Nitromater
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Norwalk (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter Cliff
- Start date
T.Smith
Nitro Member
Actually they do.
Tough conditions for Q4. 132° track temp and the grip numbers were way down.
T.Smith
Nitro Member
Norwalk is ridiculous...$$$$. People love that place. It doesn't do much for me personally.
I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for pointing that out. I know hot tracks have been a problem in the past, but seem to be getting worse.
Red Roof wanted $280 a night. Motel 6 wanted $285 a night.... That's a problem , not sure what can be done about it thou.
Chili
Nitro Member
Well it’s supply and demand. Next time I go to Norwalk, I’m just going to stay closer to Cleveland. Decent rooms for about $120 a night. The longer drive each day is worth the $500.
It's around 30 minutes and if you know the shortcut it's a straight shot.
Both fuel finals were super close and exciting IMO.
LoPony
Nitro Member
They were close. Just rooting for different outcomes, esp. in TF.
It helps keep my interest when I can have underdog heroes and villains. Without that I couldn't care less about most sports.
I still think there’s more to Ashley’s RTs than ‘he’s just good’. He is that …. But I think someone figured out a mechanical component that allows the process to begin at a different point etc., making it more consistent with how the body reacts. I thought he’d walk away with the championship last year but some tuning inconsistencies prevented that. If he can run within a few hundredths of opponents going forward, there’s no stopping.
LoPony
Nitro Member
I agree. There is definitely something going on, and I have said this here on this forum many times. I’m sure there are many other top fuel and funny car teams who would like to get a clue about what that secret is. He’s good yes I agree with you. But this is not all him.
I heard someone say on tv in the last couple of weeks that it might be to do with the ratio of pedal travel to throttle opening, and the effort required to do that. I gather in Ashley‘s case it might be a very tiny amount of pedal travel and almost no effort. That seems like one way to accomplish it, but that could be way off. I think this is where the innovation is gonna have to start happening.
An 89 light by Clay Millican in the final round, while not stellar, is in the ballpark of normal. A 25 light for Ashley is just cracker jack. And he’s rarely ever slower than a 40. He cut a 50 or 60 light against Josh Hart, and everyone was saying what the heck is wrong with the kid.
Last edited:
none
Nitro Member
Pedal ratio can certainly have an effect, but everyone knows that. So, it's not like nobody else is doing it. But there's a tradeoff.
Several years ago when Tony Schumacher was king of the TF wars we were talking after he lost on a hole-shot and he told me that he preferred a slower pedal. I thought he was crazy. Then he explained: A quick pedal (he said) would make him about .02 quicker on the starting line. But it would cripple his ability to recover when he needed to pedal the car if it shook or puffed the tires. He said the quick pedal is a switch, and the slow pedal is a regulator. He told me to look it up.
If I remember correctly, the previous year he lost on three hole-shots, and won seven pedal fests. He said he was very happy with that.
There's always more going on than you can see from the stands or on TV.
And the set up of the cars has a tremendous affect as well. Remember the Ron Capps Tommy Johnson deal when both drove Skoal cars?
Alan
Several years ago when Tony Schumacher was king of the TF wars we were talking after he lost on a hole-shot and he told me that he preferred a slower pedal. I thought he was crazy. Then he explained: A quick pedal (he said) would make him about .02 quicker on the starting line. But it would cripple his ability to recover when he needed to pedal the car if it shook or puffed the tires. He said the quick pedal is a switch, and the slow pedal is a regulator. He told me to look it up.
If I remember correctly, the previous year he lost on three hole-shots, and won seven pedal fests. He said he was very happy with that.
There's always more going on than you can see from the stands or on TV.
And the set up of the cars has a tremendous affect as well. Remember the Ron Capps Tommy Johnson deal when both drove Skoal cars?
Alan
Brutus26
Nitro Member
I’m going to assume you’ve never played on a team sport, from this comment/perspective? If you did; you would have been considered a “Thursday All-Star”! The kind that didn’t want to hustle, Monday-Wednesday and only did on Thursday when it was a light practice and tried to be the “All-Star”. Even the coaches would line us up on in punt formation, tell the defensive line to ease up and tell us “Go Eat”! Hell! I even played tennis & volleyball . When there’s chance for a kill, we would try to hit at their feet. If a kid “mouthed off” or ran his mouth too much. The coach would say; “Hit them in the chest or face” and let’s hear them do it again. Put them on the sideline and see how much they “talk” then.
Dude! I going to assume that you have never played on a team sport in your life, with that comment? Or at least being good on one!?
LoPony
Nitro Member
Yeah, I would like to see slow motion videography of an identical reaction time on Ashley‘s car versus a competitor. Next test is, I would like to put Ashley in a different car.
What are the legal mods applicable for TF/FC throttle activation mechanisms? Is this one of the situations where “if it isn’t explicitly stated in the rule book then it is forbidden?”
If I recall the last few seasons that Tony was racing, his RTs weren’t the best. In fact, some of the NHRA announcers were making a big deal about it. So long pedal travel indeed comes at a cost. Peddling is not that common these days, and when it does occur successfully, it is incredibly entertaining.
I’m sure the car set up has a lot to do with it. Question is, what is it?
Last edited:
sammi
Nitro Member
A very effective slot car drag racer in my area is blind. He uses an audio device that I assume makes a tone when the tree on his side is last yellow or green. I don't know any details about the system, but I do know he is a helluva nice guy who wins a ton and is very good on the tree.
LoPony
Nitro Member
Hmm. Is the ear quicker than the eye? Could that be a thing? A diode that sends a sound when it sees green?
Wow, the possibilities here.
