From Broke to Two Wally's!

Hey Guys,

I was not going to post this but seeing as being on Moparts, and living vicariously through many of you has kept me sane over the last few years my wife said I should share my recent success with you. Long story but I will try to keep it brief. The last time I really raced seriously was in 2006 - 07. Since then I have maybe attended the odd race here and there. Most of them were in my street car racing in footbrake for fun. The race car has sat in various states of disrepair since my last full season. Life as it can, seriously got in the way. Divorce, Wedding, baby, huge renovation, move, huge renovation. You guys get it!

I was able to put the car back together in 2013 and attended a couple of races at the end of the season. I was able to go a few rounds when I got back but the car would scatter ET's like your crazy aunt with confetti at a wedding!

This summer we decided we were going to go to a couple races. However, three days before we left the engine was out fixing a leaky rear main seal and I had done nothing to try and fix the consistency issues. Undaunted, I loaded up our state of the art 1980 Empress motor home with my wife, our daughter and the dog and off we went. 6 hours later we were at the first of the races. It was a big buck race. Fought with the car all day Saturday. ETs would change by over a tenth between runs. I eventually figured out a sticky shifter cable was the culprit. Sunday was a different story the car was running spot on!I lost a really good race to a buddy in his low 7 second dragster and my day was over. Put the car in trailer. Left everything there and headed home.

Returned the next weekend to race at the Northwest National Open. Got in real late Friday night and flopped into bed. Got up the next morning and went to unload the car and the passenger front tire look a little strange as we were rolling it out of the trailer. Turned out that the steering arm that was welded to the lower ball joint had broken off while the car was sitting in the trailer. Told my wife we were going home. She convinced me to stay and watch and leave the next morning. At that point I have to admit I was a little rattled. I designed and built the lower ball joints. I had them professionally welded but I felt I had really dodged a bullet. I was really bummed. I had been driving really well and my confidence was high but the car was broke and I had no way of fixing it and to be honest I was not sure I was going to fix it. Went and had a nap an woke up with a renewed plan.

So off I went in an attempt to find a welder. I asked everyone that I knew and no one had one. I was told to talk to one of the local Bike racers. He normally has a welder with him in his trailer. I went over and asked him and he said that he had just taken it out. I thanked him for his time and I was headed out when he asked what I needed welded. I told him and he said you get it off and we will go to my place and fix ya up. He said we are here to race and I will do what ever I can to get ya up and running!

An hour later we were back at the track and I was going for a test drive at midnight.

Sunday dawned and I entered both Super Street and Super Pro. Well low and behold if I didn't win both classes. Super pro was especially sweet because I ran my dial with a Zero in the final against a 185 MPH dragster.

The weekend started off with such promise, went quickly in the crapper and ended up with two additions to the Wally Family. We are calling them the twins!

I can't thank you guys enough for keeping the fire burning through some low points and my wonderful family for the support.

Sorry its so long but wanted to share!

Wow great job. Congratulations.

EXCELLENT...............

Awesome and congrats!!! Kinda cool that D6 does Pro and S/Pro at their Div races too. Our car counts are usually to big for that in D7.

Thanks for the nice words. It turned out to be a great weekend.

Pittsburgh racer! I was really close to calling you to see if you would be interested in a trade when you were selling the Daytona!!!!! By the way the only thing I love as much as my wife, kid and cars are the Steelers!!!!!

Al! I think The National Opens are a little different than the Divisionals. Alberta is taking a bit of a pounding with low oil prices and the recession that has created. Car counts are down. I guess it may be time to get into the dispensing business! Lol!

D6 has had Pro and S/Pro at every Divisional I have attended up there as well. We used to have them at Fallon but no longer run therem also had the bracket guys at Salt Lake for one year but no longer do there either.

National opens are different for sure. A lot of guys run them for grade points it seems. We have a few of those wallies as well but in general the car counts at Opens are and always have been. Car counts are down everywhere for sure D7 has been very week the last two years for sure. Not just you guys, oil sucks everywhere for sure. My engine guy live in Alberta as well.

