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VOL. 3, ISSUE 3

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To each his own

he cars in drag racing come in all shapes and sizes. To me, that is one of the single most compelling features we have compared to many other motorsports. You typically cannot discern a car’s identity in NASCAR, if it were not for the shape of the headlight decals. (Unfortunately, this also applies to NHRA Funny Cars, but that is a point for another editorial.) The amazing growth of the Outlaw Street movement is a prime example of people’s want to identify with the car they are watching. These cars feature incredible horsepower funneled through a relatively stock shape and size OEM body shell. The typical rule sheets for the outlaw street classes contain as much body modification restrictions as there are engine rules. Racing of any shape and size is most prevalent in the world of the weekend bracket racer. Enthusiasts have the opportunity to make their ride as unique as their owner; that is until the dragster became the norm. Since the late 1990s, dragster builders have been working in overdrive because so many racers decided the way to dominate the dial-in was with the aptly-named “lawn darts.”

Staff Operations Director Shawn Brereton Editorial Director

Todd Silvey

Senior Tech Editor Tech Editor

Jeff Smith Richard Holdener

Copy Editor

Cindy Bullion

Production

Hailey Douglas

Art Todd Silvey Digital Editors Jonathan Ertz Elizabeth Puckett Contributors Mike Galimi Brian Beers John Fisher Chris Simmons Laurie Silvey Brandon Flannery Clay Millican Michelle Furr Bryan Epps Roger C. Johnson Tami Eggleston Christopher Silvey Advertising/Subscriptions Ivan Korda For advertising inquiries call 901.260.5910

I always believed, even before the dragster craze, that the bracket racer utilizing a doorslammer has the same chance of knowing their car and hitting a light as any dragster competitor. But the long, flexible, and now suspension-equipped dragsters seemed to dominate the winner’s circle at every high-roller event from coast to coast in recent decades. Admittedly, I too fell into the world of building a dragster with big cubic inches, the super-whammy box with four buttons on the steering wheel, and whatever other gizmos came along. Did I go out and dominate at every event? Hell no. Let’s say I did okay. I remember one day when a racer who drove a door car walked through the staging lanes. I was “zoning” inside my dragster while he had counted back and derived that we were paired up in this round. I sat there quietly, but as I felt his eyes gazing over my shoulder I bumped my “box” .002 softer. Why did I do that? For two reasons: I was intimidating him with my gadgetry and softening my delay time because I knew I had him beat. My prediction came true. He went out and cut an ungodly red light in response to “racing another damn dragster.” He had every chance of beating me. He just beat himself. But, I distinctly remember being nailed by a no-box Ford Fairmont in the very next round. Some great kudos go out to those who refused to accept that their favorite race car can’t be a winner just because it has doors — racers such as Jeff Verdi with his back-half ’68 Firebird that captured both the East and West versions of the “Fling” million-dollar races in 2016. In this issue, the finals of the Mid-Michigan Motorplex’s $50,000 event came down to, wait for it…a ’65 Chevelle and an S-10 pickup. Thankfully, in recent times, these great bracketeers have made an exception to the dragster domination theory. I still believe it is the driver who wins or loses, not the properly prepared car. It’s a good feeling to know it’s once again more about how you drive than what you drive. DRS Do you have an opinion? Doorslammers rule? Let them all race? Go to DragRacingScene.com, search for “To each his own,” and share with us. 2 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Drag Racing Scene is published quarterly to promote the growth of drag racing as well as recognize the parts and services from participating manufacturers. The magazine consists of dedicated information from partner companies with the mission of disseminating unfiltered editorial on companies, products and services directly to drag racing participants and fans. Editorial content and advertisements for each issue can originate from partner companies participating in the magazine. Drag Racing Scene is a hybrid of content that was originally published at DragRacingScene.com and original content that was created for this quarterly print magazine. Magazine distribution occurs through direct distribution from parent company Xceleration Media and partner companies. Drag Racing Scene is a property of Xceleration Media. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent from Xceleration Media. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

Cover ON THE

Memphis Outlaw JJ DaBoss hits the light for Donn Gingrich in his supercharged Firebird called “Gangster,” and Stevie Jackson at the World Series of Pro Mod. - Brian Beers photos.

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In This Issue 84 Drag Racing Scene Vol. 3, Issue 3

Features

A NIGHT WITH STREET OUTLAWS

We watch the first night of filming for the season

28 JJ WHO? 36 SQUARE BODY BULLET 44 FUNNY CAR SUMMER Street Outlaws has a new boss

Rob and Derek McGee’s ‘81 Malibu Floppers take on Pennsylvania and New Jersey

CLOCKS AND PLENTY 52 NO OF GRUDGE

Milan Dragway’s nod to outlaw racing

68 MR. D.I.Y. 76 50 GRANDER 84 WORLD SERIES OF PRO MOD Pilot builds his own car from scratch 24 years . . . 24 winners

Poker and Pro Modifieds . . . Who knew?

4 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

WORLD SERIES OF PRO MOD

44 FUNNY CAR SUMMER

38 22 A NIGHT WITH

STREET OUTLAWS

Vendor Midway Race Bolt-together Torque Converters TCI .............................. 60 Drum Kits ATI Performance Products...................................... 61

G-5 Racing Gear Oil Driven ................................................ 61 Complete Vacuum Pump System Aerospace Components .. 62 XD-A Adjustable Pushrods COMP Cams .............................. 62 FireWire Set for Gen. 5 LT1 Engines FAST ........................... 62 Vertical Bar Pressurized Oiling Roller Lifters Lunati .......... 63 Water Pumps Mr. Gasket ....................................................... 63 Piston Ring Squaring Tool ARP ............................................ 64 SureCan VP Racing Fuels....................................................... 64 Bushed OEM Rocker Arms for LS Engines Crane Cams .... 64 V-30 Superchargers VorTech Superchargers ........................ 65

Departments

17 BORN TO RACE

3 6 DRAG NEWS

DIGITAL GUIDE

Stay connected with DRS Important happenings in the drag racing world

The U.S. Nationals is a special experience

LIFE AT THE DRAGSTRIP Hurricanes and helping friends

20 IN FOCUS

Featured photography of Brian Beers

10 TOP ELIMINATOR INSIDE THE HEL94 STOMP ON THAT MET 12 LOUD PEDAL PUT IT 95 SOCIAL TO THE TEST 14 Brian Lohnes

Focus!

My other favorite day

SHOUTOUTS

DRS on social media

15 TRACK TESTED 16 VIDEO REWIND Pro Mods still strong

Cool online videos

New Turbo 400 valvebody tech

Tech

32 SAVE THE CRANK 40 WICKED QUICK 48 FUEL FAQ 56 INTRODUCING ROVER 66 EVOILUTION 72 PUMP IT UP 80 GET UP AND GO 90 ROD BOLT TECH

A crankshaft isn’t necessarily a disposable component New Turbo 400 valve body tech

Questions fielded by VP tech line

FOR 2 FUEL THOUGHT

To each his own

40 WICKED QUICK

Dual Feeler Gauge Handle

96 LIFE AT 1320 Inside the Cockpit

Meet our new project car

Driven reformulates break-in oil Revolutionary new oil pump

Mustang gets a shot of nitrous More to rod bolts than you think

SPECIAL THANKS

The staff of Drag Racing Scene would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the talented photographers that supplied images found in this issue. Steve Vreatt: cs-motorsports.com Bryan Epps: facebook.com/bryan.epps Mike Galimi: facebook.com/mike.galimi Carl Skillman: facebook.com/carl.skillman Brian Beers: instagram@beersphotography.com Mike Grosso: facebook.com/mike.grosso.37 John Fisher: facebook.com/skysthelimitimagery Danny Stogner: facebook.com/Danny-Stogner-Photography/ Tommy Lee Byrd: facebook.com/byrdphotography DragRacingScene.com 5

Drag News PRESENTED BY

Detroit mayor considers change of city airport into dragstrip Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and his administration are exploring the possibilities of transforming the financially troubled Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport into a dragstrip and possibly additional motorsport venues. The municipal airport hasn’t had regular service from a commercial airline in more than 15 years and is expected to have an operating loss of $1.3 million for the 2017 fiscal year, according to the Detroit News. But, many aviation purists are battling to keep the airport in the downtown district open.

