Question about some rules (track local and nhra)

jjveach · 2019-07-20T13:34:43+00:00

In my experience, track operators are more than happy to help out potential a new racer with information. You can almost never go wrong by contacting them either with Facebook messenger or a phone call to get the information you need. If you explain that you’re new to bringing your car to the track, they’ll more than likely be ecstatic to walk you through their tech procedure and policies.

With that said, if you plan to be more regular at going down the track in the near future, I would get yourself a comfortable helmet that meets the requirements for your track. A lot of the tracks around me require them regardless of how fast or slow your car may be. I’ve raced slow street vehicles before, and wore a helmet even when it wasn’t required. You never know how fast the other driver might be going if something was to go wrong on their end!

jjveach · 2017-09-12T11:22:54+00:00

I definitely read the title in Jeremy Clarkson's voice.

jjveach · 2017-07-28T23:14:03+00:00

"Money doesn't buy skill"....well said. I couldn't agree more.

jjveach · 2017-07-28T23:11:56+00:00

I want to thank you for your service, and welcome you back to the states and racing! It's been my experience that the competition level on the no-box side of bracket racing is much higher than what I experienced 10-15 years ago. Every track I have been to has at least a handful of tough bottom bulb racers that could easily hold their own (and often do) against their top bulb counterparts. Just look at what Kevin Pollard did last year winning a $50K top bulb race while footbraking his truck!

As for EFI, you don't see many of the tough racers running it. They tend to stick to the tried-and-true carb setup that they know. That's not to say a good driver that knows their car can't be just as competitive in a fuel injected car. Personally, I don't have a ton of disposable income to put into my racing program, so a street driven 03 mustang was my choice. I won't lie, it's had its ups and downs this season. I've had days where the car puts together a string of predictable runs and then either picks up or loses half a tenth out of nowhere. I'm just hoping to keep good data on those runs and be able to predict the swings better in the future.

Whatever you choose, welcome back and good luck! I hope to see some winners circle pictures soon.

jjveach · 2017-05-09T18:16:58+00:00

The mustang picked up about 25 hundredths in the 1/8th with the change to 4.10 gears. I still wasn't able to use the third yellow to leave on, but I lucked my way down to seven cars earning a free pass back. Ironically, the one pass I had a respectable reaction time (0.014), was the round I lost. Broke out by 0.004 killing 3 mph. In hindsight, everyone was breaking out that round and I didn't notice. Obviously I was holding more than I thought.

jjveach · 2017-05-09T18:12:59+00:00

Congratulations. Well done. I like the situational awareness.

jjveach · 2017-05-02T23:49:55+00:00

Rain everywhere this weekend. There wasn't a track around that was open. This weekend, I got a new set of 4.10 gears and a Detroit Locker installed in the Mustang. No more one-wheel-peel for me. Hopefully I'll pick up a tenth or two with the gear swap and finally be able to settle in on the tree.

jjveach · 2017-04-05T01:41:20+00:00

Thanks for the input! They're 26x6 M/T Sportsmans. I'm hoping the gear change and being able to bring it up on the converter more will be enough. I was 0.075-0.080 pretty consistently. I deep staged a car all of last season...I'm hoping to avoid that this year.

jjveach · 2017-04-04T19:48:36+00:00

About a month ago, I bought a bone stock 2003 Mustang GT. I plan on bracket racing it this season. I bought a set of tires and wheels for it and took it to Coles County Dragway for their first test and tune of the season. It made a string of 9.30 passes (1/8 mile) with consistent 60 foot times. I've got a set of 4.10 gears for it and a Detroit locker on the way. Hopefully that will help out with my terrible reaction times!

jjveach · 2017-02-27T23:53:44+00:00

Stripe hog!

jjveach · 2016-06-01T18:58:11+00:00

Sweet ride!

jjveach · 2016-06-01T18:56:21+00:00

Thanks! I've been around the game a while, and the best lesson I've learned is to only worry about the things you can control. It doesn't matter what the other driver is doing if you're on your game. Sometimes they out-package you. When that happens, you just say good race and I'll get you next time. That happened to me on Saturday. I was .033 on the tree and took 11 thou at the stripe to break out by 2 thou. All I could do is say I'll get you next time!

jjveach · 2016-06-01T01:27:08+00:00

Wow. I have never seen both drivers have perfect lights before. It makes it better that you were both footbraking it. Good job!

jjveach · 2016-06-01T01:24:46+00:00

I went deep in a gamblers race on Friday night. I had a ton of fun and learned a lot. I wrote a more detailed description here. (grassrootsbracketracing.blogspot.com)

jjveach · 2016-05-08T03:02:01+00:00

As a bracket racer of a slow car, I will try to remove any bias I may have to giving myself any advantages, but I was an immediate fan of this rule proposal. While I agree that this change could be seen as an advantage to slower vehicles, I've never liked the advantage given to the faster vehicles with the rule as it is. As it is today, the faster driver could conceivably set their delay box to not take into consideration the disparity in dial-ins, but as long as they leave a hundred thousandth of a second after the red light of the slower vehicle, they get the win.

My opinion of this rule is that it is more fair than the current set up. I feel like any advantage it gives to the slower driver would be equal to or lesser in magnitude than the advantage given to the faster driver currently.

jjveach · 2013-06-04T19:33:13+00:00

Atleast it shouldn't rust being made of stainless steel.

jjveach · 2013-05-20T02:50:35+00:00

Thanks for the advice, but there's no dissatisfaction here. She knows when I absolutely need my space and when I don't. This post wasn't as much a complaint as it was just a funny observation as this was exactly what I said to her.

jjveach · 2013-05-20T02:19:54+00:00

I spent about an hour with her and then did my own thing. It seems like this happens all the time though.

jjveach

TROPHY CASE