Gillett WI Pull

Gillett WI
OK we got to Gillett at 4:00 p.m. to get my el-premo parking spot next to the entrance of the track. Pull Starts at 7:00 p.m. So I saw Jimmy and a few of the club members at the end of the track, So I headed down there to get caught up on local gossip. This time I asked Jimmy what changes he made to his sled to make it hook up at 5' out of the hole. Jimmy. We all got a good chuckle out of my Low Rpm, run at Sugar Bush but Jimmy explained the changes he made to the sled to me. And I listened really hard this time. Jimmy also explained that he switched to a GPS measuring system in his sled and as he gets confidents in it's accuracies he'll get them for his other sleds.
My Number 2 Grandson wanted to spent some time with Grandpa today so I brought him to the pulls. After we got registered we headed over to the food booth for a something to eat. I had the Big John Burger and he had a regular hamburger with some fries.
So the pull starts at 7:25 p.m. almost on time and they started the pull with the Semis and Jimmy had the sled spot on right from Truck one. Tonight Super Stock in class 8 of the 10 on the schedule, And then I was the 10th truck out of 13 in the class. So we sat next to the concrete barrier and watched the pull progress thru the classes. Everything was going good then they got into the STOCK diesel class. And the third truck going down the track got to the 260' mark and he pulled the hitch out of truck and then took off from the sled like a scolded dog. Needless to say the people who had gathered at the end of the track Scattered pretty fast to get out of the way. So with that under control they continued the class and not 2 trucks later he pulled his hitch out also Only he did a better job of stopping at the end of the track. Now remember this is Stock Diesel so they didn't have the kill switches hooked up.
So we get into the Open Stock class and the first truck to pull comes off the line with his engine screaming at 8500 Rpm's and at the 50' mark his tires hooked and he had a really good pull going when he pulled the hitch right out from under his truck at the 255' mark and then it took the kill switch cable with the truck and broke it off the sled. Now some guys do put a zip tie on the kill switches to keep them from being pulled out by accident, But I think he must of had a super duty one on his truck to break the cable. So after a short intermission for Jimmy to fix the tether cable. That was the last incident of broken hitches we had tonight. But it does make for some excitement.
So Finally it was Super Stocks turn to pull. and like I said I was the 10th truck in the class so I could sit and watch at least the first 5 trucks before I had to get ShaZam ready to scale. Now I watched as they loaded two big 2000# weights into the weight box on Jimmies sled and I thought it was going shorten up the pulling distance by 20 feet or so. So Ben Holtger was the first truck hooked to the sled and Jimmy stopped him at the 254.89 with a track speed of 20.5 mph and with the other classes pulling to the 270' mark on this 275 foot track my figuring was right. So next truck up was Steve Swanson and he lit his tires up right off the line and at the 50' mark his tires seem to hook to the track and had a good head of steam going when the last stage hit and his truck came to a halt right in Ben's tracks he said. but ended up with a pull of 240.13 and a track speed of 20.1 mph So now we have a question of how accurate this measuring thing is. So next truck up was Tory's Locked and Loaded , Tory came off the Line hard and once again the tires hooked at the 50' mark and Tory pulled the sled to a 259.91' mark with the track speed of 22.3 mph putting him in first place at the time. Then came Derek Peetz he came out of the hole just as hard as everyone else and it seemed to be the norm tonight to blow the tires off the line then let them hook at the 50' mark and drive the hell out of the truck to the end of the track. Derek pulled the sled to the 250.57' with a track speed of 20.8 mph. Next up was Mean Streek and I'm now sitting back in staging so I can't see what's going on down the track but I hear them announce his pull of 257.07' with a track speed of 21.2 mph. putting him into 2nd place at this time, Next up was Donny and his American Outlaw Truck. I heard him come off the line at 8000 rpm, and he left in a cloud of dust but he hooked at the 50' mark and pulled the sled to 262.96' and had a track speed of 22.0 mph taking over the first place spot. Tonight we had two truck that don't normally pull in our club but we have pulled against them in the past with Puller Inc. The First truck was Travis Lentz and he pulled just like the other boys Wind it up to 8000 then blow the tires off it at the line then let them hook 50 feet or so down the track . Travis had a dame good run when the last stage hit him he was sitting at 264.37' mark and had a track speed of 22.1 mph. putting him into first place. Next came John Vanne driving his Junk Yard Dog truck. John hooked to the sled and when it was all said a done with his truck was sitting at the 248.9' mark and had a track speed of 20.9 mph. Tommy Scheffen was up next and Tommy is still getting use to a Pro-fab drop box, And I'll say he was still one or two gears to high yet but he got down the track to the 245.83' mark with a speed of 19.9 mph. OK folks ShaZam is up next we scaled up at 6150 # but I wasn't worried about being 50 # light. I worried about having the right gear in the box and after Friday night pull weather I had issues with ShaZam coming up from under her self in Rpm. So we get hooked to the sled set tach pushed against clutch brought the r's up to 4500 and we started to move, and as I hit 5000 the tires broke free so I matted the throttle and hope the tires would hook at the 50' mark like it had with the other truck, Which it did so now it was pick the best line down the track and hope you have enough traction to make out the end. Well the last stage hit and I thought ShaZam was far enough down the hill to be in first place. But I screwed up and didn't have any markers on the track as to where the first place truck was. As I got unhooked I made my way back to my trailer I saw Mary Vanne sitting on there trailer and seen we was writing down the distances so I stopped and ask what I had, Mary said 251.3. Boy I thought I was better then that on the track. Oh well that's 13 feet behind the leader but I did go 21.7 mph. OK the 2nd P.I. Truck was up behind me Robert Dobberfield and there 1948 Chevy it one beautiful looking Truck. And he got hooked up and came off the line a slow but was soon up into his power band and turning 9200 rpm's by my ear and pulled the sled 259.66 with a track speed of 21.8 mph. so he knock me down one more spot. Next up was Jack Peters Driving his wife's Angry Beaver Open Stock Truck, Jack hooked up and had a good looking run, The Truck sounded good and seem to get up into the 7500 Rpm range but was stopped short at the 232.48' mark and had a track speed of 16.6 mph. SO ok where to the last Truck in the class Justin Kusch As he gets hooked to the sled I'm standing up by the announcers booth and Justin came off the line I'll say at least in the 8500 to 9000 rpm range and made his way down the track but Jimmy put a hurting on him at the 247.52' mark with a track speed of 20.9 mph. So here a little chart to study.
Name Distance Mph
Travis Lentz 264.37 22.1
Donny Skinkis 262.96 22.0
Tory Lumbach 259.91 22.3
Robert Dobberfield 259.66 21.8
Dallas Luther 257.07 21.2
Ben Holtger 254.89 20.5
Dan Homa 251.30 21.7
Derek Peetz 250.57 20.8
John Vanne 248.90 20.9
Justin Kusch 247.52 20.9
Tom Scheffen 245.83 19.9
Steve Swanson 240.13 20.1
Jack Peters 232.48 16.6

Now if you look at the Stat's on this chart the truck with the most track speed for the day ended up 3rd . And as for ShaZam I guess everything is good with her, She came off the line good spun to 7800 rpm's going down the track, I just blew the tires off her again at the big end of the track. Might be time to look at a new set of DOT tires.

OK Next week I'll be in Francis Creek for the whole weekend Running Modified on Friday night and Super Stock on Saturday night . Well see if I can pick up a WiFi Connection and I'll post the stories from the parking lot there on the lap top.

See ay Next week.

Dan and ShaZam

dhoma@new.rr.com for comments

Cool !!

Thanks Dan

Great write up thanks!