you might get a little laugh out of my catastrophe and be able to understand my plight. Hope you're not encountering any of this sort of "stuff".
P.S: If you need a hand with the car I am available to help if needed. But after reading about my computer episode you probably don't want me near the car.
Gee, and here I thought I was the only person who went through that sort of "aggro" with old computers. My computer, the first and only one I've ever owned, started life as a 486/100 with 8 MB of RAM and a total of 560 MB of hard drive space. I spent three months and five trips to the used(up) computer store down the street before I gave up and had a friend take it to his computer "experts". Then it only took six weeks to get a Pentium 100 motherboard installed (mine was fried), upgrade the ram to 32 MB, ignore the hard drives and install the Racepak download board (for the on-board data recorder).Over the past 14 months it's gone through a few ups and downs, but is still
working fine. Of course, my low-budget ($700) toy has seen nearly another $1000
pumped into it over that time; albeit some of those dollars went for a printer
and scanner and a few bits of software. And one of these days I know the whole
thing is just going to go up in smoke and that'll be the end of the Northern
Thunder website -- at least temporarily. Now about the mechanical help you
can give us.... Am I going to have to install a new short-block every time we
go to change the oil???
Subject: I'm going home
Date: Friday, February 19
From: Dave Fenton
Hi Bob. Well it's finally happened. I don't have to worry about travelling for hours to get to Willowbank anymore. We have a friend in Brisbane who needs someone to look after her house for 12 months and I have my old job to go back to. It's all fallen together in the last few days and we arrive home just in time for the March 6 meeting. I am still walking on air, hardly able to believe that it's all happening. We've been away from Brisbane for nearly a year now and it's really going to be great to be home. I can't wait. No more missed race meetings.
Great news Dave. From cockroaches to cane toads. From the "no drag strip state" to the "promised land". Now that you're going to be at Willowbank for every meet(ing) I presume, don't forget us when you see us in the scrutineering shed at the Winternats. We'll be the ones with all the brand-new, certified, NHRA-type gear. See you then.Subject: Marketing surveys
Date: Wednesday, February 17
From: Ken Lowe
Howdy y'all... or G'Day mate, whatever applies. Darren said something in his "Backfire" to you regarding surveys and the popularity of certain drag racing classes. I caution anyone to not treat the results of surveys as "gospel" since the phrasing of the questions and the tone of the delivery can skew the answers. Also, usually the poll-taker is asking reasonably uninformed people detailed questions which require the detailed knowledge of an experienced fan.
Do they know the difference between a late model Top Doorslammer and a Top Alcohol Funny Car? Do they know the difference between a Pro Stock car and a Super Gasser? How do they know it is a Top Alcohol Dragster? Maybe they do, but I think you should be very sure of the questions and then the answers before you make massive changes in the sports/entertainment industry of drag racing.
I know T/AD cars do not "perform" like the Top Fuel cars but if all they (promoters) had was Top Fuel it would be a show with a lot of blank spaces. As I said in the editorial in the Harbinger Press Volume 2 , it is the MIX of cars that make the show. I must be an old dedicated drag racer or a proponent of lost causes because I like Top Alcohol and I like Comp.
The marketing survey that Ken is referring to was comissioned by Willowbank Raceway last year to see what the "average" fan was most interested in seeing. The wording of the question was: "Aside from Top Fuel what class are you most interested in?"... I haven't got the results right at hand, but I do remember Top Doorslammer being # 1 (gee, big surprise, eh?) and Top Alcohol down around fourth or fifth. Like Ken says, this survey was taken at random, without any pre-qualification of the respondents as to their knowledge (or lack) of drag racing. Let's face it, to the average Joe or Jill, just about any long, skinny car with big slicks, big wing and a big blown engine is a Top Fueler. Whether it's really a T/F, or a T/AD or a Top Comp car, the distinction is lost to the fans unless they have more than a passing acquaintance with them.And as Ken points out, to make changes in the program based simply on the results of this, or other surveys, is really taking a major gamble with the future of the sport. In the end, it really comes down to promotion, the quality and quantity of it, and the results it produces. For the past few years I've been hearing how Top Alcohol has "lost its lustre" downunder and how the promoters are having a hard time justifying the amount of money paid out to the cars in relation to the number of fans it attracts. It has even been suggested that the class be dropped from the Group One categories.
I'll have a lot more to say about this subject later, but first we've got
a race car to finish assembling and ship to Australia. Once it's landed and
we're out there in the trenches, then we'll see what can be done to "crank
up the volume" for the Top Alcohol(ics) downunder.
Subject: News Flash
Date: Wednesday, February 17
From: Ken Lowe
Everyone knows the power of television advertising. The problem is that while we know it does work, it is normally very expensive. The Drag Race School provides its sponsors with the absolute best advertising value ever possible. Direct advertising at the race track, direct advertising at promotional events, photos and articles in automotive publications and last, but certainly not least, television advertising.
The Drag Race School car is unique in drag racing because it is a high performance race car that people look at because there is a possiblity that they could drive it if they wanted to. No other race car in Australia has that marketing power. DRS provides the chance for them to... "Live their Dream".
For several months we have had dialogue with a television program based in Malaysia. The "Golden Dreams" program is one the most popular shows in Malaysia. A "Golden Dream" of one of their viewers was to go drag racing. They contacted us to see if we could provide the resources to do this. We can and the deal is done.
They are bringing a student to the next class to participate in the Drag Race School. The camera crew will arrive with the student and will film the event for broadcast in prime time in Malaysia. What a score for the school and the DRS sponsors. But it gets better. The "Drag Racing '99" television program that is aired on Channel 7, SBS and Foxtel is filming the "Golden Dreams" video team filming the Drag Race School because it is news. This is the story of the story. This gets the DRS car, sponsors and students on television here in Australia.
This is our way of assisting the DRS sponsors by getting their names and logos on television in two countries. The "Golden Dreams" program expands drag racing into new territories and "Drag Racing 99" never loses its time slot to any other program when it is aired on Channel 7. The replays of the program on SBS and Foxtel are always very popular as well. As soon as I have an "air date" I will advise all DRS sponsors.
Memo: If you are not a DRS sponsor yet, now is the best time to get on board and take advantage of this publicity. Call Ken Lowe at 0411-699-535. (From North America: 011-61-411-699-535).
Subject: The Meeting
Date: Monday, February 15
From: Bill Evans
Read about the meeting last Friday night in the tower at Mission (Raceway Park) on the "Grapevine". It is brief and positive.
Check it out folks. While it didn't solve all the major problems of the world as we know it, the frank, face-to-face exchange of views and ideas between the racers and the Board of the BC Custom Car Association hopefully went a long way to bridging the gap between the two bodies.Subject: The Ken Lowe diary
Date: Monday, February 15
From: Ken Lowe
Monday, February 1
Back to the grind. Unload the car and find out why we lost oil pressure. (On Saturday night, when starting the Drag Racing School dragster for the second round of Modified eliminations at Willowbank Raceway's Castrol New Year Series race) Guess what? the pickup broke off the pump! Bearings need replacing. They've had 20 runs in a T/AD car and 150 in the DRS car and led a hard life and now ran without oil pressure for about two minutes. Actually they are not that bad. If I had to I would put them back in but Brewy (Mark Brew) has a couple of extra sets out of the small block that I can put in the old girl. Yes, we use small journal small block rod bearings in our big block Chevy! I know it's a weird combo, but it works and the flow of spare parts is good. After every large race at Willowbank the out of town people stop by to have a look at the shop and have a chat with me. It is good, but it sure eats up a day or two after each race.
Tuesday, February 2Dave is fitting the front porch to the '27 T-roadster chassis of Kevin's today. We are going to make a different kind of pickup for the oil pump. A smaller one that we think will be more vibration resistant. I called Brew yesterday and he said he would send down a spare set of bearings out of the T/AD car for the DRS car. Good 'ol Brewy. The delivery guys never stop coming here. Rags, nuts and bolts, bearings, couriers, steel, aluminium, fibreglass supplies... this is stuff coming in. Then there is the shipment of parts going out and the visitors. I am amazed that anything gets done. I wonder when they are going to pick up the three ('48) Fiat bodies. Russel Pavey just called and we discussed the idea of a barby and video night for all of the guys at the club. We now have 67 members in the Surfers Paradise Drag Race Club and we decided on Friday, February 26th at 6:30 pm for the party. Should be a blast, wish you could come.
Wednesday, February 3Another new day. I promised Bob Power I would do his fuel system today. Opened the box only to find I need more parts to do it.
