Back in 2003 I built the 499ci low deck for my GTX, and headed to Monster Mopar Weekend in St.Loius. Right off the trailer I ran my first 9 second pass ever. The best pass that weekend was a 9.93 @ 136mph. The problem was, the car nor myself were legal for that. The next year at the same event, I ran the fastest pass the car has ever gone 9.85 @ 137mph. While I got away with it there, I've had a warning at every other track I've ran at since, and a good azz chewing at another. So I've never really tried to go faster then 10.00, or try to tune the car to go any faster, in the last 14 years. With the new car, it just isn't going to be possible to play the 10.00 game.

A while back, a buddy had said if I want to make my license passes in his car, I was more then welcome. We discussed it earlier this year, and I asked if the offer was still available?"Sure is. When do you want to run it?" I told him in the fall after he was done points racing, and the ET finals were over. Today was the day.

Watching the weather forecast all week, it had looked iffy, with a chance of rain. Sure enough it started raining yesterday, and into the early hours of the morning. By the radar though the rain was 3 miles east of the track. I decided to make the drive out to the track and see what was going on before having Steve drive out with the car. Sure enough about 3 miles from the track, the sun was peaking out, and the weather to the west was clear. I called Steve, and he said he would be on his way.

Steve arrived at the track around 10:00am and quickly unloaded the car. Since I've never driven his car we thought it would be best if I warmed it up, and drove it around the pits some. The car is a older tube chassis , ladder bar front strut deal, basically no interior. Jesus is that thing loud... the 14.5:1 Windsor small block really rattles the car with no carpet. I could hardly get any heat into the motor just driving it around the pits.

I go up to make my first light pass, and we decide it's best just to leave the glide in high gear, and take it easy. I launch the car and it leaves with a really soft 1.69 60' time. Run it about half throttle to a 6.95 @ 92mph. I didn't even take my helmet off, and headed right back to the lanes. The second pass was almost identical to the first. 1.68 60', 6.89 @ 89mph. Back to the trailer to charge the battery, and discuss the next 2 passes. For the next 2 passes, Steve wants me to leave in low gear using the trans brake. [ Moparts Family Site - Keep it Friendly ] is that??? LOL. Back to the lanes I go. I stage the car, lights go down, up on the 2 step, and release the button. Car for 1.33 60, and is pulling to the right. Also it does not make the 1-2 shift on its own, so I lift and go 8.68 @ 74mph. Steve asked what happened? I told him the guardrail was too close for my liking. His reply... "Just jerk the wheel left". I told him I'm not a super hero, and will gladly lift. Steve then asks me if I'd be more comfortable in the left lane? Sure, so pull into line and make my 4th pass. Slight problem... I can't see the entire tree with the hood scoop. Nevertheless, I could see the top bulb, and reaction time means nothing. This time the car goes 1.32 60', but is still pulling right more then my likings I ease out of it and run a 7.25 @ 86mph. So at this time the trans brake, and I are not friends. Back to the trailer for a battery charge, and top it off with some 112. So after talking it over we thought maybe just leaving the car in high gear and running it out. So that is what I did on the 5th pass. The result was a 6.44 @ 116mph. While it might have passed for NHRA's 1%, Steve still wasn't happy, so the next plan was to foot brake the car in low gear, no brake. I was rewarded with a car that didn't pull right, went 1.34 60' and 5.865 @ 122mph. Steve said he wanted to throw the 6.44 pass away and make another run just like the last one, so that is what I did. Last pass the car ran a 1.33 60', and 5.860 @ 121mph. I had the time slips that I needed now to get my license!