Re: Lower Class Imput
 

It's taken me some time to "adjust" to owning/driving a slower car. Toward the end of 2020, things started to come around.

I will agree you have to really pay attention to the weather conditions. Pay attention to your weather station, and keep good logs. You also have to do your prep exactly the same each round. You need to learn to stage exactly the same also. Repetition! Repetition! Repetition! Lots of little things to do.

On the plus side, you are never going to spin. If the weather stays the same, you are going to be really consistent. Maintenance is minimal, just check everything as you would any car.

Top end, it's a whole different ball game judging the finish line and the on coming opponent that may be 60 mph faster then you. But, remember, they have to judge where you are at on the track also.

As far as the car, I have enjoyed running the V/SA more then anything I have ever had in the past. Looking forward to competing again in 2021.

#5458

Curt Rees

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

No doubt about Jody's skills, #1 for 2021. Another name from the same division (6) is Darrick Ellam. Although Darrick isn't as successful as Jody he has done well. Darrick's car is a Pinto Wagon W/SA. I have seen him chased by very fast cars, and win. Darrick finished #3 in Division last year and #104 in the Nation. That is out of 849 cars, not bad. Darrick has finished well other years, also.

I LOVE watching a slow car beat a fast car, tortoise and the hare comes to mind.

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

If I might interject something here..Good a place as any.
If you are of the Dime Rocket, budget build, or "slow car" persuasion, and want to call around on prices for a converter, trans, carb, etc...Wait until you get your tax refund, stimulus check, win the lottery, cash out your IRA, or sell the old lady to the highest bidder, first.
You can't expect prices to hold firm for 4, 7, or 13 years.
Carry on...

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

I normally run a low 10 second bracket car.When driving Olds wagon it has been a challenge but more so chasing the tuneup to get the car to run decent. Hitting the tree foot braking has been good. I use the same spot as trans brake bracket car and just change rpm's to adjust light. Then it will adjust ET, so I just dont have enough good runs to put in weather station for prediction. I dont think its really that bad to run a slow car

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

I have raced slow cars ( 19-14 secs ) for a long time in brackets, back to 1985 when I was in college. I ran a slow car out of necessity because I had no money when I was in school. So here is my take away from all these years. One build a slow car. Two, they can run off with vary little variation in weather, track, etc. But, you can be successful beyond what you can even imagine with a slow car. Pay attention to everything. I can say that we had more consistent cars in Div 3 than Div 4, 7 & 5. IOW the heat seemed to be harder to deal with when dialing the cars. I could win in hotter climates but hot lapping became a problem, carb or EFI. I have always had what I considered good cooling routines between rounds. Reading the guages, mechanical always, didn't seem to give the whole story when dialing the car in hot regions so look at just about every variable, good weather station helps.
One thing about a slow car was that I easily got a lot of runs on it. Practice on Wednesday nights or whatever. I leave on the second bulb " on " with most of these cars, shallow staged .I know some people like deep staging but leave it alone. Unless its obvious you will win take the finish line don't hit the brakes before the finish line. I only turn my head 90 degrees most of the time, use the mirrors otherwise. Have better results taking the line than playing games. I love getting rental cars and entering them in bracket races. Two, three time runs and race. If you do that you'll know what you're getting into. Just remember all rental cars are not created equal, refer to Brent on that. With the way things are go with the slow car.
I'm actually back in Div 3 righrt now and hope to be out in April with something.

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

When my boy was a teenage be races a N/O/P Aspen 318 Wagon.

He had top 5 finishes in Div 7 and went to the All Stars.

I got to the finals in Sonoma two years ago in the wagon and

my driving skills have diminished greatly last 5 years.

We watch the Weather Station /Wind/ Track conditions closely

in ALL our Door cars. Jon's Dragster =Not as much.

As long as our slow cars have a good size Four Barrel carb - They

seem to vary quite a bit less. The little Two Barrels drive my nuts!

For us = Our Fast or Slow Stockers both win races!

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

Build the car if you will have fun racing it . But if you dont like being chased at a bracket race why go 10.80 when most of the field runs 9.00's .Bin there raced that still fun too I enjoy beating faster cars . A c/sa -f/sa car running in the 10,80 gets chased by the new factory cars running 8,50 -9.50;s So the only thing about the lower class car is you always are chased so you dont have to change your driving style of chasing and being chased . See you in the staging lanes .

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

I have a slow car, but you know, when I first started going to the track and racing in the 60's and 70's this would have been a fairly fast car.

Took me about a year to get it dialed in and get comfortable in it. I've found you have to be dead on with the shift points. I also keep track of the weather and use prediction software.

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

If you don't mind, What's the Car (AMC?) & combo?
Thanks

Re: Lower Class Imput
 

It's a '79 AMC Spirit, 304 V8, 125/180 HP. Former Bub Miller, Eric Pearson, Mike Meier car.