Just got back from Gainesville FL NHRA Unleashed Race

I don't normally want to bore this group with race reports from all of my southeastern travels, but this one was pretty cool.
I rolled in to the Gainsville Raceway with a new torque converter and a solid setup for the 9.50 heads-up index. I tested it in Georgia last Saturday and it seemed good with a 9.53 and 9.52 pass. I had a new weight strategy, with the car rolling at 3770#. The air quality and track quality in Florida was super. On the first pass, my nice 9.50 setup was not good. It ripped a 9.400 with the same tune-up.
After a few test runs, I kept tweaking the timing retards and was able to nail the index on the first qualifying attempt...with a 9.502...good for #1 position. Got up Saturday morning and the air was even better. I adjusted the timing one more time and hit a 9.502 again, with a .002 light to boot. Still had the #1 slot. In the afternoon final session, I moved the timing 1.5 degree and ran a perfect 9.500.
The old 605 was doing it job!
Round #1...I got a bye run...ran A 9.495. Round #2, treed my opponent who was apparently spraying the heck out of a SBF...they got loose in high gear and shut off at 1200' and I lifted to a 9.53.
My computer locked up and died before round 1 and I had no weather station, ET predictor, Racepak....all gone.
Round #3, I drew a guy who had been hammering the tree all day with teen lights.
I got him on the tree....029 to his .045....passed him at 1150' and all of a suddden remembered my .003 breakout in the final round at Columbus a few weeks ago. I tapped the brake to "tighten up" the stripe and BINGO..gave the stripe to my guy by .006. GGGRRRR.
Live and learn...
Anyway, the final 2010 NHRA Unleashed race was a gas. Several of my Super Street and Super Gas buddies tried out the series and were impressed with how much fun it is. Lots of BBF powered cars there.
Next year......!!!
Keith

Congratulations on a very good year in the Unleashed series Keith. Sounds like you've found a second home. Nice job!

Sounds like alot of fun Keith,and thats why we do what we do

Congratulations

thats some good running! congrats

Good job Keith , I think I need to give you some top end pointers .006 is too close to judge brother!! Your da man

Good job Keith....

nice driving! can't win them all

When you give your winter tech seminar on index racing, be sure to let me know.....I'll make it a point to be there.
I hope/plan to see you around at a few of these deals next year.....It seems that the index stuff is starting to catch on around these parts...
Congrats on a good season.
Jeff

Run your own race Keith. Dont dump anybody...
Sorry about your loss though.

very nice work

Great job as usual Keith! I had really planned on doing the Gainesville race but my daughter had to have rather emergency surgery and had to call off the trip. For all of you guys thinking of doing some of these next year...do it! These Unleashed deals are a blast and.... I think they might do 6 of them next year and will be at different tracks than they were at this year. So go out there and do like Keith does and show em what that Ford power can do! Hey Keith did you get to see any previews of the Indy race?

Gary Varney wrote:Great job as usual Keith! I had really planned on doing the Gainesville race but my daughter had to have rather emergency surgery and had to call off the trip. For all of you guys thinking of doing some of these next year...do it! These Unleashed deals are a blast and.... I think they might do 6 of them next year and will be at different tracks than they were at this year. So go out there and do like Keith does and show em what that Ford power can do! Hey Keith did you get to see any previews of the Indy race?

Yeah....we saw the first Indy episode that will air in 2 more weeks (show#3) as I recall, you are on there.
By the way, I found an in-car video on You Tube of your car. What camera are you using and what kind of mount? It looks great.
Thanks!
Keith

Thanks for all of the nice comments guys.
At least 5 people came up to my pit...or in the lanes and asked if I had a Ford or Chevy engine in the car.....they were all delighted to hear the FORD news.
I was very tempted to pull all the weight and cut the timing loose and run the 9.00 index. The air was good enough there...I think it would have run an 8.98 or 8.99 based on the 9.0 run that I made at the same track early this year.
It is good to have some "adjustment" room anyway. If I get my glass doors hung this winter, it may be ready for the 9.0 index.
If I need to put the 514 back in, it should be real good on the 10.0 class.
Thanks!
Keith
www.KeithFulpMotorsports.com

So how were the car counts for the index classes? I can't wait for the 2011 nhra unleashed schedule to come out. My dad and I plan on running most of the circuit in the 10.0 index class.
Justin

Keith it is a go pro camera, the motor sports version comes with a roll bar mount. The thing is very small- about 3 inches long and only weighs a few oz's. I have a friend up here that sells them, happens to be a BBF racer also- can get you his contact info if you want.

Nice job Keith. I am watching this series on TV and hope to run across your car. Go get one of them Wally's for the BBF guys!

Kerry

jcoxracing wrote:So how were the car counts for the index classes? I can't wait for the 2011 nhra unleashed schedule to come out. My dad and I plan on running most of the circuit in the 10.0 index class.
Justin

Justin,
I know that Gainesville had the best car count of any Unleashed race at over 300 cars.
The 8.50, 9.0 and 9.50 classes had 20 cars (each) or less, as I recall.
The 10.0 was heavy with over 60 cars...and all other index classes were relatively high.
The 10.0 class is very competitive. The top 10 qualifiers were all closer than 10.02. I think the top 2 were both 10.000 and even # 5 was 10.008 or so.
Bad dudes in there!
I will look forward to seeing Y'all there!
Thanks,
Keith

Way to go Keith congrats , we`ll keep watchin for ya so i can tell my local buds we pit next to that guy i know him personally, good job man

Wheelie58 wrote:

jcoxracing wrote:So how were the car counts for the index classes? I can't wait for the 2011 nhra unleashed schedule to come out. My dad and I plan on running most of the circuit in the 10.0 index class.
Justin

Justin,
I know that Gainesville had the best car count of any Unleashed race at over 300 cars.
The 8.50, 9.0 and 9.50 classes had 20 cars (each) or less, as I recall.
The 10.0 was heavy with over 60 cars...and all other index classes were relatively high.
The 10.0 class is very competitive. The top 10 qualifiers were all closer than 10.02. I think the top 2 were both 10.000 and even # 5 was 10.008 or so.
Bad dudes in there!
I will look forward to seeing Y'all there!
Thanks,
Keith

I would love a challenge like that, plus I really don't want to go back to bracket racing. I love this pro tree. Not to brag but I ran a 10.001 and and 10.008, the rest were pedal fests at the big end.
Justin