A 30 year journey, and a 2nd chance.

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12:05 PM Thurs. Oct 5th Q2 (Left Lane) Index 17.45 EF/S Ov/Un -189
(this was the actual second pass under the index since the rebuild...pass #14, R.T -.004 Red (Ok, I now know the true spot is correct, let's see on next pass). 60' 2.361, 330 7.028, 1/8 10.958 @ 62.65 MPH, 1,000 14.359 1/4 17.261@77.65 MPH (Short shifting 1/2, but added 200 RPM on 1/2 shift to ck the car's consistency, and as I suspected it picked up nearly/ not quite 3 full hundredths quicker-(compare the 2 pass increments, and find out exactly where it picked up), and in the heat of day, as all sensors and the factory ECM/PM are flawless right now in relation to the NEW TBI installed, EFI working finally like it should).

The car is very consistent for a slow car now. I, over everything else worked on that aspect over the 18 month project). Success so far, but I will not be setting the world on fire on the Q-list at this juncture. A look at the final Qualifying sheet tells me I will be meeting my old friend and the first one ever who suggested I race Stock waaaay back in 1983 at O.C.I.R., very soon, and we will be doing more than just saying Hi and a hand shake after a couple of decades plus...We will be Choosing lanes, Hiya old buddy #75 G/SA Chad Langdon! (It was great seeing you again Chad). Taking a lil' while still switching to LED's from floods on the tree, 5 ambers to 3, and I always loved Afternoon/evening/and late night racing over day racing, this kid is still a night owl, but adjusting to it. (No caffeine involved and in my old age I cannot wake up without it).

Up at 5:00 AM

8:43 AM Fri. Oct 6th 1st Rnd (Left Lane) Index 17.45 EF/S Ov/Un 63
pass #15, (2 Cups of Coffee, 1/2 Bagel w/ Cream Cheese, a bit of C/ED unload work before first rnd to work off the coffee maybe...I have the other half of Bagel and cream cheese, should I eat it?...I should have to counteract the caffeine) R.T -.036 Red (Ok, I now know the true spot is correct, took my shot, but Chad is capable of tearing the tree down and I know it, 1 less cup of coffee, or eaten the other half, and it would have been a lot closer, loss at the tree, make use of it by collecting data, running it out and laying on the rev limiter on 1/2 and 2/3 shift...will slow the car down a lot ET wise, but then I can read the tattle tale tach and set the 1/2 and 2/3 shift better for upcoming class race tomorrow a bit closer). 60' 2.378, 330 7.125, 1/8 11.107 @ 62.06 MPH, 1,000 14.556 1/4 17.513@.76.21 MPH (Short shifting 1/2, but added 200 RPM on 1/2 shift to ck the car's consistency, and as I suspected it picked up nearly/ not quite 3 full hundredths quicker-(compare the 2 pass increments, and find out exactly where it picked up), and in the heat of day, as all sensors and the factory ECM/PM are flawless right now in relation to the NEW TBI installed, EFI working finally like it should).

1st Race is over for me, but the crewing has just really begun, and it is a struggle, not because I am racing also, but because we are at least 2 guys short, you cannot run a COMP ELIM CAR, successfully at least, w/ just 2 people period! (and Scott's day ends a lot like mine).

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I watch the entire 2 day race live stream replay before going to bed, all Stk Elim. passes on both days, and while a limited handful of STK Racers are hitting the tree as I am attempting just red/.000 to teens, the avg was more like .030 or higher, and while anyone can and does get lucky, anything can happen, I know who the killer tree hangers are, and I saw a lot way over .030, so relax a bit kid, then squeeze when you know you need to...Rome was not built in a day...shoot for .030 today as it is class racing day!

A bit of history...in October 1984 (on my oldest Son Nate's 9th B.D.) at Famoso I won my first Wally in the Firestone/Centerline Div. 6/7 Finals (a 250 car Heavy Bracket 3 field (different car, my 1963 Dodge Polara 383 13.5/1 C.R. 8-3/4" 727B Auto (Famoso Track Champ that year, and 4 other tracks, but I captained the A Team for Famoso, so this track and I are old friends, and here it is 39 yrs later, and I wake up to the chance of collecting another Wally, but McConnell has shown me a 16.85 and 16.95 2 days ago (I figure we are going to have a very tough race today, and it is a toss up if I need to leg it out at 7,000 RPM shifts, just do not cross that line beyond in any gear, as beyond is an unchangeable rev limiter and that = slower E.T.. (Use Q1 and hit rev limit feature only in 1 gear, see the results). Q2 will be under (Class Racing, 1 round for the Trophy!), so forget the Q sheet first pass.

