Point your browser to www.OldHippiesGiftShop.com to scope out some very kool stuff with a Drag Racing, Mopars, and/or Humor Theme.
Just tons of kool swag
There is a new look and feel for the web sites of three cars currently running in Nostalgia Super Stock.
Texas Whale Racing | Nostalgia Super Stock Racing With A 1960 Plymouth Wagon
If you've not created a web site for your race team, you might considering doing so. While winning is the number one secret to attracting sponsors, a web site is number two, and a Media Kit is number three.
Many feel like it is beyond their pay grade to create a team web site — but it actually very simple, and requires no programming experience. Word Press is a free application that allows the would-be web master to have a blog on the front page, and a number of information pages linked in the NavBar. It will cost less than $10 a year to register your Domain name (IE: BigRedRam.com), and just a few bucks a month to host it on a web server. There are no other expenses. The secret is to find a web host that will automatically install Word Press for you.
I've created a step-by-step set of detailed instructions to create your own Word Press web site — from registering the name, to selecting the host server, to installing Word Press, to creating your custom "Look & Feel", to posting context, to Search Engine Optimization. If you've ever registered and posted to a forum — you're over-qualified to create your own web site. Click –> Word Press for Dummies
We’d left on Monday (the 3rd) in the evening, and drove to Doug Duell’s dealership in Evansville, IN. We’d dropped the Whale off on the way back from Milan to fix a transmission issue, new convertor, fix the brakes, and some other issues. Also dropped off a chunk that use to be in the red Coronet some years ago, and had some 4.57 gears dropped shipped to the shop — as I felt like the 4.88 gears in the car right now are too steep. So we picked up the Whale and dropped off Big Red Ram to convert to an automatic for Dallas to start running.
We left Doug’s shop at about noon Wednesday, and drove to Indy as they had a test and tune Wednesday night. At the track for the first T&T, the first pass had me launching at 2500 on the new convertor — and shifting at 7400 to 2nd, and 6800 to third. The car did an unimpressive 9.84 with an equally unimpressive 1.44 60′. While the slicks only had 10 passes on them, they were getting old — and had cracking on the sidewalls — so I thought that might be part of the issue. I’d contacted Mickey Thompson, and arranged for them to bring some 33X10.5Ws when they came to the track.
For the second pass I was in the Left lane, the car felt like it broke something (I thought the ring gear) on the launch, and turned a hard left towards the wall. I kept it off the wall and backed it up the track prep entrance. Nothing was clanking or grumbling — so it didn’t sound like a ring gear. Doug (who had lined me up) said I’d dropped a ton of sand (from when the car was sand blasted) at the line on the left and I’d run over it — and he suspected that to be the problem. I didn’t feel so sure about that as it really felt like something had broke. As I’m pulling onto the return road the steering felt screwed up on the sweeping turn — and then was alright for the rest of the way back to my pit. I was starting to wonder if I was imagining things. In the pits we jacked the rear off the ground and found the right wheel turned in Park — while the left didn’t. Called Matt at Racecraft to see what he thought — and he indicated that the chunk I gave him to put the new gears on had an aluminum spool. Frankly I hadn’t opened the box with the chunk since it was pulled from the Coronet in favor of a 4.34 gear — and didn’t realize it had an aluminum spool. We were getting kicked off the track for the night — so we loaded the cars, and got in line outside the track.
The track opened at about noon on Thursday for the NMCA event, and after Dallas, Doug and Jimmy Ray teched their cars in — they all pitched in to help tear mine apart. As expected, the splines on the right side of the spool were ripped out.
All of the splines on the right side ripped out
It is good to have friends that know what they’re doing
By 4PM the car was reassembled with the 4.88 geared chuck I’d had been running, and Kevin Gass had run to the autoparts store to get 4 quarts of Royal Purple gear lube. Mickey Thompson pulled onto the track at 5PM and mounted the new slicks while we had dinner. By 7PM, we were ready to put the car on the trailer.
All Fixed and ready to be put away for the night
We were parked right next to the gate, and despite the track being full Thursday — there was still a long line waiting there Friday morning. NMCA was overwhelmed when double the cars expected showed. They had to print up some paper tech cards, tickets, and qualifying stubs. A couple of hours later the Fire Marshall came and NMCA had run out of room — so they moved back the ticket shack back a 1/2 mile and started parking cars on the circle track. The track was pretty clogged up all weekend long.
Back to my pits, I teched my car at 8AM Friday, and got in line for my first Time Trial. I ran another uninspired 9.8 with an equally uninspired 60′ with the steeper gears and new slicks. I had lowered my shift points to 7000/7000, and rejetted the carbs to 113 square. For my second (and last) TT, my brakes didn’t hold for the burnout, and crept deep stage on the launch. I was only able to launch at 2000 RPM instead of 2500 — but the time slip showed a 60′ better by .050. Obviously my car liked 2000 better than 2500. I went and changed my Index to C/FX before Qualifying started. We ran a round of Qualifying on Friday night — and I was a slow 9.80.
