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VALDOSTA, GA – Charles Carpenter is looking on the bright side this season. That’s why he’s able to find a few positives after the team’s tough time at Jacksonville, NC’s Coastal Plains Dragway last weekend.
“That’s the first time we have really struggled all season,” said the Pro Mod pioneer. “We always seem to struggle at that facility, but this time it was compounded by parts failure.”
Carpenter’s iconic ’55 Chevrolet simply couldn’t put the power produced by the Gene Fulton-prepared engine to the ground successfully. Careful analysis of the recorded computer data didn’t reveal the problem; it took some old fashioned investigating to find the cause.
“After our last run it smelled like something was burnt inside the car,” Carpenter added. “It turned out the clutches in the transmission that engage third gear were just burnt to a crisp. Apparently the air shifter was malfunctioning, applying just enough pressure to cause the clutches to rub but not fully engage, sort of like riding the clutch in your street car.”
But the Charlotte, NC native is more than happy to discover that problem before hitting the national stage this weekend for the 3rd Annual Flowmaster ADRL Camp Motorsport Georgia Drags at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta.
“We’ve had a great season thus far, and I would hate to chase a problem like that all weekend at an ADRL event,” said Carpenter. “We are defending our points lead and gunning for a championship, so I’m happy it happened last weekend and is out of the way.”
Just like Houston, where he was victorious in early March, Carpenter will be flying WFO MotorSport tuner Kelly Bluebaugh in from Phoenix to assist crew chief Mike Carpenter with turning the wrenches. Bluebaugh is coming off a weekend in Bakersfield, CA where he tuned PSCA Champion Steve Paulauskis’ Pro Street Cavalier to a stunning 6.33-second lap at over 221 MPH.
“There’s no holding back this weekend,” Carpenter said. “The car’s got fresh components all around, and Valdosta is certainly a track that will take pretty much anything you can throw at it.”
Carpenter is still actively seeking primary sponsorship support. For more information about Charles Carpenter Racing and The World’s Fastest ’55 Chevy, or for a copy of the team’s 2007 Marketing Partnership Guide, visit Charles Carpenter Racing.
Photo courtesy of Roger Richards / Competition Plus
Carpenter tackles the gremlins before Valdosta
VALDOSTA, GA – Charles Carpenter is looking on the bright side this season. That’s why he’s able to find a few positives after the team’s tough time at Jacksonville, NC’s Coastal Plains Dragway last weekend.
“That’s the first time we have really struggled all season,” said the Pro Mod pioneer. “We always seem to struggle at that facility, but this time it was compounded by parts failure.”
Carpenter’s iconic ’55 Chevrolet simply couldn’t put the power produced by the Gene Fulton-prepared engine to the ground successfully. Careful analysis of the recorded computer data didn’t reveal the problem; it took some old fashioned investigating to find the cause.
“After our last run it smelled like something was burnt inside the car,” Carpenter added. “It turned out the clutches in the transmission that engage third gear were just burnt to a crisp. Apparently the air shifter was malfunctioning, applying just enough pressure to cause the clutches to rub but not fully engage, sort of like riding the clutch in your street car.”
But the Charlotte, NC native is more than happy to discover that problem before hitting the national stage this weekend for the 3rd Annual Flowmaster ADRL Camp Motorsport Georgia Drags at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Valdosta.
“We’ve had a great season thus far, and I would hate to chase a problem like that all weekend at an ADRL event,” said Carpenter. “We are defending our points lead and gunning for a championship, so I’m happy it happened last weekend and is out of the way.”
Just like Houston, where he was victorious in early March, Carpenter will be flying WFO MotorSport tuner Kelly Bluebaugh in from Phoenix to assist crew chief Mike Carpenter with turning the wrenches. Bluebaugh is coming off a weekend in Bakersfield, CA where he tuned PSCA Champion Steve Paulauskis’ Pro Street Cavalier to a stunning 6.33-second lap at over 221 MPH.
“There’s no holding back this weekend,” Carpenter said. “The car’s got fresh components all around, and Valdosta is certainly a track that will take pretty much anything you can throw at it.”
Carpenter is still actively seeking primary sponsorship support. For more information about Charles Carpenter Racing and The World’s Fastest ’55 Chevy, or for a copy of the team’s 2007 Marketing Partnership Guide, visit Charles Carpenter Racing.
Photo courtesy of Roger Richards / Competition Plus