Up at 5:00 AM (made coffee, poured a cup, but only a few sips, ate some honey roasted/coated nuts), just a handful.

8:21 AM Sat. Oct 7th Q1 (Left Lane) Index 17.45 EF/S Ov/Un 94 pass #16 (1/2 Cup of Coffee, 1 Banana consumed, a bit of C/ED unload work before Q1(to work off the coffee maybe...I have another banana, should I eat it?) I do, &...I relax a bit shooting for .030, and .033 Green (Ok, I now know the true spot is correct, 60' 2.387, 330 7.070, 1/8 11.011 @ 62.54 MPH, 1,000 14.469 1/4 17.544@.73.67 MPH (Short shifting 1/2, but hit limiter on 2/3 as in bap/bap/shift (still at 7,300 RPM on tach)-(compare the 2 pass increments, and find out exactly where it slowed down...that kills a slow car by 3- 10ths, stay away from it), and in the cool or heat of day, as all sensors and the factory ECM/PM are flawless right now in relation to the NEW TBI installed, EFI working finally like it should).

Ok, next pass is the all important one. Change nothing except that rev limiter hit. Set Tach shift light at 6,800 and hit 7,000 RPM actual shifts if necessary. No icing, no other changes, still have 30 wt non detergent actual break-in oil in the car. McConnel was red in Q1 and ran another high 16. (if the lights are even, it will be a battle, and a possible toss up race).

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Meet up to pair up w/ Bill O'Connor (he wins the coin toss, takes the Left Lane). This will be my first pass in the right, no issues there.

11:33 AM Sat. Oct 7th CRl1 and Final and Q2 (Left Lane) Index 17.45 EF/S Ov/Un -244 pass #17 (the other 1/2 Cups of Coffee, 1 more Banana consumed, a bit of C/ED work before class (to work off the coffee maybe)?...I relax a bit again and .032 Green (Ok, I now know the true spot is correct, and so am I, 60' 2.349 (at this point I saw my light was green, and look up about 60 feet out into my center rear view mirror, to see what his side of the tree was and it is green, aaaaand I also see the front bumper of his car at least 1.5 car lengths back, I snap my head left up against the drivers side window and stare at the front right corner of his front bumper (I think he is late or something), and I never take my eyes off that bumper, as I surge ahead pulling away a tiny bit, so I shift, same thing as I am pulling away again slightly, I shift again (then I realize we are approaching the finish line so I peek, lift, and brake allowing him to gain to about half a car back (but not get around me). I JUST WON CLASS, lifting and on the brakes. (People are going to call me crazy, but there is a method to my madness, the tattletale tach will tell me what to do next in Rnd 1)...330 6.990, 1/8 10.885 @ 64.14 MPH, 1,000 14.283 1/4 17.206 @ 75.71 MPH (I am not going to say what the actual shift points were, but I used them in round 1 and they were repeatable). O'Connor's #s were/are easily found online on the sheets, so no harm repeating em' here (no idea what happened at the tree, but something did on his side...17.45 Index Ov/Un -494 R.T. .427 Green 60' 2.297, 330 6.782, 1/8 10.641 @ 63.12, 1,000 14.039, 1/4 16.956 @ 76.92 LOSS

Right 1st .1458 Auto Start On Rnd # C1 2034/2033 Compulink Truestart

(Come to find out I am 50 lbs heavy, good on wt and fuel, Trophy in the mail!) He made it so I did not have to push the car a lot harder, but I could have. I cut off a bit closing it up a car length at the end. a couple/ few 10ths.

Later that afternoon (read the tach and both shifts were well below 7K), set my tach shift light settings). Set my dial at 17.20 to match the 17.206 I ran in Class 1, for Round 1 against Will Kelly's G/SA Cuda 12.00 Index/dialing 11.32.

5:16 PM Sat. Oct 7th Round 1-Race 2 (Left Lane) Index 17.45 EF/S Ov/Un -207 pass #18 A full afternoon of C/ED work and Q rounds...I relax a bit again and .033 (three lights today .033,.032,.033) Green (Ok, I now know the true spot is correct, and so am I, 60' 2.349 (at this point I saw my light was green, 7.019, 1/8th 10.933@ 62.78 MPH, 1,000 14.338, 1/4 17.243 WIN on the brakes and lifting as he blows by like a rocket, a full car plus out...and I WON 1st round of race #2...I am racing on Sunday!

