sailsmen
11-24-2012, 09:51 PM
Marauder Motors thru Swamp to Smash Mustang
Drove 2 hours through the Atchafalaya Swamp, French Settlement, Sorrento and to Belle Rose where No Problem Raceway is located. I passed by or through bayous, sugar cane fields, oil refineries, grain elevators, across the Mississippi River and ante-bellum homes to get there. For the “Old School Rules Bracket Racing Event”.
It is a gorgeous day, clear skies, cool and low humidity. The temps are in the 60’s and the humidity in the 40%s. Rare in this area. I enjoy the scenery.
I have not raced at No Problem for 2 years, when the owners put it up for sale and the race management became chaotic. A group of road course racers bought both the strip and the road course. I decided to give it a another try.
No Problem is a great facility. There is a large pitt area, wide return road, lounge, food service and fuel shack. The founder was a semi-pro drag racer and bought a cane field to TNT his car. He got so many request to use it he built No Problem.
In 2003 Danny, a friend from HS who we used to hop up his Chargers and race, bought a Imapla SS 409/dual 4 barrel/4speed. I talked him in to bringing it to No Problem. He blew the rear at the launch pad so I told him to make some runs in my Marauder. While we were waiting for the tow truck we went to the lounge at the first floor of the tower for the front row seat of the races.
I hear a voice calling me from behind that is familiar. It is someone I used to participate with in another sport. She was there to help her friend run the race. Her friend is the wife of the owner who I also know but never made the connection. Small World.
Back to today. I watch the Jr. Dragsters and inspect the water box and launch pad making visual references. I see where the groves are in each lane and note the track looks well prepped. I walk through the staging lanes to get my bearings. The box cars are up and I note they are hooking well and not letting up down the track.
I adjust the air pressure, ask the track official when we are running our time trials and make sure my coolant temp stays in the operating range. I turn down my side mirrors and focus them on the fender wells. I mentally go thru the procedure in my head;
• turn off OD
• watch official for the signal to pull to launch pad
• drive around the water box
• back in until I am past the blue drum
• wait for the burn out signal and then pull out of water box
• stand on brake and jam on throttle until smoke is seen in both side view mirrors
• Move up the launch pad to the staging lights.
The Time Trials for Street have started. I am next to a red Mustang Coyote with CAI, tune and DR. I do an awesome burn out. They have to wait for the smoke to clear before signaling us to stage. The track official has a big smile on his face while he watched my burn out. I stage, bring up the RPMs to 2,500 and focus on the third yellow. The instant it starts I smash the throttle.
My R/T is .036 to his .056 My 60’ is 1.776 to his 1.865. I am ahead by .109 at the 60’! I can see I am ahead and focus on staying straight in the groove. By the 1/8th I am .268 ahead and he is dropping out of my field of vision. I finish .2905 ahead with a 11.890 @116.70!
The red Coyote’s ego is bleeding red. He parks in the pitts and waits until I am the staging lanes to make sure he does not line up against me again.
While I am in the staging lanes I see someone in a Black 2003 Mustang Cobra that I recognize. His twin brother also has a Black 2003 Mustang Cobra. When I last saw him he was running mid 11’s, now he has a cage, line lock and is running mid 10’s! He is running pure slicks so he can’t run street, which puts him in no box.
A Mustang GT with a Saleen S/C, Gears and MT ET Streets is next to me. His car is spotless and I complement him on the quality of the Saleen S/C install. I ask to see his time slip and tell him his burn out was too short to try a little longer. I notice he red lighted.
I know his Mustang is faster than my Marauder but with a good R/T and burnout maybe I can beat him.
I do another awesome burn out but not as long, it’s starting to warm up.
Having looked at his time slip I know my best chance is on the R/T. I stage perfectly. All my focus is on the R/T. The third yellow flickers and wamm I mash the throttle. I am looking for the red but it is green! My R/T is .017 to his .041. I am ahead by .024, yeah! I can see I have a better start.
My 60’ is 1.780 to his 1.659, he is starting to pull on me. Then I begin to pull on him! By the 1,000’ my 9.936 to his 9.735, he is ahead by .175. At the finish he is .1829 ahead with a 11.672 @116.78 to my 11.878 @ 116.41.
I pull up next to him in the pitts to congratulate him. He tells me he was a driver for a car owned by an Automotive Shop and used to cut .01 R/Ts.
All the turn out for entrants were Box and No Box. The Street Class had only 8 entries. I look at the time and decide to call it a day. Air up the rear tires and drive home.
I am enjoying racing in Street Trim, only difference from when I driver her everyday is the DRs which I drive to and from the track on.
No line lock, no race gas, full tank with spare and jack!
DAILY DRIVERS RULE!