For Saturday morning, I pulled the passenger seat (33 pounds) out of the car, and at 11:45AM I ran my second round of Qualifying. I ran over 1/10 too fast — at a 9.61@141. For the last round of qualifying — I put the seat back in and added 98 pounds in the previously empty weight box. Due to a lot of "Stupid People Tricks" from the LSX drivers (leaving radiator cap off car and hitting wall, oiling down the whole track after blowing an engine, and other tricks from the Chevy guys — we didn’t get to run the final Qualifying until near midnight. My car was 1/10 too slow now — and I was perplexed. When I got back to the pits — I was told that Dallas had been pushed back — so I went after him to tow back. Turns out his car was dripping water from the water pump. We jacked the engine up. removed the elephant ears, and spent half the night fixing the corrosion on the aluminum elephant ears (from being attached to an iron block for the last 8 years) and replaced the four water pump gaskets.
Good Times at 2AM
At 2AM, when we were putting my car on the trailer, we heard a faint hissing we couldn’t identify. At 7AM Sunday morning, I took my car for a warmup drive while we waited for the weather to get a little warmer before filling Dallas’ car with water. We couldn’t hear the hiss — so the attention was focused on Dallas’ car. First round of Elimination came early. Dallas got caught sleeping at the tree and was out. I had an .016 RT — but the car backfired about 60′ out. Fortunately, Gary had red lit to give me the win — so I didn’t have to run the car hard. I slowly drove it back to the pits – initially thinking like it was a carb issue. In the pits there was a nasty sound coming from left header. After pulling the valve covers — we found the rockers and pushrods looked OK, but the the #5 exhaust rocker was .020 too loose. They hot lapped us to the second round — and so we put the car on the trailer as we suspect (will confirm this afternoon) and bent valve.
In NSS, Kurt Neighbor came to the event in first for the points, Doug Duell right behind him in second, and technically Steve Wilson, Barry Camp and Doug Poskevitch also had a chance for the Championship since this was a double points race. Duell’s car broke a ring gear in the 2nd round of qualifying — and 00-Joe Ewing pulled out of the event to let Doug qualifying and run his 63 Dodge. Duell, Poskevitch, Wilson won their first round. I was to go up against Whompin Wedge — but was out. It was a shame as Johnson also couldn’t make the call, and the third round would have been a Bye.
In the Second Round DW Hopkins took out Duell — putting Hopkins as technically having a chance if he were to go all of the way — and Neighbors, Wilson, and Poskivitch dying in the next round. Neighbors and Poskevitch won their second round — but Fred Rader took out Wilson. Fast forward to the Semis — it was DW Hopkins taking out Jim Netherland — and Neighbors getting the Bye. NMCA reports that in the finals between DW and Kurt — that Kurt treed DW and as he was crossing the line for a win, DW hit the brakes too hard and crossing the centerline. He and Kurt got together at 135MPH, and Kurt then hit the wall. While the report is that Kurt is OK — his car is reportedly not. I was on the road and didn’t see that the final — so my information is third party from the NMCA site.
So Kurt has the bitter-sweet Win of the event and the Championship — but a wrecked car.
By my count, the rest of the Top 10 include DW, Wilson, Poskevitch, and Duell in the Top half; and Dallas, Camp, Young, Sanders, and I in the bottom half. It was a terrible year for me. I only lost two rounds (-.002 RT in Atlanta and giving Donnie Wilson the .004 win in Bowling Green), but couldn’t get to the line for five of the seven races in two different cars for strange issues. We’ll get that fixed for next year.
The below is the Eliminations Rounds. There were 39 cars qualifying.