Will's numbers G/SA Index 12.00 Ovr/Und -775 Dial 11.32 R.T. .051, 60' 1.455, 330 4.427, 1/8 7.010 @ 94.65 MPH, 1,000 9.265 1/4 11.225 @ 107.90 MPH LOSS (I am not going to say what the actual shift points were, but I used them in round Cl1 and they were very repeatable, and it was just a bracket race, and a pretty good 1 at that, just like I remember them, TY Will for the top end play!). LOSS

Right 1st .1209 Left MOV .1389 Auto Start On Rnd # E1 2439/2438 Compulink Truestart

(I was good by 4.3 Hun/he was broke out by almost a 10th.9.5 to be exact).

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That sets me up for someone I know all too well, we have also raced before, back during his very first year in stock in 1995 (in 1996/97) #778 AA/SA 10.70 Index Ovr/Und -614 Dial 9.97 Jimmy DeFrank of The California Car Cover Company fame/family...It was he or Don Keen, someone I also know very well from my SoCal and O.C.I.R. days.

And, as a friend told me that night before (if you have to race either one in the morning Gary, you better have your schidt together)...My answer was Ohhhh, I know...and it was...altogether too well. Either 1 is capable of tearing down the tree and hauling it to the other end! I know it, but I get to attempt it first! Then I get to watch wheelies in my rear view mirror. Lol. (I watched the livestream replay so, I knew Jimmy defeated Don before I went to sleep in the car again.

Sunday...Up at 5:00 AM

In the morning just before 9:00 Am we pair up, meet and lane choices are easy, we both get the 1 we want. Jimmy remembers my car (though it was all blue then, I remind him 1995), and he says yup, my first year in Stk Elim. and we shake hands wish each other luck, I needed it....1/2 cup of coffee, a little bit of food, more unloading Scott's dragster....just before, and my stuff is ready, I will attempt to tear it down as would he...No going safe here.

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9:00 AM Sun. Oct 8th Round 2-Race 2 (Left Lane) Index 17.45 EF/S Ov/Un 125 pass #19 ...Do not relax a bit again.17.20 dial again, aaaaand holding my breath... it is not Green -.005 RED (Ok, I now know the true spot is correct, and so am I,I attempted to make it hard on him, but cannot complain, it is the risk we take...when playing 3d chess in racecars, both fast and slow cars 60' 2.352 (at this point I saw my light was on the wrong side of a great light RED, 330 7.025, 1/8th 11.014@ 60.64 MPH, 1,000 14.562, 1/4 out of it 17.575 LOSS on the brakes and lifting as he blows by like a rocket, a full car plus out...and my race week is over, but the crewing is about to start again in earnest, we 4 on Scott's crew need to win this event...and later we do!

Jimmy DeFrank's #'s #778 AA/SA 10.70 Index, Ovr/Und -614 Dial 9.97 R.T. .055 (probably just like Chad Langdon, relaxed a tiny bit as they celebrated 5-7 secs), 60' 1.306, 330 3.979, 1/8 6.271 @ 106.50 MPH, 1,000 8.278 1/4 10.086 @ 118.15 MPH WIN (I am not going to say what the actual shift points were again (down low), but I used them in round Cl1 & Rnd E1, and they were very repeatable, and it would have been just another bracket race (with another very fast ending), and a pretty good 1 at that, just like I remember them, TY Jimmy also for the top end play!).

My LOSS, Jimmy's WIN, but I got to see the end at the finish line w/ a 9.97 in the other lane (still awaiting one with an even faster Factory STK car, & save for 5 thou too quick R.T. on the little end, I would have had a very decent chance on the big end. (I did tap/tap the rev limiter on the 2/3 shift just watching the charge from 330' on down, ergo why the rest of it was slowed as far as incrementally. I wanted to watch that wheelie since I had already fouled out. But I also knew that light was very close to perfect. Just barely on the wrong side of "lets goooooo!"

And, I Had A Blast on my first double Div. Event back...I am here to stay, already looking forward to Las Vegas in November for the next LODRS race!

