A 30 year journey, and a 2nd chance.

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Next race date up was at Las Vegas, the MATSLV S/SS Combo (Put on by Phil Mandella), Fri. Sat, Sun. Mar 14-17, 2024 and I entered, it rained a lot, we had wind, usual Spring weather, but a lot wetter than normal, and finally got Qualifying and the race in after a lot of track drying and on track incidents, wrecks, popped chutes behind the starting line, etc (not those competing in the combo), but all the other classes they were running. It was a fantastic time, fun in all respects, I will return to it again next March, I just was flat worn out by the time we finally got to stage up for first round Saturday evening after an extra hour and a half due to a big wreck cleanup, and a huge temp drop outside, and I was aced out at the tree By a Kennedy Brother in a very fast hard charging Bright Yellow Mustang Fastback. And there was still time to call for my ride to storage, get the car put back in towing trim, loaded up, move it across to the spectator parking area, get a lift, get the car safely tucked into storage, as my wife was already on the way, and grab a good meal before she arrived, get home late Saturday night and sleep in my own bed. Sadly I missed the rest of the rounds. I did read about them though, Thanks to all I had fun, but...

Through all the changes to get that car down close to DF/S weight, it just is not ready to go that direction (yet), as I could not even get it to run in the high 16's in the Altitude of Las Vegas reliably. And it needs to reliably run at least a 16.85 Corrected Index. I did in testing hit close to it twice (both high 16's), but not that weekend, I was more like 17.09-17.11 (in Drive), reliably where I short shift at 5,200-6,200, or 5,400 -6,400....Future changes will allow me to go there (Converter loosened, higher stalling leave, Manual brake conversion, back to the higher lift cam, and The planned tap/tap/laptop tuning of an aftermarket EFI ECU system upgrade that I can actual lean out finally in the rotten Las Vegas Air conditions.

All those are still planned changes (some sooner than others), but, I put it immediately back into EF/S weight Trim before the April 4 Wides, and the LODRS Double (plus 2024 Div. 7 Class Racing), that I registered for (also was set to crew at all 3 of those races for Scott McClay in his Comp Elim. Entry)....More on that in the next hr. or so!At the MATSLV S/SS Combo Race.

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Back to that month of December 2023, I wasn't just staring at the car, I was doing a deep dive into all the available data from the very first trip to a drag strip with the car, all the trials and tribulations of attempting to turn the slowest budget class car in the world when it fit in FF/SA, but I ran it in GF/SA, into at least a great consistent slow bracket car (all the troubles it started having after my first half dozen wins in the Street Bracket, and those issues just about started when I started messing with the car to make it faster to start competitive Stock Eliminator racing it in early 1994, then things progressively just got worse and worse in 1995, 96, and 97. Leading me to park the car until I could get a real hold of and resolve the issues.

That part has been resolved. Since I started bracket racing in 1975, I drove a lot of slower cars, street was the starting point, driven some that were very consistent though slow, and some that were not. Some were easy to win with, and some never garnered a win no matter how hard I tried...like my very first 4 speed race car. That was a long 8 month drought, I could not sell that 62 Dart fast enough.

Then, I purchased a 63 Polara, because a friend needed cash, and lucked out into the best (wininningest), race car I
ever owned, it was built or prepped by Peter Berkuta (sold it to Richard Gabaldon, the first time Pete drove it to tempt Richard into buying it, Pete won with the car that night Heavy Bracket 3, a week later Richard won the same with it first time he raced it, and a few months later (I had expressed an interest in buying it), he called, asked if I had 3 grand cash, I did, went to the bank on the way to Terminal Island - Big Willy's LA Harbor outlaw track, met me there, and sold me the car, and in a couple of hrs. I won with the car, then a week later after a 3 hr. track rental at O.C.I.R in Irvine, CA I won a big Popular Hotrodding Magazine race with that car, and a lot of wins followed that 1, more than any racer deserved, as it was one of those fill drive it to the track, fill it up, runi it, dial down a hun and run dead on w/ a zero kind of Bracket cars.

Just drive it the same, and it was a winner, but it was an 11 flat Mopar, running 12 flat, as it hade no rollbar or cage, and I loved the 5 amber 5/10ths tree w/ flood lights. It was just a magic Bracket car, a more than a few called me Lucky!