Thursday, February 4Liv Pultar from Flagship Marketing in Kuala Lumpur, Malyasia called. She represents the "Golden Dreams" television program and wants to close the deal for the student in the DRS car. They will arrive with camera crew to film the event.
Friday, February 5On the phone chasing wheels and tires for the DRS trailer.
Tuesday, February 9Called Mert (Littlefield) on some blower deals. Got some gravel for out around the building. Five tons.
Wednesday, February 10Brett stopped in to check on some fuel injection nozzles. Barry Young called and made a deposit on tuition at the Drag Racing School. (Rob) Oberg and I did the deal on the "story of the story". (Of the "Golden Dreams" film crew) Finished Grant Harvey's fuel system and packed it up for shipping. Had to take it to Brisbane to get in Mark's trailer so he could take it to Adelaide for me.
Thursday, February 11Ordered the tin for the roof on the new shed. Got some more gravel. Three tons.
Friday, February 12Beautiful weather today. Up early this morning as the sun broke over the hill just to the east. I close the shop at mid-day as I will fly to Adelaide for the second round of the alcohol series. I am to do Grant Harvey's fuel ssytem on his car so I am staying at his house. I organized for Mark and the crew to stay there as well. Grant is such a nice guy.
Saturday, February 13Up at 5:30, shower and get to the track early as I need to go over the installation of the fuel system. Arrived at the track at 7 am. What a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, warm gentle balmy breeze, light dew on the grass, the sun just off the horizon, absolutely gorgeous day -- perfect. Mark and I hop on a couple of scooters and have a look at the track and the braking area and the return roads. It all looks okay, the track looks real good.
Later I start Grant's car and get ready for a series of hops with the new fuel system on the car. I am very surprised at the amount of fuel that this combination wants. Seriously, I think the fuel requirements are directly related to the intake manifold design. Since I made the manifold I could be smarter than I think I am and didn't think this was possible. By the end of the day Grant is happy with the performance of the car. I wish we could have gone one more round but the car broke a push rod and a lifter and though spares were found it was discovered that the exhaust was bent now as well.
Though tied up helping Grant I did help Mark a little bit on the T/AD car. We had taken the MSD mag out and put the Supermag back in since we had tried the MSD mag for at least six races and had never gotten it to burn enough fuel. So we fattened the fuel system and went to the starting line. You could hear the engine driving through the clutch and that told us that the engine was making more power, but it all came unravelled in second gear when the top tip of the # 3 intake valve broke off. After that, nothing good happened.
The best news is that the sleeve only had a slight "dent" in it and a hone will tidy that up. A new piston and rod will fix the short-block but the cylinder head was hurt too. Mark cleaned it up and I'm to bring it back on the plane with me. I will drop it off at his mom's and Milli (Pete Miller) will pick it up on Monday and take it to the cylinder head shop for repair. Grant said we could use his shop to work on the car to get it ready for Melbourne. He saw we were in a jam and said he would fill the truck with diesel and put some extra drums on the back so we would have enough to get home on. Grant and his wife Sandra and son Michael are all such nice people. Open up their home and shop and then reach down in their pockets to help us.
I had a quick meeting with Steven Allen, manager of the two Bob Jane drag strips. This one (Adelaide) and Calder Park (Melbourne) as well. I wanted to talk to him about keeping the DRS modified car in the pits with the T/AD car at the Nationals; he said no problem. I also spoke to him about who I should approach in the Jane organization about tires and wheels for the new DRS trailer. No problem again; he'll hand carry and deliver the proposal directly.
Visited all my Adelaide customers that are at the track today just to stay in touch. After the sun went down the people filled the stands and the atmosphere was similar to drag racing in Michigan or Wisconsin. There was almost a festival atmosphere to the event. Yes it was a drag race, but more.
Called Dave, he had the school car at a test 'n' tune at Willowbank with Nathan (Peirano) driving. You have to keep the "taxi" running, don't you? Everything went well there; he said they had a couple of minor problems that he took care of. Like, Nathan forgot his gloves! Sandra Harvey told me a story about one of the daughters of the guy that builds the engines for their car. Greg Hayes is their engine builder in Adelaide. He has two daughters who race Junior Dragsters. Both of them are pretty good drivers. (Pretty too). Sandra told me that when Melissa got her new J/D engine block before her Dad had a chance to assemble it, she would sleep with it -- how is that for dedication to drag racing? When I was young man there were no girls like this around!
Sunday, February 14Big night last night. The race was over at 11 pm and then the barby came out and everyone started cooking, drinking and socializing. We did not leave the track until 2:30 am. We got back to Grant's house at 3 am and I slept until 11 am. Back on the plane to Brisbane at 2 pm. Talked to Scott Harker on the plane and he said they had one of their trucks taking a crank (down to Melbourne) to Steve on Tuesday and that if the cylinder head was ready it could go with it. We'll see. Back home on the Gold Coast at 4:30. Unpack and get ready for tomorrow.
Monday, February 15As I write this Monday evening all I can say is that I've got to look into this cloning stuff. My visit to Adelaide sparked business and the phone has rung off the wall. Not being a retail shop we are not really set up for walk-in customers but walk in they do. I am going to have to get better organized here. Surfer worked on the funny car body today and Dave had a short day but worked on mounting the 27 T-body on Kev's car. I worked on the Type 2 nose plug. I got a phone call from Doug Lawrence today, nice to hear from him. When he was over here on his holiday he did some work on the plug for the scoop that is setting all the records over here now. (Ours). He also helped on the 23 "T" plug.
Dave and I just worked out a great marketing idea. I approached Russel Pavey and Simon Holgerson and everyone was in agreement that it was a great idea. We are going to sell raffle tickets to the unused spaces in the Drag Racing School. The Surfers Paradise Drag Race Club raises money to help pay tow money for the racers to go to the races. They pay me everytime I go to a major event. Now I will give a discount to the club for the seat and they will sell the raffle tickets at all the races, club meetings and the swap meets as well as the car shows, etc. It is like I have a couple of dozen salesmen out there selling the school. At $10 a ticket everyone has a one-in-160 chance of winning. Cheap ticket and good odds. Everyone wins.
I figure that if someone is interested and buys a ticket they have already made up their mind that they want to do this and even if they lose the raffle, the idea is still in their mind that they would like to do the school. Then they think on it for a few months and then just put it on the credit card. Too easy! The Odyssey battery guy just called and it looks like we have a battery sponsorship as well now. Castrol called this morning and said they wanted to be part of the school and would provide product. Now is the good old days. Close now, chat more later.
Whew. And I thought I was working hard. Man, I'm exhausted just reading about how much Ken has done in the last two weeks. After all that, he's now got to help Mark Brew and crew get the engine repaired and fly down to Melbourne in three days for the coming weekend's third round of the Top Alcohol series. Then it's back to work in his shop and on the Drag Race School... and on and on the merry-go-round goes. Then, just about the time he sits down to catch a deep breath, some Crazy Canuck will show up on his doorstep with another race car to add to the menagerie. But like he says, these ARE the "Good Old Days"Subject: Stepping Up
Date: Monday, February 15
From: Phil Hutchison
Thanks for putting my updated letter in Backfire. And I really appreciated your comments (even the ones that made me look like a dunce). I must apologize for my "Brain Fade" on where all the Top Fuel drivers under 50 have come from. But I do have a few questions and comments.
When I made the comment of no Alcohol Dragster drivers stepping up to Top Fuel I must have been thinking of the Alky Funny Car drivers that DID step up to Fuel funny car (Whit, Frank, Tony, Cruz, Beal, Mitch McDowell, Tim Wilkerson, and Randy Anderson) but since you pointed out all of the other alky drivers that moved on up, I realized what a hot bed both alcohol eliminators are when it comes to grooming the next generation of Fuel drivers. I stand corrected, BUT if I may digress: is Joe Amato really under 50? I'm 46 and I could pass for his son... (No offense, Joe). Plus I always thought Joe's first wife, Jeri, and Eercie Hill went to High School together... I have pictures of Joe in the late 70's and he has not changed a whole lot, maybe he aged early, Drag Racing can do that to you...... (I can be so cruel at times...)
On the subject of Eastern A/FD's. I was not aware of (Steve) Cantrell getting rid of the blower. The team is based out of Wilmington, Delaware (about 20 miles from my house) and I used to see them at the points races. I even hung out with them at last year's Winternationals. They had just bought a brand-new Brad Anderson Fat Head at the end of '97. The car started off on a good foot when they qualified well at last year's Winternationals, but things went kind of downhill after that. Bad crank, breakage, etc. -- by the time I saw them in the summer, the car had lost a little. These guys are really bucks down racers. Hell, they probably make your team look like Bernstein's deal.