The 264-acre site has two asphalt runways: a 5,090-foot-long main runway and a crosswind runway of 4,025 feet. All of Detroit’s commercial airline services use the Detroit Metropolitan Airport located in a nearby suburb. Another nail in the airport’s proverbial “coffin” is the runways cannot be lengthened as needed due to the facility being surrounded by cemeteries. In addition to the airport conversion, the Detroit mayor has held public meetings to discuss other avenues of increased tourism for the financially troubled city. His proposals include making Detroit a destination for drag racing and techno dance clubs. According to the Detroit Metro Times, “The mayor was also receptive to the idea of taking drag racing off the streets and putting it into the city airport, where advocates say a race track would be a money maker and jobs creator.” The first quotes from the mayor concerning the dragstrip back in June are based on the effort to “keep streets safer and keep people from 6 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

being arrested.” Now, Detroit news stories have blossomed into proposals of an entire motorsports complex that would host the drag racing venue, plus an opportunity to relocate the popular Detroit Grand Prix, which has met large-scale opposition at recent events for being held in one of Detroit City’s park districts. One nearby motorsports and aviation industry correlation is Kalitta Flying Services, also located in the Detroit area. What irony would it be if the Top/Fuel star were to be removed from the home of his mega-aviation business for a dragstrip? A little research found that the Kalittas are located out of Willow Run airport just 50 miles away. Since the administration has set aside $200,000 to study various proposals for the airport, just send the money here to Drag Racing Scene, and we will tell you “hell yes.” As a side note concerning the “techno” side of the Detroit business tourism effort, the electronic music and techno dance industry are a $6.5 billion industry globally, with origins in Detroit. It’s interesting to see the sport of drag racing within the “motor city” is getting that kind of notoriety and interest, as well. At press time, the Mayor and administration have given the nod of approval for an initial one-day event titled the Motor City Showdown held in September 2017. The race is spearheaded by Detroit city native and professional racer Brian Olatunji and his group Leadfoot Events LLC. The format for this “trial” event is a select 32 car invitational field of Detroit region outlaw street racers.

Michigan ‘strip reopens as long court battle ends

Onondaga Dragway opened in the early 1960s and operated until 1978. Attempts to reopen in 1985 were shut down by the township. The track reopened for nine weekends in 2013 until a court case brought by neighbors led to a preliminary injunction barring all activity, starting in November 2013. It took four years, but the Ingham County Circuit Court has ruled in favor of the track. Plaintiffs Mark Cooper and Gary Caltrider filed the 2013 lawsuit against the track, seeking monetary damages and requesting the facility be permanently shut down. Caltrider owns a mobile home park built in the 1960s bordering the far end of the track property. The 70-acre track property is in an agricultural, low density, rural residential area, officially zoned as agricultural residential. In 2013, Onondaga Township granted track managers Ray Comer and Daniel Pranshka a special use permit after multiple well-attended township meetings. The track had to adhere to certain conditions, which included limiting racing to Friday and Saturday hours, ending before sunset. Due to the preliminary injunction, the track sat dormant for four years. Now that the track owners have won the lawsuit, they are seeking repayment of the costs for being “wrongfully enjoined” during the process. The court could award the money, including the $381,000 surety bond, as soon as this month. The track reopened on August 12 after dozens of volunteers pitched in to clean up the property and get it ready.

Business hosts track night to boost employee morale Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio, had an employee satisfaction issue and wanted to improve morale among the staff. The staffers blasted the long hours and demanding bosses. So, Jim Moshier, general sales and service manager, decided to use Ford’s Consumer Experience Movement, which is designed to engage employees and create better experiences for customers. Besides adding a fitness center, flexible scheduling, and hosting monthly meetings, management also organized group bonding events. For the past few years, the store has hosted a track night at a local drag strip each September, so employees

can legally race each other. It also provides two Mustangs for workers who don’t have a car ready for the track. Several employees have formed their own clubs and go racing together on the weekends. These changes are credited with creating a much more engaged work force.

Tesla cuts power to cars, gets backlash from dragstrip enthusiast

A Tesla owner had been testing his Model S at the dragstrip and suddenly noticed his car didn’t have the oomph it once had. It took a lawsuit complaint against Tesla to get the auto manufacturer to acknowledge they had reduced the peak power of every all-wheel-drive Model S on the road. The complaint, filed by an unnamed Tesla owner, noted a sudden and significant drop in motor power when accelerating in Insane or Ludicrous modes, options purchased by the car owners. A letter to the Arizona attorney general’s office alleged that Tesla illegally altered his car’s performance, particularly the Ludicrous option package that he had paid for, without his knowledge or consent.

The automaker has admitted using a routine software update to cut power on all-wheel-drive Model S sedans with the intent of protecting their powertrains and batteries from excess wear during repeated hard launches. Initially, Tesla offered to restore only the Arizona owner’s car in return for signing a non-disclosure agreement. The owner wanted all Tesla owners to get the power back and refused to sign, then filed a claim seeking only the minimum of monetary damages. Tesla has stated a software update in late August restored maximum battery performance independently from launch mode. The car owner still planned to record another dragstrip run before the final court date.

Drag News PRESENTED BY

There’s an app for that; paper waivers replaced A new computer application or “app” may solve problems arising from paper liability waivers at the dragstrip. This electronic process will make registering at the gate much easier for racers. The app will remember you after an electronic photo image is taken, speeding entry into future events. Paper waivers are difficult to save, and easy to damage. The United States Motorsports Association (USMA) in partnership with FUSION OF IDEAS has developed waiverTRACK, a mobile appli-

cation used to manage those liability waivers racers are accustomed to signing every time they enter a track.

The USMA developed the app following a year of research into the unique needs of motorsports events and facilities. Each track will upload its current paper waiver into the app, and then use a mobile device to capture an unlimited number of signatures. One hundred percent of the proceeds from WaiverTRACK will go to the USMA’s efforts to protect and promote grassroots racing throughout the United States. This app will reduce time racers spend sitting in line to sign the waivers each week.

Irwindale closing in January 2018 Irwindale Event Center officially opened its gates in March 1999 as Irwindale Speedway. In addition to the eighth-mile dragstrip in Irwindale, California, that opened in 2001, the facility has half-mile and third-mile asphalt speedways and has hosted drifting competitions and other automotive-related events. Speculation about its approaching demise has been spreading for several years, and recently track operators, Team 211 Entertainment, who have been operating on a year to year lease since 2013, made the official announcement that the last

day of operation is set for January 31, 2018. Irwindale Outlet Centers LLC plans to demolish the facility to make way for its new 700,000 sq. ft. mall. Community development directors said no timeline has been set for opening of the mall. Plans are to operate the tracks right up to the final day, completing their full 2017 schedule of events on all arenas, and finishing out the month of January with a couple of extra events to honor all of the competitors who have raced and utilized the facility since it opened.