Round: E6
Lane Name Number Dial In R/T ET MPH
L KURT NEIGHBOR 7050 0.00 .043 9.326 136.23 W
R DW HOPKINS 7899 0.00 .097 9.472 135.82
Round: E5
Lane Name Number Dial In R/T ET MPH
L JIM NETHERLAND 7012 0.00 -.008 10.459 126.82
R DW HOPKINS 7899 0.00 .003 9.444 141.56 W
L KURT NEIGHBOR 7050 0.00 1.518 12.052 0.00 W
R BYE
Round: E4
Lane Name Number Dial In R/T ET MPH
L KURT NEIGHBOR 7050 0.00 .024 9.297 144.74 W
R TD Holland 7600 0.00 .029 10.390 119.43
L BYE
R JIM NETHERLAND 7012 0.00 -.042 10.491 126.76 W
L BYE
R DW HOPKINS 7899 0.00 .021 9.521 141.36 W
Round: E3
Lane Name Number Dial In R/T ET MPH
L KURT NEIGHBOR 7050 0.00 .016 9.267 140.52 W
R DONNIE WILSON 7700 0.00 .022 10.522 126.62
L DOUG POSKEVICH 7025 0.00 .151 11.998 112.06
R TD Holland 7600 0.00 .010 10.628 109.33 W
L JIM NETHERLAND 7012 0.00 .040 10.463 125.73 W
R FRED RADER 7943 0.00 .105 10.441 124.36
L DW HOPKINS 7899 0.00 .000 9.544 143.69 W
R BYE
Round: E2
Lane Name Number Dial In R/T ET MPH
L Michael Sanders 7014 0.00 .108 9.444 142.67
R TD Holland 7600 0.00 .058 10.695 124.34 W
L BILL WHITE 7251 0.00 -.102 8.783 153.32
R DONNIE WILSON 7700 0.00 .004 10.504 126.93 W
L BOB DURLING 7274 0.00 .073 11.037 121.13 W
R REES SMITH 7817 0.00 .087 11.028 117.44
L JEFF MILLWARD 7270 0.00 -.023 9.764 137.82
R KURT NEIGHBOR 7050 0.00 -.032 9.242 144.66 W
L STEVE WILSON 7092 0.00 .087 10.976 119.73
R FRED RADER 7943 0.00 .029 10.552 126.91 W
L DOUG POSKEVICH 7025 0.00 .099 11.949 112.22 W
R MICK ALLES 7410 0.00 .061 10.923 120.64
L JIM NETHERLAND 7012 0.00 .029 10.510 124.68 W
R AL CORDA 7440 0.00 .101 9.945 134.90
L DOUG DUELL 1 0.00 .039 10.472 120.96
R DW HOPKINS 7899 0.00 .023 9.553 141.30 W
Round: E1
Lane Name Number Dial In R/T ET MPH
L DAVID MUNSTERMAN 7068 0.00 .294 10.048 134.36
R REES SMITH 7817 0.00 .002 11.079 108.27 W
L BOB DURLING 7274 0.00 .091 11.216 120.32 W
R GREGG FRANZINO 7122 0.00 -.006 9.400 127.74
L DOUG DUELL 1 0.00 .061 10.548 112.76 W
R MIKE ROSSITER 7311 0.00 -.042 8.957 150.00
L Steven Young 7130 0.00 .061 11.478 109.79
R DONNIE WILSON 7700 0.00 .083 10.530 126.59 W
L Michael Sanders 7014 0.00 .184 9.255 143.31 W
R JEFF FREES 7691 0.00 .118 9.736 136.26
L JEFF MILLWARD 7270 0.00 .080 9.774 135.97 W
R ROY DEAN 7249 0.00 .078 12.472 100.04
L JERRY GODDARD 7007 0.00 .075 10.245 131.00 W
R BARRY CAMP 7770 0.00 .081 9.234 140.80
L ROBERT MOSHER 7556 0.00 -.014 10.940 123.56
R CASEY FAUSS-JOHNSON 7004 0.00 .079 9.658 138.57 W
L STEVE WILSON 7092 0.00 .064 11.069 106.85 W
R DALLAS SCHULTZ 7602 0.00 .209 10.130 114.74
L JIMMY RAY 7572 0.00 .010 11.043 121.66
R KURT NEIGHBOR 7050 0.00 .008 9.265 129.00 W
L DOUG POSKEVICH 7025 0.00 .072 12.029 109.47 W
R MIKE MOSS 7066 0.00 .090 10.051 134.30
L GARY BEEMER 7421 0.00 -.048 12.211 90.89
R Dave Schultz 7601 0.00 .016 12.823 70.27 W
L SCOTT BOURRELL 7425 0.00 .042 11.181 115.98
R DW HOPKINS 7899 0.00 .057 9.545 127.82 W
L JIM NETHERLAND 7012 0.00 .051 10.514 123.15 W
R Tim Frees 7963 0.00 .047 11.047 117.08
L AL CORDA 7440 0.00 .038 10.251 110.81 W
R DAN KUENSTER 7667 0.00 .287 11.524 112.51
L CHARLIE KUENSTER 7042 0.00 0.000 0.00
R TD Holland 7600 0.00 .008 10.425 120.28 W
L BYE
R FRED RADER 7943 0.00 .038 10.519 126.98 W
L SKIP KOESTER 7022 0.00 0.000 0.00
R BILL WHITE 7251 0.00 .008 8.771 153.18 W
L Martin Bertagnoli 7300 0.00 0.000 0.00
R MICK ALLES 7410 0.00 .113 11.024 122.33 W
Please check with the forums as we have a race in Houston, the PRI is coming up in December, we need to vote for our NSS drivers for the Awards by 10/17, and there are some other important issues being discussed. www.nssracing.com/forums. Also, please don’t forget that the 2013 NSS Wall Calendars are ready for purchase.
Chandler Santa Clothes Club
Saturday Night Shootout
(at Chandler Motorsports Park)
July 16, 2011
By Bob Wilkiewicz
Nostalgia Super Stock National Association
Chandler, IN – Mick Alles of New Albany, Indiana held off a strong Chevrolet challenge from Darrell Walker of Paducah, Kentucky to win the sixth annual Chandler Saturday Night Nostalgia Super Stock Shootout presented by The Duell Family’s Mazda/Volvo/Kia dealership to benefit the Evansville-area Santa Clothes Club charity in hot and steamy weather last week.