Rich McPhillips (another Division One runner) can haul when it's on, but like a lot of A/FD's, they can be off more than on. I saw the (David) Hirata car at Columbus and Indy, and to my knowledge, the car has not been all that competitive. It's a wild looking piece though, with a mammoth yellow scoop towering over the motor. Word has it that after Pat Dakin's bad crash last year, Chris wants to take over driving the Top Fuel car. Have you heard anything about this?
Did Larry Dixon really drive alky? If so, was it in local Division Seven races? I can't remember him driving until he joined the Snake's team. Now I was aware of his heritage (I don't live in a total vacuum). I remember the shot of him being held in his dad's arms after Larry Sr. won at Pomona in the 60's. I have a great photo of his Dad on fire at Indy driving the Howard Cam Rat in the 70's.
If I sent you some of the photographs I have taken at the drags, would you be interested in posting them on Northern Thunder? I know they have absolutely nothing to do with your alky effort, but some of my stuff is pretty decent. I do have not have a modem at home yet although I do have a scanner. I hope to get into the 1990's before the year 2000.
One last thing before I sign off. This thing with the Winston No Bull challenge. You know the rules. On Sunday, NHRA picks out two eliminators (one fuel class, one of the Pro Gas classes (Car or Truck). After the classes are determined, one driver out of the 16 qualifiers is picked. If he or she wins the event, they receive either $100,000 for the fuel class, or $50,000 for the gas class. With the way things shook out at Pomona, Jeff Arend (driving Beal's car) and Robert Patrick were the lucky racers to be picked. Both lost in the first round.
The chances of say, John Force or Gary Scelzi being picked out of a hat during the year (1 in 32 times 22 races) I venture to say, would be slim. And even if one of the hitters are picked, they then have to win the race. I would be surpised if Winston gives much (if any) money away this year. The NASCAR Winston deal is a lot more liberal and they do give some cash away during the year. This reminds me of the guy who offered big bucks for the first Pro Stocker to run 200 mph. NHRA touted that deal fo years before Warren claimed it in Richmond in 1997.
Questions, answers, and now, more questions. Glad to hear from you again Phil, and thanks for clearing up some of my confusion on a few points. Okay, Joe Amato must be over 50 by now, but since he came out of the alcohol ranks, funny car and dragster, I just threw his name in automatically. As for Steve Cantrell, I had him listed as an A/FD, but obviously was wrong. Thanks for the correction. Concerning Chris Dakin, I had heard the same rumour about him taking over the driving of his Dad's (Pat) car, but the first issue of National Dragster this year has an ad for "Complete Top Fuel Operation FOR SALE - Pat Dakin" .... and almost right beside it "For Sale - Going Top Fuel in '99 - Chris Dakin". Hmm, not sure what to think about that now. Last alcohol point - Larry Dixon drove John Mitchell's "Montana Express" A/Fuel car for a season in Division Five before getting the drive for Prudhomme. Trick trivia question, eh?Finally, the Winston No(?) Bull Challenge. What a load of bull is my initial response. You've nailed it right -- NO one is going to win the money. Lots of ink and promotion (the at-track promotion will get very tiresome as it must feature a non-stop barrage of PA announcements, WinstonVision ads, banners, balloons, dancing bears (oops, wrong circus), etc.etc. Lots of free promotion, with almost no chance of having to pay out any money. They've probably sold the plan to an "all risks" insurance company just to cover themselves too. Well at least they got the "Bull" part right....
Thanks for offering to send in some photos. We're always looking for any
good photos (that we haven't had to steal from someone else) to post in the
Photo Gallery. Better get that modem and fire up the scanner and send 'em in.
And drop us a line anytime the mood strikes. Your comments and observations
are most appreciated.
Subject: Bill and Joan Wells?
Date: Sunday, February 14
From: Rob Harrison
With all the talk about the future of Mission Raceway and the running of it, does anyone know what Joan and Bill Wells are going to do with themselves? Who's going to answer the phone during the week, for instance??
As you know, the racers and the board of directors held a meeting at Mission last Friday (February 12) to discuss some of the issues of concern. The report on the meeting can be found on Bill Evans' Grapevine page. No mention of who, if anyone, will be at the track during the week. And it seems definite that Bill and Joan will only be entering the track again through the spectators entrance. Stay tuned for further developments....Subject: Billet Blocks
Date: Saturday, February 13
From: Art Cimilluca
Thanks for updating me on John ("Indian" Morgan)'s block as being billet, because of the three pieces I forgot to realize that it was three separate BILLET pieces. I saw the block at Englishtown when Eddoe Hill was contemplating its use. I think he had main bearing problems though. I check your site frequently, it's outstanding. Thanks for the info.
It was my pleasure Art. One of these days (if I can dig up a suitable photo) I'll post some pics of the "Indian" billet hemi block. Too bad it didn't work out, but a lack of funds is probably what stopped the project. Plus, John was a better machinist than an engine designer/builder.Subject: Drag Racing Monthly
Date: Saturday, February 13
From: Gus Levy
Greetings, nitromaniacs ! This is a quick notice to Nitronic Research-types to alert them to the fact that Drag Racing Monthly, one of the more acclaimed drag racing magazines, is being deleted by its new publisher, EMAP/Petersen.
We at Nitronic Research feel this is nothing more than a strip-mining of our culture. If you have similar feelings, please visit the following URL and voice your displeasure: This is Bullshit
Thank you, Gus Levy, Nitronic Research CDC
(Civil Disobedience Coordinator)
Subject: The last outlaw dragster
Date: Saturday, February 13
From: Dave Alexander
Here's a story that I thought might make people laugh. It may not be true, but it deserves to be....
1970 AHRA Grand American, Frontier International Raceway, Oklahoma City, OK
It had never happened before at a national event, and it will probably never happen again, but it will never be forgotten by those who were witnesses to Roy Pogue's last quarter-mile run.
Roy had made it all the way to the semi-finals in Stock Eliminator at the AHRA Grand American Nationals at FIR, only to break out against his opponent. Roy didn't believe these new-fangled electronic timers, however, so he drove his car right back into the staging lanes, jumped out and headed for the tower steps plenty mad. He headed straight for AHRA event director Don Wormsley, who met Roy halfway down the stairs. A heated argument and loud exchange followed, during which Roy was told he'd lost -- plain and simple.
Roy still didn't agree.
So Roy went back down the stairs, through the staging lanes to his car. He jumped in, fired it up, and launched at full throttle toward the head of the staging lanes. Cranking the steering wheel hard, Roy executed a full throttle power drift, tires blazing, into the water burnout area. Roy kept his foot planted, despite mising several officials and crew members by mere inches. Roy straightened the car and, with tires still boiling and exhaust screaming, he took aim.
And ran straight over the Christmas Tree.
And he kept going. Running flat out to the end of the quarter-mile, Roy took a hard left turn and headed down the return road, through the entrance road and right out the pit entrance gate. He kept going right out to Interstate 40, hung another left, and headed off into the sunset with headers blaring.
That's the last anybody ever saw of old Roy. Pogue soon got that place in drag racing history he'd wanted so bad; AHRA President Jim Tice bestowed upon Roy the highest honour for any racer of Roy's ilk -- he was banned for life from all national AND local drag races of AHRA sanction. Later, he received a duplicate award from the NHRA. Roy always knew if he got the chance he could make it big.
That same event also featured the last known flag start for Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminators. In fact, AHRA starter Pete Talmadge was forced to disqualify Gene Snow for leaving the starting line before the flag was thrown against Don Prudhomme. Folks say Gene went looking for Roy that night. Maybe THAT's why we never heard from Old Roy again.
Subject: Serious Fun Racing update
Date: Thursday, February 11
From: Paul Grey
Hi Bob, just thought I'd let you know I have updated our website. I de-tuned it after I lost traction halfway through last year after injecting it with Java. Check out the calendar featuring some delicious aussie babes on the bike.
Great to hear from you again Paul. The "Serious Fun Racing" team is based in the THUNDER and Lightning capital of the world - Darwin in the Northern Territories of Australia. Gotta go now folks, them drag bike babes are waiting. Of yeah, here's the link to the website .Subject: Where's the Prospectus ?
Date: Thursday, February 11
From: Stu Wotypka
Hello to all at Wilson's. My name is Stu Wotypka and I'm an illustrator/designer. I specialize in automotive applications and am just kind of getting into illustration for sponsorship purposes. I have been enlisted to put together a simple sponsorship proposal for a friend of mine who is building a Top Alcohol Dragster. I have been waiting for some time to have a look at your sample proposal but it is still under construction. It would be greatly appreciated if you guys could somehow help me out by either sending me a sample or something.