New dragstrips add to Australia’s ever-growing list Australia may be the smallest continent, but is quickly adding dragstrips at a noticeable pace. Currently boasting 39 dragstrips, a recent release from the Dubbo City Car Club in New South Wales noted they had received development approval from the Dubbo Regional Council to build the The Bend Motorsport Park, the first world-class drag strip in New South Wales. The club members have asked state and local governments to invest in their facility as they need an investment of $4 to $5 million to get the first stage of the project built. The dragstrip would be the first zero-emissions facility in the world. Scheduled to open in January 2018, The Bend is a state-of-the-art $100 million facility which will have an asphalt circuit and a drift racing course in addition to the dragstrip. Construction

8 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

started in early 2016 after approval was received from the Development Assessment Commission. The complex, privately funded by the Peregrine

Corporation, will include a 50 room hotel as well as facilities to host drifting, karting, rallycross, and off road training park when completed.

Stupid thieves test their stolen property at the local dragstrip

A group of four thieves, who utilized fraudulent wire transfer paperwork to obtain five high-profile cars from a dealership, got caught after heading to the track. For nearly a year, they kept the 2012 Camaro, 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, 2017 Acura NSX, 2014

Nissan Armada, and 2015 Ford F-150 under the radar locally in the El Paso, Texas, region, but then decided to race them at El Paso Motorplex. The thieves didn’t realize there would be spectators there using their cell phones to record the races and were caught when the videos went public. Though the investigation is still ongoing, each suspect has been charged with theft of over $300,000 in goods.

The Strip at Las Vegas to feature four-wide drag racing

REV’N launches Roku channel

REV’N, a Luken Communications’ automotive broadcast offering, has further expanded its over-the-top availability by launching its channel on the Roku streaming platform. The new channel is available for free in the Roku channel store by searching keyword “Rev’n.” The network geared towards the performance enthusiast is dedicated to all things revving, with proven automotive content such as Stacey David’s GearZ, Two Guys Garage, Truck U, Sam’s Garage, and World of Collector Cars, as well as original special productions offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the industry. REV’N is a hit with gearheads and advertisers alike.

Nitrous accident claims popular Drag Week competitor’s life

Four-wide drag racing is coming to the western United States with the expansion of Las Vegas Motor Speedway to four lanes on The Strip. Construction is currently underway, with the first event to be the NHRA DENSO Nationals April 6-8, 2018. Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports, Incorporated first brought four-wide racing to his sister track, Charlotte zMAX Dragway. With the acceptance and excitement about the

concept in the east for the past several years, LVMS president Chris Powell is ready to see the same experience in the west. Bruton Smith’s super speedways revolutionized NASCAR, and he continued purchasing tracks to obtain additional dates from the association. Like the NASCAR scenario of the late 1990s and early 2000s, will his fourwide facilities be the wave of the future for NHRA drag racing?

Stay up to date with the latest news at DragRacingScene.com.

Gull Lake, Michigan racer, Mike Wenzler, died recently from injuries sustained when he was preparing to attend Drag Week. He campaigned an ex-Pro Stock 1987 Camaro and was filling a nitrous oxide bottle in his trailer when a stainless steel fitting seemingly failed. It was reported that Wenzler was taken to a local hospital following the pressure explosion to undergo emergency surgery to treat severe head injuries. He was placed in a medical coma to heal, but his injuries were too extreme for him to recover. DragRacingScene.com 9

Brian Lohnes is one of the hardest working microphone talents in drag racing

hen you call Brian Lohnes and reach his voice mail, you’ll hear “This is Brian Lohnes. Yes, I’ll do your project with you.” The standout personality in all that voices drag racing is a busy man these days. He regularly announces at NHRA national events, is a partner in Bangshift.com, and is frequently heard over the PA at a variety of drag racing events around the country. Lohnes counts himself a lucky man; getting paid to broadcast at drag races is a dream career for him. When Lohnes was in college, he belonged to a motorsports club with his dad. They drove a Volkswagen Rabbit in SCCA. “We got the newsletter for the local chapter, and one of them said they were looking for an announcer,” he says. “My buddy told me I should try it. I had always wanted to announce, so I gave it a try. I was horrible at it.” Lohnes kept at it for a couple of years, giving him the confidence to contact New England Dragway, the closest track to where he went to college. “I started working at the dragstrip pretty soon after,” he says. “I was friends with the guy who owned the track, so I would work there during summers.” The track was running Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so Lohnes would sleep in the timing tower.

One of Lohnes’ latest ventures is hosting the new Put Up or Shut Up show on Motortrend TV where two racers are pitted against one another in a string of grudge-style match races for cash.

“We did it pretty much every weekend, and the same security lady would come unlock the building nearly every Saturday morning,” he remembers. “And every Saturday morning, we would wake up to her screaming as we were sprawled out on the floor. The same thing every week, it was great.” Joe Lombardo, the long-time manager at New England Dragway, gave Lohnes the break that started it

When Brian is not on the road to every conceivable dragstrip equipped with a PA system, he is sharing the editing chores on the popular Bangshift.com website with partner Chad Reynolds. 10 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

all. The IHRA national event would come to town, and he gave Lohnes the microphone during Super Rod, Super Stock, and other sportsman classes. “I worked for IHRA for five or six years,” Lohnes says. “I did national events with Bob Unkefer and Brian Olson, and we had a blast. I have a lot of pride for those days.” He had always wanted to write, so in 2003-2004, he started writing for Competition Plus. He kept busy submitting articles to the website, then began submitting stories to NHRA as well. “I went to college with David Kennedy, the NHRA Director of Multimedia content,” he says. “He got me in with NHRA, and I started writing articles for them in 2005.” After graduation, Brian had a fulltime job as branch manager for Scotts Miracle-Gro, but still managed to balance both for a while. “I covered Dragweek for Competition Plus and did some announcing one year,” he says. “I’ve announced Dragweek for years now. From that, somebody else would say ‘can you do some stuff for me,’ and it built up from there. I had tons of stuff going on, but kept my regular job until 2011. It was

