Thanks Joel, and everyone else. I must say it has been a dream season for myself this year. Started off by winning a race on Memorial Day weekend, and did well enough to win the season points Championship, in the Manual Transmission class. I was more than happy with how the car ran, and if it didn't run in the 8's, so be it. I'd like to say i worked really hard at it, but honestly, I didn't. I hardly ever touched the car this year. I made ONE clutch adjustment at the beginning of the year, a fuel pressure adjustment, and upped the air pressure, and 2 step. That is it. Never adjusted timing, jets, 4 link, etc. Heck, I haven't even needed to adjust the valves. They have been dead on. It seems the more I hit the chassis, the better it works.

I had to work more on my tow vehicle this year than the car... One week ago, while going to a friends wedding, the center of the billet flexplate in my truck, broke the center out, leaving me stranded 4 miles from my destination. Got the truck, and camper towed to the event, and then had to get everything back home, on Sunday. On Monday night, I pulled the transmission out of the truck, found the issue, and ordered a new flexplate. Flexplate arrived on Thursday. Finished installing the transmission on Friday, and Friday evening the truck was hooked to the trailer.

Saturday, at the track, I really wasn't expecting great results. It has rained the night before, and we waited for the track to dry until around noon. It was getting warmer, and the humidity was around 85%. DA was around 2400, depending on whose weather station we looked at. My biggest concern of the day was safety. I've only raced at Brainerd this year, and BIR has one of the longest shutdown areas of any NHRA track. It's no problem getting the car slowed down. Rockfalls on the other hand doesn't have that much shut down area. I installed the parachute, and made a couple test pulls of the cable, before pulling the pin on the chute. Safer yes, but I'm now also hauling around another 8lbs. With the rain, I wasn't sure how the track would hook, but would soon find out... Previous best 60' was a 1.30. When I let the clutch out this time, I knew the car was really working. It didn't carry the front wheels high, but it carried them out further than ever before. The rest of the pass felt, like any other. When I got my time slip, I was kinda shocked it said 8.990, but I was extremely happy to see it. I was even happier to see the 60' said 1.28! Never would have thought the car would see a 60' in the 1.20's. It repeated the 60' on the next pass, and even went .002 faster, but the air was getting worse, and the car ran a 9.02 at 147mph. I red lighted first round, but really didn't care. I've had the most fun, I've ever had racing this year.

As for new goals? I don't really have any performance goals. I just want to spend as much time as possible, with my friends, and family at the race track.

I do have a couple members here to thank for having a dream season. First is Dwayne Porter. Dwayne set up my INDY 440-1 345CNC heads, and they have worked great. Having never met Dwayne in person, and only dealing with him through PM's and a couple phone calls over the years, I know some people wouldn't do business this way, but Dwayne, is the real deal. Not one worry about doing business with him.

The second, is Dominic Thumper, and his Thumper Carb, he built for my combo. Right out of the box, this carb was dead on, with only a one step in jet change needed. It was that close! The carb works flawlessly. With a stick car, I go up on the 2 step at the first yellow, and need it to be at WOT, for the last yellow, and can't have any hesitation. ZERO issues. haven't messed with squirters, or anything on the carb, it works that good. It even drives through the pits nice and clean. Thanks DOM!