Next issue... Who do you guys use for your renderings? Maybe we should talk. I'm sending along a little sample of my work. It's not really motorsports related but it should give you an idea of what I'm capable of. It's a 1946 Chevy pickup designed by myself. I'm also quite interested in the whole hot rod scene. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Wow what a nice job on the rendering Stu. Hey folks, check it out, he's quite an artist. And thanks for "kick-starting" me on getting the Prospectus posted. Just remember, it's a Prospectus, not a Proposal. The prospectus is generic by nature, while a proposal is targeted to a company which has shown serious enough interest in the prospectus to spend the time and effort creating a proposal for. As for our artist, we've struck a deal with a well-known Australian motorsports artist/photographer who has been working on our project for a while now and one of these days (soon I hope!) we'll see the finished product. However, anyone in Western Canada who's looking for artwork for their racing efforts should give serious consideration to contacting Stu.
Subject: Australia calling
Date: Wednesday, February 10
From: John Baremans
Before I go any further let me say that your recent internet contribution to the proposed Western Sydney Motorplex has cause cause quite a stir in this office. The kind of stir that arises from your belly just as you are about to "cack" yourself laughing. Freelance photographer Lee Davis dropped into our office last week and pointed it out to us. Very clever, cobber.
Getting back into the groove. Yes, thank you very much for the Jungle Jim T-shirt. I loved it, however it's a couple of sizes too small. It's nice of you to refer to me as the skinny one but you'd better have a closer look next time. I wear an extra large size.
Take care of yourself and keep up the good work. Say hello to Larry (Pfister) for me. He sounds like a neat guy as well. Keep in touch.
Thanks for the good words John. Seems that not everyone shared my juvenile sense of humour though, as a certain ex-drag racer in New South Wales took major offense at my little joke. Sorry folks, upon the receipt of legal advice I can't show the item being referred to. Glad you like the shirt John, sorry about the mix-up on the size though. Maybe Courtney will have to wear it as a night-shirt some day. I've passed your greeting along to Mr. Pfister. Drop me a line anytime you get a chance.Subject: Aussie racer in the states!
Date: Tuesday, February 9
From: Daniel Hodgins
G'Day Mate, how are you? I'm well. I don't know if you remember me, Daniel Hodgins, I used to work on Scott's T/AD in South Australia. Well now I'm over in the states, building a nitro funny car with Robert Schwab. I have a steep learning curve ahead of me but I'm loving every minute of it! Our first national event should be Denver for the Mile High's, we are planning our first testing to be the first week end in April and then we will be doing some match racing and then off to the big time in July.
Well I best go, if you get to any of our races come and say Hi, it would be good to catch up again! When you get a spare minute drop us an e-mail and tell me how you car is going.
PS: We will have the car in the car show in Boise on the 11th of March.
Gee, it's been a while since I've heard from you Daniel. Of course I remember meeting you in Adelaide in '97 while you were working on Scott's (Ferguson) Top Alcohol Dragster. Sounds like you're heading for the "big time", working on your uncle Robert's nitro funny now. Keep me updated on your (and the car's) progress and if you're coming up to Seattle for the Northwest Nationals at the end of July we'll look forward to saying G'Day to you then. Best of luck to you and Robert Schwab and the "Down Under Thunder" team.Subject: NHRA Winternationals
Date: Tuesday, February 9
From: Phil Hutchison
Bob, just got back from the season opener at Pomona (caught the red eye home so excuse my typing). I would like to make a few comments if I may.
# 1. Get off the soapbox when it comes to the fuel cars in Federal-Mogul. NHRA should have deep-sixed the fuel cars after Topping and the kid (Brooks Brown) showed just how fast those cars could go in the early 90's, but they didn't. The cows are out of the barn. Get over it. I for one, like the A/Fuelers. They are somewhat unique and don't have that "looks like someone's old Top Fueler" look that too many Alcohol Dragsters have. At Pomona, the only cars other than the A/FD's that look to be built in the 90's were Santos' new piece and (Dale) Carlson's.
I feel bad seeing the blown cars trying to keep up with the fuel cars but NHRA is not going to get rid of them now, there are too many of them out there. One good thing for the blown cars, there aren't many fuel cars east of the Mississippi, so a repeat of the sheer number of fuel cars like Pomona isn't going to happen too many times except at the Nationals and possibly Phoenix. Plus Gary Anderson, Henkelman, etc. don't usually tour. The ones to look out for are Costanza and Hitchman. Neither is the class of the field, but both have gone on the full tour before. My guess is that NHRA hopes a few of the A/FD guys will step up to Top Fuel, but in reality, few dragster drivers move up (although Darrell Gwynn comes to mind). Anyway, Santos was on his game. He was flat flying, with consistency and power. Rick showed why he deserved to be in the winner's circle.
Granted, some of the alcohol cars look like "old fuelers", but so do a lot of the injected cars. Didn't you see Mark Hentges car or Edgecombe and Ormsby? Those are late model, built for alcohol cars. It's agreed that the majority of injected nitro cars are from the western half of the continent, but there's more than a few on the east coast. Rich McPhillips, Tom Beecham, David Hirata, Steve Cantrell, Gary Parks, Robin Samsel, Chris Dakin and others all competed with injected nitro cars last year. I could also mention Keith Stark ("Mr. 270"), but he's stepped up to Top Fuel apparently. As for guys not stepping up from "Top Alcohol"... where have you been? Nearly everyone in Top Fuel (under 50 years of age) these days has come through the alcohol ranks. Joe Amato, Cory Mac, Gary Scelzi, Larry Dixon, Randy Parks, Shelly Anderson, etc.A few more Pomona observations:
# 2. Jay Payne's car is deserving of it's name. ("Thunder Slug"). The car could't fall out of a tree. He needs Shelly's papa to make some more power if he wants to go a few rounds. And don't give me that "new car blues" excuse either, Jay has been testing during the winter and he should know enough about tuning a Brad Anderson motor. Low sixes don't cut it Jay. Maybe he will prove me wrong and jump into the five's soon, but I'm not holding my breath.
I wouldn't be quite so quick to write off Jay's effort at Pomona Phil. It's quite a major change to go from a dragster to a funny car. The engines are similar (except for a major change of cubes) but the tuning and car set-up are world's apart. Wait and see how he runs in the next 3 or 4 or 5 races before you carve that judgement in stone.# 3. I'll bet you $1000 the Oakley deal on Cannon's car does not last the year, and for that matter, the team might not last that long. You need an ego to make it in drag racing but Cannon's got enough for us all. Maybe it's bluster, maybe it's fear of failing. Fuel Funny Car racing is NOT Pro Mod, no matter what Scotty says. You should have seen Cannon's crew during the burnout procedure. The way they acted you would have thought you were seeing a tryout for N'Sync or the Backstreet Boys. Sunglasses (Their sponsors of course). Duster-type jackets, berets and lots of strutting ..... oooweee ... Dead Presidents my ass... Frank Pedregon and old man Dunn showed the mohawk-ed one the way to the finish line in the first round. One more thought about the team, maybe Sports Magic could use a few new faces if this Funny Car thing doesn't pan out.
How come you didn't mention the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) parallel? More and more it seems that "professional" drag racing is trying to appeal to the lowest common demoninator type of fan. Witness Jerry Tolliver's new car and the continuing spectacle/debacle of Mad Magazine (now under new "mis"-management with the Creasy family) and the new Penthouse car of Dunn and Pedregon. And I used to think that it was bad enough with all the breweries and tobacco companies.
Back to Scotty Cannon now. He's shown that he can get the car down the track, with a 4.97 at 306 at Tucson two weeks ago, but can he do it consistently? With Wayne Dupuy (a well-travelled, very well-travelled, journeyman) calling the tuning shots, he'll be competitive, but never in the upper echelon on a regular basis, no matter how many "Dead Presidents" he can throw at the car. By the way, isn't Dead Presidents simply a slang term for American money -- source known or unknown...
# 4. A severe shortage of Comp cars. There were only 28 on the grounds. Thats a shame especially if this Division Six Top Sportsman thing is popular. Just think, cars similar to Comp but NHRA won't have all the tech headaches. IHRA has a great thing going with their program, maybe it will catch on in NRHA. In the defense of the Comp guys, they did lose a bunch of racers to Pro Stock Truck (yawn)
NEWS FLASH -- January 1, 2000: NHRA announced today the deletion of Competition Eliminator from their roster for the coming season. "The lack of any entries for the Winternationals was the final straw" according to Larry "Bud" Melman, NHRA's new Director of Competition. "Several cars were interested in appearing, but when we told them about the new scale of entry fees, they agreed that dropping back to Super Pro or Pro ET seemed like a wiser choice. At this point, rumours of the demise of the Federal-Mogul Dragster and Funny Car eliminators are just that -- rumours. But you never know...."Seriously, the handwriting is on the wall for the Comp guys. The defections to Pro Stock Sucks and the expected growth on a nationwide basis for the "new" Top Comp category will thin the already weak fields even more. Does anybody even remember Modified eliminator. It's only been 15 years since it died and it looks like Comp is next. The Pro Stock technology craze that has taken over most of the classes in the eliminator signalled the beginning of the end. After all, why should you spend Pro dollars to race in an indexed eliminator with payouts lower than the average bracket race?
