Trivia question: High Gear only??

[TJ]

Who was the first modern day car owner (rail or flopper) in the 80's to use the high gear trans @ a National Event (NHRA)?

Only real nitro freaks will know this one...

 

[Dave]

I think it was JIM HEAD.

 

[d'kid]

Ah, Gene Snow, '70ish World Champ, Challenger, Thought that car was Direct Drive with a reverser

 

[unclebob]

Jim Head sometime in the mid eighties.

 

[Just Paul]

I'm thinking Gene Snow...but, Jim Head made the first "automatic" car with his timer system.

 

[TJ]

C'mon guys...Head bought the set-up from this person...I will give a hint..it was a dragster on fuel in 86-87, an independent w/ the initials: B.M.

I can't be the only freak....

 

[Dave]

Are you talking about Bill Mullins?

 

[sparky]

Bill Mullins. he layed down a big cover so the tires would'nt get wet before the burnout. If I remember correctly, he skipped the burnout all together.

 

[TJ]

Yes...Bill Mullins was the first modern day owner to re-introduce high gear only..

Glad to see I am not the only freak(s) out there.

 

[Just Paul]

Crap, I knew he had it, but I didn't think he was the first. I guess It's becasue Snow and Head got more notice becasue they actually ran good.

Mullins won an event or two driving for John Carey, but didn't do much after that.

 

[DrRocket]

Jim Head has said before that if the NHRA would let him, he'd bypass the water box and skip the burnout all together. He readily acknowledges the fans would be upset, but says it's technically uneccessary.

 

[cstarns]

Crap, I knew he had it, but I didn't think he was the first. I guess It's becasue Snow and Head got more notice becasue they actually ran good.

Mullins won an event or two driving for John Carey, but didn't do much after that.

Anyone remember John Carey's diesel powered dragster? I think that he had a Detroit 8-53 in it. I THINK that it may have run in the 8s... don't remember for sure.

 

[----NONE----]

Yup, I've only seen pics of it in SSDI though. Billowing black smoke.... They had 3 dragsters at one time, I think... 2 nitro cars and 1 diesel?

 

[Rajunz]

Anyone remember John Carey's diesel powered dragster? I think that he had a Detroit 8-53 in it. I THINK that it may have run in the 8s... don't remember for sure.

Yep, I saw it run twice, burnouts were wild because white tire smoke and black header smoke mixed together, yes it ran 8's. To me his trailer was more impressive. It held 3 dragsters on shelves. The side opened up and they would hoist the cars in and stack them from the side. It also made their canopy.

 

[Nitrohelper]

Bill Mullins.If I remember correctly, he skipped the burnout all together.

I was helping Bill with the tune-up in those days at IHRA. He had a turn-key engine combination from Dale Armstrong . We only used the plywood a few times but it was a good photo-op! We were having trouble with wearing the air gap in the clutch on the burnout, that's why the dry hops went away too.
Bob Brooks was really the person pushing the high gear idea at that time. Dave Settles was also working on it in Billy Meyers F/C. We all had 2sp cases in the cars with a straight shaft inside so no one could see what we were doing. Gene Snow was also working with Clayton Harris to develop high gear. Jim Head did a lot to perfect the management system.
Brooks wanted us to run a 3.40 gear, but Bill ran a 3.73 because of the wear problem we didn't think a 3.40 would work. (Brooks was right) The primary weight was tricky at first to get the car to move but not smoke the tires. Once the secondary levers were figured out, the tall gears were the way to go.
Cars went quicker & Brooks sold a lot more clutch discs !!

 

[Just Paul]

Yup, I've only seen pics of it in SSDI though. Billowing black smoke.... They had 3 dragsters at one time, I think... 2 nitro cars and 1 diesel?

I remember he ran 3 fuel cars in at least one race, 86 Mile High Nationals,
John Carey, Hank Endres, and Bill Mullins. I seem to remember Jody Smart drove for Carey too at one time.

 

[Kenny Wigington]

I think they were all keeping up with that development. It seemed to hit across the 2 seasons. Alot of folks were also "running over" a lot of cranks and bottom halves of blocks too at the time, with the added strain.
The taller gears also were getting "carried away", also. I think Gary Ormsby/Lee Beard , and maybe Micheal Brotherton (and possibly several more)ran some 2.90 something gears before the 3.20 rule was effected. Wasn't this around the same time Head tried the modified version of G.O.'s rear bodywork, and without a wing, testing....?

I had one of Jim's old T shirts, years ago....

 

[RAPID]

I was thinking Clayton Harris myself.

Rapid

 

[TJ]

And we must include Richard Holcomb....a real thinker....and Jimmy Nix..R.I.P.

 

[Nick Name]

Anyone remember John Carey's diesel powered dragster? I think that he had a Detroit 8-53 in it. I THINK that it may have run in the 8s... don't remember for sure.

Anyone ever see the 265 mph diesel trucks run at Bonneville?Jay