Highlighting forerunners of the sport of drag racing, whether on or off of the track. and then came to the tower and said, insane, a real eye-opener. I took many ‘Who are you?’ I told him, and he conference calls from bathrooms at went to make a phone call. He called racetracks, trying to get away from the Glendora home office, and they the noise, because I was someplace I had me audition for Super Gas, Super wasn’t supposed to be.” Stock, etc., and offered me a chance In 2008, David Freiburger, Chad to help out the next season.” Reynolds, and Lohnes started the popThe following year, Lohnes worked ular website, Bangshift. Freiburger and 12 national events for NHRA. In 2016, Reynolds had previously been involved he worked 17, and this year, he is in a video-heavy website with lots of doing the full tour. content, but it was before its time. He also got involved in TV through “It was a great concept, but people Masters Entertainment. They needed just weren’t ready for it yet,” Lohnes a person to help with Pro Mod coversays. “The economy took a dump, age during NHRA events. and they lost all their investment. “I went down and was joking Bangshift was a result of that thing around with the Pro Mod guys,” collapsing. They ended up doing it as Lohnes says. “I knew all of them from a message board and had 2,500 memmy IHRA time and had a good rapport bers. That started Bangshift, and it’s with them. They said I did a good job just continued to get bigger. Freiburgwith that. Once NHRA took the show er went back to a magazine job when it in-house, Masters was offered, and it’s asked me to host Mobeen just Chad and torhead Garage. I said me ever since.” if they were going to Bangshift pay me to stand and continued to grow, talk about cars and but wasn’t making stuff, sure.” enough money A year ago, to support them. Lohnes got a call Lohnes’ regular job from David Freiburgwas going to be an er, who had an idea 80-mile commute for a racing show, when the compaand Put Up or Shut ny moved, so he Up was born. quit, with his wife’s “We pick a head blessing. He went to head matchup of back to being the two different types weekly announcer of vehicles,” Lohnes at Epping, threw in says. “The first epia smattering of hot sode was [Pro Mod rod events here and racers] Stevie Jackthere, and focused son vs. Ricky Smith, on Bangshift. One of the many shirts in the Lohnes “My NHRA thing suitcase is his NHRA official’s wardrobe for and nothing you event announcing duties, along with NHRA see on there is false. really kicked off commentator work on FOX Sports. Ricky wanted to back in 2013,” he says. out, but Stevie talked him into staying. “New England Dragway was hosting The next episode was Quain Stott with their first NHRA nationals. I had two of his [Southeast] gassers at Dragannounced at the division race there, way 42. We’ve done a nostalgia top and Steve Gibbs from the Hot Rod fueler vs. a nostalgia nitro funny car. Museum was there checking it out One we shot recently was a hot rod for the national event. He asked me dump truck that we shot at Maryland if I wanted to do his race in Bowling International Raceway. Those things Green. I said, ‘Wow, yes, absolutely.’” are awesome.” Lohnes announced the Hot Rod Lohnes really is one busy guy, so Reunion where Bob Frey was the masexpect to reach his answering machine ter of ceremonies for the Cacklefest. if you call. Leave a message; he’ll prob“I knew who Bob Frey was, but ably do your project.” DRS had not met him. He did his thing

My Favorite Day: My other favorite day

Editor’s note: DRS readers will remember in our summer 2017 issue we asked each of our columnists to write about their favorite day. Clay Millican reminisced about his favorite day in 2001 with his family at the Norwalk World Nationals. But, after getting his first-ever Wally at Bristol, even Clay admitted on FOX television he might just need to re-issue another favorite day column for Drag Racing Scene magazine. We’re happy to say he did . . . though you might find his re-write surprising.

ather’s Day has not been one of my favorite days for the past couple of years since we lost Dalton. Since the race at Bristol Dragway is on Father’s Day weekend, they do a good job of doing something special for drivers before the race. They give a driver intro, and then you get in the back of the truck and parade down in front of the crowd. For the past two years, I’ve skipped out on it because I don’t want to think about it being Father’s Day. I avoided my phone on Sunday and ignored any calls that came in. I spoke only to my son, Cale, and to my Daddy and sisters. I just tried to make it an absolute normal Sunday race day. I won the first and second rounds, not thinking too much about it. Then we went up for the semi-finals, and I had to race Steve Torrence, the guy who’s been on fire this year. I was in the staging lanes, and a gentleman tapped on the window of the tow vehicle. I rolled down the window, he shook my hand, and said he wanted to give me something. He presented to me a tiny motocross chest protector, and he said, “Dalton signed that for my son, and it was his first ever autograph.” He handed it to me, and sure enough, it had Dalton’s signature, and it said #25, Dalton’s number, and I started choking back my emotions. I thought to myself, ‘why would anyone hand me this when I’m rolling up to race a semi-final round.’ I got to the line and told myself to get my crap together and stop thinking about it. I went over to wish Steve a safe race, and he already had his helmet on. It was weird, but suddenly I didn’t have as much worry, and an easiness came over me. I raced Steve, and my win light came on. I just knew at that point it was my day. It was unreal. I raced Leah Pritchett in the final round, and again as I was getting ready, I was joking and cutting up with the guys. Typically, I would have my game face on; I was about to run the final round of a Top Fuel national event, but after that guy handed me that thing, I just knew it was meant to be.

When the win light came on against Leah, all my thoughts went out the window. I had plans for all these years for what I wanted to say when I won, what I wanted to do, but none of that happened. I had no intentions of doing the teary-eyed interview, but that’s just what came out. I just kept saying to myself, ‘finally, finally.’ Dalton did a couple of things for me that day with the win. He let me know it was okay to enjoy Father’s Day again, and two, the win was his present to all of us for Father’s Day. There were signs that I just had to recognize throughout the day. The signature on the motocross chest protector was one of them. The next one was our ET had stayed on the scoreboard even through the media room interviews. One of our crew members pointed at the scoreboard, which still displayed our final round, and it was a 3.825, so it was a #25 on the end of the ET. Another sign was the Traxxas truck. My win had put me into the Traxxas Shootout. When the Traxxas girls ride up to the stage in a truck, you sign a board so the fans can see you’re in the Traxxas Shootout. The number on the truck was 25. John Medlen had told me after we lost Dalton, ‘In Hebrew, there is no such thing as a coincidence,’ so none of that is a coincidence. When I got to the finish line after the race, it was just unbelievable. Every driver, every crew member who was still there was so supportive of my win. Jack Beckman, who had just lost by four-thousandths of a second in Funny Car, jumped over the fence and told me to take a few breaths. He said, “You have no idea how big this is. This is huge for motorsports.” Ron Capps, who had just won Funny Car, came over to give me a big hug and told me “this is your day.” Steve Torrence’s team showered me with champagne. All the race teams were along the fence line cheering me. It was incredible. My sisters also gave me a Father’s Day present, as well as one for my Daddy. In my Daddy’s eyes, it has not happened until he sees it on television (the race was not televised live). He won’t answer the phone until after he knows my results. My sisters knew I had won, so they snuck into his house. He was sitting in his bedroom watching the race on TV. They put me on Facetime and slipped the phone around the corner of his bedroom. In real time, I got to watch my Daddy watch me win for the first time in NHRA. It was freaking awesome to see him sitting in bed in his boxers, all propped up on his pillows. All he did was put his hands in the air. My

A gentleman said he wanted to give me something. He presented to me a tiny motocross chest protector, and he said, ‘Dalton signed that for my son, and it was his first ever autograph.’

12 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Great Clips was Bristol. He has the NASCAR Bristol trophy he won with Kasey Kahne sitting in his living room. Never in my wildest dreams did I think mine would be a Bristol trophy too. Doug insisted that the trophy should go home with me to Drummonds. I told him ‘no, I want the Wally to be there with your NASCAR trophy.’ I had worn the medallion until it was time to put everything away that night. Doug took the medallion and wrapped it with the ribbon. He told me it was for my Daddy and was our Father’s Day present. I haven’t been home yet, but that medallion will be hanging on Daddy’s bedpost. Everyone may remember that my column before this one was my favorite day, and it had been at Norwalk. Right now, writing this, I’m sitting in Norwalk for the next race. I could have used another week of celebration, but going back to back is good. We had the most incredible weekend with the Bristol win, but I don’t want to rate it better than the favorite day I wrote about before. I didn’t do it justice talking about how special that day had been to me with my family surrounding me. The Father’s Day gift I got last week and then rolling right in there to Norwalk brings back those special memories about Dalton being so pissed off that he couldn’t ride the rides at Cedar Point. It has been a whirlwind of celebration and memories, and I’ll always remember both days in my heart as my favorites. DRS sisters busted in and handed him the phone, and he put it to his ear, not realizing he could see me on the phone. In typical Daddy fashion, his house phone immediately started ringing, and he was done with all of us at that point. He had to talk to everybody else about his kid winning Bristol. I had planned from day one, when we won a Wally, it was going to go to Doug Stringer’s house. Doug’s last win with