# 5. Since NHRA's hiring of this bozo from Disney Land, they have decided to have nothing but reserved seating on Saturday and Sunday. NHRA was kind enough to set aside 1000 seats for the racers and sponsors on Saturday and Sunday, but they were way inadequate. (My pass number was in the 4000 range). And on top of this NHRA only roped off 800 seats, instead of the promised 1000. As far as reserved seating, the "E" street side was half empty all weekend and there was plenty of room in the big stands too. NHRA gave each racer a $10 credit per day toward a reserved seat since the racer had already paid his or her entry fee. Big deal...You still had to add a minimum of $33 for Saturday and $39 for Sunday, per seat. You can just imagine how much moolah you would put out bringing a family of four and a couple of crewmembers.
And on top of this, the line to get tickets was at times some 50 deep because fans found out their general admission tickets were only good enough to stand at the fence. ($30 to stand three or four deep at the stinking fence!!) The ticket sellers were not prepared for the onslaught of questions about what seats were where and "how can I get eight seats together in a certain area" and so forth. As for the "we care" attitude NHRA tells everyone, the ONLY improvements (?) I saw were ten potted palm trees inside the gate and a FREE shuttle to the NHRA Museum ($5 admission for non-NHRA members, free for members!). With all the rain and downtime, that shuttle paid for itself. Parking at the strip was either $8 ("preferred") or $5 (a good one-mile walk for some).
Hey Phil, I'm surprised NHRA didn't try to sell tickets to "The Great Egress" like Barnum and Bailey of circus fame. (For those not aware of this scam, look up the word 'egress' in your dictionary). And I've had the pleasure of the FREE exercise NHRA provides walking back and forth from your (only) $5 parking spot. It's surprising that some enterprising Pomona cab-driver doesn't drive in and make a killing running a shuttle service in the parking lot. Everyone, even NHRA, has to agree that they screwed up big-time in their first attempt at an all-reserved ticket policy. Next time guys, let everyone know in advance what the policy will be, have clear and detailed signage explaining the options and hire people who can do more than ask "would you like fries with that?"...# 6. Is Mopar trying to kill them with sheer numbers? Lots of cars, not too much performance. (Alan) Johnson never got in a good run until late, Nance broke early but did improve somewhat. Geoffrion and Morgan got close, but no cigar. Pretty Linda Vaughn said new heads are coming (Hemi Heads they tell us; wow, what a concept!) so don't worry Mopar faithful. Also...Yates beating Warren in the second round brought a smile to most.
You didn't mention Darrel "The Snowman" Alderman. How he "almost" got past Warren Johnson in the first round after qualifying in the ultimate (ie: 16th and last) position in the field. On the other hand, one Mopar car that ran "fairly" well was the Mike Dunn-driven, Darrell Gwynn owned Top Fuel car. I seem to remember something about a "low ET of the world" from them. Wonder why they don't step up and sponsor a couple of Top Alcohol (Federal-Mogul) dragsters that actually run Chrysler parts. Believe it or not, my B-1 heads do have an actual, honest-to-god Chrysler part number on them. And it fits right in to last year's advertising campaign: "Sports car.... no room for luggage.... or wusses!!! VRRRRRROOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM... MOPAR: Parts for Top Alcohol Dragsters and your car!"# 7. Joey, Cruz, Cory Lee, Randy Anderson DNQ's ???? Not the way to start out the year boys. And speaking of boys, where are the girls of Top Fuel??? Gina Ferraro had an old Bernstein chassis with a twin-cam motor in it that showed some promise but with Spike Gorr behind the scene, I wouldn't expect to see the car around too long. But the car launched pretty good. That hokey deal Cristen Powell had with Roy Hill looked and smelled like four day old fish from the git go. Roy Hill - Top Fuel team owner, that's a real knee slapper.
I guess Women's Liberation has truly arrived when they can't get sponsors just as well as the guys. How Shelly Anderson can go unsponsored is beyond imagination: Her combination of looks, personality, speaking ability and class seems like such a winning marketing package. Then on the other hand you have Cristen Powell. Sort of like night and day, isn't it? The only (positive) thing Cristen has on Shelly is being younger; and that's not to say Ms. Anderson is getting old - far from it. As for Roy Hill, let's just leave that whole subject alone. The stories about that man over the years make for some mighty interesting reading though.# 8. Credit card promotions. Yeah, they are everywhere (football games, NASCAR, MBNA at the NHRA events, etc.) but now even Jim Head is getting into the act. I signed up for his so-called fan club at Indy and the next thing I know I get a VISA application from Mr. Head. Talk about prostituting oneself. At Pomona, Jim had a couple of comely lasses getting people to sign up to win a Harley, but the small print was basically another VISA application. This is up there with the Jim Epler fan club from a few years back. (I almost bit on that one: wow, a free jacket and decal for just $100).
Hey now don't go slagging one of my major "sponsors": VISA. Or American Express or MasterCard either. Without their "help" I'd never even get close to finishing my new car and going to Australia. Some people run on methanol, some on nitro... I run on CREDIT... and lots of it. Seriously though, thanks for explaining why VISA showed up on Head's car late last season. And here I was thinking he was strung out on some line of credit (like me) and was making a bit of a joke. Really though, there are a lot worse sponsors out there than the credit card companies. At least they want to GIVE you money (in the short term, admittedly) instead of TAKING your money for products, many of which are of dubious value: Liquor, tobacco, WWF, Mad, Penthouse, McDonalds, etc.etc.Well, enough of my musings. I look forward to hearing your response to my alky/fuel comments and good luck with the dragster down under.
Whew! That's quite a report on the Pomona "long" weekend happenings. Lots of inside stuff too. Great. About the only point I don't fully agree with is your invitation to me "to get off your soapbox". Sorry, but I've just got to "vent the pressure" somewhere, don't I? Of course, as I've mentioned, over and over (and over) again, we're heading to Australia and any arguments I've got with NHRA over the way they run their business are pretty much academic. Anyways, thanks very much for the great report Phil, and drop us a line anytime you feel like sounding off in public.Subject: A/FD Weight...
Date: Tuesday, February 9
From: Jerry Kumre
Bob, I hate to do this to you but I have to correct you on something, in your response to my Backfire you stated that the wicked A/Fuelers have gone from 2.80 lbs. per cube (seven years back) to 4.60 lbs., well my good friend that 4.60 only lasted a few days and as of January 1 this year we are playing at 4.80 per cubic inch. This change added some 92 lbs. to our combination before we even fired up.... This is why many teams, Henkelman, Mark Woods, even Darien have gone toward smaller motors with the Nitro set-up and are working with some new combo blues, but I still feel that the class will be more evenly spread this year.
I just had to blast you with this because I know you take pride in your accuracy.
OOPS!! My only excuse is being in a hurry and not double-checking my source. I just grabbed the '99 rulebook and posted the comment quickly. As you said, for a guy who takes pride in getting things right, that's a rather large error. It's been corrected. Thanks for noticing and bringing it to my attention.Subject: Re: Blower Snob Bob calling...
Date: Tuesday, February 9
From: Bill Evans
Bob, I appreciate your frustration. It's just that I have been around since the seventies and have a soft spot in my heart for the injected cars. I would hate to see them disappear like Santos' mouse did. It makes the sport more interesting (not like pro stock). I realize the playing field isn't even, but it always seems that you guys come out on top when NHRA tries to level the field.
Both Carlson and Santos are teams I root for. Great to see them in the final. I just think it would be neat to have a rivalry going between the two types of engines. It can only help the sport.
I love the injected cars too. They're really neat, but I still maintain that they should be in a separate class and allowed to develop without constantly being restricted by NHRA in an attempt to keep parity in the class. The rivalry you refer to is just making it more expensive for everybody who's trying to keep up with the leaders. God knows how Carlson can afford to run as hard as he is. But more power to him and to Rick Santos too. Any bets as to when the first FOUR second run will be recorded in a blown alcohol car??? It's going to happen and it's just a matter of time.... and money.... and more money.Subject: The Power of the Internet
Date: Tuesday, February 9
From: Ken Lowe
Thanks for the e-mail back. Wow, you spend a lot of time doing the web site work. I really DO appreciate all you have done for Ken Lowe Race Cars , Ken Lowe Fuel Systems and the Drag Racing School.
