Oct 15th - DRAG RACING

[HELLFYR]

Jennifer and I are taking a look at heading out to Rock Falls Raceway for the morning of October 15th to get some 12 second passes in with the Orange Beastie. This is a $69 Test-n-Tune day at the Rock. If run like previous years, they will collect $89 at the entrance, then return $20 on your exit if you DO NOT partake of the Gambler's races that start up around 3:30pm (if you have a passenger, their spectator fee will be subtracted from that $20 as well).

I seem to remember there is also some sort of Saturday Night Special run now too before the Gambler's Racing, so that may end it even sooner.

This WOULD be a full tech inspection event, including helmet requirements.

!!! Mark !!!
Please correct me if any of that is wrong.
If you could elaborate on some of the "key" tech items to pre-tech your own vehicle, that would be great too!

Normally we meet at the Hudson McDonald's really early in the morning and roll out from there to the track. I'd have to check old threads for the exact times.

We would plan to roll out from the track back to AVF around 1pm so we get back in time for the Club Meeting and Fall Cruise down the river to Treasure Island.

Would make it a long, but VERY fun-filled day!

Anyone interested, please post up in this thread ASAP so we can get this fully planned out... or Jenn and I can just run out there on our own. No big deal to us either way. LET US KNOW!!!

If you just want to come out and watch, but not race your car, let us know that as well. There is a small spectator fee if I remember right ($10 ???).

Rod

-----------------------------------------

EDITED FOR DETAILS

Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011

6:30/6:45 - Breakfast at McDonald's in Hudson, WI (Map for Location (http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&gfns=1&q=2411+Crest+View+Drive,+Hudson,+WI‎&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=2411+Crest+View+Dr,+Hudson,+WI+54016&gl=us&ei=bzcMTIajLY2Dngf_hO2JAg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ8gEwAA))
7:00am - Departing for Rock Falls Raceway

Anyone planning to go and who wants to meet up with us in Hudson, please post up and let us know.
If it rains, we will NOT go.

Please review soulfisher's notes below in blue about cost and tech inspection.

Rod and I will be leaving Rock Falls about 1:00pm to head to Apple Valley Ford for the meeting and Fall Cruise afterwords.

Who's In?
HELLFYR/LadyCobra
HMMRDWN

Maybe
FatGuyPerformance
TF2v97SN
No1Ford

[MadJack]

if the car is still in one peice and not at the body shop by then im up for it.

[TF2v97SN]

hmm, IN!

[soulfisher]

Comments in blue

Jennifer and I are taking a look at heading out to Rock Falls Raceway for the morning of October 15th to get some 12 second passes in with the Orange Beastie. This is a $69 Test-n-Tune day at the Rock. If run like previous years, they will collect $89 at the entrance, then return $20 on your exit if you DO NOT partake of the Gambler's races that start up around 3:30pm (if you have a passenger, their spectator fee will be subtracted from that $20 as well).

Actually, they collect $69 for the car and driver and $10 for the next day. $20 for each passenger/spectator. Then $10 per person is refunded if you turn your wristband in. They don't change wristband colors for Sunday, so this is their way of making sure everyone paid for Sunday.

I seem to remember there is also some sort of Saturday Night Special run now too before the Gambler's Racing, so that may end it even sooner.

At 2:30, they do a Saturday Gambler for those that were testing. $30 to enter I believe. Gives you a taste of true bracket racing with dial ins and handicaps. The Saturday Night Special is another race that begins at 3:30 and costs $30 if you tested or $49 if you weren't testing.

This WOULD be a full tech inspection event, including helmet requirements.

Everyone racing needs a helmet, check for SNELL rating of M2000, SA2000, or later (2005, 2010). I likely won't be teching that day, but things to look for:
* Make sure your battery is secured.
* If you do have a relocated battery, you will need an accessible shutoff switch in the back
* Check all your lug nuts. If they can see the stud in the middle of the nut, make sure it is fully engaged in the nut.
* Convertibles - 13.50 sec is the cutoff for no rollbar. Top has to be up.
* Keep your A/C off (no condensation drips on the track)
* Make sure you aren't dripping fluids of any kind
* Long pants - no shorts. Must also have sleeves.
* If you are faster than 11.50, you need an approved racing jacket and a 5 point harness.

