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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673213
11/16/14 06:12 PM
11/16/14 06:12 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
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This is a picture of a dude taking a picture of a dude on a wall, taken by another dude without the knowledge of the dudes in the picture...now my head hurts.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673214
11/17/14 12:24 AM
11/17/14 12:24 AM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 209
Mesa, Arizona
6pak2go
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 209
Mesa, Arizona
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This was one of our gas stops on the OK/KS border. Check out the sign, lol.
Robert R
Mesa, AZ
70 Challenger R/T 440-6 4-Sp Cruiser
67 Barracuda FB 540 4-Sp Strip/Street and Drag Week
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: ksj]
#1673216
11/17/14 03:22 AM
11/17/14 03:22 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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We ran the next fifty miles into Tulsa pretty much nose to tail, until we arrived in town, then Dale split off to run by Grand Prix Auto Sports, and the two trucks jumped off early to swing by Darren's house. Rachael and I headed straight for the track but the closer we came, the worse the weather turned. We drove through the gate at around 1:30pm, and it was already spitting rain.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673217
11/17/14 03:35 AM
11/17/14 03:35 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Even though the official gate time was supposed to be two in the afternoon, the TRP pits were absolutely packed, so much so that we basically had to start our own line of pits spots in what had previously been a very wide drive through area.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673218
11/17/14 03:40 AM
11/17/14 03:40 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Phoenix, AZ
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At the mercy of the weather, a large three hour bench racing session ensued, in which everyone made their way around the pits, congratulating other competitors upon a safe return to the home track.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673219
11/17/14 04:50 AM
11/17/14 04:50 AM
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Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Phoenix, AZ
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As the evening wore on, and the temperature started to plummet, pressure was mounting on the Drag Week crew to make a decision. Finally they decided to send the class cars home, with the intent of running them Saturday morning before the heads-up shootout. They asked Daily Drivers to stick around, because they desperately wanted to get the Quick 32 bracket race in the books. We loaded up and headed to Dale's house around 5:30pm or so. John and his family were going to stick around, so I told him to text me if anything developed, but both of us agreed that it looked like a lost cause!
Picture below shows John, and Hemi Joel preparing for their final time run of Drag Week 2014.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673220
11/18/14 01:03 AM
11/18/14 01:03 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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We were all sitting at Dale's house preparing to eat a large spaghetti dinner when I received a text from John at 6:58pm that read, "They're saying this is going to happen tonight! Is Rachael coming back to make a pass?"
I relayed the message, and told Rachael we better eat quick!
At 7:37pm, John called, and told me they had turned on all the lights at TRP, and were spraying the track, so Rachael and I jumped in the Belvedere and headed out there.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: ksj]
#1673222
11/18/14 10:43 AM
11/18/14 10:43 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Phoenix, AZ
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^^^Don(KSJ) wasn't the only person who had to bail early. I don't think we've had a truly successful late start Friday at Drag Week yet. It's simple really, they would like it to work out because having the final day in the afternoon is all about driving spectator count, but as the car counts have grown, it just doesn't leave enough time to do everything. Many of the competitors who travel long distances simply can't stay for Saturday, and make it back to work Monday.
One such competitor is Keith Harrison, who brought his 55 Chevy to Tulsa all the way from Virginia despite not being pre-registered. A mainstay in the Gasser class, like Boone, he was pushing for a ten second pass this year and went 11.013-120 at Great Bend. I was disappointed when we arrived in the Belvedere to see him loading it on his open trailer for the long tow back home especially when the killer Tulsa air would have certainly gave him the number he wanted!
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673223
11/18/14 10:54 AM
11/18/14 10:54 AM
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Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Phoenix, AZ
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I'm also pretty sure that is what happened to our pair of 68 black beauties from Michigan, since both Rodney and Rick went home after Friday rained out at Tulsa in the 2012 edition of Drag Week as well.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673224
11/18/14 01:03 PM
11/18/14 01:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,131
Amarillo, Texas
BBR
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,131
Amarillo, Texas
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All three years I have gone, Friday has been jacked because of weather.