Clay Millican is a 6-Time IHRA World Champion Top Fuel dragster driver who now plies his trade as the driver of the Parts Plus/Great Clips T/F dragster in the NHRA. You can follow Clay’s exploits throughout the season at claymillican.com. @claymillican

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Clay Millican

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A quarter-century later — Pro Mod still chasing parity

n 1990, the IHRA hosted a doorslammer category that would change the drag racing world. With heavy influence from Bret Kepner and Ted Jones, Pro Modified became a reality. Born from Top Sportsman, it quickly became a hit with fans and racers, thanks to its unpredictability and quick performances. Ed Hoover is credited with the first victory, which went down at New Jersey’s Atco Raceway. More than a quarter-century later, the speed and performances continue to wow fans, push technology far beyond what anyone would have thought in those early years, while the struggle for parity between the power adders continues to be a moving target. The early years saw the battle between nitrous oxide-injected and supercharged combinations. Modern times have added a third wheel to the power adder wars, with twin-turbocharged engine combinations becoming prominent players for the better part of a decade. They’ve caused a ruckus and added to the lure that makes Pro Modified interesting. As NHRA Pro Stock fights for its identity and existence, the Pro Modified ranks across the country show strength with diversity and growing interest. IHRA has dropped the program, but the J&A Service Pro Mod category in NHRA has stepped up as the premier association for the top doorslammers in the world. PDRA continues to be a leader in the eighth-mile Pro Mod world, but rather than showcase a mix of all the key power adders, the officials have it broken down to a true outlaw class with Pro Xtreme, the nitrous-only Pro Nitrous eliminator, and a boost-only Pro Boost category. NMCA officials have taken the route of NHRA and decided to keep all three power adders in one class with its Xtreme Pro Modified, but run with bigger power adders, lighter weights, and an eighth-mile course.

While 27 years has passed, the struggle to maintain an even playing field has kept racing officials busy in all organizations. Nitrous engines used to check in around the 706c.i. range, but now go to around 903c.i. in NHRA and 950 to 960c.i. in PDRA and NMCA. The supercharged world is still bound by a Roots-style blower in Pro Boost, Xtreme Pro Mod, and NHRA. PDRA and NMCA have no limit on overdrive, but NHRA started at 20 percent overdrive for 2017, only to be backed off after some teams gapped the rest of the field. Compressor sizing and minimum weight have limited the turbocharged setup in NMCA and PDRA’s Pro Boost, but NHRA has chosen a unique boost limit number. During the past few years, the twin 88mm turbochargers were only allowed to produce 38 psi, which then went down to 36 psi and recently moved to 34 psi. Despite nitrous and supercharged cars winning most of the NHRA races, the turbocharged combinations have had hints of greatness, but still took the brunt of the rule change, again. For me, the constant chasing of the rules has always been fun to watch, as racers push harder and help develop better engines and power adders. It helps the class stay relevant, fun, and definitely thrilling. One doesn’t have to look at Pro Stock to see how a one-size-fits-all combination can hurt participation, excitement, and interest. And while the cars look more refined these days, since the tabletop wings and over-exaggerated bodies are gone, the differences and uniqueness under the hood is just as appealing for me. And if the rule makers can’t get it right over the past quarter-century, then maybe it was just never meant to be equal and fair. DRS

DragRacingScene.com 15

Video Rewind

RACING / PRODUCT / ENTERTAINMENT

To watch all the videos below, head to:

DragRacingScene.com/video-rewind Project Rover’s first pass Belvedere loses its rear end

This Plymouth Belvedere seems to have snapped the ladder bar, causing havoc on the whole rear end of the car during New England Dragway’s Nostalgia race in April. Fortunately, the driver walked away without any major injuries.

For original content, head over to DragRacingScene.com/videos.

“Project Rover” made its baseline passes of consistent 6.80s in the 1/8 mile, which is a great start to making the project car lighter, faster, and more consistent. You can follow along as we build Project Rover on dragracingscene.com.

Drag Week 2017

We shared this great video from Day Zero of this year’s Drag Week September 10-15. More than 300 cars were on the grounds for check-in and testing day at Cordova Dragway Park. The five-day racing marathon then traveled to Gateway Motorsports Park, Byron Dragway, and Great Lakes Dragawaybefore returning to Cordova for the final race day.

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Street Car Takeover Bowling Green 2017

Street Car Takeover is marketed as the premier motorsport tour of the year. We decided to make the drive up to Beech Bend Raceway Park to see what makes these events so special. 16 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Drag Racing Scene at the U.S.Nationals

DRS Man on the Scene Zach Straits spent the week at Indy filming the action. This morning music from the various teams in the pit areas was just one of many Facebook Live videos he posted during the event.

The U.S. Nationals is a special experience

he sights, sounds, and smells of the racetrack evoke such great feelings when it’s Labor Day Weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. The smell of grilling bacon wafts through the crisp morning air, and the alarm clock sounds of engines warming up indicate the track is coming to life, racers and their cars awakening from their twilight slumber. If you have ever even heard of drag racing, then you should know of the most infamous race of the year, Indy, or to drag racers, “The Big GO.” This one is our super bowl, a week-long event packed full of fun, food, hot rods, and racing! We have such great memories of this event. It’s so much more than the racing; it’s the whole experience. We line up our rigs next to family and friends, creating small neighborhoods within a large town. Riding around the pits, you’ll see grills, cookers, freezers, cornhole boards, tables, fire pits, tents, and even a sleeping bag strung between two motorhome slide-outs. We’ve bought bags of corn or shared vegetables brought from gardens at home. One racer makes his “lucky” fried green tomatoes that are a tradition. Many families have come for 40 or more years just to visit, watch, and enjoy. Though we race weekly, there are friends we only see once a year at Indy. Week-long vacations are used to attend the Division race the week before at Bowling Green, then create caravans to travel together and wait in line for the U.S. Nationals. Families come together from across the country (and Canada) and all backgrounds to form one huge family at the racetrack. There is not anything someone wouldn’t do to help another racer. There are always so many fun and special moments to enjoy, especially at the Big Go. Our kids, Madi and Adiayn, always get their school assignments so they will not get too far behind at school when they travel with Rick and me to the races. One of these assignments was to build a functioning model rocket. What better

place for our 14-year-old, Adiayn, to complete this cool assignment than at the biggest race of the year. It was extremely exciting to watch as a multitude of engineers ranging from 20-60 years old freely gave ideas and advice to help make this the most unique model rocket ever. Adiayn has always had an interest in the mechanical side of racing. He had decided at the age of seven to crew for his sister, who was racing a junior dragster. He enjoyed building cars, but never really desired to drive. All it took was one pass in a car to change his mind. Fast forward to the laidback setting of Indy this year. It was the perfect time for Adiayn’s dad to teach him how to lash the valves on the cars. Rick started by showing him on the Corvette, then turned him loose on the dragster. After Adiayn finished adjusting the valves on the dragster, Rick remarked, “In all of my years working on cars, it was the first time I worked with someone using words like radius and circumference.” As a parent, there is not a better place to raise your children. There are so many new experiences and life lessons to be learned at the racetrack, from a very diverse group of people. Most people would have to travel the world to find the blend of people with the knowledge and experiences we’ve met at Indy. The opportunities are endless, and the family you create at the track also provides a safe environment where kids can be kids. Of course, after all this enjoyment it is, after all, a race and winning a Wally at “The Big GO” is every racer’s dreams. A win at this race brings a type of recognition unlike any other national event or division race. Indy provides the best of the best from coast to coast going head to head until the last pair goes down the racetrack. After all is said and done, after all the winning and losing, after everything, we are all still the huge family that I wouldn’t change for the world! DRS See more on the Furr family racing team and supporting partners on the Furr Racing Facebook page at: FurrRacing

DragRacingScene.com 17

Hurricanes and helping friends

can’t exactly say how many days there are between my column deadline until the magazine goes to print, but I’m writing my column on 9-11. It is not only the day so many will never forget in NYC, but now also will be known as the day Hurricane Irma brought the worst Category 5 storm through my home state of Florida. I believe our home survived, but I won’t find that out for certain until we finally head home for the winter after Halloween. I started my column referring to this storm, because I am amazed by the way the racing community comes together to assist each other and also how so many race tracks opened their doors to not only racers, but anyone who needed a place to stay safe.

