Thanks for the compliments, here is a longer story with links to some pics. I'll put a video of the run to youtube if I get one.
The race started on friday evening, according to the schedule at 4 pm. I left work early and drove the 100 miles to the track, was there at 3.30 pm. Took all the stuff out and drove to the tech.
pic1 Everything was ok, except that I had forgotten my helmet to the pits. When I drove back to get it, they already collected street cars to the line up, so had a little hurry. Got there in time and realized that I hadn't lowered the tire pressures and the chute was still unpacked. I was in the race alone, but got a little help from the neighbours to pack the chute.
As you propably know, we had huge problems with the driveability of the car before the race and only a day before after checking and changing a lot of stuff I noticed a loose axle tube from the Danas center section. Got that reapaired and thought the car worked like a charm again.
The weather on friday evening was weird, no wind and very low pressure, after the burn out the smoke just stayed and stayed there and messed the timers and visibility.
pic2 After permitted to stage I messed up everything; didn't remeber to put the trans brake on etc. etc. I left the line at 5 psi with a hole shot style RT of 8.5 seconds. The ET was 2.75 seconds.
The timers were a bit messed up. Lost the traction immediately after launch and just accelerated lightly, some 150 ft before the traps I pressed the gas pedal deeper and the shift light immediately came on. Like Finnish rallye drivers say; dö roud wos veri sliperi!
Speed was ok at 160 mph and the car went straight while spinning, so there was hope for better. 160 mph ok; two years ago I would have given everything I have for that kind of speed! Before the run I hadn't had any time to concentrate and did about everything wrong.
The next run was very late in the evening, the track seemed good now after one complete round, but just in front of me a car broke and it took very long to get it off the track. Basically they had to carry it off. Meanwhile my engine temp got so low, that in the burn out the engine didn't pick rpm, "low temp rpm limiter" was still on. So I took the launch very carefully, still only 5 psi of boost, and the car lifted front end and pulled to the right strong. Every time I pressed the gas pedal it lifted front tires and went right; 9.9 sec at 130 mph. This pic is taken at approxiamtely 400 ft
pic3 That was all for the day, and I was pretty hopeless. Went to the bar for a few beers, and actually didn't get back until 5 am to the pits to get a few hours of sleep. When I woke up it rained heavily, I had had time to think about the situation, and realized that the stiffer rear springs and therefore raised rear chassis height was propably part of the problem. The possibilities were either lower the rear or change link positions; didn't want to do the latter alone and without a suspension map. So, I spent the morning walking around the pits asking if anyone had lower rate extra coil over springs with them.
Finally found one set of 110 lbs springs. The ones I had were 175's, and the lowest and the last ones I had used before were 125's. I intended to get them with me to the track, but in the hurry I forgot to put them in to the trunk. The first thing anyone should do at the track is to check that you've got all the needed equipment with you, because teh ones you forgot will most likely fail!
Mounted the new springs with some preload, and weighed the car. Didn't like the corner weights at all,
pic4 so I changed them radically with adjusting the torsion bars and preloads.
Next run, I decided to try a little more boost in the launch, eight psi. So, after staging and seeing the yellow I stepped on the throttle and watched the boost gauge, wehn it was at 8 psi I realesed teh trans brake. The launch really wasn't a "kick", but still good, after about one ft or so it started to pull very well.
pic5 Shift at 7100 and ready to open the chute. Hadn't done that for a couple of months and since it had been packed for a day and in the heavy rain I actually wondered wether it would open at all. And where once again was the chute handle, had to look at the roof and put my hand on the handle, then look forward again; still going towards the traps!
Just before the traps I opened the chute and it started slowing the car down pretty much at the right moment.
After turning to the return road I stopped, left the car idling and put the chute in to the trunk while wondering the ET, thought that because of no initial hit it was propably some 8.2-8.3. On the tech point and return road everyone was showing thumbs up, and the trend continued at the pits, so I started to wonder..., then when I stopped the car there was people congratulating all around, and I finally got to know I had run the first 7 sec ET ever in Finland in street car classes.
The guy I had borrowed the rear springs from needed them back, so I immediately decided I wouldn't drive in the eliminations on Sunday. The car was still in one piece and everything was fine, so it was time for some celebration....
pic6 Mechanically this summer has been very easy. Only some valvetrain problems in teh first race, but after that only checked valve lashes a few times adn installed new spark plugs when the car becomes hard to start. It runs so rich cold, that it occasionally kills plugs. The max boost was 20 psi; the current turbos have been run succesfully at 25 psi, so still got some steam left. 60 ft was 1.268, 330 3.371, 660 5.106/142 mph, 1000ft 6.611 and the final ET 7.89/ 174+. Last 0.4 seconds were against the 7500 rpm rew limiter.
Next winter I will install wheelie bars and an anti roll bar, but proapbly leave the engine and trans the way they are. Only wish I have time to take the engine to the dyno to really get it sroted out, now it's stille pretty much untuned only having tuned it leaner, and changed the boost, but never changed for example the timing. We are still about 300 lbs overweight for our class, so might do something to that too.