Right 1st .1992 Right MOV foul, AutoStart On, Rnd # E2 2716/2715 TruStart

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Following our return to Boulder City Sunday night, I stayed over, and by Monday afternoon I had already prepped the car, changed the oil for the first time, and am ready for more fun in the Sun before the off season. i packed only what I will need at the track in the car, taking home a full load.

The car so far, except for my changes, and after that Test n tune Wed. (and catching up with them), so far fantastic, add air to slicks in the AM, add gas after a couple of passes, charge the battery when sitting, warm it up properly, Check tire pressures, and go race.

And the topping was actually having 4 guys- Scott McClay and 3 Crew Members and Winning The 2nd Race of The Double Header in Comp. Elim. w/ his C/ED Combo. (It is a 4 man operation, not a 2 man operation as we were Thurs/ Fri). Helping crew while racing takes the boredom away from the Hurry Up and Wait of STK Elim. Racing, but it is a lot of hard & dirty work (and a real hard struggle if under-crewed).

I will have more this Winter Off Season, after the Las Vegas LODRS, I will also save everyone the round-by-round stuff, and just add the further build stuff / updates I have for the car planned (replace the shifter aftermarket, something I can slam, instead of slow slide), replace the stock ECM/PM w/ a Holley ECU and full engine wiring harness to all sensors and Throttle body, to tap/tap laptop tune finally (the engine is still pulling hard at 7,300 when it hits that rev. limit feature in the stock ECM), convert to full manual brake system, from vac. assist/ add a data collection unit and a few addl. sensors- Engine RPM, Driveshaft RPM, and others, request a combo review, and a few other things.

But, this car now is, if driven the same every pass, is a slow ride, but very consistent now compared to back in 1993-1997 (I am still playing some games on track I cannot play in my garage, or off of the track, as I am collecting data still on the project). It is hard when other than viewing flags on pre- determined tables, and otherwise being locked completely out of the ECM/PM (by the EPA), so you must try things, and log everything on paper and review both the new, and 26-30 yr. old, log book data.

Looking good on paper and in reality so far though...

So, It is not "project go a lot faster" quite yet, on Our "Slow Ride', Take It Easy", as I weigh in Min. at 2,795 lbs. Car and Driver, and raced it at 2,845 lbs. last week or 50 lbs. heavy, and a full 550 lbs heavier than McConnell's "Slo Roller" Dodge Omni).

That old fashioned ancient beam scale at Famoso really stinks, But I love the track, hook, and that tree! (The flies I can live without!)

Again, I wish to really thank the Irving's a Ton! Thank you John & Jon for everything so far my friends. You have made my return much easier, and I certainly appreciate it all, as does my bride of 35+ yrs.

Also, Congratulations to Scott McClay on his win again! Congrat's to all the Class Winners! (I also know why I don't own a dragster, tripping 6 foot long wheelie bars, and head cracking low wing endplates). If it isn't 1 I come home scarred up with, it is the other.

If all of that was not enough, "RIP Donald A. Martin", POP, my Father-in-law & former business partner (who has lived with my Wife and I for well over the last 20 yrs., and her beloved Father), passed away on Friday Evening Oct 6th in a Banner Hospital in west Phoenix, AZ after 2 very serious operations on the prior week Tuesday/ Wednesday Sept 26/27, all happening during and between the double header.

He was able to see (be with), or talk to all 3 of his children, and his grandchildren, & great-grandchildren, and other family members, and it was a very peaceful passing in the last moments.

I wish to also thank Our Own Racer's In Christ. Thank You Gentleman and Lady. (You made things easier and prayerful given the distance).

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Ok, if you have read my novel so far and are still with me...This is the rest of the story....The major changes, the why's, when's, and what for's...On the Struggle Bus, and off to an OK Start by Thursday Oct. 5, 2023! (Not great, but OK, it still never saw a 16 sec Pass, but only because it was not forced to...).

When I re-installed the engine. I Put a brand new cam...at least new to me (a custom ground 1 off Reed Cam from GA), that was a National Record holder in an EF/S Stick Manual Truck w/ a 2.2L/135 that set both ends of the record in 2003. That cam has a ton of overlap & duration (but no cam card, I only know it is, a 106 CL cam, and it measures .444E/.432I (my max Spec lift is .445/.445), with a solid adj. lifter at the retainer w/ zero lash set (it has some really funky lobes), it really made the car sound alive and mean as can be, but in reality I do not currently have a loose enough converter to make it work yet. (Mine can be loosened a lot according to the MFG, without affecting the efficiency, as they tightened it up before they sold it to me in 94' for my not much done combo).