Socal racing in those days, either driving it to/from the track, or trailering it, there were so many tracks from Carlsbad, to insland empire Riverside, Irwindale, O.C.I.R., T.I., LA County Raceway, Bakersfield, it was the heyday of Southland tracks for any NHRA Bracket racer, each track was open at least 2 days a week, and we could race somewhere, everywhere 5 to 7 days a week, and you could catch a race on the way back from wherever you raced last night, catch a few zzzzz's in the car upon arrival, and race again tomorrow.

So, looking at all the data, from 1993 forward on this slow budget Stocker, it is currently a very consistent slow Bracket car. One of the most I have ever driven of you look at it from a driver perspective (it has had a few little new build bugs since I first ran it on a quarter mile strip again last September)
, but those were to be expected to pop up. Fixed em moved on. The car is sound, the car at elevation is slow, but that trip to Pomona shocked me (- .126 under at Vegas, nearly 8/10ths under at Pomona in 3 passes -.797 under).
My deep dive said I saw those numbers before at Pomona in Feb 1995 log book showed 3 passes -.701, -.703, and -.721, then I broke a timing belt mins from E1 Sunday.

Now, the driver, I sat out of the sport completely for 26 yrs., I knew it would be a tough return at 66, no longer a kid, no longer even middle aged, and the biggest 3 challenges were, the LED Tree, no longer 11-12 spots on an incandescent bulb to choose from for a spot to leave on (crap, in my heyday of decades long gone by...mainly the 1984 season, I foot braked, and counted down on a 5 amber tree from the top bulb down, nodding my head at the center of every bulb), try that on an LED tree.

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I had red light itis the entire 4 races plus I ran from September forward to the end of the year in E1 except adjusting to a single day of .030, .031, and .033 lights at Bakersfield Q1, C1, and E1, then next day went red again in E2. Pomona was off the trailer .020 Q1, .010 Q2, and -.008 again red E1 (though - .666 to -.797 under index in lower elevation and good air). (The absolute bane of a locked stock ECM/PM with virtually zero tuning capabilities...So far).

But, I long ago grew up racing at my night owl time of day, not many early morning races. It was afternoon time trials, night racing, and I wake up after the sun sets (no matter how long I have been up!) A natural born night owl here.

Coffee, and a lot of it is my wakeup juice. So, experience tells me I am close, but get away from coffee as a prelude to class racing. It was killing me. Then I found a legal cure, as I stopped taking my coffee pot to the track, but then also too shell shocked from many E1 red-light, I swung the as bad opposite direction to .060-.098 greens that will not also win many rounds/races. Though a few more than leaving first reds will.

Long story short, I finally found an easy (and legal), cure, and though it took a while, it took. Last race was Q1 .005, C1 was .012, E1 (still not yet fully convinced, I came up on the converter in E1, then before staging said nope, I backed off 200 rpm, staged and lazed out a .059 just to make sure it was not red), and banged off what I thought was my best run yet, followed by E2 .018, though both on the brakes at the big end I took just a bit too much stripe...OK, the car has been in the zone, though very slow at Vegas, very consistent when I am not attempting to push it the 3 tenths plus faster it is absolutely very capable of running, and just driving it the same, and the drivers head is finally out of his butt and in the game also, at the same time.

Ok, let me take a pic of 6 time slips, and resize the pic and post it. All are at Las Vegas, altitude struggle bus track w/that lousy DA. 1 from E1 November 2023(cold out), 5 from April 2024 (98 Degrees out), pay no attention to R.T.'s I covered that already. Pay little attention to the final ET's 5 of the 6 were somehow on the brakes, a lil' or a lot, leading or following. 2 different shifters, many tiny or large changes, and a major class change and change back, all are either E1, E2, C1 competitive races.

But, struggle or not, as a lifelong bracket racer ...7 thou between November 2023 E1, and April E1, and look at all the 1,000' ET's and MPH. The car has been in the game, the driver was just needing to catch up, and quit worrying about going fast. The super fat air, with the stock ECM/Power Module is doing its job, even if phat and rich as can be. The dial in's are not all equal.

