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Nitro Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2006
- Messages
- 319
- Age
- 69
- Location
- Kissimmee, Fl.
Absolutely a great show. Big pump NFC's rule
That motor change thrash Randy was talking about was the wildest one I was ever involved with. We had broken the fitting on top of the pump (we think as we had no data) and just nuked the motor. All we had in the trailer was a cast TFX short block that was totally untested. We had so many people helping us it was insane. Running all over the place trying to borrow stuff to get it back together. Somehow we made it to the lanes but we never got to start it in the pits. We wanted to start it in the staging lanes but they wouldn't let us. Heck we didn't know if it WOULD start. Dragged it out there to race Doug Gordon in the semi's hit the switch and it started ! It actually sounded OK til I looked at the oil pressure gauge and it was sitting on zero. No sadder feeling in the world when I pulled the fuel shutoff and the motor quit...Or so I thought til looked over and Rick Stewert was giving Doug the shut it off sign as they had a leak backing up from the burnout. If I only had seen that before shutting ours off could have staged it and got the win. Things get even weirder when we get back to the pit area and Randy looks in the dry sump tank and its obvious that oil was circulating. We thought about it for a while and Randy checked the oil pressure gauge with an air hose. Blow 125psi in it...Nada,nothing ,zilch. The kaboom in the second round was so big it killed the gauge. We had oil pressure, could have taken the tree in the semi's and gone on to race Dennis Taylor in the final,who went on and took the win in the final unopposed. Oh well wasn't meant to be. DT got his I believe first Wally at his home track so that was way cool and our team had actually been the baddest TAFC on the grounds for the race and Me? I wanted to beat a $50 oil pressure gauge to death with a hammer. Randy wouldn't let me near the hammer drawer though.
Marc. Here's the gauge. See how the needle is pointing down? See the stop pin next to the Zero? The needle is on the wrong side of the stop, besides pointing down. Even if it moved it would hit the stop and read zero.
I still hate that gauge.
If anybody could do it, he could, funny stuff
I still hate that gauge. But I'm tellin you that was one of the best weekends I ever had racing. That ole Uyehara car was amazing and it fit like a glove. Always wanted to win at Pomona. Ah well. They knew we were there!
A lot of these posts are very entertaining and informative. The problem is that a lot of what happened took place in days of yore with racers that aren't exactly spring chickens anymore. So if we set the "way back machine" ahead to 2017 - are there still enough NHRA officials with the time and/or expertise to check things? It seems like every year the NHRA staff at the track gets smaller, as the work load increases. As I said at the start, I am not accusing anyone of anything, but who is there to keep all the honest racers from going astray?
Me yelling? impossible.
Randy and Marc; how about a tech tip from the old guy, just in case you win the lotto and do it again............you know I love a good mystery, so playing detective on an identical case, I called Autometer tech along with two other mfg.'s, they all said the same thing.
All instruments are designed and calibrated at 1/2 their intended range, so your gauge with shut-off spikes has been overtaxed already! If either of you ever peeked in one of my cars, you would have seen 400 PSI oil pressure gauges and 200 PSI blower boost gauges!
I still hate that gauge. But I'm tellin you that was one of the best weekends I ever had racing. That ole Uyehara car was amazing and it fit like a glove. Always wanted to win at Pomona. Ah well. They knew we were there!
Justin - There was a time when the alcohol class had a sheriff. This southern gentleman not only had the "expertise" - he looked the part. He carried a NHRA rule book in his back pocket like a Colt 45. He only use it to prove to you that you were wrong. I'm not sure what happened to him but I know his name and some prominent players were rumored together during some kind of a "blowergate" a ways back.
There's tons of stories about racers being falsely accused. I've been there myself. I'm kind of sorry I started this. That wasn't what I was asking. I was only putting the question out there, what if? How would anyone know? Maybe it was wrong of me to even think for one moment that someone in racing would be dishonest.