See below the "flier" that I put in with the Harbinger Press newsletter that I mailed out this week. Flog the web site -- the more people who look at it, the more powerful it is.
Drag Race School: Advertisers NoteAs you probably know, the Harbinger Press is sent to all motorsport publications and quite frequently finds its way into their publications reporting on what is going on in racing. This is good promotion for the Drag Race School and its sponsors.
Every copy of the Harbinger Press Newsletter is also posted to the internet and you should take a moment to look us up there just to see how good it really is. After you have a look at this internet address go to the bottom of the page and click back to the home page and see what kind of links we have to this page.
The internet is good, but useless if no one looks at your page. As you can see by the amount of "hits" that site receives, a lot of racers take a look at it. If you are not on the internet I'll tell you that the count is over 5,000 and growing daily.
Step one of a successful web site is to have one that loads fast and looks good, then the next trick is to let people know about it so they will have a look at it and use it. Simply advertising your products on the internet does very little as there is little interest in someone having a look at just advertising.
The best advertising is always through a good story, with advertising blended in so they cannot "see" it as advertising. You will find this with our Harbinger Press newsletter. A good website contains continually updated stories and information, like the "Northern Thunder" page does. This is the real power of the internet.
The "Northern Thunder" site is one of the most sucessful of all in drag racing outside the NHRA site. It provides access to worldwide drag racing information and a chance to respond with your comments and ideas. People go there to see what the latest hot stories are and what everyone's comments about them are.
A magazine has stories too, but you cannot see what people's responses to them are. A person visiting this site feels like they are on the "inside information loop", because they are. Read all the comments in the "Backfire!" section of this web page where readers respond to comments and editorials given on the site's "What's New" page.
Front page is: www.northernthunder.com
Ken Lowe Race Cars direct page is:
www.kenlowe.com.au
Subject: Intelligent
Date: Monday, February 8
From: Bill Evans
That's what your response was. I wish I had read the first one. It would have been much more entertaining I'm sure.
I'm glad Santos won. A "smart" guy with lots of help. I know he was building his own car. I wonder if that was it at Pomona?
It always pays to take a day to think about a response don't you think?
You got that right Bill. A cooler and calmer head is always better when "talking" in public. And yes, it was neat to see Rick Santos win in Top Alcohol Dragster at the Winternationals. Just as neat was the fact that Olympia, Washington's Dale Carlson was runner-up. Imagine that, two blown alcohol cars in the final. Gee, what happened to all those big, bad injected nitro cars. They gradually fell by the wayside, victims of tire shake, dropped cylinders, late leaves and all the other gremlins they seem to fall prey to on a regular (thankfully) basis.Just for the entertainment value, I'll post the headline from my original response to Bill's statement about the "merits" of injected nitro versus blown alcohol in a heads-up eliminator. To everyone out there: Please don't take offense, as this is not directed at anyone in particular, not even Bill. Honestly!
.... AND I'LL TURN UP THE VOLUMEFOR THE HARD OF THINKING OUT THERE ....
Subject: Top Alcohol to go Professional
Date: Monday, February 8
From: Darren Fahy
The idea of the introduction of Pro Stock Truck into the Professional categories with only 12 months of "exhibition class" status left me a little bewildered. I cannot understand the view behind the lack of interest from your governing body in such an exciting class (Top Alcohol). Personally I think they should reconsider their options and make the true and correct decision. Of course Federal-Mogul Dragster and Federal-Mogul Funny Car should become PROFESSIONAL!
By the way Bob, hello, it's Darren from Australia. I was the long haired guy crewing for Ken Lowe at the Winternationals last year. Hope you share my views. Hope to see you when you arrive.
Thanks for the support Darren. (By the way, your cheque's in the mail :-). There's really no surprise as to how and why Pro Stock Truck (Ute) "evolved" at such a rapid pace. The whole "package" was pre-ordained right from the start. NHRA already had its "development" mapped out and the step up (leapfrog) over the Alcohol classes was always the plan. About the only thing that hasn't gone according to the master plan so far for the trucks is the qualifying format. They finally faced up to the reality of the non-competitiveness of the Fords this year and opened up the field to the quickest 16. (Instead of a guaranteed four of each make, plus the next quickest four).It's really hard to believe that these trucks bring more people into the seats than blown alcohol cars. But maybe they really do. The justifications from the marketing department must be along the lines of: "The fans can really identify with these vehicles, after all, how many spectators can drive to work in a funny car or a dragster?" or "The product identification tie-ins and promotional possibilities are just endless with these trucks", etc.etc. How can you fight the marketing department(s) in this day and age. Marketing, demographics, polls and surveys seem to run most big corporations these days.
At this point, it's very difficult to envision how this situation can be
turned around. Collectively, the alcohol racers must get together on this and
see how they improve their "show" to the point that no one can ignore the fan,
promotion and consequently, marketing, appeal that must be generated to force
any change in NHRA's thinking. A similar situation is building in Australia,
as spectator surveys indicate that Top Alcohol downunder is sliding down the
list of the fan's favourite classes. It's hard to compete with Top Fuel and
Top Doorslammer obviously, but when you're ranked below Pro Stock and some
other lower classes, then something is very wrong. Maybe what is needed in Top
Alcohol in OZ is a little more Thunder ... of the Northern variety.
Subject: Winters and stuff...
Date: Monday, February 8
From: Jerry Kumre
I got back from Pomona late Saturday night after staying for all the qualifying sessions in Federal-Mogul Dragster. In my, as well as many others, opinion, the new weight breaks have evened out (for now) the class as the top two qualifiers were blown cars (Santos and Carlson), then some of the injected cars such as Frank Pedregon in Darien's car - who only made one good pass in qualifying. Melanie Troxel in the other Darien car never got down the track. Henkelman with his new little motor (421 cid) made two runs in the fifties, Mark Woods got in on the last session, John Costanza only had one good qualifying pass and Daryl Hitchman had three good runs in the 60's to high 50's.
Admittedly, Dana Hopewell (Henkelman's crew chief) did come across something later on and dropped that 5.42 (in the semi's), but he doesn't believe they have too much more left in it now, but we'll see. The final tally shows qualifiers' three through eight as A/Fuelers with a 5.51 through a 5.59, and of those six, three got past the first round and only Henkelman got into the semi-finals.
On the "UN-Hemi" front, the Edgecombe team ran a best of 5.99 and even that run involved shake in first gear, skating through second and finally making a good move in third. That run could have been an .80 something if it had been clean. On the last pass the front wheels came up on the leave and the car headed toward the centre-line, so G.O. (Jr.) backed off. The car launched great every time but they are working out the new combo bugs, but I think they could be tough soon, running 5.70's and low 5.80's fairly regularly.
I want to know, do I win?? There is now a picture of the car on our web page , as well as last year's Super Eliminator car. It isn't great, but now that I have someone here who can scan there will be better pix available.
Re: "do I win?" The question refers to a "contest" Jerry and I were holding to see which of us would be first to post a picture of our new cars' on the internet. He wins, even though we put up some pics of our engine (parts) last week. Even though Jerry is going to be running one of those "devilish" A/Fuel cars, I still consider him a friend. After all, I don't hate any of those guys, in fact, I greatly respect anyone in any class that actually puts a car together and races it. From Pure Stock to Top Fuel, anyone who gets out there and gets down the track is a winner in my book.Thanks for the Winternationals report too Jerry. Glad that you were able
to fill in some of the "blanks" that the internet results just can't (or won't)
provide. Now that you've explained the not so fabulous numbers of the Edgecombe
and Ormsby B-1 powered car, I'm relieved to learn they didn't do that badly
after all. You've also managed to put a little more perspective on the seeming
dominance of the injected cars. Sometimes, the raw numbers don't tell the whole
story. By the way, a little research last night brought out a rather astounding
(to me anyway) fact about how the weight breaks have "progressed" for the
nitro cars over the years. In 1992, only seven years ago, the break was (are
you ready for this?)... 2.80 lbs. per cube. Now it's 4.60 lbs..
I literally shudder to think where the class would be today without the extra
weight that's been added over the years.
Subject: No need for apologies...
Date: Monday, February 8
From: Brian McColgan
I very much appreciate your quick response. I totally forgot that you were putting in some heavy duty hours at the moment. I also realize that it is a lot of work to keep a web-site such as yours up and running.