Sounds like lots of rules, but a street car properly maintained has no problems making it through tech if you have a good helmet.


!!! Mark !!!
Please correct me if any of that is wrong.
If you could elaborate on some of the "key" tech items to pre-tech your own vehicle, that would be great too!

Normally we meet at the Hudson McDonald's really early in the morning and roll out from there to the track. I'd have to check old threads for the exact times.

We would plan to roll out from the track back to AVF around 1pm so we get back in time for the Club Meeting and Fall Cruise down the river to Treasure Island.

Would make it a long, but VERY fun-filled day!

Anyone interested, please post up in this thread ASAP so we can get this fully planned out... or Jenn and I can just run out there on our own. No big deal to us either way. LET US KNOW!!!

If you just want to come out and watch, but not race your car, let us know that as well. There is a small spectator fee if I remember right ($10 ???).

Rod

[HELLFYR]

Awesome. Thanks Mark!

[HMMRDWN]

I'm in.... :)
Will be testing my new Mickey Thompson ET Drag slicks. Will also be racing in the Saturday night Special.
See ya at the track!

[No1Ford]

Hmmm, could try for a 13.99? :think:

[drop top]

Hmmm, could try for a 13.99? :think:

DOOOOO EEEEETTTTT!!!!

[HELLFYR]

Sounds like some interest... guess we'll get the details together and plan an outing.

Rod

[LadyCobra]

First post has been updated with more details/time for October 15.

[Blackcoog]

If the battery is in the trunk from the factory do they still require a shut off?

[John Vilsack]

I'd love to do this, but it might be too much car stuff in one day for me :)

[Jwrobber]

I do not think the cut off switch is required if the battery location is factory. The switch is only needed if you move the battery yourself.

[soulfisher]

I do not think the cut off switch is required if the battery location is factory. The switch is only needed if you move the battery yourself.That is true. If the battery is in the original position, it does not require a cutoff switch.

[LadyCobra]

Almost time to race!!

:takeoff:

[HMMRDWN]

Was a great weekend at the rock this past weekend. Nice weather...great RTs and made my personal best ET in HMMRDWN - traction problem solved. :)
Should be beautiful next weekend! Nice cool weather...HMMR loves the cold air. :)

[No1Ford]

I wI'll be there! Someone powerstroke is going down! :smoking:

[HMMRDWN]

I wI'll be there! Someone powerstroke is going down! :smoking:

:ford:
Going to be a FUN day!

[TF2v97SN]

woot tomorrows race day!!

[HELLFYR]

Car is loving the cool weather just blowing the street tires off the car... hehe.
Good thing I kept a set of DRs. :)

See y'all tomorrow morning.

Rod

[Aspette]

Congrats to Marie " HMMRDWN" and Scott for getting their first all out win
Great results for first year racing........ Very proud of you guys

[p51mstg]

Congrats to Marie " HMMRDWN" and Scott for getting their first all out win
Great results for first year racing........ Very proud of you guys

Awesome! Congrats!

[No1Ford]

My little v6 truck went 14.18@95. And held off someone mustang.... :uhoh:



http://www.streetfire.net/video/2011-ecoboost_2326243.htm

[soulfisher]

[QUOTE=No1Ford;14476]My little v6 truck went 14.18@95. And held of someone mustang.... :uhoh:

Sorry, a red light doesn't count. But a nice run for a v6 pickup. You should have seen the 10.8 second Cadillac CTS on Sunday.

[TF2v97SN]

you should have see the 10.5 second challenger on saturday!

[HELLFYR]

Yup, that Challenger was a damn nice ride.

