Re: Live from Bristol
 

151 pm .... finally finished top fuel and funny car
pro stock is next and then the sportsman

Bucky Hess got best engineered car..........
Congrats Bucky


http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...isc/test11.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...sc/test2-1.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Thank you, Tom, for your care and concern following my "crunch" (one of my fellow racers informed me it's not a crash, it's a crunch). Thanks to all of you who wrote on this forum and those who called to check on me. I am doing very well today -- no lasting effects. I can (unfortunately) personally vouch for the safety features on these vehicles. They do their job well!

The Safety Safari here were great! All of the officials and other racers went out of their way to check and make sure I was doing well and to offer whatever help we might need with the car. I can't express my appreciation enough.

I was able to go on and race to 3rd round in stock.

What happened -- after crossing the finish line, I bumped the shifter up to 2nd gear and as I was reaching up to cut off the engine, I heard a thunk and started sliding. At the time I thought something had let go in the engine and oiled the tires. I tried counter-steering and pumping the brakes to no avail. Afterward, it appears that the transmission locked up for some reason, so I was just along for the ride. We are currently waiting for the wrecker to get here so we can get a line on the car, then pull the drive shaft so we can get the car loaded in our trailer. We started the engine yesterday, so all appears well there. With a bit (ha ha) of sheet metal work and a few other minor things, we should be back in business. In the meantime, I'll see you all at the races in my stock car.

Thanks again!
Mary Meints

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Sorry to hear about what happened with the car, Mary, but I'm very happy to hear that you are doing well. Paul and I hope to see you and your husband at the races later this year!

Mark Berg
I/S 2665

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom,


Thanks, for all the great pictures and updates from Bristol... You did everything you could this week and had a great race with Fletcher... Nice job and congrats on winning the Strange $$$$..........Good luck the rest of 2009, Say, hi to Dad ..

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom got down to 6 cars, had a .006 react and Fletcher a .002. Fletcher won by .0005, approximately 1 inch. WOW!

Congrats on some great driving, Wayne.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom ..Thanks for the great pictures and updates from down south and Congratulations on a Good weekend .

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom,

The photos are great...Thank you for sharing! All I was able to see from my vantage point were wheelie bars and taillights. AND great wheelstands.

All these years doing my D-7 races and finally working my first "east coast" race at my "new" home track (only on my 4th year here). The show the stockers & S/S'ers put on was great. I thank those of you took the time to say "hi", or just call me names. Even though the forecast was absolutely lousy, the weather wasn't too bad, especially for those who made it to Sunday. But, when you make it to Sunday, it's always a pretty good day. It was awfully quiet this year, without the Nitroplate Party Zone.

Today was pro test day and open to the public at Thunder Valley. Many new fans came out and I had several that came into the tower and I was asked many times..."When will see those "wheelstanding cars" again?"...Yes, fans DO watch Stk and S/S.

Again, I thank all of you who came to Bristol for putting on the show at Thunder Valley.

Rick Carlson

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Sorry to see the aftermath of Mary's incident at Bristol.
I have a question though....

Mary wrote:
"What happened -- after crossing the finish line, I bumped the shifter up to 2nd gear and as I was reaching up to cut off the engine..."

I'd like to understand the shutdown procedure described here. The car is an automatic, presumably a 3 speed, and is going 120+ MPH at the finish. What could possibly be the reasoning behind downshifting to second and then shutting off the engine? What transmission can be downshifted at that speed? Is there some GM trans that freewheels in second when coasting, or was the downshifting accidental? I think if I did that with my FoMoCo C4 I would be picking up pieces of either the engine or trans. Just wondering. :confused:

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Read again, it was a mistake, as she went for the switches she bumped the shifter into 2nd. It wasnt on purpose.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

On a GM three speed, like a TH 350 or a TH 400, if it is set up for racing, it has no 2nd gear braking band. So, if you shift from high to 2nd, and do not step on the gas, it free wheels, as it would in neutral. The sprag that is part of 2nd gear will not hold in deceleration.

By the way almost any full manual valve body will select any gear you shift it into at any speed.