Hurricane Irma hit Florida while we were shooting the Super Chevy Show in Bristol, Tennessee. As we pulled into the gate on Wednesday, I noticed a lot of camper trailers everywhere. The first thing that went through my mind was ‘this is going to be a monster event this year.’ I later learned from track officials that these non-racing families were offered the facility as a place to escape from the storm. As it became clear the storm wasn’t going to miss Florida, I started seeing posts on Facebook from Atlanta and Darlington Dragways offering the same assistance for anyone needing a place to stay until this storm passed through. Multiple other dragstrips offered this same opportunity, and I want to give them all a shout out for their generosity. I am aware of several racers who brought their cars from Florida and raced Bristol, simply because they needed to get away, and knew they would be able to stay over if needed. I also want to mention all the racers who made hundreds of Facebook posts offering up their homes, shops, garages and anything a fellow racer may have needed to protect their family or race cars. Moving on to my cross-country adventures, we’ve finally completed three-quarters of our 2017 season. I haven’t been back to Bristol in three years due to scheduling conflicts, but my partners shoot most of their major events. There are many reasons why it’s so many peoples’ favorite place. Some will say it’s the facility, while others say it’s the scenery and incredible mountains that surround this place, or just the echo from listening to two Top Fuel cars. For me, it’s something completely different, and I am glad I had the opportunity to be reminded. 18 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

When I moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, from Ohio 25 years ago, it was for just two reasons: work and the southern hospitality I experienced every time my parents took me on vacation to the North Carolina coast. I realized something this weekend: I won’t be waiting three years this time to come back and hang out with the great people of Bristol. While out selling photos to the drivers and families, it became so apparent to me these racers in Bristol are simply out to have a great time and make sure visitors do as well. We always say we wish things were like they used to be back in the “good ole days,” and racing isn’t the same anymore. I’ve got an idea for you; take a trip back to Bristol and you’ll see what I am talking about. One last thing, make sure you grab a glass of some Old Smokey Moonshine and sit back, because chances are every person at the track will have a great story, and it won’t be about politics. Now before I get any backlash, 99 percent of the places I go I always enjoy each year. You simply just have to experience this place to understand. There’s a reason they say it’s “Bristol Baby.” As far as that other one percent goes, those of you who know me will be able to guess that one easily. DRS

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dragstrip. Memphis International Raceway was hosting a Super Chevy Show and I had a friend racing at the event who was able to obtain a crew wrist band so I could experience the starting line. Even after shooting just a few images of my friend and some additional cars on the starting line, I was hooked!

BRIAN BEERS PHOTOGRAPHY

What is your hometown?

Southaven, Mississippi, is where I call home. I have made a lot of friends at the ’strips in greater Tennessee and Mississippi area. Holly Springs Motorsports Park is specialized for grudge racing. There are lots of little country tracks like Fulton, Byhalia, and Moulton. And Memphis has all formats of racing, so I get to see everything from home-built cars to professionally-built dragsters and everything in between.

How did you get started in drag racing photography? In the Spring of 2013, I had just purchased my first high-end camera and it was my first time going to a

20 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

What type of cars do you photograph the most?

I shoot all types of cars and events, like bracket racing, grudge, no-prep, outlaw street, and Top Fuel. If it is fast with wheels, I am there.

What area tracks do you frequent the most?

The Mid-South offers a wide variety of racing. I can get incredible panning shots from

the bleachers at Memphis, and that’s a personal favorite of mine. It’s a very tight knit family at all of the tracks; everybody treats me like family.

What sets your photography apart from others?

I like to move around during the events and offer more than the standard three-quarter view image. Depending on what class I’m shooting, I’ll be in different locations on the track. I’ll go further down track for no-prep, since those guys are often on the bumpers and you never know who it’s going to be. For Pro Mod and those types of cars, I like being at the finish line to shoot parachute shots. Some of my favorites are found in the pits or on the return lane. In addition to capturing

the “moment,” I also like to think that my photos are always clear, sharp, and with colors that jump at you.

Who has influenced your photography?

I look up to Mark Rebilas and Rick Belden. Mark’s ability to capture the “it moment” and Rick’s portrait work are both very inspiring to me.

Tell us about your equipment. I have a couple of different setups. My main camera is a Nikon D500, with a Nikon 70-200mm lens. My 2nd camera is a Nikon D7100, with a Tokina 16-28mm lens. Each camera serves well for different situations and shooting locations at the track. BeersPhotography@Instagram BeersPhotography@Facebook

For even more info and pics, search “Brian Beers” at DragRacingScene.com.

DragRacingScene.com 21

A NIGHT WITH

Words: Todd Silvey Photos: Christopher Silvey and Todd Silvey

STREET

recently received a rare invitation from Oklahoma City native — and Street Outlaws star — Chuck Seitsinger to attend the first night of the cable TV show’s filming for the upcoming season. Well known for his “Death Trap” twin-turbo Mustang featured in the Drag Racing Scene summer issue, he placed us on his very short list of the entourage who can accompany each racer to the night’s competition. The other half of the “us” I mention was my son, Christopher. When Christopher entered college, he was already an eight-year veteran of the sport, driving junior and full-size dragsters and provided a storng case for his inclusion. “I deserve to go to this filming, because when girls in college found out I was a racer, they would ask me if I was on Street Outlaws,” Christopher says. “As someone who grew up in one of the most hardcore of racing families, I would roll my eyes at those comments. But here and now, I want to see what it’s all about.” A long drive from Illinois to Oklahoma City provided some good quality time for the two of us. When we rolled into town early, we did what any good gearhead tourist would do; visit the Farmtruck and AZN shop, well known as being open to the public and filled with all kinds of T-shirts and Street Outlaws trinkets available for purchase. With some time killed, we made our way out to Thunder Valley Dragway, where we were to meet up with

22 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

We watch the highly-rated street racing show begin filming their 10th season Seitsinger. He wanted to get a couple of test passes on the ’Stang before heading out to the secret filming location. The car made a pair of hard hits off of the starting line, with a little movement to the left. Back at the trailer, the data recorder was downloaded and viewed, and some adjustments were made, via the laptop on the roof of the Mustang. Comparable to the life of the traditional drag racer, Seitsinger took some moments to visit with some local fans who had gathered almost immediately

when he pulled in the gate an hour before. He had a busy day between a sponsor’s exhibit of the car during the day, rushing to make a couple of test hits, and then rapidly loading the car — because they were running behind — to get to the location of the night’s filming. “We will discuss a couple of more adjustments to the suspension on the way to the track,” he called out to his team of friends. “Load her up; we gotta go!” And go they did. If you think one of these Street Outlaws can handle big

At the start of the night, the racers and film crews take their places for the initial drivers’ meeting. The entire filming process is passive, letting the racers do their thing while the video crews record it... There is no ‘scripting’ of preplanned words or actions.

