What's happening with Clay? (3 Viewers)

[mick]

Are you sure?? Lol

jeremy. i am commenting on real sponsors shown on a real car.
yesterday you are quoted as saying this in response to my comment about a possible future connection between blake and clay.
I hope not, pretty sure there sponsors are totally diffrent. ...... when in fact you could not have been further from the truth,
as parts plus is owned by blake's long time backer pronto.

 

[Rasn1320]

jeremy. i am commenting on real sponsors shown on a real car.
yesterday you are quoted as saying this in response to my comment about a possible future connection between blake and clay.
I hope not, pretty sure there sponsors are totally diffrent. ...... when in fact you could not have been further from the truth,
as parts plus is owned by blake's long time backer pronto.

LOL, guess you missed my point.

 

[z28]

I doubt the extra weight of a canopy would hinder Millican's car because of it. Clay weighs 145 pounds. Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta outweigh him by 45 and 35 pounds respectively and those cars don't seem to have a performance problem. I think Clay is simply a bit more old-school and prefers the open cockpit.

No expert or direct experience here but other than shuttling ballast around to some extent to compensate for the high-CG 25 pounds I can't see where there'd be any need to tune the car differently. Somebody chime in if that's not the case.

the biggest obstacle from what I hear is weight transfer due to the canopy making the frame stiffer where they want it to arch.

 

[HoodooVoodooAngus]

the biggest obstacle from what I hear is weight transfer due to the canopy making the frame stiffer where they want it to arch.

This how I understand it as well. I believe it started as a weight transfer issue which led to a situation where they are challenged to get a decent 60' and if they get a get a decent 60', it spins down track. They have had issues with dropping cylinders as well, although engine parts carnage has been better this year. I'm sure after the amount of engine destruction last year and the differential problems this year, the amount of runs they actually get to tune from is less than one might think.

I am still surprised that they haven't had a bit better handle on it at this point while running two cars though.

 

[none]

A Top Fuel car does not flex in the drivers area. That part of the car is very rigid as the required bars to protect the driver don't move. It's why they front half and back half the cars regularly but will reuse the driver's compartment. It doesn't flex, so it doesn't wear out.

Alan

 

[Slowpoke96z28]

I doubt the extra weight of a canopy would hinder Millican's car because of it. Clay weighs 145 pounds. Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta outweigh him by 45 and 35 pounds respectively and those cars don't seem to have a performance problem. I think Clay is simply a bit more old-school and prefers the open cockpit.

No expert or direct experience here but other than shuttling ballast around to some extent to compensate for the high-CG 25 pounds I can't see where there'd be any need to tune the car differently. Somebody chime in if that's not the case.

The lighter the driver, the more impact 25 lbs over them or not will have. I'd guess one thing would simply be confidence. Literally NO ONE has gone through as many Chrismans as they have as far as Ive ever known. Then, there's been chirping all season about the clutch disk recipe this season. I'm just spitballing, but if I start questioning my ability to predict and dictate clutch behavior, I'm just as soon pissing in the wind. Win or lose, I'm docked points if I break a rear (and disliked, already ruined one record breaking night), I want to keep Clay/Tony safe at the end of the day, and everyone is looking to me for the answers each time, and Ive got nothing definitive to say in return cause there really is no one thing to say "do this and we turn it all around". Especially these brothers that have a history of having BEEN good a dime a dozen times. The greatest have the hardest battle to beat a slump. Here even more so when not everything is in their control but everyone is looking at them like it is. Just my thoughts.

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

Clay #9, Tony #10 in the points. Gotta be frustrating for them and the teams

 

[65 Goatboy]

The lighter the driver, the more impact 25 lbs over them or not will have. I'd guess one thing would simply be confidence. Literally NO ONE has gone through as many Chrismans as they have as far as Ive ever known. Then, there's been chirping all season about the clutch disk recipe this season. I'm just spitballing, but if I start questioning my ability to predict and dictate clutch behavior, I'm just as soon pissing in the wind. Win or lose, I'm docked points if I break a rear (and disliked, already ruined one record breaking night), I want to keep Clay/Tony safe at the end of the day, and everyone is looking to me for the answers each time, and Ive got nothing definitive to say in return cause there really is no one thing to say "do this and we turn it all around". Especially these brothers that have a history of having BEEN good a dime a dozen times. The greatest have the hardest battle to beat a slump. Here even more so when not everything is in their control but everyone is looking at them like it is. Just my thoughts.

Sounds like you could have been a fly on the wall in the lounge recently. Both cars making some solid runs with no carnage at Indy won't resurrect 2026 but it would go a long way towards at least maybe being respectable the rest of the year and keeping your job. Clay did win Indy in 2024 and Tony has won a record 10 times.