Thanks so much for the information in your previous e-mail message to me. Yes, I am familiar with the people you mentioned. I had sent Mr. Irving an e-mail to his web-site, but alas, got no reply. I met Bob Nagy a couple of years back at a speed-show here in Missisauga and he seemed like a very approachable individual, so I think I might pursue him to see if he's interested. He seems pretty dedicated to his program (from what I have read on his web-site).
I always love to see racers and their teams doin' it for themselves. Hey, Alan Johnson and Brad Anderson are special people, but so are you guys. At the end of the day, when you have done it yourselves, and are winning with your combination, that will give you and your team an even greater feeling of accomplishment! Good luck, and don't forget to kick some T/AD-FM/D butt!
Wow, what have we done to deserve all these compliments today? Is there a full moon out, or what? The "response" that Brian was refering to is my e-mail message concerning a software program that he is trying to develop for slider clutches. Currently, there is one program on the market, developed and sold by Les Davenport, of Calgary, Alberta, but there's always room for improvement in anything, and Brian is looking for new and better ways to do it. Good luck on your project, Brian, and if there's anything we can do to help, just ask. We don't know much, other than how to burn up clutches, but you're welcome to our "store" (try a small bag) of "knowledge" on the subject. And thanks very, very much for the kind words about our attempts to re-invent the wheel. As a good friend out here on the coast banners on his team t-shirts: Be a leader ... not a follower !Subject: Schedule
Date: Sunday, February 7
From: ???
We are interested in a schedule for demolition derby for Calgary, Alberta. I would really appreciate any info.
Sorry, but you've got the wrong number. Nothing like that around here. Try Larry Pfister for the information, as he's hooked into almost everything to do with motorsport. We're just a bunch of "blower snobs" around here.Subject: What do I think?
Date: Sunday, February 7
From: Dale Smith
Bob, I have been spending the last couple years building my BB/FC. Thanks to IHRA, I'll have a place to start. And thanks to IHRA, my stuff is not outdated. You know that the big tech changes include Top Fuel rearends, ultra expensive valvetrain components to maintain the high revs needed, and all the weak links that follow. I'll leave out the fuel timers, mega mags, Top Fuel-type fuel pumps. But this is if you are wanting to be somewhat competitive in NHRA.
Yup, sure am glad I have IHRA. I feel sorry for everyone else that find NHRA the only option. And given the chance, when the time is right, we'll move up to Top Fuel... nostalgia that is.
Thanks for pointing out that people do have an option to the NHRA way of doing things, Dale. For those not familiar with the IHRA's rules and structure, the Alcohol Funny Cars are a professional class and are treated and paid as such. Unfortunately there is no equivalent dragster class. And, to be fair, IHRA doesn't have a nitro funny car class either. They also don't allow screw blowers. Even stranger, they did allow injected nitro funny cars until the end of last season. (Once Scott Weis figured out a tune-up and had the field covered by a tenth or two, they started changing the rules and then dropped the injected cars entirely for 1999).Like my option to move my car to Australia, instead of beating it (and myself)
to death trying to "compete" at NHRA events, Dale lives on the East Coast and
can run IHRA races. He can afford to compete in a slightly slower paced, but
very competitive category that actually is halfway affordable to be in. What
a concept. Unfortunately, on this side of the continent, it's too late to turn
back the clock. And there isn't a racer alive who looks forward to backing up
and running slower.
Subject: Deleting yourself?
Date: Sunday, February 7
From: Bill Evans
Bob, I wasn't trying to be insulting, I was just giving my uneducated opinion. Don't take it personal. I wish I could be in your shoes. I just think that you guys with the blowers have had all the breaks you need. Whenever anyone with an "odd" combination gets their stuff together, you guys want to put restrictions on them. Obviously Santos doesn't need it. There are guys with more money than him, so it must be the knowledge that makes the difference.
There is no substitute for hard work and experience. You just have to look at who is making the nitro burners work. These guys are not young guns, they have been around. They have learned the art. I remember watching Veney and Armstrong with their Pro Comp car at Mission in the early seventies. They were light years ahead of everybody else. Isn't that what drag racing is all about, brains and horsepower?
I think we should reward the people with brains. Isn't that what you have been saying all along? I don't mean to imply you don't have brains. Sometimes we all just have to give our competition the credit they deserve. I think the fuel guys should be given credit for what they have done. As for "horsepower in a can", what about "manufactured air". Two different ways to skin the same cat.
Now that you have had time to think about it, how about a response? I know you will set me straight.
To fully understand what Bill is talking about, see his post from yesterday. If you scroll down to the end of his post you'll notice that my reply/response was "deleted". To say that I got a little hot over the issue and wrote some rather inflammatory comments would be an understatement. Ah well, it's another day, I've had a good day's sleep and feel much more relaxed and composed enough to offer a more (or less) reasoned response.I firmly believe that unless NHRA splits the current Federal-Mogul Dragster structure into two separate classes -- one for blown alcohol, one for injected nitro that the class as a whole will be driven into extinction. My infamous "Money, Marketing and Nitro" dissertation last summer set out to address that subject, but got sidetracked by the other issues revolving around the class: namely, prizemoney and "professional" (or lack thereof) status.
Let's revisit the argument over the two "different ways to skin the same cat. The two types of cars are two completely different animals though. While the inclusion of injected nitro cars was almost an afterthought in the NHRA rulebook for many years, the first major breakthrough for the injected cars was achieved by "Junkyard Ed" Vickroy at the World Finals in 1992. His 5.77 at 253.16 mph was the proverbial "shot heard round the world". Ever since that day, the class has seen an increasingly bitter battle of words and wits between the two camps.
In my "humble" opinion, the only thing keeping the top running injected cars out of the FOURS is the lack of a clutch-management system. (Mandated by the rulebook). The successful cars are nothing less than Top Fuel cars without superchargers. In fact, with the 2.90 (minimum, numerically) rear-end gears, they can in theory, load the motor even harder than their blown big brothers. Rule changes enacted for 1999 have limited the maximum engine size to 470 cubes and increased the weight break to 4.60 lbs. per cube, but that hasn't slowed them in the least. The extra weight simply allows the engine to work that much harder to burn the fuel and in turn burn more fuel and generate more horsepower.
On the other hand, the blown alcohol cars are at their outer, and I stress, outer limits of development and reliability, given the current rules. You would not believe how hard the Santos car has to run to achieve the unreal 5.40's and recently, 5.39, numbers that it produces. The maintenance on that car is rapidly approaching top fuel proportions. Try ten runs on a set of rods, 25 laps on the crank, maybe 50 runs on a block. Maybe. The only long-lived component on the car, thanks Norm Drazy, is the (almost) indestructible PSI blower. Hey, they're cheap to run.... after you've paid $8800 (U.S.) for one.
Before I bore everyone to sleep with this reply, I'll sum up the situation by repeating my assertion that "the class must be split before it dies". Now we know that isn't going to happen as NHRA has more eliminators than it wants already -- in the "Sportsman" ranks -- and they will never give the F-M dragsters or Funny Cars the Professional status they truly deserve. Or do they deserve it? Fan surveys, in North America and Australia point out that spectators consider the alcohol cars as nothing more than slow fuel cars. Their appeal (at national events) seems to be reserved for the die-hard afficionados. And those aren't the folks that pay the bills, at least to any large degree.
Maybe the audience(s) as a whole would rather watch Pro Stock Tricycles and
Pick-Ups. Maybe they would prefer to be entertained by wheelstanders, clowns
on unicycles or whatever circus act is the flavour of the month. Maybe they
like the new marketing directions the sport is taking. (WWF, Mad magazine,
Penthouse magazine, etc.) And maybe I just can't see the damn forest for the
trees. What do YOU think?
Subject: Real Air Vs. Manufactured Air
Date: Saturday, February 6
From: Bill Evans
Not being one of the big dollar "engine stand on wheels" guys, I still have to comment. (On Wilson's latest "editorial" on the What's New page)
If Santos can do it, why can't the rest? The fuel dudes are smart! At least the ones that can make their cars runs consistent and quick. Santos is smart! I would say that only the best should be at the top and that is what the qualifying order shows. It is not easy to make the nitro cars runs on what little air they have provided by nature. I give those people all the credit they desrve.
If you remember, Santos had that little motor working unbelievably before NHRA "weight-breaked" it out of existence. Now you guys are bitching about the nitro burners. QUIT WHINING and get on with it. Or "if you can't beat them, join them". But that would take a lot more brains, experience and a little art. It might be cheaper too. Brains over dollars, now there's a new concept.
I'll always side with the people with the brains.
Reply deleted on the advice of our legal department and the "Guardians of Good Taste"Subject: WinterNationals
Date: Saturday, February 6
From: Jeff Seraphine
The B-1 ran good and didn't hurt any parts. Gary Ormsby Jr. was driving this weekend.
