Lower Class Imput

[Dick Butler]

Depends on how you define SLOW CAR... All the weather, wind etc is accentuated with a low powered big car. ANY car I ever had with a small carb was a problem. I had a 283 chevy II before gauges and it was rediculous. Cloud cover made it run faster to say nothing of a temp drop in the evening.. I had a 350 chevy wagon with a glide that was very consistent. A big inch motor with plenty of carb and compression seems to be the least variable. This is even track to track.
Should have been running when you dialed your car by 4:00 on day of eliminations and then raced at midnight. NO CHANGING THE DIAL......a lot of brake lights and sliding in the lights......

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

If you are going to race a lower classed stocker then you had better get it in your head right from the start that you are going to work at it. The tuneup has to be right for the conditions. You aren't going to just show up and race every day. You MUST have a weather station that you can trust. You WILL start looking at every flag on the grounds to get a feel for the wind (andf a wind gauge too). You have to heat them up and cool them down EXACTLY the same for each run. My best friends have watched me over the years and just laughed their tails off at what it takes to make them fairly consistant. They have tried to race my cars "their way" and had no successat all. If you want a "Bracket Stocker" then you had better build an A,B,C, car. That being said, a good lower classed car can win on a consistant track.

Hey old man, you forgot to mention the use of an open face helmet.It's hard to crank your head 180 degrees with a full face.After 9 years with my car I have it down fairly well,but it still throws you a curve when you least expect it,like the first run of the day.
You going to Atco old man?When will we be blessed with the presence of the Don?

Ed

[Chris Hill]

If it were my money, I would not build a lower class car.

The combination I've run mostly is a 86 model C-10 pick-up wiht a 4.3L v-6. No matter what I/we tried, the truck was very inconsistent. If somebody farted in the stands, it would pick-up a tenth. It was VERY affected by the wind. And this combination has a big carb (800 Q-jet), decent cam (0.430 lift), and 10.5:1 compression, but were only making high 200 to low 300 hp range due to the lack of displacement.

We've used the same techniches for running a A/B/C classed car, and it was very consistent provided the track was ok.

On the plus side of racing the truck, it's easy to see out the rear window. I can't think of any other vehicle that has beter visiblity for being caught.

[Ron Ortiz]

Chris Hill, a station wagon has alot of windows too. Problem is you can see the people in the stands as well when going slow.

House of Darts, when I initially had my car and could just barely run the index, it was deadly consistent. The faster I made it go over the years, the more inconsistent it got. Question is, should I try to go slower for the consistent aspect of things, or should I invest more money to go faster and be inconsistent.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA which way did he go, which way did he go.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Lane M Weber

Go ahead and spend the money on a slow car. I`ve done pretty well in the past with a car that could only run a tenth under,including winning a Division Championship. Just remember,pay much closer to the smaller details than you would with a quicker car. Good luck,and see you in the "Winner`s Circle"! "The Hawk"

I agree with "The Hawk", you should spend the money on the lower classed car. Heck, with all of the punishment that the faster classed cars have had, the only untamed frontiers are primarily the fwd and the Q on down stocker classes. You remember the year that Scotty Richardson won the Stock World Championship in NHRA (I believe it was 1996)? I ask because The Hawk beat him in the 1st rd in Douglas, Wy. that year in his V/SA Skyhawk, so you can thank those faster classed cars he raced for the reason he won---Hawk wasn't going to let that happen without a fight, and I was in the lanes saying "GET HIM HAWK", & "RIGHT ON", afterwards!!!

I drive a DF/S stocker that has nearly $10K total invested in it (thus far), and true weather conditions affect the slower cars more than the faster cars. However, you do your stats just like with the other cars (I don't have a weather station, and I've done well enough with my Z24 to go 4rds at the 2006 Mile Hi's, the 2007 LODRS DIV. VII Tucson race (by the way I wasted a perfect run on a -.013 red eye , and this year at the LODRS DIV. VII Chandler, Az. (where I lost another winable race to a similar red light). Once I get my act together with driving the start & finish lines (like I did with my 17 sec. 1981 Div. V Street Eliminator winning Pontiac Ventura) I'll give these faster classed guys a run for the money---and If I can do it, "The Hawk has (and still is) doing it, plus Billy Nees has been doing it for years now (plus several others like Steve Pohill), then you certainly do it! My question for you is "HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU"???

[The Hawk]

Wow,you guys look over your shoulder? I only use the mirrors,and seldom turn my head around. I guess I`ve just been used to doing it that way for the last 25 years. I can race against an 8 second dragster and know 95% of the time if it`s going to catch me,but what I do at the stripe is the determining factor. Learning how to win in a slow car has helped me several times over when I ended up in a dragster,I knew what was going on ahead of me with the other driver. That deal`s over,so now I`m back to just running a V6 Stocker full time,and looking forward to it! Lane

[Rick Angles]

House of Darts, I don't think it would be a waste. As others have stated, it can be done. It all depends on what you are after and how hard you want it. Am I out there now? No. Just another armchair stock racer. But I have bracket raced a few times over the years and now have decided to put together a stocker and join in the fun. Would I like a higher classed car ( my favs are the early Camaro / Chevy II ) as my choice ? Wheels up launches? You bet ! But I am starting out in the lower classes with my 75 Starfire V6, not only because I think it would be less expensive ( if that is possible ) but because you have to start somewhere ( and I love the body style ) . Plus if you put your mind to it, I believe with time it would be just as much fun as the upper class cars. Plus by changing engine / year I could go from V/SA with the V6 to making it a 77 with a 305 and go all the way to O/SA ( figuring in the fact of going up or down to the next class ). So this gives me a lot of options. But I will be shooting for V/SA and just see how much fun everybody else is having. And thats what I believe it is about, having fun. And a few wins would be nice,

[Larry Munk]

Going fast sucks. With as much as it cost to do this today I want as much track time as possible. Why only take 10 seconds when you can have 15. Although the sponsor prospects may not see it this way they can have 50% MORE EXPOSURE FOR 50% LESS ADVERTISING DOLLAR WITH A SLOW CAR. As the low class Mr. Nees put it you will pay attention to detail at the track. The only race car that I've owned that paid for itself was the V car. You have to race it all the time to learn how to dial it and you have to keep books of records. Your average TAG or other bracket style weather station is useless with these cars, but there are things that work. My experience was the same as Ron's though as when the car was running.3 under the index it was deadly consistent 85% of the time and when it was .8 to1 under it was not nearly as consistent. Your worst enemy during eliminations is that guy on the starting line with that sprayer of VHT. The glue will kill your ET all the way down the track if he decides to do you a favor and spray the starting line for you. Life is good on the bottom of the pond.

[Billy Nees]

I think that this thread needed a bump for any number of reasons.

[Jim Whitehead]

One Name Jody Lang !!!!