That is super perplexing to the guy who rarely ever faces anyone in his class and is a bracket racer at heart.

I am going to, but would you touch that? Go ahead Billy, Yac, and anyone else...Yes, I need to laptop tap, tap tune. But, I am going to both document everything, every lil' thing I can first before we put that Holley EFI System it needs on it. It will be changed a lot before October.

It is still hard to go that route when it can run that consistent in present form.

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Next up, a Holley EFI System & Harness w/a wide band 02, a 2 Step, convert the brakes to manual, get that converter loosened to 5,000 & refresh the Transaxle while it is out (as those bands and clutches are the 1984 originals), and get the cam I started the car with a year ago (or 1 like it and updated closely with it to today's technology back in the car). If I am going to risk screwing up a decent thing to go faster, we might as well go all the way. At least I know it is a good starting point, the turtle can run 8 tenths under, just not at Las Vegas. (-134 under a factored index on a 17.61 dial in in EF/S (17.75), against a -726 under 9.65 dial in in FS/C (10.47), just does not feel that comfortable at the outset, but it can be very rewarding if the car does its job, and you do yours). Dead 6 will put a big smile on your face...And followed by Dead 0-in the other lane, a round later can take it away too!

It's all fun and games I would not trade for anything right now, even when it was the struggle bus.

Then there are other considerations, wheels, tires, bearings, brakes, alignment changes, etc....all in good time.

So, most of the plans I had last Winter at least for the car, are still the plans I have again now. With all that completed, we will again later attempt to test it in DF/S trim again. Until all is, I wouldn't even for kicks attempt it unless it was a sea level track. The California Car, just loves California air. It liked FL, air, and Houston Air too though.

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(Since last races in april; Changed 02 sensor, added beam breaker)

June 8th & 9th Summit Bracket Racing Las Vegas, NV 109 degree plus weather (Super Sunny and junk air) Saturday -.007 Red TT1, -.005 Red TT2, .024 E1 Win 17.75 Dial/17.784 to a .121 12.92 Dial 12.910 B.O., .018 E2 Win 17.75 Dial/17.742 to a .100 14.38 Dial 14.275 B.O., -.014 Red E3 Loss 17.74 Dial/17.836 to a -.065 11.83 Dial 11.913.

After the 3rd rnd loss Saturday changed the fuel pressure regulator to a new adjustable regulator, attempted to adjust the pressure downward from 42 psi to attempt to lean it out a bit, but the minimum adjustment ended up raising the pressure to 50 psi. (Left the new regulator on the car).

Sunday (Temp and corrected altitude even higher.)
Had Coffee in the morning and knew 1st TT was going to be deep red and it was -.051 RedTT1, 17.618 (a 10th and a half plus quicker than TT1 Saturday, so the ECM is adjusting properly, more fuel pressure), in TT2 I made a bunch of biological and car adjustments that did not pan out (I did too many at once) Ate food, lowered front WD Slicks a full psi, and beyond and it showed .118 TT2 17.653, Adjusted w/ low caffeine dose via half a pepsi, and put the front tire adj. back up 1 psi .042 E1 Win 17.66 dial 17.623 double breakout, against .113 12.45 dial/12.410 B.O. (MOV .0031), then ran into Paul Wong E3 and a weekend ending Red Light knowing it was going to be a tree chopper -.036 Red 17.64 Dial 17.634 Loss against his .018 12.16 Dial and 1 under 12.150 (So I needed to hit hard and went waaaay too far! Car was dialed right my 6 thou too quick against his 10 thou too quick was right there together, driver just wound too tight.

On to start bigger and better things, and finally start to make this car finally tuneable! Car is still in storage in Las Vegas until all the parts and pcs are in and ready to put on the car, but the Holley Terminator X ECU, Main Power Cable are in already, and made up a pr. of electronics mounting boards (1 for me and 1 for a friend in Texas (Greg Hogue), who is building a Stk.1984 2.2L Daytona Turbo Edition).

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[Chuck Weissberg]

...... more than a few called me Lucky!

Ah, but you truly are LUCKY to have an understanding family, and so many racing friends willing to assist and help you, and the opportunity to re-engage old friendships made along the way....not all of us are blessed that way.....Great story