[soulfisher]

Slightly off topic, but applicable to racing and tech inspection:
I didn't see the Challenger since I wasn't there Saturday, but there was lots of talk about the 2 Cadillacs that were there as they didn't have a rollbar and were both running below 11.49. I've talked with the manager at Rock Falls and she is going to try to work with NHRA to get a clarification to the rules. While these Cad's weren't exactly stock, we are seeing more and more vehicles, especially convertibles, coming of the showroom floor or with reasonable mods running 1/4 mile speeds that put them in conflict to the NHRA rollbar and driver restraint rules. For the enjoyment of the sport, some adjustment to the rules seems to be needed.

If anyone has constructive ideas on how this could be addressed, pass them on. No promises that we can make a change, but I can't believe this is the only track that is struggling with the rules. Someone needs to raise the conversation.

[TF2v97SN]

there are verts coming off the show floor stock that run faster that 13.5

[HELLFYR]

Just make it 10 flat across the board. Problem solved.

[Jwrobber]

Just make it 10 flat across the board. Problem solved.
That would work for stuff made after a certain year. I don't think a 9 second fox body convertible with no cage would work too well.

[No1Ford]

I agree with rod. But would be happy with 10.5 with mph 135 or lower. Yes the challager was fast but the four door heavy duty Dodge pickup truck running 11.95 was far more impressive!
Man that thing had to be running 40+ pounds of boost.O:bigeek:

[Fast351]

At 10.99 you're crossing into 120+ MPH territory. In my opinion, you should be running belts and a bar at that point. (I'd argue that once you cross the 11.99 boundary, where it used to be, you should probably think real hard about it).

Cars coming from the factory might be designed to have the power to run fast 1/4s, but they are not designed to survive a crash at 120. Think of the damage the sport would take if someone flipped their car in the traps, and died, and would not have with a simple bar and harness. The rules exist for the safety of the participants, not the convenience. Don't want to add a bar to your car? Simple, don't race at an NHRA track.

I don't think a new S197 would fare much better than a fox body with a rollover at 120. Of course I'm not planning on finding out.

[soulfisher]

While I originally thought that we need adjust the rules for the faster factory cars for the good of the sport, I have rethought this and now agree with Fast351. At the last fun race of the year at Rock Falls (I wasn't there), a car and driver I know had a problem and totaled their 11 second car after the finish line. Fortunately the driver was strapped in and had full roll cage protection, and as I heard, only suffered a broken wrist. That car was dedicated for racing. While accidents are rare and they "never happen to us", the do occur.

Knowing that Ford is looking at a 650 hp factory car, they are approaching, if not crossing the mandatory rollbar and 5 point harness rule for a hardtop. Maybe the smart thing to do is to have the manufacturers start building in rollbars and harnesses. After all, some of these see a lot more unsanctioned street racing then they will on the track. They were added by Shelby in the 60s, but you bought it that way. The only problem with the factory rollbar is that it would require extensive crash testing and thus would be very expensive.

I guess racing is an expensive sport (as if I didn't know), and if you are going to do it, pay the dollars before you pay the price.

[Speaking of expensive, anyone ever tell their life insurance agent they drag race? 90 seconds (9 passes) of fun on a weekend can cost you a pretty penny in premiums. At least I convinced them I wasn't John Force.]

[HMMRDWN]

Well said, I agree and think that factory cars that are on the track should conform to the NHRA safety standards. As in just about any sport, safety standards are generally devised from what is learned from examining accidents and injuries in the hopes that new standards will protect the participants, staff, and fans.
I'd rather pay the dollars....before paying the price. :)

[ShadowGT04]

I agree if manufactures are going to keep building monster hp cars then they need to put some sort of roll bar in. It would take a lot of work for them to start doing this because it has never been that common in the past other than Shelby like you said. Forget about the American cars for a Second and look at Ferrari or Lamborghini or even Bugatti. Those guys dont put roll bars or harnesses in their cars and they are way faster than any American car from the factory. The Bugatti has 1001 hp from the factory and no bar or harness. yes they have some darn good safety systems in place but nothing that would pass an nhra inspection.