My yearly Drag Week thread.....

Who's going this year? Who's not ready? What vehicle are you taking? I have to envy & live thru all you folks....What your plan?

HEMI Joel is entered with his 392 powered HEMI Coupe, and he'll have to put up with my smart a$$ comments all week. Will try to either keep the forum updated as we go, or wait, and honor Mopar Billy by doing the best I can with a writeup, at a much lower caliber.

I actually think I can head out there for the starting weekend and visiting with any members running....Going to try and go Monday and Tuesday as well, depends on work schedule....But going to try and meet up with some of you.....

Sunday's Tech day is best for sitting around and talking, as that is pretty much all there is to do. Monday, get there early, as the ones that are there, make a pass, and hit the road as soon as possible. Not much time for talk those days. Come out. You will be amazed at what you see, and your thoughts of what a street car is, will be drastically changed.

I know what a street car can be...But my pocket book limits mine drastically. So, I get to envy everyone else's.....My Cuda could be ready next year, it needs the roll bar turned into a cage, and 315 radials with wheels, and a trailer hitch. But it would only be a 9.80s BB NA car, and I have seen some wicked fast BB NA cars.....The record the other year was drastically lowered by Doc with of all things, a Hemi Camaro...7.99 if I recall. I want to do it just the same though.

Been putting some miles on it this year and working all the bad components out of it. Literally...Would love to know what the purple AAR Cuda does to get a 540 to run 9.20's...I could learn a bunch from him that's for sure.

First rule of DW. You go to finish,thats the first win.Winning your class is a bonus. Doc and his co rider Jeff are good peeps.Every year they say the arent going and do.DW addicts and it is an addiction. Racing new tracks new friends etc even if you only go once one needs to.Be wary of the JericoGTX guy.He actually races a 68 Roadrunner.LOL.

My Dad and I will be there with my Barracuda. This will be drag week #7. Right now my plan is to run the Street Machine Eliminator class and hopefully average in the 10.50s. Although I might mix it up and run Super Street Small Block NA. Getting to run early would be a different view of the event, but placing in that class with a hopeful 10.5X average would be pretty optimistic.

My car is mostly ready, just have a few fuel system changes I may or may not due and some maintenance items to wrap up.

If you win your class how much does it pay including contingency money?

Win class…. Get a jacket

Basically:

Wow... I will definitely see if I can stop out and see you and your car....Car does a hell of a wheelie for 10.50 ET. My Duster I think I just sold won't bring them up that high even running as fast as 9.52

It could probably be tamed down a little that was the first hit on some new front shocks. It hadn't hooked in several runs so it was a good feeling to feel it pick the front wheels up. It did 3-4 1.450 60fts in a row after that run. It was one of those strange times when you buy an item and it does exactly what it should.

While there is people that get parts tossed at them to use for Drag week there is no prize money. If you finish on the podium in your class you get a nice trophy, if you win it you get a jacket, If you are the fastest car of the event you get a Guitar from Gear Vendors. The Guitars might go to the top 3 fastest I don't recall, doesn't matter what class just fastest overall.

It is a fun event win or lose, I managed to get 3rd in my class in 2018. It only took 6 tries.

If you are chasing money, this event can't be explained... The friendships, and memories that are made, are priceless, and what draws everyone back to it. There is a reason it sells out in 4 minutes, and has a wait list of 400-500 entries deep. Can't wait to see everyone again.

One nice perk if you are in the top three in your class is a early entry into the next years race.

This can really lower anxiety since the race sells the 400 spots out in minutes.

Bad340 Fish,

What is your plan with going on this kinda trip? What do you take with you? How do you setup the hotels? And what day to day maintenance are you going to be doing? Curious, cause i would like to run my Cuda one of these years.

My Dad(340 Cuda) sets up the hotels for us as soon as we get signed up.

I manage to carry a little less each year but I still carry about 300lbs of stuff in the car, i bet my first year I had 450lbs of crap lol.

Spares
Fuel Pump
Coil(I have coil near plug so I can drive on less than 8 but need 8 to make power ha)
Crank sensor that is also the same sensor I use for my driveshaft sensor
Cam sensor
pushrods
adjusters
couple of valve springs
fuel filter element

I carry a fair bit of tools and electrical repair stuff basically anything I would take the track.

I carry 2 small jack stands, and a small aluminum jack.

If I decide to change the oil during the event I buy a new drain pan and give it back to wal-mart when I am done.

Day to day service is usually nothing but oil checking and the usual change over at the track(tires, exhaust cut outs, and I put air shocks on for the road). I will run the valves at the hotel once or twice during the week. The valve train gets pretty loud after hours on the road at 190-210* and I always hear phantom valve train noises.

I am sure I am forgetting stuff but that is the gist of it.

Oh, and as far as my plan. Have it as ready as possible so I don't need to use any of that stuff mentioned above. 2018 was probably our easiest year because we didn't have to work on the car other than normal track turn around stuff. In the past I have had a fuel pump die, or a rocker adjuster get eaten, or an MSD box catch fire, or an MSD coil quit working when I forgot my spares at home. Part of my move to EFI in 2015-16 was leaving MSD products behind and it has worked well so far.

Thanks for all that...

Well, I am streeting my car as much as possible this year and working a bunch of long over due bugs out of it....Survived cruise night last night in 92 heat 25 miles each direction. I still have a lot over the winter I am going to do, wiring/full cage, new radiator & fans and go thru the engine. The Sniper 4500 has been great...Makes the car very drivable.

Oiling to the valvetrain, is a big issue for DW cars. Make sure it gets plenty of oil to the rockers, and springs for the drives. We have changed oil in the WalMart parking lot. As Clark said, buy a new drain pan, and let them have it back when you are done. Joel checked valve lash every night, when we arrived at the hotel. That way it was ready for the next day. Joel also books rooms the instant the tracks are announced for the next year. If you don't get in, cancel the rooms. If you don't get in, go anyways, and wait for them to open up spots on tech day. It has never been full yet, and doubt it ever will be.

I have always figured that some year 500 cars are going to show up and 100 will be going home. This could be the year.

However like Jeff says it has not happened yet.

I don't remember where I stole this but it kind of explains all the no shows.