The dispensing business jab was directed at your engine builder. We used to street race in the early 90's. Ryan is one heck of an engine guy. He makes stuff fly!!!!

Not sure if his end is the place to be or dispensing to the end user is the better place. I hear those guys are doing really well

Congrats again. No small feet to win one of those classes let alone both in one day!!!

Congrats on your double header

I think your right about the dispensing to the end user part!

Saw this posted on the D6 FB page, very cool accomplishment!

And yes we do have pro and s/p at divisionals in D6, car counts are weak in those classes, typically it fills up with first round losers from the traditional NHRA classes.

wow well done

Tex

Steeler lover here too. After getting some real low ball offers for my Daytona for a car the was about 80% finished it finally did do a trade with a friend that wanted my Daytona for years. I have a 512 mega block on my engine stand that I hope to slide in it over the Winter. I finally desided after I bought my small tire duster that would be my go fast car

Wow. GREAT accomplishment! Congrats on the "twin wins" and especially dodging the bullet:

QUOTE: [Turned out that the steering arm that was welded to the lower ball joint had broken off]

YIKES ! ! !

Congrats on your wins! I was lucky enough to see it in person on Sunday, surprised I wasn't in the beer line for that picture.

What the heck! Why didn't you swing by the trailer! There was lots of beer and you would have liked the price!! Were you racing?

Congratulations!

Awesome job! That's an ego boost.

I don't race cars, but our mud bog took over the dirt patch between the track and the stands this past weekend! I like to try getting out an supporting the track because its a great facility for our mud trucks, its a bit sad how many people show up for the races.

I saw the Mud Bog on the website! Looked like fun. In the past three summers I have gone to 4 races and they have all been in the Hat. That is sad considering I have a track 30 mins from my house and you guys are 6 hours away! Love the atmosphere and the people!

Still should have come by and introduced yourself and I would have bought yah a beer!

If I ever see your car down here again I will definitely stop by. It sucks I probably could of found you a welder pretty easily as well, or there could of been one on the back of my truck depending on what broke on my farm that week.

Pittsburghracer: love the new ride. You appear to be cornering the market on cool A bodies! Is the green one going to be the fast one, the black one or the small tire one?

Rednuck: As of right now the plan is to do the same two races next year unless something unforeseen happens. Hoping to also do some racing at home!

The small tire car will be. This year I hope to make some NA hits with the B1 headed 572 and was going to give it a small bit of nitrous but scraped those plans as I have been sick for 4 weeks. My current Wiseco pistons could only handle 250 max hit so I bought nitrous Pistons and aluminum rods for next year. I have to have my Calias crank cut down to chevy size over the winter and will be set. The green duster will run hopefully 8.50's with a set of 440-1 heads I ported and am going to update to a 2.250 intake valve. Probably going with an alcohol toilet I bought from a moparts member a few years ago. 135 dollars for 54 gallons of alcohol has me spoiled as I run it in my black duster now too

Great job!Congrats

Great Job!!

Congrats! And thanks for sharing.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my story! I often questioned whether I would go a round again never mind win a race. The best part of the whole weekend was being able to win with my wife and baby girl there. She came into my life and saw all of the trophies and past accolades but based on my recent accomplishments I think she thought I got them at a garage sale. Thanks again for keeping me motivated!

That is awesome!

Congrats!

Roadhazard - I have lots of your gaskets of in my motor so you were sorta part of it! Thanks

Me too. GREAT gaskets.

It's about time you put some laps on that thing!!!

Congrats on the great double up!!

Mr. Porter!

You are right about that!!! Thanks for all the help and great work on my new heads!

I will be in touch!

Great Story.... Great Job !!!!

Congrats and Great Story!

Fews year back had a similar story. It was at one of the Monster Mopar events at Norwalk. Fellow racer Bob Frazee needed a new converter, broke his on Friday..we swapped in one of my old ones late Friday night in heavy rain in the pits..next day he walked thru a strong field of Pro and the 10.00 index class to take the win in both classes Like you he was ready to go home and we said, hold on a minute, we can fix that. No Wally, but it did create a great long lasting memory.

Nice car..