OUTLAWS horsepower cars on the street, you should see them aggressively manipulate a 30-foot race trailer on an Oklahoma interstate during evening rush hour. Out at race night, we were met by a sheriffs’ roadblock about a mile from the actual racing/filming location. We were vetted for entrance through multiple stages of identification, list confirmation, and signing our lives away on paperwork stating we granted the use of our likeness during filming, plus your average liability waivers. Surprisingly not on the waivers was a threat to not divulge anything about the outcome of the evening. It did come later in the form of an eye-to-eye understand-

ing from the crew that we were not to post cell phone images or on social media about anything taking place at the night’s event. When you walk around with a $2,000 camera, producers take notice and make their desires clear to you rather quickly. So, if you thought you might get a glimpse of who raced who at the first filming of 2017 here in print, well… nope. From here on out, you will read about the sights, sounds, and “scene” of race night. The first airing of the show’s fall season will air around the same time as this issue, so make sure to tune in to season 10, episode 1 and you might see our mugs in the background.

As the street racers arrived and cars were first rolled out of their trailers, the production crews were immediately wiring them inside and out with small GoPro-style cameras. It is evident there is a synergy between the racers, their crew, and the filming staff working together like a ballet for the ultimate goal: to race hard and let the filming crew capture it. It is a job within itself, and an observer has to be mindful of where they are standing to not get in the way of all of the activity. This is the point in the evening where the questions I was pondering for the entire 11-hour drive to “the OKC” were answered. This racing is all real; there was no scripting, no director pointing in

DragRacingScene.com 23

The night started with little or no remnants of rubber on the street surface from the previous season. You can see it didnt take long for the pimp juice and fresh rubber to have their positive effect in each lane.

various directions, barking “now Shawn, you say this” and “Fireball, you say that and wave your arms around.” The night was made up of real match racing and related drama, where the personalities did their thing, and the film crew was in what I call a “passive” mode. They worked diligently to be at the right place at the right time as racers talked to one another, negotiated, BS’ed each other, and prepared to race. The production crew is a massive group. There were three “mobile” crews, each with multiple cameras, lighting, remote microphone recording, and other staff running around with laptops to log what was going on during each minute of filming. Before any race action took place, there was a very active conversation be-

tween racers “Daddy Dave” Comstock, Seitsinger, and Shawn Ellington. It was interesting to watch these guys interact as if no one was around. There may have been an entourage of filming crew recording the banter, but in such a way that they were not affecting the jabber. Static crew manned the cameras at trackside, which was its own flurry of activity. What appears on television as a simple out-of-the-way road is filled with high-tech portable lighting, multiple boom cameras, zip line cameras, and even drones to catch the street action. The schedule of events for the evening played out just as seen on TV. First up was the drivers’ meeting, where all of the competitors met on the starting line. Discussion took place concerning the evening match-ups, and the

We met up with Chuck Seitsinger out at Thunder Valley Dragway, where he made a couple of test hits in the afternoon before race night. Chassis adjustment tweaks were discussed, and some fine tuning done through the FAST XFI Engine Management System, using a laptop on the roof of the Mustang. 24 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

pit flurry began as each team prepared. On “action night,” the community law enforcement protected the area from onlookers, just ask the two young gentlemen who tried to sneak into the filming area by taking a long walk through an adjacent field. They were quickly met by officials who escorted the bewildered young bucks to those carrying badges. With callouts made, the evening took shape as the cars and their stars got ready to race. The cars arrived mechanically prepared for competition, but in proper heads-up street car fashion, the laptop that sets up the ignition, fuel mapping, and boost control became the main tool of the evening. “We have pet names for our cars, Dad, but these guys should name their laptops since they spend more time tapping on the keyboard instead of spinning wrenches,” Christopher told me. “I would love to see all of the inner workings of those computer controls to see how they get down this street.” As my son and I walked around from trailer to trailer, I recommended we not speak to anyone until we got a feel of the intensity of race night. Are these guys of the “don’t bother me, I’m a star” attitude, or will they happily talk your leg off during a slow moment of their night? The perception I immediately got is some are genuine racers, but others are legends in their own minds. To observe the “stars” of the show was to take in the huge personalities you pretty much derive from your Monday night viewing of the show. Jerry Johnston, known as “Monza”, is a tall overseer of his surroundings; he made deliberate tinkering adjustments to his car, while sizing everyone up around him at the same time. Don’t look at the Cama-

What do two gearhead clowns do when you get in town early? You stop by the Farmtruck and AZN shop and do some cheesy selfies with the famed “call out box.”

ro (or him) for too long; he is likely to give you the serious “stink eye” and blow a puff of cigarette smoke in your face. Ryan “Fireball” Martin is every bit the super-analyst he appears to be on the show. If he is not overseeing adjustments to the car, he has his face deep into his laptop on the roof of the Camaro, poring over charts and data. Last but not least, Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington is one of the more personable individuals of the group. He is constantly interacting with everyone at a rabbit’s pace, seemingly interested in what others have to say, while also mastering his own race duties. It was pushing 11 p.m., and no racing had yet taken place. It did give us time to absorb the race area and the flurry of

preparation there. The “street” itself was nothing more than a typical industrial complex side street of concrete. With only a few remnants of rubber from the previous season, there was no secret preparation to make the racing surface more than a daily-driven surface. One of the interesting aspects was the “pimp juice” used for burnouts and traction compound applied to the racing surface. (see sidebar). Any “Sticky” street surface was nonexistent at the start of the night, but quickly became a part of the first few hundred feet with each burnout and launch. This is why the show exhibits the challenge between racers at the start of the night on the raw concrete as part of the high drama. Upon close observation, the cars were as high tech as any car competing in NMCA or Lights Out style events. It was interesting to see some of the subtle technical differences making up the Street Outlaws fleet, like the lack of standard radiators in some cars. Weight transfer is king when it comes to these cars, and water cooling boxes are diligently filled time after time with water and copious amounts of ice. All of that extra weight from a radiator is relocated from the front end and plumbed, in many cases, to the passenger compart-

The pits are the same road as the racing surface. The business subdivision outside the ‘undisclosed’ town features a road where no buildings have been constructed yet. The area is remote and safe from any streetside obstructions.

As Joe ‘Dominator’ Woods and James ‘Reaper’ Goad walk the road and discuss strategy, the camera crews maintain their distance and let them do their thing.

PIMP JUICE: IT’S NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE The attempt to gain any bit of additional traction at no prep or street racing is paramount. Those who race on the barren streets or “no-prep” events rely heavily on “pimp juice” applied between the slicks and surface in the burnout area. After a handful of applications by means of mega-burnouts, this magical compound can almost pull you out of your sneakers like a national event starting line.

Just like the hidden secrets of cubic inches, secret nitrous kits, and any other gained advantage in outlaw racing, the magical compound differs by racer. The concoction of pimp juice is typically a blend of VP Lane Choice, methanol, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), VHT, acetone, and, yes, even cola fountain syrup is mentioned. Regardless, if one, two, or all of these chemicals are mixed into an old plastic jug, each racer thinks their magic pimp juice is best and the reason why they might have just beaten you. The magic potion may differ, but the saying stays the same: “If yo tires are slippin’, then you ain’t pimpin.’” Even the lighting of the flammable compounds after application to the street surface broadens the theatrics. In any case, if you think street racers are secretive about their engine combos, just ask them about their pimp juice. It’s the stuff (urban) legends are made of.

