2009 NMRA World Finals Race Results

2009 NMRA World Finals Race Results

We roll into BG Thursday morning and don’t have to wait very long to get through the gate. Unload the cars, set up canopies, get teched in and settle in for the day/night. We made sure to stake down the canopies before all the T-storms rolled in. Plus the wind Friday and Saturday was gusting pretty good at times. Have a few drinks, make a few phone calls and laugh a LOT!

Due to rain, we only get one tnt pass before the first round of qualifying. I’ve been fighting red lights for the past few months on the .500 Pro Tree. I’ve tried adjusting the trans brake with limited success, going from a -.06 something light to a -.039. So I installed a Biondo Terminator button borrowed from my buddy Gene Stanley. So the tnt pass I remove ALL of the spacers and figure I can add spacers if needed. It’s supposed to take out .045 seconds of reaction. I launch the car and cut a -.023 light. Well Crap, that helped but I’m still going red. I’m only running 35psi of tire pressure up front and don’t want to take out much more. I’m also trying to take out a little ET for qualifying in the future so I shift the car at 6200 instead of 6900 (Removing timing to 28 degrees only removed a few hundredths). According to my data the car should run 9.38 to 9.39 IF I were shifting at 6900.
Time 1:19PM Right Lane
BP 30.10
Temp 69.8
Humidity 33%
R/T -.023
60’ 1.387
330’ 3.888
1/8 6.002 at 116.75 mph
1000 7.834
¼ 9.396 at 143.81 mph

Well at 6200 I bumped it into high gear and let it eat, and hoping that it would take out at least a little ET. Nope, that’s TORQUE baby! The rest of my runs are at a shift point of 6700, no point in going any higher.
Next pass is the first round of qualifying and it’s late in the afternoon, the sun is dropping and it would be my downfall. I’ve trained myself to leave at the first flick of light. I’ll get to that in a few. A -.023 light, what else can I do? Let’s try moving my leave from 3900 to 3000 and see what happens. With this 5500 converter it should slow down the R/T a little, shouldn’t it? Prior to this Lem and I check then replace the plugs with a fresh set of AR3934’s and remove two degrees of timing at the distributor, going from 34.5 to 32.5 according to my timing light and my calibrated eyeball. Lem also touches the dominator with his magic finger and the car picks up a smidge through the 1/8 (I lifted before the ¼ to take out about a tenth of a second). I go through my routine, pre-stage and then stage the car. The loud pedal takes some abuse as it’s forced to the floor a split second after I press down on the transbrake plunger. LIGHT…..Release………..Launch………. NO RED LIGHT!!! No time on the score board, what the hell is going on? Pass warp speed as I cross the 1/8 mile pole, dump at about 1200 feet, and easily hit the brake and no lights? Turns out the timing system messes up so Paxton Dan and I have to make another pass for qualifying. Back to staging, wait, wait, and finally get to run again. Now the sun is even lower. I pre stage the car and move my head slightly to get the sun out of my eyes. I stage the car and instinctively move my head straight and then Flash…. Release…….. RED…. I left on the sunlight DOH!!! I want my previous run back LOL!
Time 5:06PM Right Lane
BP 30.10
Temp 68.2
Humidity 33%
So from 1:19pm to 5:06PM the weather really hasn’t changed much however the car picks up due to the tuning.
R/T -.232
60’ 1.375
330’ 3.856
1/8 5.963 at 116.78 mph
1000’ 7.798
¼ 9.505 at 119.36 (Lifted about 1200 feet and lightly brake).

Saturday qualifying: Pressure is a little higher and this place is PACKED on both sides of the dragstrip! No changes, leave at 3000 and no spacers on the button.
Time 11:08AM Left Lane
BP 30.22
Temp 67.6
Humidity 35%
R/T .012 WOO HOO it’s NOT RED
60’ 1.377
330’ 3.857
1/8 5.964 at 118.23 mph
1000’ 7.806
¼ 9.495 at 121.21mph (Lift)
Well that’s a relief, It didn’t go red so maybe this will do the trick. Time will tell.
I didn’t take my 3rd round of qualifying due to Chuck’s accident.
Sunday: First round of eliminations and the BP is up 20+ and I take out 4 degrees of timing at the box for a total of 28.5 degrees of timing in order to take out a few hundredths of ET
Time: 9:27AM Left Lane
I’m late on the light and I know it however my opponent leaves first on a 9.90 and I launch a split second later on a 9.39 and pass him within 100’ and something is definitely wrong with the opponents car (4 cylinder turbo Pinto) and I lift very early then ease it on down the track to a 10.63 at 105 with a .090 light.

Round 2 of eliminations
Time: 11:04AM Right Lane
Opponent goes red on a 10.66 dial with a -.011 light so I run it out
BP 30.45
Temp 59.0
Humidity 46%
RT .022
60’ 1.370
330’ 3.835
1/8 5.930 at 117.52 mph
1000’ 7.755
¼ 9.315 at 143.89 mph


Third round of eliminations, no changes except changing the leave from 3000 to a 3100 chip, I’ll start sneaking up on the R/T now that I have a base
Time: 3:00pm Right lane
R/T .029
60’ 1.375
330’ 3.849
1/8 5.949 at 117.26mph
1000’ 7.776
¼ 9.376 at 131.90 mph
My dial for the weekend is 9.39 per Open Comp rules. My opponent had a .009 light however I had him covered on top when he went 10.523 on his 10.47, unfortunately I’m carrying so much speed that I can’t pull enough ET and I go under by .014

I was trying to win this event and then take the winnings and help buy Chuck a roller but to no avail, maybe next time. I still had a great time considering the emotional rollercoaster on Saturday. So it was bitter sweet; I went quicker than ever before and feel confident I could have been in the 9.20’s with the 4 degrees of timing back in but time will tell.

That’s all for now and thanks for listening…

Your engine is probably just now getting broke in good. How many passes on it?

Damon,

Thanks for the story for those of us that couldn't be there and congrats on fastest times your car has ran.

Later Mark.

I'd have to look at my run sheets but it's about 100 runs so far. The last time we went testing the car picked up a smidge when I took out 2 degrees at the box so I kind of figured it would pick up a little bit. The new plugs and Lem's magic touch made the engine run a little crisper at idle and on top end. The last few times I ran the car it sounded like it may be trying to break up a little on top and the new plugs seemed to cure that.