Alles, driving a 1964 Plymouth on the NSS/C eighth-mile index of 7.00, posted a 7.0349@97.40 mph to overcome an .0122 starting line deficit and whiz past Walker, who after running strong all night slowed to 6.791@102.32 on his NSS/B 6.65 standard.
An NSS veteran, Alles steadily worked his way to the final through the 24-car field, reduced to 21 cars for the first round due to mechanical malfunctions and driver fatigue caused by mid-90’s temperatures and dew points of almost 80 degrees.
Alles’ attack included a near-perfect 7.0001 pass in the second round despite having to tune at density altitudes above 4,000 feet at times.
In a 1966 model, Walker was wheeling one of four Chevrolets. One Ford, a 1967 Fairlane owned by Earl Hayes of Dix, Illinois, was entered in the race.
While not winning, however, the Chevrolets did manage to break the many MoPars dominance in two categories.
Kenny Gresham from Granite City, Illinois was the No.1 qualifier at 7.004 in his 1962 bubble-top Stovebolt. Also in qualifying, Bill White set low elapsed time of the event at 5.833 in a 1965 Chevelle running on a 5.90 requirement in A/FX.
Each finalist received the benefit of a bye run, Walker in the second round after Alles had almost incinerated his index, and then Alles in the semifinal.
Tommy Sedlock and his 1964 Plymouth from Benton, Kentucky, was one of six NSS/A (6.35) entries and the other semifinalist. Sedlock slipped into the second round with a broken single and then sailed along until getting sidelined by Walker’s 6.6870 to a breakout 6.3490.
In the The Duell’s Hyundai Second Chance Race, Evansville’s Joe Ewing prevailed after missing the first round of the first field because of a cracked and leaking transmission cooler line.
Ewing was able to make the needed repair to his 1963 Dodge and defeat Bob Muehlenbein, also from Evansville, 6.6912@96.76 with an .0439 to .1260 reaction time advantage, negating Muehlenbein’s mighty good 7.3010@93.14 NSS/D effort.
With a stout 6.6520 on the NSS/B 6.65 standard in the first round of the second chance, Ewing earned a bye into the final.
That heads-up race was the best of the evening as Ewing eked out an edge over Kentucky’s Andy Warren, (.0350) 1.4180; 6.6520@102.75 to (.0410) 1.4180; 6.6479@103.46 as Warren wheeled the 1967 Plymouth of host and current National Muscle Car Association NSS champion Doug Duell.
Duell, who was defeated by Alles in the quarterfinals, said more than $3,500 was collected for the Santa Clothes Club, which changes the steamy summer cash into cold weather clothing for needy children.
Roster
Car No./Driver/Car/Class
7354 Richard Duvall Jr., 1963 Plymouth, NSS/D (7.30); 1 Doug Duell, 1964 Plymouth, C/FX (6.20); 7777 Andy Warren, 1967 Plymouth, NSS/B (6.65); 3700 Donnie Wilson, 1965 Dodge, NSS/B (6.65); 7834 Mike DeChicco, 1965 Dodge, NSS/A (6.35); 1964 Scott Bourell, 1964 Dodge, NSS/C (7.00); 8040 Bob Muehlenbein, 1964 Dodge, NSS/D (7.30); 7817 Reese Smith, 1964 Plymouth, NSS/C (7.00); 7602 Dallas Schultz, 1965 Dodge, NSS/A (6.35); 7017 Joe Ewing, 1963 Dodge, NSS/B (6.65); 7410 Mick Alles, 1964 Plymouth, NSS/C (7.00); Q361 Kurt TeVault, 1965 Plymouth, NSS/A (6.35); 7251 Bill White, 1965 Chevelle, A/FX (5.90); 6209 Kenny Gresham, 1962 Chevrolet, NSS/C (7.00); 7304 Dave Isom, 1965 Plymouth, NSS/A (6.35); 7068 David Munsterman, 1964 Dodge, NSS/A (6.35); 7266 Darrell Walker, 1966 Chevrolet, NSS/B (6.65); 6014 Mike Furgye, 1963 Plymouth, NSS/C (7.00); H236 Kevin Miller, 1965 Dodge. NSS/E (7.60); 757 Earl Hayes, 1967 Ford, NSS/C (7.00); P63 Dave Leslie, 1964 Plymouth (-); A330 Tommy Sedlock, 1964 Plymouth, NSS/A (6.35); 7572 Gabriel Ray, 1965 Chevelle, NSS/C (7.00); 1274 Bob Durling, 1963 Plymouth, NSS/C (7.00)
Qualifying Order
1. Gresham 7.004; 2. Walker 6.656; 3. Muehlenbein 7.307;
