sailsmen
01-16-2010, 11:55 AM
Ford Vs. Chevy Drags
Gulfport, MS 10-25-09
It is billed as the 100 fastest Fords against the 100 fastest Chevys.
There were 3 classes. Electronics, Non-Electronics and Street.
I entered my Marauder in Street. The sky is clear blue and it is 70*, great weather. The pits are packed with trailers and people. The parking lot is full of RV’s. It is a carnival atmosphere.
I find a good open spot in the pits, on a corner next to a Nova on a trailer. I put on the “Cheater Slicks”, hook up the meth, load the race tune, add race fuel and head to Tech to get checked in. My car gets assigned number 100, a good sign.
I missed the first round of test runs. A stream of people come by to check out the Marauder, lots of questions and compliments. Interesting in that most are teenagers. A few I have met at other car events. Justin has a Mustang parked across from me and we talk.
It is now time for my first test run. I have never been down this track before and while in the staging lanes I orient myself as to the track. There is a large area of “stick” on the launch pad, making it easy to line up in a sticky area.
I am nervous in that a week prior I made a test run at night at the track in Belle Rose, LA where the car went hard left resulting in me aborting the run. Driving a 4,300lbs, 700HP sedan on bias-ply slicks (the equivalent of jelly roll donuts) at 120mph is a good stress test. I could not find any thing wrong with the car or the “Cheater Slicks”. I brought the “Cheater Slicks” by an old drag racer named Bill who has helped me in the past. Bill said the “Cheater Slicks” look good but I need to run more air in them. I was running 14psi and he suggested 17psi.
I am up and the track staff signals me to pull into the starting area. I go around the water box and back into it so as not to get water on the front tires. When the backs are in the water box I wait for the track staff to signal a burn out. He does this by making a circular motion above his head with his hand. I pull up out of the water box a few feet, jam on the brakes and hit the throttle until I see smoke out of both rear tire wells. The car begins to walk forward and I let off the throttle until I am near the starting line. I now creep up until the first staging lights go on telling me I am near the line and barely creep until the second staging lights go on telling me I am on the line. As soon as my competitor is on the line the count down begins, 3 yellow lights .5 seconds apart and then the green light.
I focus on the third yellow while raising the rpm’s. I see yellow light up and mash the throttle. The car feels good and I had a reaction time of .2038 to the Mustang next to me of .3170. By the 330’ mark I am .63 ahead, he is in my rear view. I see a man in white to the side of the track and another man past him. I see a small sign that says EXIT. I now feel gravel under the car. I am on a gravel road.
The day before I had studied the track’s web site and aerial photo that shows a long shut down area past the finish with a large sweeping turn back up the return lane. The track’s web site does not tell you and the aerial photo does not reveal that part is gravel. The second guy tells me the return road is in poor shape to drive back up towards the start to the next exit.
I go to the time shack and get my slip, a 12.2 @ 114.7mph. I return to the pits to check the Marauder. Each “Cheater Slick” is covered with gravel that has glued to the tires like two giant Nutty Buddies! When you go over gravel on hot slicks they are like glue and become Gravels. I use my gloves and scrub all the gravel off.
It is now time for the Street Class first round of races. I put my dial in time as 12.10 on the rear window using “shoe polish”. My goal is to run a perfect reaction time, crossing the start as the light goes off, and to hit a time of exactly 12.10. I pull into the staging lanes.
I am talking to Chad who has a beautiful 1967 Chevy II SS with a modern 350 Fuel Injected engine and 400 Trans, see pic. His dial in is 11.75.
As we pull forward we are lined up next to each other, Ford Vs Chevy! I do a good burn out and stage exactly where I want to be. I hit it on the third yellow for a good start. The Marauder is going straight and fast down the track. The Chevy II passes me and is too far ahead. I know he has broken out by running faster than his 11.75 dial in. I let up slightly so I don’t also break out.
I think I won but I am not sure. I follow the Chevy II to the time shack and see a white slip in his hand for me, white for winners and yellow for losers. I won!
I return to the pits and check the Marauder and tire pressure. I watch the drag races. Two cars kissed the wall.
The Street Class is called up for the second race and I pull into the staging lanes.
We are waiting for 2 exhibition runs, a school bus that goes down the whole track doing a wheelie and the jet car. I ask the school bus driver if he ever has a discipline problem and he says he has never had one.
I talk to Elaine, the Jet Car Driver and the fastest woman at the Drags. I ask, “Elaine are you feeling fast today?” She says, “yes”. She ran a great time. I was in the staging lane when she ran the jet car, see pic. She was over 150’ away and the pressure wave vibrated my windshield and rear view mirror. Her jet car was so loud everyone had their fingers in their ears.
I look around the staging lanes and there are not many Chevys left. I line up next to a Mustang. He has a dial in of 11.05. I changed my dial in to 12.20. I creep up until the pre-stage lights turn on and then the staged lights. I now realize I creeped up to far into the starting light. The yellow lights start and I rev up but the car inches forward over powering the brakes resulting in a Red Light. I lost, so I coast down the track.
With over 220 runs this is the second time this has happened and is easily corrected. This was my 4th run since January and I paid the price for not practicing.
I pack up and pull out to head home. I am behind a bronze Corvette owned by Doug and Garret is with him. They were just spectators today. I met Doug at the track in Belle Rose and I met Garret while he was working on his Corvette next to my business partner’s driveway.
I beat a Chevy and lost to a Ford. Worse things have happened!
