Finally, my first run ever......I could have jogged faster!!
 

OK, been working on my '68 Nova for over a year now, it won't be ready this season. I decide I am going to take my '69 Camaro to Mooresville and run in the Real Street class. I am excited as a kid at Christmas, you see, I have never, ever been on a sanctioned track as a competitor in my life.

I have a crate ZZ4, Edelsuck 600, MSD 6ALN, th350, pegleg rear with 3.73. Nothing special, but a nice street car. Thought I would get mid 9's out of it.

My buddy Bryant coached me about what to do at the track, thanks Bryant!. Also thanks to beetlejuice and beast for the input, you have no idea how much I appreciate ya'lls input.

I go in around the water box, dry hop it a couple times, pull up to the lights, my gut is FULL of butterflies as I realize all these people were looking at us and waiting to see the pass. Third yellow, I couldn't remember exactly what Bryant said about the tree, so, like a retard, I waited for the green to actually show before I took off. Car started spinning, I let off, started to shift.........This is where it started to suck.

Nothing, absolutely not a damn thing!!!!! The clip apparently had broken/fell off the linkage at the tranny between the water box and the lights!!!! I thought, piss on it, I stood in it again, smoked up the place with that right rear tire, let off and finished my blazing pass all the while still in low gear!

Reaction time: .589
E.T. 11.32
M.P.H. : 46.99

ROFL :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

But, I will tell you............It was still an absolute blast!!!!!!!
I am hooked.

The second practice pass made me happier.
Terrible reaction time, not NEARLY as easy as I thought it would be! I do understand now to leave on the third light.
.696
9.35
76.76

I forgot to tell ya'll, I actually made it to the second round by breakout default. Lost to my buddy Mikey in the second round. I had to let my car shift itself in both rounds.

10.43(win) 1st round
67.4

11.10 Second round
67.7

Anyway, sorry such a long post. Any advice is appreciated, any "ribbing" is well tolerated!

Later

yep that sounds about right. It was still fun though wasn't it? My first time ever in my street car the thing died and had to be pushed from the water box to the pits...then I broke the only key on the planet that fit the ignition off because I used it to pry a fuse out...so I am in the staging lanes and I don't have a key to fit the car...everyone had to drive around my car for 3 hours because the steering was locked...I ended up finding a locksmith that made me a key by hand just from looking at the two broken pcs of key.....so I have been there. It will get better, just blame it on someone else that helped you and come back next time.

Jeez Tod, I feel really good about my ordeal now!! What do you do? Suck it up like a man! LMAO, I really did have a blast!

Rudy, I love it. That is the worst thing you have ever done because it is a sickness that only spending all of your money can, (not cure), but keep at bay. :lol: :lol: :lol: I hope you spend many more days doing what we all love in a race car.

My first real passes were in a dragster that runs 8.30's. Scared the crap out of me the first time I let go of the tranny brake. On one pass I tried to stage with the back tires. :oops: :oops: I laughed harder than anyone and wouldn't have traded it for the world.

Curtis

First race EVER in my first ever self built dedicated circle burner, C main, outside front row. Take the green and WHOMP !! Up pops the hood and wraps over the windshield ! :shock: :oops: :shock: :oops: :shock: :oops: :shock:
Just drove off turn 2 and into the pits to have a buddy INSTALL THE HOOD PINS........ :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

bad day at the track is better than a good day at work anytime!

You got that right! Cool thing is it didn't bum me out in the slightest. I know the time is coming that it will though.

My buddy Bryant enjoying himself at my expense.

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...antandRudy.jpg

Rudy, glad you enjoyed yourself. Hey if it was easy we would all be running in the 8's in the 1/4. That's what I'm hoping for. Maybe next year. Just found out from the doc today that I'm going to be done for the year at the end of August.

First timer
 

Went rounds the first time out. Doesn't get much better than that. :D

that ain't bad for an old,grumpy man :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
only kidding---you gotta have fun at whatever you do-it makes life better :wink: :wink: :wink:

LIVELY

Tod-"then I broke the only key on the planet that fit the ignition off because I used it to pry a fuse out...so I am in the staging lanes and I don't have a key to fit the car...everyone had to drive around my car for 3 hours because the steering was locked..."

Thanks, Tod i had a terrible day and i am still dieing laughing thinking about your time... sounds like something that would happen to me or all of us!!!

Brother we all have been there, At least you saw green, My first pass i was so scared of the people watching i left on the second yellow, But one thing for sure you can now say you done it, It's called Learning :!: :!: CONGRATS :!: :!:


''JUST MY TWO CENT'S WORTH''

That's a great picture. Now all you need to do is come on down to Oklahoma and make some passes in my roadster. I want you to go into the 9's also but this time in the quarter.

Curtis

Glad to see ya SMILING, Rudy !! :D :D :D :D

Rudy, thanks for sharing you guts. We have all done it! Many years ago I was running a 11.20 second 1/4 mile car. I had the opportunity to drive a 9.0 injected door car. After the pass I got out on the return road and threw up!
:oops: :oops: :oops:

Dave

Got to love those first time funs. Mine wasnt a first night it was the first year. Im a dirt oval guy and the first night i had everyhting ready to go they called for my first race i got all straped in and the dang car wouldnt start. the rest of the year was like that from bad starters to blown motors. until my final race of the year were my steering linkage broke and i went wide open into the wall. Ouch!!! it was one one year i wont forget tho lots of fun.