4. DeChicco 6.3511; 5. Durling 7.016; 6. Alles 7.025; 7. Sedlock 6.377; 8. Warren 6.677; 9. Ewing 6.681; 10. Duvall Jr. 7.340; 11. Schultz 6.395; 12. Smith 7.095; 13. TeVault 6.45; 14. Ray 7.108; 15. Wilson 6.762; 16. Isom 6.503; 17. Munsterman 7.490; 18. Duell 6.19; 19. Miller 7.583; 20. Bourell 7.239; 21. White 5.833
NSS Eliminator Results
Final
7410 Alles (.1490) 1.5500; 7.0359@97.40 win
7266 Walker (.1368) 1.4853; 6.791@102.32
Semifinals
A330 Sedlock (.1570) 1.3640; 6.3490@107.90
7266 Walker (.1589) 1.4620; 6.6870@102.96 win
7410 Alles (.0939) 1.552; 7.0259@98.07 bye
Quarterfinals
7354 Duvall Jr. (-.0151) 1.6149: 7.3260@93.77 red
7266 Walker (.1269) 1.4132; 6.6141@102.50 win
A330 Sedlock (.1647) 1.3824; 6.3611@108.99 win
7572 Ray (-.0151) 1.5129; 6.9691@98.04 red
1 Duell (.1150) 1.3419; 6.2010@110.56
7410 Alles (.0309) 1.5621; 7.0500@97.19 win
Round Two
A330 Sedlock (.1520) 1.3789; 6.3619@108.66 win
6209 Gresham (.1460) 1.5150; 7.0460@95.74
7354 Duvall Jr. (.0589) 1.6152; 7.3761@91.25 win
1274 Durling (.1260) 1.5650; 7.0409@96.39
7410 Alles (.1289) 1.5283; 7.0001@96.34 win
7251 White (.0441) 1.4447; 6.2857@112.96
H236 Miller (.0700) 1.6209; 7.5640@86.70
7572 Ray (.0851) 1.5251; 7.0208@97.41 win
1 Duell (.1239) 1.3381; 6.2950@98.26 win
Q361 TeVault (.1570) 1.4141; 6.4391@107.61
7266 Walker (.0341) 1.4178; 6.6169@102.97 bye
Round One
7817 Smith (.0300) 1.6021; 7.1832@97.13
7266 Walker (.1049) 1.4261; 6.7052@94.08 win
7834 DeChicco (.0250) 1.3479; 6.3439@101.58
7572 Ray (.0810) 1.5178; 6.9969@97.46 win
7410 Alles (.0449) 1.5252; 7.0150@93.95 win
7304 Isom (.1669) 1.4562; 6.5211@103.90
7602 Schultz (.1009) 1.3560; 6.3139@108.73
7251 White (.0930) 1.3279; 5.9899@115.68 win
1964 Bourell (.0451) 1.7799; 7.3658@91.43
7354 Duvall Jr. (.0350) 1.6160; 7.3549@92.97 win
8040 Muehlenbein (-.0441) 1.5612; 7.3271@92.95 red
Q361 TeVault (-.0088) 1.4038; 6.4087@107.67 win
1 Duell (.0468) 1.3430; 6.1932@110.83 win
7777 Warren (.0608) 1.4142; 6.6083@103.22
H236 Miller (-.0242) 1.6152; 7.5532@89.60 broke single
1274 Durling (.0462) 1.5317; 6.9958@98.29 broke single
A330 Sedlock (-.0700) 1.3849; 6.3879@108.48 broke single
6209 Gresham (.0680) 1.4859; 7.0061@95.94 bye
Second Chance Eliminator
Final
7017 Ewing (.0439) 1.4229; 6.6912@96.76 win
8040 Muehlenbein (.1260) 1.5479; 7.3010@93.14
Semifinal
8040 Muehlenbein (.1311) 1.5538; 7.3340@92.77 win
7834 DeChicco (.1390) 1.3478; 6.3390@107.95
7017 Ewing (.1230) 1.4341; 6.6679@102.97 bye
First Round
8040 Muehlenbein (.1631) 1.5477; 7.3127@92.77 win
7817 Smith (.0298) 1.5482; 7.1960@97.24
7017 Ewing (.0350) 1.4180; 6.6520@102.75 win
7777 Warren (.0410) 1.4180; 6.6479@103.46
7834 DeChicco (.0490) 1.3600; 6.4969@92.05 win
7304 Isom (.3341) 1.4060; 6.4248@106.89
Dallas and I left Tuesday morning for Joliet, IL to get in line for a hard pit space, as they’re gone quick in this NMCA/NMRA combined race. We arrived at the track’s staging area at 3:30PM Wednesday — about 12 rigs back in line. The track started letting the drivers onto the track at about noon Thursday. We had our pit set up, credentials established, the cars teched in, and back on the trailer by 4PM.
My biggest complaint with Chicago is the tight pitting, and the lack of enforcement of diesel generator exhaust routed into the pits of others. For the third year in a row — a different NMRA toter and trailer
combo has been pitted to my right and their two diesel generators have pumped exhaust into my pit 24/7. For four days we couldn’t sit in
our pits, work in our pits, turn off our generator and open the windows of the coach, or cook on the grill because of the carbon monoxide. All of the NSS racers I see at the track show the proper consideration to get and install the exhaust extensions sold at Camping World. The NHRA has a policy for the safety of people in the pits — but the NMCA/NMRA do not enforce one. I’ve made my Complaint, however my last one was completely ignored. But I digress!