2011 - cancelled
2012 - unprecedented postponement until Saturday
2014 - postponed until Saturday
Drag Week 2011 - 77th place - DD
Drag Week 2012 - 2nd place SRBB N/A
Drag Week 2014 - Kapooya
RMRW 2018
RMRW 2020
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673225
11/18/14 06:26 PM
11/18/14 06:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,028
Tulsa OK
Bad340fish
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,028
Tulsa OK
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Quote:
^^^Don(KSJ) wasn't the only person who had to bail early. I don't think we've had a truly successful late start Friday at Drag Week yet. It's simple really, they would like it to work out because having the final day in the afternoon is all about driving spectator count, but as the car counts have grown, it just doesn't leave enough time to do everything. Many of the competitors who travel long distances simply can't stay for Saturday, and make it back to work Monday.
One such competitor is Keith Harrison, who brought his 55 Chevy to Tulsa all the way from Virginia despite not being pre-registered. A mainstay in the Gasser class, like Boone, he was pushing for a ten second pass this year and went 11.013-120 at Great Bend. I was disappointed when we arrived in the Belvedere to see him loading it on his open trailer for the long tow back home especially when the killer Tulsa air would have certainly gave him the number he wanted!
He was crazy busy with work. At the turnpike Mcdonalds in Kansas he whipped out his laptop, put on his glasses, got on the phone and was actually WORKING like job type working lol.
68 Barracuda Formula S 340
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: Bad340fish]
#1673226
11/19/14 02:22 AM
11/19/14 02:22 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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In our discussions earlier on Friday, John had proposed the possibility of adding timing and race gas to his 67 Valiant in order to cover the tenth that Hot Rod Drag Week subtracts from your five day average, to come up with your dial-in for the Daily Driver Quick 32 bracket race. The postponement of the final qualifying session until 8:00pm took care of any need for that, as the 440 churned out an 11.046-119.51, giving him an 11.22 average for the week, fourth quickest in the class, and an 11.12 dial for the remainder of the night.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673227
11/19/14 02:40 AM
11/19/14 02:40 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Phoenix, AZ
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The officials had backed Ross and his yellow Road Runner off the starting line in the previous pair, to wipe the rain off his roof and deck lid, so he actually ran side by side with John in the last session. Ross' 11.67-115 put him and the 'Runner solidly in the field as the 15th qualifier and an 11.52 dial.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673228
11/19/14 03:01 AM
11/19/14 03:01 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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Phoenix, AZ
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Charley ran a clutch destroying 12.34-109.5 in his Gold Challenger, and while it was still enough to qualify him in the 29th spot(11.933 average), he was unable to make the bracket race, opening up that spot for the 33rd car.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673229
11/19/14 03:29 AM
11/19/14 03:29 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
MoparBilly
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The guy in this CTS-V Wagon (Greg Pecoraro) was hovering right at 11.50 all week, as that was all he could turn in due to no bar. His lust for a ten second time slip was apparently stronger than his desire to compete in the bracket race. He took advantage of the crisp night air to run 11.02, 11.01, and 11.02 in his three attempts during the final hour and a half session. He couldn't turn any of them in, and had to take a default 20-50, which destroyed his average, and knocked him out of the Quick 32!
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
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Re: Hot Rod Drag Week 2014: The Experience
[Re: MoparBilly]
#1673231
11/20/14 04:00 AM
11/20/14 04:00 AM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 409
Texas
mprhound
mopar
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mopar
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 409
Texas
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Quote:
Charley ran a clutch destroying 12.34-109.5 in his Gold Challenger, and while it was still enough to qualify him in the 29th spot(11.933 average), he was unable to make the bracket race, opening up that spot for the 33rd car.
Actually I bent and cracked the clutch fork on the last run.
Fought clutch linkage problems all week with my new QuickTime bell housing (all kinds of alignment issues) welded up the bracket three times then bent and cracked the fork because of poor geometry! The lake wood is going back in for next year!
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