Drag Boat Race

The 580" TFS A460 Ford in Ronnie Smith's hydro.
Pictures by Paul Kane

Ronnie is in the near lane.

Sweet sounding BBF Lem.
The wife asked if any fish were hurt ?

jjmstang wrote:Sweet sounding BBF Lem.
The wife asked if any fish were hurt ?

Funny you should ask......the name of the boat is Fish Killer

Lem Evans wrote:

jjmstang wrote:Sweet sounding BBF Lem.
The wife asked if any fish were hurt ?

Funny you should ask......the name of the boat is Fish Killer

Effing hilarious

Grilled dead fish are heart healthy.

Lem Evans wrote:Pictures by Paul Kane

I always look forward to the annual visit; and yeah, I always find myself looking at homes on the local market during those visits.

Paul

Paul Kane wrote:

Lem Evans wrote:Pictures by Paul Kane

I always look forward to the annual visit; and yeah, I always find myself looking at homes on the local market during those visits.

Paul

There are worse places to live than Kentucky, Paul!

Lem I have a question or two. Please excuse my ignorance, but I must ask.

1. Is the Lenco unit used as a transmission or an "in-out" box?
2. If the Lenco unit provides an overdrive increase, what's the overdrive percentage?
3. If an increase in overdrive exist, it's hard to hear in the video although you can sure see the prop speed increase!

Ronnie's boat sure looks good in the water. I suppose this is the hydro he's had for several years. Those high horsepower, carburetored, well tuned (engine & overdrive %) two speed hydros sure sound sweet! Remember that hydro that ran so well? It had a camouflage paint scheme. Assault?

Dave.

Paul Kane wrote:

Lem Evans wrote:Pictures by Paul Kane

I always look forward to the annual visit; and yeah, I always find myself looking at homes on the local market during those visits.

Paul

I have a home you can look at.....LOL

LivermoreDave wrote:Lem I have a question or two. Please excuse my ignorance, but I must ask.

1. Is the Lenco unit used as a transmission or an "in-out" box?
2. If the Lenco unit provides an overdrive increase, what's the overdrive percentage?
3. If an increase in overdrive exist, it's hard to hear in the video although you can sure see the prop speed increase!

Ronnie's boat sure looks good in the water. I suppose this is the hydro he's had for several years. Those high horsepower, carburetored, well tuned (engine & overdrive %) two speed hydros sure sound sweet! Remember that hydro that ran so well? It had a camouflage paint scheme. Assault?

Dave.

This is the 1st year he has had a hydro........in/out it is. No trans.

B.T.W. there were 8 boats in the class...One BBF w/carb & gas [Ronnie] and six blown BBC with injected methanol .....I assume the BBC had green oil.

Lem Evans wrote:B.T.W. there were 8 boats in the class...One BBF w/carb & gas [Ronnie] and six blown BBC with injected methanol .....I assume the BBC had green oil.

No the bbc guys don't know about the green oil yet

Nevs wrote:

Paul Kane wrote:

Lem Evans wrote:Pictures by Paul Kane

I always look forward to the annual visit; and yeah, I always find myself looking at homes on the local market during those visits.

Paul

There are worse places to live than Kentucky, Paul!

My personal Kentucky slogan:
"Kentucky: America's best kept secret."

QtrWarrior wrote:

Paul Kane wrote:

Lem Evans wrote:Pictures by Paul Kane

I always look forward to the annual visit; and yeah, I always find myself looking at homes on the local market during those visits.

Paul

I have a home you can look at.....LOL

Dee mentioned on her last trip to SoCal that a car guy was pretty interested, sorry it didn't sell.

Hope you're good,

Paul

LivermoreDave wrote:

1. Is the Lenco unit used as a transmission or an "in-out" box?
2. If the Lenco unit provides an overdrive increase, what's the overdrive percentage?
3. If an increase in overdrive exist, it's hard to hear in the video although you can sure see the prop speed increase!

Dave.

1. The case bolted to the bell housing is not a trans per se but a clutch, technically speaking. Ultimately, it serves the same purpose as an in/out on the v-drive gear box.
2. Most Lenco 2-speeds in 8-9 second drag hydros have a low gear that is in the 30% underdrive range. I have a two speed drag hydro that's been stashed away for some years now, it's Lenco CS-1 has a low gear that is 32% under...but my boat was previously powered with a blower engine so that gear (and it's Casale v-drive gear) might change. But that's the ball park for you.
3. Right, because Ronnies boat ain't shifting. Yes, a shift is obvious and distinct. And the spray behind Ronnie's boat "cleans up" (at 8 seconds in the video) pretty much because the boat finally blows the tail (to the uninformed, "blows the tail" means that the stern of the boat rises out of the water; hydros ride on 3 points: the two front sponsons and the bottom half of the propeller).

I looked Ronnie's boat over and it is a very nicely prepared drag boat, let alone being one of the most winning and sought after brands made (KurtisKraft 501).

Paul

Lem Evans wrote:B.T.W. there were 8 boats in the class...One BBF w/carb & gas [Ronnie] and six blown BBC with injected methanol .....I assume the BBC had green oil.

I'm guessing that Leo with the blown Big Block A-headed Ford, Texas Tunnel didn't make it this year. He only makes it to only so many NON association races other than his association every year.
At least he runs gasoline and Red Line oil... lol. I think that oil is turquoise though.

I didn't go looking for them .....but... I was told that the Michigan Mafia was there.

Lem Evans wrote:I didn't go looking for them .....but... I was told that the Michigan Mafia was there.

I thought the class you listed was also his class and I didn't see a supercharged big block Ford listed; must be a different class; props, jets, hydro's, flat bottoms ... I can't keep track.
Us uneducated and uninformed about drag boat racing get those things all mixed-up sometimes, LOL.

Sounded great!
Do they have to heat the prop like we do tires

rmcomprandy wrote:

Lem Evans wrote:I didn't go looking for them .....but... I was told that the Michigan Mafia was there.

I thought the class you listed was also his class and I didn't see a supercharged big block Ford listed; must be a different class; props, jets, hydro's, flat bottoms ... I can't keep track.
Us uneducated and uninformed about drag boat racing get those things all mixed-up sometimes, LOL.

Ronnie runs the 8 second class. i think your guy is in the 9.