Not a good weekend for me personally. Back in Mechanicsville, my Vitamin C qualified well, but was more than 1/10 off Sunday morning in the first round of eliminations — handing Kurt Neighbor an easy win. In the first Time Trail at Joliet I was almost 2/10 slow. I took all of the weight out of the car — and was still 1/10 off in the second Time Trial. For the last Time Trial I bumped the timing from 32 to 35 and ran my number. In the first round of qualifying the motor didn’t sound right as I crossed the line, and so I shut down and had towed back to the pit. I thought it was a rocker or push rod — but all looked well when we pulled off the valve covers. Then we noticed a drop of water from the #3 spark plug.
Pulling the plug had about an ounce of water come out. We hoped for a blown head gasket — but after pulling the head and dropping the #3 piston in the hole — we saw water dripping from the cylinder wall on top of the piston. So I was done for the event. After being pushed back in the Semis in Bradenton for 6 drops of clean water, going -.002 red in the first round of Atlanta, and the car not running the number in the first round in Mechanicsville — I don’t have a prayer for the Points Championship this year. Not a good year at all for me.
The Blow by Blow reporting from the track and the final qualifying ranking, ladder and the round results can be found at the Joliet Live thread at the NSS Forum. Fast Forward to the Finals — it was the battle of the Dougs — Doug Duell and Doug Poskevitch, with Duell turning on the “Stupid Light” and giving Poskevitch the win.
Dallas’ car was also having a problem running the number — even with the seat removed. On the way home we dropped it off in Evansville, In to have the hood (Dallas forgot to put the hood pins in at Mechanicsville and the body guy down sucked at fixing it) properly mounted, and look at why the Vacuum Pump is blowing oil everywhere. Dallas will go up to run the car in Chandler in a couple of weeks, and bring it back to have the hood prepped and painted. I’ll most likely run it at the Dave Duell Classic — as the money for FX is big.
![[image]](http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/270338_1841685917636_1105209115_31511574_3694610_n.jpg "[image]")
We arrived home at Monday night at 10PM, and by Wednesday 10AM the engine from the Vitamin C had been pulled and disassembled. By noon, the block and crank were at the machinist to be Sonic’d and Magnafluxed. We’re hoping that we can resleeve the block and reusing the crank, pistons, cam, and crank. I was planning to run the Texas Whale next year, and was planning to freshenup the Vitamin C this year — and have it as a backup to the cars Dallas and run next year. It looks like that we’ll be doing the Freshen up now. I ran the Vitamin C this year because it is dead nuts on consistent, and I felt my best chance for a ring — as opposed to T&Ting a new car. Now that my chance for the ring is hopeless (unless I was to ACE the next three races and three people fell on their faces – Fat Chance) I’ll use Milan and Indy to work out any wrinkles in the Whale.
The below are a few NSS photos from Joliet — you will find 80 photos by clicking here.
The below are just a few of the many Texas Whale Racing Items. The actual items look far better than the lo-res images representing them below. Everything from Stadium blankets to throw pillows; clothing for infants, toddlers, and children; shot glasses, coffee mugs and cozies; calendars, posters, and mouse pads. Over 100 different items using the above Texas Whale Image are in the gift shop.
You can buy these items directly from Cafe Press by Clicking Here, however you can buy all of these exact same items for far less by instead Clicking Here T-Shirts are as low as $11.99, and sizes go as large as 4XL for us "Full-Figured" guys
1-minute event video with the Texas Whale doing a burnout, Vitamin C launching, and Dallas getting his trophy for winning the 7.0 Index.
For eight years the forums on the Old Hippie web site has been the place to discuss just about everything under the sun. The below is a listing of the forums you will find over there:
This is an open invitation for all to visit the forums of their interest. Membership to post is free, quick, and free of all ulterior motives. You are not going to get spammed and your information will not be given out (short of a court order if you were to post something criminal). Our motive is simple to provide a one-stop place for any type of discussion — categorized in forums to find the conversations that interest you — and avoid conversations you wish to not be involved with.
Participate in the forums that interest you — and avoid the forums that do not. Any board that has a collection of forums to cover any type of conversation, is going to have forums that will interest you — and forums that will not interest you. For instance, the political forum is one of the more popular forums — but if your interest is drag racing and not politics — judge the board on the forums that interest you and not the forums that do not. Each individual forum stands on its own merit — and will benefit with increased participation.
Please honor us with your participation in the forums that interest you — and please pass this message along to your family and friends so that we might also be honored with their participation in the forums that interest them.
Thanx
Dave 'Old Hippie' Schultz
After a 7-year adventure, the Texas Whale was recently finished, and I've been looking for a local event to take it for Test 'n Tune to identify and fix teething issues.