Gee, quick report Jeff. You're a man of few words. The car referred to is the Edgecombe Racing Top Alcohol Dragster (our heroes) with their new driver, G.O., Jr. After seeing a 6.22 at only 175 mph on their first qualifier on Friday, I was hoping for a big step up on Saturday. A 5.99 at 236 mph had them in the field, briefly, but they weren't able to improve on that in the final session and ended up as second alternate. They've run quicker, much quicker in the past, but it's early in the year and lots of people had trouble getting down the track at Pomona this weekend. Keep us informed on their progress whenever you get a chance Jeff.Subject: Thanks for the quick response
Date: Friday, February 5
From: Lance Ginbey
Thanks for your quick response to my e-mail of yesterday. Just to let you know a little about myself. I have been around racing for about 12 years. Eight years in Perth (where I was born and grew up), 2 years in Darwin (where it barely survives) and two years in Queensland. During the years in Perth, I did everything from being an official, crewing on a couple of cars and driving three of my own.
First was a Ford Super Sedan (with a Chev motor of course!), second was a (Fiat) Topolino Altered with a 6-71 blower on an ancient 392 (It was scary!), and lastly, I had a big-block Chevy BB/Dragster that ran a best of 6.92. I was President of the Westside Drag Racing Association for three years until I tired of the politics. Then I moved to Darwin for two years. Was an ANDRA steward the first year and then crewed on a KB-powered doorslammer.
Since moving to Queensland I haven't got involved at all as I have been busy building a new business, but I enjoy "watching from the sidelines" by spectating (which I am bad at), reading Dragster (Australia) every fortnight and surfing the net. I'm slowly putting together a PSI-equipped small block for CC/A - Top Comp, but it won't be ready for another year yet as I still need money for business. (pay before you play).
Do you need a hand while you are in Queensland? If so, drop me a line and I'll take some time off. Good luck with your deadlines. And remember, "real race cars don't have doors!"
Sounds like you've been "around the block" a few times Lance. And you've seen the "sport" from both sides of the street. By any chance, was the KB-powered doorslammer in Darwin, the "Warbird" of Bob Power? (Ex-Warlord car of Ray Ward from Melbourne). We seem to have something in common, both having run a 392 Chrysler in our past(s), but at least mine was out-back where it had less chance of hurting me -- physically. When you get a chance, send us a pic or two of your new altered, it sounds pretty neat (even if it has a Chev in it). As for the offer of help, I'll give you a call when we get down to Brisbane and see what we can arrange. In the meantime, drop into Northern Thunder for the latest updates on the "invasion".Subject: Cackling in the distance
Date: Friday, February 5
From: Grant Stephens
Well I've had to split up my news page, one for Aussie News and another for the rest as there has been an enormous amount of press releases coming out of the NHRA. It seems the web has really been discovered by drag race teams as a method of getting their team info out to the masses. It's sort of catching on here with Rob Oberg helping out a few guys, but it still is insignificant compared to the NHRA bombardment.
I hope some of our teams start putting out some updates. There are a few more Aussie web sites popping up which I will add in the next few days to another link page update. This is a good sign for the future.
Now before I forget, I've got a suggestion for your site. Where you have last updated on your main page, I am suggesting that you write in what section you have updated, whether it's the gallery or links pages, etc.
Your engine is looking good, but it's a shame you're not down here running, as the Top Alcohol fields are rather thin at the moment. This is a bit surprising, but no doubt you will get here eventually and I might see you then.
Thanks for the news about Cackling Pipes, Grant. Good to hear that things are progressing nicely for your site and the Aussie drag web as well. I've been trying to work out how best to announce what areas/pages have been updated for a while now. If you'll notice, I currently only list update dates for the Backfire and "What's New" pages. I'll work on it. Thanks also for the kind words about our new engine. Believe me, I'm kicking myself for not getting it done earlier and being down there right now. We will be there soon though, probably just in time to encounter ten or twelve cars trying to make the field.
Subject: Any info is greatly appreciated
Date: Thursday, February 4
From: Brian McColgan
First off, I've got to tell you that your website is fantastic. It's great to see an 'un-stuffy' drag-race related site. I think if I see one more PC-speak (as in politically correct) drag race site, I am going to launch my lunch! You and Nitronic Research have definitely 'broken the mould' (or is it mold?....)
Now to my question. I am a software developer and I am interested in trying to write a 'decent' clutch setup application for racers running any type of clutch based machine in drag racing. (Everything from an alcohol funny car to top fuel). I realize Mike Sullivan (of ex-Wayne County Dodge fame) has written a similar program, and I have spoken with him about it, but while I'm sure he is a great crew chief and clutch setup man, a software designer he ain't!
I, however, realizing that it is prudent 'to work to your strengths' (I don't profess to be a crew chief - although I do have a modicum of mechanical ability), would like to collaborate with a crew chief - clutch manufacturer to come up with a software program which 'correctly' models modern day drag race clutch systems. The idea is to help the crew chief make sensible adjustments and decisions about his clutch system so their race car will run optimally.
I have done a considerable amount of clutch research. I understand much of the basic theory behind clutch systems, however there are still a lot of dark spots. It is literally impossible to walk into your local reference library and pluck a book off the shelf which provides all the necessary information to model a modern day drag-race clutch system. I would hazard a guess that clutch technology is much like computers, constantly evolving!
Any information you could provide on someone who in your opinion understands clutch systems and would be willing to work on a system of this nature would be much appreciated. I am in the Toronto, Ontario area, so I suppose any contacts close by would be ideal.
Thanks again for your wonderful website, your insights and your assistance. It is all greatly appreciated. Hey, when I get this software off the ground, and I am earning something, I will definitely be knocking on your door to pursue a sponsorship deal (you will, however, have to promise to bring your car to a dragstrip near Southern Ontario)!
This may come as a surprise Brian, but a Calgary, Alberta company named Acceleration Enterprises has already developed such a program. The software was written by Les and Ryan Davenport and is an important part of my computer analysis system. I'll pass along some information about them and the software in a private message and hope that it can help your project. Your comments about this website, even mentioning us in the same sentence as Nitronic, are much appreciated. Thanks very much.Subject: C'mon down !!!
Date: Thursday, February 4
From: Lance Ginbey
Welcome back to Australia (when you get here). Hurry up so you can kick some Phillips butt! I'll make sure I meet you in the pits at Willowbank.
Thanks very much for the invite Lance. But "kicking" Gary Phillips will be quite a tall order. A lot of richer and smarter people than me have been trying to for quite a few years now and he's still the number one alcohol racer in Australia. We are going to give it our best shot, though. Guaranteed. Top Alcohol definitely needs another car to give the man some more competition, and we aim to be the ones to do it. See you at the Winternationals, Lance.Subject: Re: B-1 Intake Manifold
Date: Wednesday, February 3
From: Ken Lowe
Puddling? You've got to be kidding! No good manifold would ever allow that! Why would you create a manifold that you have to add stuff to in the floor to prevent the fuel from collecting. Water doesn't collect on the roof of your house does it? Get the drift?
The mag is in the front, the plug wires are in the front, the fuel pump is in the front, the blower belt is in the front, your head is in the front... now explain why you want the burst panel in the front. Take a look at the compressed air powered bicycle on your web page. If the burst panel is located in the rear and she leaned out at 1310 feet, just think of the "boost" you would get over the line. All kidding aside, why not put it in the rear?
The picture looks beautiful, now I want one! I guess I'll have to stick to my old iron block BBC that is earning me MONEY every weekend. I am so happy with the little girl, she is just such a sweetheart, just keeps on running. She is up on stands now in the shop. (Mark) Brew brought a set of used rod bearings by today so we can freshen her up. We shipped three ('48) Fiat bodies yesterday... then turned around and purchased $2000 worth of fibreglass supplies. Wish I could keep money in my pocket a little longer.
I now have a scanner, a Mustek flatbed, if I knew how I could send you some pics as well. Oh well, you'll just have to see what is going on here when you get down. Our (NEW) Pentium 366 with a 5.4 gig h/d is a rocket compared with my old "rocket" 486. I learn something new every day on this internet stuff. I can see where this is going real fast.
Thanks for giving me a (much?) needed "slap up-side the head", Ken. Whenever I get a little off the plot, Ken always brings me back in the groove. Thanks for not mentioning or asking questions about the weather downunder compared to our North American winter. Every time he sends another message it reminds me that we should already be racing in Australia. And as Ken pointed out in a later message, now that he's got a "real" computer and internet access, the genie is truly out of the bottle.