Solid Rock
Nitro Member
On Saturday, May 30, 2009 the Solid Rock funny car team traveled to National Trail Raceway near Columbus, OH, where we took part in the track's 45th Anniversary celebration as part of the GLNFCC show.
When we got to the track, we had planned a time run before the show. Once we got unloaded, we realized that Ole Mr. Murphy was along with us.
When we went to start the car for the warm up, the battery wouldn't turn the motor over. We took the battery out of the trailer and got the thing started.
After the warmup we changed the oil and wound up with a stripped drain plug. After searching through the tool box we came up with a replacement drain plug and got around that catastrophy.
We then went up for a time run, and I was still somewhat apprehensive about how the car was going to handle after all the body modifications we made over the last few months.
Once the car started, and the body went down, I pulled into the water and started the burnout. I could tell the car was down a bit on power as the tires wanted to bite, and I had to keep stepping into it.
After backing up and staging, I left the line with the wheels in the air, clicked second gear and then third gear and was waiting for some goofy moves, but she just motored on through, just as smooth as can be.
When I got to the start MPH cone, I pulled the chute and when I got to the last cone I took my foot off the gas and, lo and behold, with the chute out, she just kept pulling as the throttle had stuck!!! I hit the mag switch immediately, and had no problem making the turn off.
We ran an 8.11 at 168.
A little while later we went up for our first round and were lined up with FCSteve and his beautiful Doran Chevrolet Camaro. We both did good burnouts but Steve had some problems and had to shut off. The starter gave me the sign to shut off so I did. When we went to start, this battery wasn't up to snuff and wouldn't turn the motor over!!!!!!! The starter said to push it off to the side and jump it with the truck. We did just that after the remaining GLNFCC cars ran.
We did a decent burnout but, although it was still down on power after leaning it down some, it was better than the first run.
I staged the car and jumped into it when the tree came down. She went a few feet and made a move to the right, I backpedaled, corrected it and got back after it but she went a bit to the left. I think I over corrected it, then I backpedaled again, and got her straight. She then went straight down the track after that. This run was an 8.20 at 169.
We leaned on her some more for the third run. I went up against Butch Chovan in his injected "Red Baron" Mustang II.
I could tell in the burnout that the motor was still too rich, but, once again, better that the run before.
I staged the car and it left very hard, unloading the chassis onto the wheelie bars at least twice, but I managed to drive it through, catching the Red Baron, who cut a .007 light, somewhere past half track.
This run was an 8.13 at 169.
All in all, it was a good outing. Although the car is down some on power right now, it handles very well. This was our main goal after making several body modifications over the last several months. We will get the power up to snuff in the near future.
Just for the record, this was done with a new crew. Thanks to Kenny Dodds, Steve Casey, Jim Follkie and Bear for all their help. I couldn't have done it without them.
Also a big thank you to Denny Salzwimmer and the GLNFCC and to National Trail Raceway for having us there
When we got to the track, we had planned a time run before the show. Once we got unloaded, we realized that Ole Mr. Murphy was along with us.
When we went to start the car for the warm up, the battery wouldn't turn the motor over. We took the battery out of the trailer and got the thing started.
After the warmup we changed the oil and wound up with a stripped drain plug. After searching through the tool box we came up with a replacement drain plug and got around that catastrophy.
We then went up for a time run, and I was still somewhat apprehensive about how the car was going to handle after all the body modifications we made over the last few months.
Once the car started, and the body went down, I pulled into the water and started the burnout. I could tell the car was down a bit on power as the tires wanted to bite, and I had to keep stepping into it.
After backing up and staging, I left the line with the wheels in the air, clicked second gear and then third gear and was waiting for some goofy moves, but she just motored on through, just as smooth as can be.
When I got to the start MPH cone, I pulled the chute and when I got to the last cone I took my foot off the gas and, lo and behold, with the chute out, she just kept pulling as the throttle had stuck!!! I hit the mag switch immediately, and had no problem making the turn off.
We ran an 8.11 at 168.
A little while later we went up for our first round and were lined up with FCSteve and his beautiful Doran Chevrolet Camaro. We both did good burnouts but Steve had some problems and had to shut off. The starter gave me the sign to shut off so I did. When we went to start, this battery wasn't up to snuff and wouldn't turn the motor over!!!!!!! The starter said to push it off to the side and jump it with the truck. We did just that after the remaining GLNFCC cars ran.
We did a decent burnout but, although it was still down on power after leaning it down some, it was better than the first run.
I staged the car and jumped into it when the tree came down. She went a few feet and made a move to the right, I backpedaled, corrected it and got back after it but she went a bit to the left. I think I over corrected it, then I backpedaled again, and got her straight. She then went straight down the track after that. This run was an 8.20 at 169.
We leaned on her some more for the third run. I went up against Butch Chovan in his injected "Red Baron" Mustang II.
I could tell in the burnout that the motor was still too rich, but, once again, better that the run before.
I staged the car and it left very hard, unloading the chassis onto the wheelie bars at least twice, but I managed to drive it through, catching the Red Baron, who cut a .007 light, somewhere past half track.
This run was an 8.13 at 169.
All in all, it was a good outing. Although the car is down some on power right now, it handles very well. This was our main goal after making several body modifications over the last several months. We will get the power up to snuff in the near future.
Just for the record, this was done with a new crew. Thanks to Kenny Dodds, Steve Casey, Jim Follkie and Bear for all their help. I couldn't have done it without them.
Also a big thank you to Denny Salzwimmer and the GLNFCC and to National Trail Raceway for having us there