Hey Tod I needed that!!! I laughed so hard the only thing that could have been better is if I could have been there. If I were I probably would have broken a rib 'cause I would have laughed at least 3 solid hrs. :lol: :lol:

my first time was in 1973. in a 69 roadrunner with a 4 speed. shakin on the insides so bad i almost lost my supper, then when i got up to the lights i rolled out to far thru that baby in reverse and backed up. lights go to work i had that car screamin and dropped the clutch oh shi- im still in reverse!!thank god nobody was behind me cause i would have run them over.the guys in the tower laughed like hell at me the crowd laughed at me, i felt like a REAL dumba$$.lolall i could do was shut her off and get out and take a bow.

LOLOLOL !! Taking a bow was the CLASS way of chuckling at yourself !!
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Tod that is too funny! I am glad I started this thread, been some good reading.

Curtis, thanks for the invite. I would love to go 9 seconds in the 1/4!
Hope RA is doing well, as well as the rest of your crew.

Beast, whats up with you man? End of August your done, doctor, season over.....that doesn't all fit to well together. Whatever it is , we hope you do well and come back strong next season.

Thanks for sharing all the cool memories and keep them coming guys!

Tod,LMAO......I wonder how many different colorful names he was called in that 3 hours of misery!

Tod, still lmao..........................................

Thanks for asking Rudy. I hope this isn't out of place here.

Well back in March of '08 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Non cancerious thank God. Well they put me on chemo medication and it worked for awhile but after my latest blood work and MRI there have been no more improvements. Also along with the side effects of the meds, mood swings, short temper, can't focus on tasks at hand, and just recently double vision they decided on surgery. The tumor is attached to the pituitary gland. It is a little smaller than a golf ball. They will go up my nose and through my sinuses to get to it so as not to disturb any brain tissue.
Surgery is on 9-14-09 will be at home for 2 weeks and racing is done till next year.

Sorry to ramble. And I hope this was OK. Thanks

Beast that post could never be out of line!! Thanks for sharing such a personal issue with us. We'll be thinking about you until you're safe and back on RJ bs'ing with us again. I know it's a ways off, but please somehow let us know you're ok after the surgery. Afterall we are your racing family!!


Scott,
aka Rabbit.

Beast477
 

Sorry to hear of your upcoming surgery, but glad you are getting it fixed before it gets worse. Prayers for you and yours.

Thoughts and prayers, Beast.

Beast, we will be praying for you, your family and the surgeons.
Dave

Good luck to you BEAST.

REGARDING the broken key.If I remember right it was aluminum...it just broke the tip off. The electric fuel pump quit in the staging lanes and I crawled under the dash and found the fuse blown..one of the old glass fuses. I just reached up over my head and pulled the key from ignition to pop the fuse out....I was only 19 or 20 yrs old and I had Driven the car to the track, which was a half hour drive. Had to call my dad to come get me and he didn't know where the track was exactly. :oops: I had like 4 keys made the next day.

ROFLMAO

My first pass on a Trans break car, orange light up, I took my foot off the break, and didnt go anywhere. I looked down at my hand still holding the button, looked up at the green, looked back to my havd before I let go. I had a 1.3 sec RT, lucky for me the guy next to me red lit.

This thread is worth a 1,000 laughs no doubt. The one thing I like about bs'n with you guys is everybody on here has a good personality and doesn't mind being laugh at! So many people can't handle that anymore.
Trust me, any more it seems like I'm a retard at least 2 or 3 times a week!
Tod I laugh everytime I think about your post and Outlaw in reverse LOL. but don't worry, I've seen that happen before on a country road. The guy backed all the way into a ditch before he got stopped!!

Rudy your bad day at the track was still better than the day you spent with your finger trapped in the door lock whole wasn't it?

http://forums.racingjunk.com/viewtop...t=finger+stuck

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/a..._nav/ricky.jpg

Thats cold

LOL!!! that was cold. Hey, I can think of alot worse places your finger could be stuck in!! LOL!!!

bjuice was the one who posted the pic...I just hotlinked to it. :lol:

Thanks guys for the thoughts and prayers. I will keep everybody posted.
At least with the surgery date being 9-14-09 I will get to finish the season.

Rudy, sorry to hijack your thread.

God bless you guys.

Beast, you could never hijack my thread! Always welcome around here my friend! Good luck in your recovery, like I told you, feel free to call whenever you want or get bored during your recovery time. Good luck!

Tod, thanks for the painful memories! I had forgotten about that incident, my buddy in the picture is the guy that "released" me from the hole :!:

Did lively call me a grumpy old man? For your info, I am ugly too...
LMAO.........Lively- The man who wishes ALL Fords were Bowties!!

Outlaw, I just don't know what to say.......That is tooooooo damn funny!!

Later,

I can remember my first 15 second run and my first 7 sec runs in the quarter. And those 1/8 mile runs deep into the 4's running nitro, wow what a ride.

Heck I still have a blast in a 12 second street car.

Its all about smashing that pedal and holding on!!!!!!!!!

It doesn't seem to last long, but what a ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

Doorrrrr, stage with the back tires? ahahahahha :oops:

Huh? :? :?

All I know is I hope I learn form you guys on what not to do. :lol: I just cant wait to get on the track for the first time. I already know it is going to be a blast. Beast you are in my thoughts with your surgury. My wife will be going under the knife at the end of Sept. I just wish I could be home to be with her when she goes. Take it easy and be strong.

I think that was directed at me.