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/thumbs/FordvsChevy09_011.JPG (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/thumbs/JetCar.jpg)"]http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Marauder_Chevy_I_Beat.jpg (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/17244)[/URL]
Gulfport, MS 10-25-09
It is billed as the 100 fastest Fords against the 100 fastest Chevys.
There were 3 classes. Electronics, Non-Electronics and Street.
I entered my Marauder in Street. The sky is clear blue and it is 70*, great weather. The pits are packed with trailers and people. The parking lot is full of RV’s. It is a carnival atmosphere.
I find a good open spot in the pits, on a corner next to a Nova on a trailer. I put on the “Cheater Slicks”, hook up the meth, load the race tune, add race fuel and head to Tech to get checked in. My car gets assigned number 100, a good sign.
I missed the first round of test runs. A stream of people come by to check out the Marauder, lots of questions and compliments. Interesting in that most are teenagers. A few I have met at other car events. Justin has a Mustang parked across from me and we talk.
It is now time for my first test run. I have never been down this track before and while in the staging lanes I orient myself as to the track. There is a large area of “stick” on the launch pad, making it easy to line up in a sticky area.
I am nervous in that a week prior I made a test run at night at the track in Belle Rose, LA where the car went hard left resulting in me aborting the run. Driving a 4,300lbs, 700HP sedan on bias-ply slicks (the equivalent of jelly roll donuts) at 120mph is a good stress test. I could not find any thing wrong with the car or the “Cheater Slicks”. I brought the “Cheater Slicks” by an old drag racer named Bill who has helped me in the past. Bill said the “Cheater Slicks” look good but I need to run more air in them. I was running 14psi and he suggested 17psi.
I am up and the track staff signals me to pull into the starting area. I go around the water box and back into it so as not to get water on the front tires. When the backs are in the water box I wait for the track staff to signal a burn out. He does this by making a circular motion above his head with his hand. I pull up out of the water box a few feet, jam on the brakes and hit the throttle until I see smoke out of both rear tire wells. The car begins to walk forward and I let off the throttle until I am near the starting line. I now creep up until the first staging lights go on telling me I am near the line and barely creep until the second staging lights go on telling me I am on the line. As soon as my competitor is on the line the count down begins, 3 yellow lights .5 seconds apart and then the green light.
I focus on the third yellow while raising the rpm’s. I see yellow light up and mash the throttle. The car feels good and I had a reaction time of .2038 to the Mustang next to me of .3170. By the 330’ mark I am .63 ahead, he is in my rear view. I see a man in white to the side of the track and another man past him. I see a small sign that says EXIT. I now feel gravel under the car. I am on a gravel road.
The day before I had studied the track’s web site and aerial photo that shows a long shut down area past the finish with a large sweeping turn back up the return lane. The track’s web site does not tell you and the aerial photo does not reveal that part is gravel. The second guy tells me the return road is in poor shape to drive back up towards the start to the next exit.
I go to the time shack and get my slip, a 12.2 @ 114.7mph. I return to the pits to check the Marauder. Each “Cheater Slick” is covered with gravel that has glued to the tires like two giant Nutty Buddies! When you go over gravel on hot slicks they are like glue and become Gravels. I use my gloves and scrub all the gravel off.
It is now time for the Street Class first round of races. I put my dial in time as 12.10 on the rear window using “shoe polish”. My goal is to run a perfect reaction time, crossing the start as the light goes off, and to hit a time of exactly 12.10. I pull into the staging lanes.
I am talking to Chad who has a beautiful 1967 Chevy II SS with a modern 350 Fuel Injected engine and 400 Trans, see pic. His dial in is 11.75.
As we pull forward we are lined up next to each other, Ford Vs Chevy! I do a good burn out and stage exactly where I want to be. I hit it on the third yellow for a good start. The Marauder is going straight and fast down the track. The Chevy II passes me and is too far ahead. I know he has broken out by running faster than his 11.75 dial in. I let up slightly so I don’t also break out.
I think I won but I am not sure. I follow the Chevy II to the time shack and see a white slip in his hand for me, white for winners and yellow for losers. I won!
I return to the pits and check the Marauder and tire pressure. I watch the drag races. Two cars kissed the wall.
The Street Class is called up for the second race and I pull into the staging lanes.
We are waiting for 2 exhibition runs, a school bus that goes down the whole track doing a wheelie and the jet car. I ask the school bus driver if he ever has a discipline problem and he says he has never had one.
I talk to Elaine, the Jet Car Driver and the fastest woman at the Drags. I ask, “Elaine are you feeling fast today?” She says, “yes”. She ran a great time. I was in the staging lane when she ran the jet car, see pic. She was over 150’ away and the pressure wave vibrated my windshield and rear view mirror. Her jet car was so loud everyone had their fingers in their ears.
I look around the staging lanes and there are not many Chevys left. I line up next to a Mustang. He has a dial in of 11.05. I changed my dial in to 12.20. I creep up until the pre-stage lights turn on and then the staged lights. I now realize I creeped up to far into the starting light. The yellow lights start and I rev up but the car inches forward over powering the brakes resulting in a Red Light. I lost, so I coast down the track.
With over 220 runs this is the second time this has happened and is easily corrected. This was my 4th run since January and I paid the price for not practicing.
I pack up and pull out to head home. I am behind a bronze Corvette owned by Doug and Garret is with him. They were just spectators today. I met Doug at the track in Belle Rose and I met Garret while he was working on his Corvette next to my business partner’s driveway.
I beat a Chevy and lost to a Ford. Worse things have happened!
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/thumbs/FordvsChevy09_011.JPG (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/thumbs/JetCar.jpg)"]http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Marauder_Chevy_I_Beat.jpg (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/17244)[/URL]