Last Thursday, Dallas tells me that the 2nd Annual Brandt Nationals was going to be held at Lonestar in Sealy on Saturday. The Brandt Nationals is charity Race and Show, benefitting a local organization funding sporting events for kids with Down's Syndrome. We were told that there would be Test and Tune from 10AM to 2PM — and then racing with Indexes of 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0. I didn't want to run the Whale in the Index races (which are mostly full electronics/trans brake cars) as I was just wanting to make easy low RPM passes to breaking the motor and make sure I had brakes (I didn't have good enough and need to change the MC), and that nothing fell off. Dallas' black Coronet was too fast for the Indexes, and for that track, but the Demon he ran from 2004 to 2009 and the Vitamin C car can easily be dialed into 7.0 cars, with a little manipulation of added weight. Dallas had never raced the Vitamin C (I run it in NMCA's Points Series), and has always been dead nuts on with the Demon — but the belts had expired on the Demon (which is For Sale) — so he decided to try the Vitamin C.
We arrived at the track at 11:30. They'd changed the schedule — and were starting Qualifying. I made a pair of qualifying runs in the Whale, and all was well except that the brakes weren't doing their job (Master Cylinder too small), plus I pissed off the track by making a full 1/4 mile pass (they'd only prepped for an 1/8) and going too fast — so we trailered the wagon satisfied that it would be ready for the race in Dallas 5/14.
Our cars are set up to run Nostalgia Super Stock and our rules do not allow trans-brakes, electronics, no air-shifters, and we run on skinny 10.5W slicks. We also run a Sportsman Tree — and frankly neither of us have ever run a Pro-Tree in competition. The cars in Dallas' index were mostly fat slick, trans-brake, electronics cars with delay boxes — and the Tree was a Pro-Tree. It put Dallas at a big disadvantage. We slow the cars down to the index by adding and subtracting loose weight in the weight box (and permanent weight bolted to the frame) as opposed to setting a delay in a delay box. We first unbolted 150 pounds from the frame — as Dallas weighs 150 pounds less than me. We then adjusted the loose weight in the weight box in 10 pound increments to have the car run as close to 7.01 as we could. All rounds were 7.018 to 7.042.
In the first round, Dallas treed a pretty blue 65 Plymouth. They both ran a 7.03 but Dallas had a better reaction time.
In the second round — Dallas again had a reaction time win over a very strange electric car. Yup, a 7.0 Pontiac Fiero with batteries in the trunk instead of a motor. It was built by an electrical engineer.
The Semi-Final round had him bettering a Nova, and the Final round had him bettering a Trans AM. He did an excellent job, especially considering the disadvantage of a strange (to him) car, a Pro-Tree, and no electronics (his footbraking against their transbrakes). He won a 4' trophy and a 5-day trip to Cancun.
The following is recap of my personal perspective of NMCA's NSS event in Atlanta, GA this last week. Before every event, we create a thread for the event on the Nostalgia Drag Racer's forum — so people can post their version of the play-by-play of the event. I invite all attending the race to please post your perspective of it there. As I write this, the play-by-play of how the Atlanta Event went can be found by CLICKING HERE.
The motorhome and trailer were cleaned and made ready Monday; and Tuesday we loaded up the cars and supplies for the trip. I bought the Vitamin C (which I'll run the NMCA races in) and Dallas had the black Coronet. Dallas and I pulled out of the shop at 9:30 Wednesday morning, and the 925 mile trip to Commerce, GA was uneventful. — which is always good. We paid an average of $4.08 gallon for diesel — and the total for the round trip and generator ran about $1900 in diesel. We arrived at the track at 2:30 in the morning — and the 12th in line in the staging area.
Thursday morning had Barry banging on the door at 6:30Am to get Dallas' dog barking — and me out of bed. Coffee, breakfast, shower — and I was outside by 8AM — shooting the bull with the other drivers. At about noon there were about 70 rigs staged — and they started to let us in. Lynnwood "Cowboy" Dupree took good care of us — and selected for us a good pit where our rig was facing in one direction, and Doug Duell's rig (we pit together) facing the other way — giving us a large shared pit between us. We set up pits, established credentials, and had the cars teched in by 3PM. There was no racing Thursday — so we put the cars away for the night.
Friday NMCA's plan was to have TT from 9AM-to noon and then get two qualifying rounds in. I was one of the first ones to go down the track. The track was horrible — with most all of the cars spinning badly. I was almost 2/10 second off — all in the first 1/8. Doug had to abort his TT run from getting loose. I asked Dallas to wait a little before going down. Charlie Harmon (the event promoter) rode by to visit, and we told him the track was bad — and he radioed for them to fix it. Dallas was one of the last to go down the track in TT. Because this was a combined NMCA, NMRA, LSX, TS, and Brackets race — we only got one Time Trial, and that's why they wanted to have two Qualifying on Friday.
My first Qualifying was at 1:39PM. I'd taken some weight out, but my 60's were way off and I was still almost a 1/10 slow.
![[image]](http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216075_1672561609634_1105209115_31339759_1055645_n.jpg "[image]")
In the previous 20 NMCA races I've run, they ask your Index while in Tech, and then when you have your first qualifying they come through the staging lanes and verify with you before your first pass. That didn't happen this time — which caused two phases of drama later. Despite my car having a big C/NSS on all four windows — I and many others were just arbitrarily lumped into A/NSS. Phase one was most of us storming up to the tower to get it fixed after the first Qualifying pass — but the phase two of the drama were the drivers who ignored that until they'd made all three passes. NMCA gave those people a Mulligan — and changed their Index after they'd finished all of their qualifying rounds. 16 NSS cars had come to the event and made the first qualifying round. Remarkably — all 16 also made it through the event — with no breakage or oil downs in NSS. I hope NMCA took note that not a one of us were the cause of track delays.
