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Doug Kalitta?
- Thread starter mgty3whlr
- Start date
It wasn't Alan's wheelhouse when they ran that car last year? Alan won a championship with a canopy car.
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
Well right now’s certainly not the time to switch back, in my opinion. If this was happening back in May that’d be a different story. But if this open air car gets screwed up somehow- then they have to make a decision I guess. Or - maybe move Shawn into the bubble top for these last remaining races?? I dunno…..If it ain’t broke, don’t fizzit….
Pretty exciting time for T/F. The top 5 or 6 cars all have the ability to run as fast Brittany now. Unfortunately for Force fans, they all have better reaction times on a regular basis so I don’t see her repeating. Great to see Doug have a chance. Not pulling for Steve ….oops
mick
Nitro Member
they've been creeping up on it......the open cockpit chassis is performing great
seattle: Q #2 @ 3.753 went to final
sonoma: Q #8 @ 3.770 E1 loss @ 3.750
brainerd: Q #2 @ 3.757 E1 loss @ 3.720
indy: Q #4 @ 3.717 E1 win 3.692, E2 win 3.888
reading: Q #3 @ 3.696 E1 3.658 E2 3.692 E3 3.684 E4 3.662 + top speed of meet
charlotte: Q1 #1 @ 3.665
seattle: Q #2 @ 3.753 went to final
sonoma: Q #8 @ 3.770 E1 loss @ 3.750
brainerd: Q #2 @ 3.757 E1 loss @ 3.720
indy: Q #4 @ 3.717 E1 win 3.692, E2 win 3.888
reading: Q #3 @ 3.696 E1 3.658 E2 3.692 E3 3.684 E4 3.662 + top speed of meet
charlotte: Q1 #1 @ 3.665
My opinion only, but I don't believe the change to an open cockpit on its own would help Doug who has consistently been mired in the low to mid 3.70s to all of a sudden start running mid 3.60s. I'd want to see how the backup car performs in average conditions - the last 2 races have experienced spectacular conditions which I believe had more to do with the 3.65's and the 337s than anything to do with the canopy.
Ramjet
Nitro Member
One of the cars has a Canopy - One is open. They ran exactly the same numbers. Just like in an airplane doing your weights and balances will determine the balance of the car. They are different chassis so you can’t tune them exactly the same. Fuel delivery - timing - clutch setup & clutch application for the given conditions (weather & track) are more likely the determining factors than they’re being a Canopy or not. The Canopy is required to have a “Trip Fence / Air Dam” that is supposed to make them Aerodynamically the same.
Oz_NHRA_Fan
Nitro Member
Canopy or not, Doug Kalitta is open to anything in pursuit of first championship
After switching from a cockpit canopy car back to an open cockpit, Doug Kalitta broke the second-longest dry spell of his career, and the team is sticking with the same car. Conicicdne or not, superstition or not, Kalitta's ready to roll in either configuration.
r2
Nitro Member
Loss of weight?
There is a minimum weight. Doug's car does not wiegh 30+lbs less than any other car out there.
People get easily confused. Don't make it worse.
100 percent correct in my opinion. Some racers like being enclosed - less noise and wind, I suppose - others prefer the old school wind-in-your-face. I remember all the hell Don Schumacher went through to get canopies certified and after agreeing to the little air dam to negate any performance gain, it happened. I still maintain Kalitta's recent mid-3.60 performances were in large part due to the stellar conditions during the Maple Grove race and in Charlotte qualifying - and his team's ability to take advantage of them. Not the canopy. It'll be sunny and 15 degrees warmer today; I wouldn't look for any 3.65s. Maybe some high 60s in E1; I haven't been watching.
ZWeinstein
Nitro Member
At this point, why mess with a good thing. I would keep running the backup car. I really hope Doug can keep up this momentum that entire team is on. I could not imagine anyone being upset if he finally pulled off a championship.
He's 3 rounds ahead already in points...a nice start with only 4 races left. Every top fuel fan including a bunch of racers have gotta be pulling for Doug. We may actually see Doug do something extraordinary for him, like do a fist pump and high-five somebody, if he pulls it off. Myself, I'll probably require a Kleenex.
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
Lots of work to do yet…. But yes it would be very special to see Doug and that group claim a championship in DRAG racing (as we know Doug already has one in USAC Sprint Car)… and also interesting to note that their current Machine Shop Manager also worked on DK’s 22k car in ‘94….. so they’ve wanted this for a long time. Keep workin team!
mick
Nitro Member
that's a cool bit of kalitta trivia ....... i'm really happy to see doug, AJ, and team experiencing their recent success.
doug's average r.t. yesterday was .071 ....... i think doug will shave at least a hun off that moving forward the next 4 races.
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