Old Burn Out Photo
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/BurnOutcrop.jpg (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/22103)
Drove 2 hours through the Atchafalaya Swamp, French Settlement, Sorrento and to Belle Rose where No Problem Raceway is located. I passed by or through bayous, sugar cane fields, oil refineries, grain elevators, across the Mississippi River and ante-bellum homes to get there. For the “Old School Rules Bracket Racing Event”.
It is a gorgeous day, clear skies, cool and low humidity. The temps are in the 60’s and the humidity in the 40%s. Rare in this area. I enjoy the scenery.
I have not raced at No Problem for 2 years, when the owners put it up for sale and the race management became chaotic. A group of road course racers bought both the strip and the road course. I decided to give it a another try.
No Problem is a great facility. There is a large pitt area, wide return road, lounge, food service and fuel shack. The founder was a semi-pro drag racer and bought a cane field to TNT his car. He got so many request to use it he built No Problem.
In 2003 Danny, a friend from HS who we used to hop up his Chargers and race, bought a Imapla SS 409/dual 4 barrel/4speed. I talked him in to bringing it to No Problem. He blew the rear at the launch pad so I told him to make some runs in my Marauder. While we were waiting for the tow truck we went to the lounge at the first floor of the tower for the front row seat of the races.
I hear a voice calling me from behind that is familiar. It is someone I used to participate with in another sport. She was there to help her friend run the race. Her friend is the wife of the owner who I also know but never made the connection. Small World.
Back to today. I watch the Jr. Dragsters and inspect the water box and launch pad making visual references. I see where the groves are in each lane and note the track looks well prepped. I walk through the staging lanes to get my bearings. The box cars are up and I note they are hooking well and not letting up down the track.
I adjust the air pressure, ask the track official when we are running our time trials and make sure my coolant temp stays in the operating range. I turn down my side mirrors and focus them on the fender wells. I mentally go thru the procedure in my head;
• turn off OD
• watch official for the signal to pull to launch pad
• drive around the water box
• back in until I am past the blue drum
• wait for the burn out signal and then pull out of water box
• stand on brake and jam on throttle until smoke is seen in both side view mirrors
• Move up the launch pad to the staging lights.
The Time Trials for Street have started. I am next to a red Mustang Coyote with CAI, tune and DR. I do an awesome burn out. They have to wait for the smoke to clear before signaling us to stage. The track official has a big smile on his face while he watched my burn out. I stage, bring up the RPMs to 2,500 and focus on the third yellow. The instant it starts I smash the throttle.
My R/T is .036 to his .056 My 60’ is 1.776 to his 1.865. I am ahead by .109 at the 60’! I can see I am ahead and focus on staying straight in the groove. By the 1/8th I am .268 ahead and he is dropping out of my field of vision. I finish .2905 ahead with a 11.890 @116.70!
The red Coyote’s ego is bleeding red. He parks in the pitts and waits until I am the staging lanes to make sure he does not line up against me again.
While I am in the staging lanes I see someone in a Black 2003 Mustang Cobra that I recognize. His twin brother also has a Black 2003 Mustang Cobra. When I last saw him he was running mid 11’s, now he has a cage, line lock and is running mid 10’s! He is running pure slicks so he can’t run street, which puts him in no box.
A Mustang GT with a Saleen S/C, Gears and MT ET Streets is next to me. His car is spotless and I complement him on the quality of the Saleen S/C install. I ask to see his time slip and tell him his burn out was too short to try a little longer. I notice he red lighted.
I know his Mustang is faster than my Marauder but with a good R/T and burnout maybe I can beat him.
I do another awesome burn out but not as long, it’s starting to warm up.
Having looked at his time slip I know my best chance is on the R/T. I stage perfectly. All my focus is on the R/T. The third yellow flickers and wamm I mash the throttle. I am looking for the red but it is green! My R/T is .017 to his .041. I am ahead by .024, yeah! I can see I have a better start.
My 60’ is 1.780 to his 1.659, he is starting to pull on me. Then I begin to pull on him! By the 1,000’ my 9.936 to his 9.735, he is ahead by .175. At the finish he is .1829 ahead with a 11.672 @116.78 to my 11.878 @ 116.41.
I pull up next to him in the pitts to congratulate him. He tells me he was a driver for a car owned by an Automotive Shop and used to cut .01 R/Ts.
All the turn out for entrants were Box and No Box. The Street Class had only 8 entries. I look at the time and decide to call it a day. Air up the rear tires and drive home.
I am enjoying racing in Street Trim, only difference from when I driver her everyday is the DRs which I drive to and from the track on.
No line lock, no race gas, full tank with spare and jack!
DAILY DRIVERS RULE!
Old Burn Out Photo
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/BurnOutcrop.jpg (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/22103)