Round two of qualifying occurred at 6PM because of the high number of wrecks and oil downs — and the lack of hustle in the track staff to get them off the track and cleaned up. There must be a Union dispute — as they mostly looked like a group of orange vested road crew looking at one guy in a hole with a shovel. The schedule was about 3 hours behind when I ran Dallas in the second quallifying. As you can see from the below — despite taking more weight out — I was still not keeping up with the weather change, and I was still spinning. All weekend long — the left lane was having most of the problems. I really wish we would have had more than on TT to get the cars right.
![[image]](http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217691_1672911698386_1105209115_31340166_5378012_n.jpg "[image]")
There was a pretty bad storm over night — but the rain stopped at about 2 am. At 9AM, I rode down to look at the track, and while dry — they were scrapping the starting line (which needed it) at a very slow pace, which sucked as there was still three hours of last night's qualifying still needing to be finished. I have to say here and now that NMCA looked to be busting ass — but the Atlanta track staff didn't have their heart into it at all. The first cars started going down the track in the afternoon — and our third qualifying happened at 3:30PM in a pretty strong headwind. Just past the bleachers a strong cross wind (which had been causing problems with the Pro Thug car's chutes tangling all day) caused me to move my right hand to the wheel for the first time in many years. This same wind had Warren Johnson flip his Pro Stock car a couple of days earlier at this track. The below is my ticket — still too slow.
![[image]](http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207128_1674365774737_1105209115_31341616_5332977_n.jpg "[image]")
That .031 put me the number 9 qualifier — and naturally that means I again take on the number 1 qualifier Brian Merrick. I hate Sportsman ladders. I think 1 should take 16, 2 should take 15, and so on. It makes no since that 9 takes on 1 and 15 takes on 7.
![[image]](http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/217170_1674718023543_1105209115_31341947_4609303_n.jpg "[image]")
The plan called for Eliminations to start Saturday — but that never happened. Shortly after we ran — a fuel line popped off a car at the starting line and flopped around with no one getting to the battery cut off — and the resulting fire killed the rest of the day. The 3rd qualifying was the only pass NSS made the entire day.
![[image]](http://dragstory.com/photo/albums/2011/NMCA_NMRA_LSX/Atlanta/Saturday/DSC07092.jpg "[image]")
By Sunday morning, the event was maybe 5 hours behind — and Sunday is Bracket Day. We initially thought we'd be running our first pass at 10AM — but we soon were told it would be closer to 2PM. That looked like it could be pushed closer to 5PM with all of the track problems. The crew were acting like babies slamming mops around and then it appeared many of them flat disappeared. I observed Trey (who works for the NMCA) swinging a mop at the line. Doug called up to Charlie Harmon that NSS was getting impatient — and they changed the schedule to where our first eliminations occurred at 3PM.
![[image]](http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/205472_1675969214822_1105209115_31343854_2815283_n.jpg "[image]")
I went -.003 red against Merrick, Dallas beat Vise, Duell beat a 67 Ford GTA, Camp beat Bates, Ray beat Hopkins, Neighbor beat Poskevitch, Young beat Davis, and Wilson beat Sanders.
The next round went quick with Duell, Wilson, Neighbor and Merrick going to the Semis. At 8:30 they called NSS to the line for the Semis. By then the track had gone to hell, and the left lane was having a lot of drama. Wrecks, oil downs and few cars were making it down the track with a decent run. They decided to run all of the heads up classes first before the track got too crazy — and Dallas and I decided it was too late to wait any longer — and pulled out of the track at 9:30. It was 10:30 when Doug returned my calls on who had won. It turns out that after watching no one getting down the left lane — that the four remaining drivers in NSS didn't want to risk wrecking their cars — and agreed to just split the remaining prize money 4 ways ($425 each). Word is that NMCA wasn't real happy with this plan — and their official news item of what happened is: "Indy Cylinder Heads Nostalgia Super Stock had Brian Merrick at the top of the qualifying ladder. On elimination day, due to a late evening, the final four racers (Brian Merrick, Doug Duell, Kurt Neighbor, and Steve Wilson) decided to split the points and the prize money for the weekend.", making it sound more like it was past the bed time of old men rather than the track was shit.
Dallas and I drove all night — and were back home at 1PM yesterday. Cars, trailer and motorhome was unloaded by 3PM.
In a nutshell, while many feel that NMCA might have bitten of more than they can chew with so many classes racing — I've seen this pulled of at tracks with a good staff. I feel it could have been pulled off at many tracks we run at — but it is the competency of the track personnel that make it or break it. Atlanta was not up to the challenge. Quite a few have blamed NMCA for this — but I watched them all hustle while the track people leaning on their mops. Why not replace Atlanta with a Texas track?