It was installed at 3 degrees Adv. when I went to Las Vegas for the first quarter mile passes, and 1 pass in I realized I brought everything except my spare cams, and it was a dead dog turtle on the leave, and at 100' out it started screaming as it came alive in the torque curve. It also had zero vacuum at idle, and until 3,000 RPM it was just starting to build vacuum slowly, (so it really was not playing nice with my power assist brake booster and master cyl., and I could not foot brake stall the car higher than 3,200 RPM). It was horrible.

I knew it was not the cam for this combo right now (but will be soon enough). So, while it was a double Bracket points race in Las Vegas for the Summitt Bracket Racing Series, and not a Stock Elim. race I determined I would put the car in "Drive" and let it shift itself, and slow it down as much as I could...Gonna make em wait, then make em' wait longer.

As can be seen by pics I posted at that event 18.72 was the final dial in used in 114 degree temps and corrected Alt. was measuring over 6,000 ft. plus that weekend in Vegas. (But it is a 17.45 Index in EF/S). Yeah, I get a lil' Index correction there, but not that much.

Ok, so a full review of old and new data commenced (talking about mainly data from 1993 - 1997, and my cam choices were 3 others I have on the shelf at home), but I knew I was losing at least 1/2 sec in the first 60-70', more in the 330, and more in the 660, and unless you get a slow roller up and moving early, you can never make that back no matter how much it is screaming out the back door), I decided on one, changed it, dialed in the cam, and ckd. the lift again properly. I took 2 of those cams back up to Boulder City that Monday to change the cam, restore the Power Brake System, change the injector, F.P Regulator, add ballast to my weight box to meet min. wt, and a couple of other minor changes.

By Tuesday AM I was finished....I was the only one in our group that purchased the Test n Tune Wednesday and lanes opened at Noon, closing at 6 PM...@ 12:35 PM Oct 4, I ran 1 pass (the timing was way off, rich, and flat not right at all), it ran like crap and was very slow 12:35 PM R.T. -.499 Red, 60' 2.700, 330 8.610, 1/8 13.792@ 45.31 MPH (book is 10.80 1/8 mile),1,000 18.711, 1/4...23.492@ 44.42 out of it it ran so bad on top end.

I then took a biig swing low on timing first....@ 3:39 PM Oct 4 R.T. a closer but still off -.053, 60' 2.852, 330 8.682, 1/8th 13.478@ 52.07, 1,000 17.426, and 1/4...20.699 @ 68.14

Here I decided to pull all 4 plugs (all 4 were ultra rich, remove and swap back in the stock injector), cleaned the plugs, regapped them from .035 to. 040, and decided to go back up to the timing that makes everyone cringe 43-46 degrees total (you see it has a hall effect distro, the Power Module usually controls spark, but we changed that and took the spark control away from that fender mounted computer in 1995, by adding in a Mopar Electronic Control Module from a 1983 Carbed Dodge Omni incl the wiring harness and aftermarket coil. So, we set static timing, and the box controls the total, and each cam is different in what makes them happy).

It sounds hard starting, but it needs the total high to be happy and run under index. I had made those changes already, time is getting short, it is about 5:00 PM at this poing and John Irving and his Son Jon were no doubt getting worried at this point since they witnessed so far nothing but slow running in Las Vegas and here at Bakersfield so far...Though I knew I was on the right track so far, and reversing a couple of changes was all that was needed, and all but 1 was completed almost....John and Jon came over and asked if Jon could help (I welcomed it), what I really needed was a butt in the seat, so I could take my time & set the timing properly, swing the other way for the fences.

He did, we started it, I cranked in 43 degrees total (that was equal to 21 initial static, and I told him I was going to control the throttle, just hold the brakes hard. And I nearly laid it on the rev limiter...and she sounded right!

I took it for the last pass of the day after thanking them....@ 5:28 PM 4 Oct. R.T. a right on just what I was looking for .012 Green, 60' 2.379, 330 7.065, 1/8 10.992@ 62.84, 1,000 14.444, (it then hit the rev limiter at 7,300 RPM slowing the pass down ( I thought it would be out the back door in 2nd. gear, not quite....1/4 in 17.721 @ 65.47 and down because I need to shift it before 7,300. But I knew first pass in the morning at that point Q1 of race 1 would be under, just not by how much yet. I assured them I only need to re-learn how to shift it!