Is Oklahoma City hardcore? While driving through a suburb before race night, we happened upon a test patch of pimp juice and 15-inch wide tire marks. No one was in sight, but the pimp juice would still yank you out of your sneakers. DragRacingScene.com 25

ment or trunk. The extensive use of weight bars is also a predominant part of this style of chassis tuning. I should have expected nothing less when it comes to putting this kind of power to this kind of pavement. As each pair raced, the starting line procedure was noticeably drawn out compared to the TV presentation. Multiple burnouts and copious use of the pimp juice between the slicks and the street were combined with adjustments and control panel punching from within the cockpit. Eventually, Justin “Big Chief” Shearer lined the cars up and sent them down the street via flashlight. Cameras rolled furiously as the pair screamed down the street. As someone who has watched racing from that vantage point for almost half a century, I had never seen the violence and instability these cars and racers battle on a normal basis. Everyone waited for the official call to come from the top of the track via the radio in Shearer’s hand, then everyone cheered or jeered at the outcome (just as seen in the show). I’ve been privy to the Chicago stockyards street racing activities a number of times before, and the mental games unfold on race night pretty much as expected. At a real dragstrip, the clocks and win light do not lie, and the racers are affixed on the computerized win light. Here on the street, it’s all about gamesmanship – too many burnouts, quick staging, burndowns, jumping the flashlight, and a list of arguable outcomes as long as some of the tattooed arms in attendance. As opinionated as race night is among the competitors, there is a visible brotherhood between the teams. They may want to choke the crap out of each other in the fervor of racing, but at the end of a very late night, they are as close knit as any other group of hardcore racers. Yes, it was late. By the time 4 a.m. rolled around, a mere handful of races had taken place. Talking to one camera person, he explained racing kicks off slow on the very first night of annual filming, but gets rolling as the season moves forward. Christopher and I climbed into my pickup following our experience. I asked my son if it was everything he thought it would be, and I think he summed it up perfectly. “Many things were more realistic than I expected and these guys were sure as hell racing with some pretty legit cars!” DRS Search “OKC Street Outlaws” at DragRacingScene.com for much more on our night with the Street Outlaws. 26 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

It’s a constant effort to stay out of the way of the flurry of activity in the pit area. Camera crews film Ryan ‘Fireball’ Martin buckling up. At the same time, other crew members are checking the cameras fastened to the car while others log every bit of filming with laptops.

In an effort to move any possible weight towards the rear of the car, many Street Outlaws utilize a circulating water box in lieu of a radiator. Lots of ice is fed into the box before each pass.

On or off camera, the interaction is all the same such as James ‘Doc’ Love, Jerry ‘Monza’ Johnston, and Justin ‘Big Chief’ Shearer talking between the action.

Street Outlaws guest is the cornerstone of outlaw racing in Memphis

JJ WHO? Words & Photos: Brian Beers

iscovery Channel’s popular Street Outlaws show based in Oklahoma City is spreading across the country. Their first spin-off series films in New Orleans, and now, the Memphis outlaw street racing scene is getting its own exposure through a particular group of racing personalities, cars, and action, both on the track and on the streets. Last fall, I was on my way home from the Battle of the North vs. South at Greater Evansville Dragway when my phone began to blow up with messages. The messages all said the same

thing: “JJDaBoss wants to talk to you.” I was thinking to myself, “who is this JJDaBoss?” I finally pulled over for gas and returned the call, not knowing exactly what I should expect. When I finally got in touch with JJ, he explained he was having a No Prep race at Speedy’s Newport Dragway in Newport, Arkansas, and wanted me to cover the event. I made the drive to Newport with no idea of car count or even what a No Prep event was. When I arrived, I walked the track as I do at all new locations. I was not impressed; any

Jamie Otts’ ‘Killer Cab’ 1955 Chevy squares off with ‘Mustang Mike’ Gage in ‘Unpredictable.’

28 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Walmart parking lot would be a better place to race. The track is an old runway with weeds growing out of cracks in the middle of the racing surface. My first impressions were laid to rest, though, when I saw cars taking off on their back bumper. I finally hooked up with Ms. Precious Cooper, who kindly introduced me to JJ (born Jonathan Day 43 years ago). He took me behind a trailer, where he greeted me with a handshake and hearty “thanks for making the drive over.” I asked for a shot list, and he told me just to do my thing. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a stack of cash, peeled some bills off, and handed them to me. His parting words were “make us look good.” I was unprepared for the madness that ensued, and

has consumed a large part of my free time since that first meeting. JJDaBoss is a big personality made for TV. He is highly focused all the time, whether being dead serious about his racing or enjoying himself with the fans. He has intensity when working, being in “swagger mode” at an outlaw race on the streets. When you take him off the street for a No Prep event, he is a completely different person. He’s funny, tells jokes, and everybody wants to be around him. I’ve seen big shot racers be rude to everybody, but I’ve never seen JJ be rude to anybody. JJ is also a different person when away from the TV cameras. When he is on TV, he doesn’t interact with the public. When he is at one of his No Prep events, he is often surrounded by a group of kids. He has 11 of his own, so children tend to gravitate to him. The Memphis Street Outlaws are all dynamic personalities as part of the group. They’re all keyboard warriors on the internet, but when they show up to race, they’re in their element. They joke among each other and are friendly, but once it’s time to race they’re ready to go. They’ve tried their best to get in the other’s head on the internet and dive right in where they left off in the forums come race time. At the first race I attended, David “Bird” Jones pointed to Jackie ;; in the Sonoma truck and said, “I want you first.” They went back, got in their cars, and drove right back up and raced. They’re just down to earth people, and it’s easy to get to know them even though it may seem different on the internet. It’s intense, but it’s also all part of the fun. I compare it to a bracket race I’ve been to where someone loses and parts start flying. I’ve seen a racer get bumped out in the first round and go back to his trailer, kick his cooler, throw his fire suit into the trailer, and just be red-faced. I’ve never seen that type of attitude from these No Prep grudge racers. If they lose, they walk away, realizing it’s just a race and there’s always the next opportunity to do it all over again. I shot several No Prep events for JJ at racetracks before I received a private group message reserved for the Memphis Street Outlaws. The message said that a day race had been planned in a bean field and I was invited. Finally, some real street racing was on the agenda, and I was ready to see what it was all about. I met JJ that day near Tunica, Mississippi, and made a wild 45-minute drive into the Delta before arriving at our fi-

JJ is great with the kids and is constantly surrounded for autographs. He is also known for tattooing a few competitors’ shirts like Jerry ‘Monza’ Johnston from the O.K.C. chapter.

Part of JJ’s fleet is the ‘52 Chevy truck called ‘Ole Heavy,’ driven this night by another popular character in the Memphis scene, Precious Cooper. DragRacingScene.com 29

nal destination. We were on a narrow road in the middle of a bean field. This was an arranged race at the end of a private dead-end road and signs had been placed at the entrance to the street. The property owners were aware and stationed on either side of the road with no access by the public. JJ held the drivers’ meeting and let everybody know the rules for the day: Chase is a race, and you can cross the center line. This was new for most drivers. Essentially, if one of the drivers left before the flashlight and the other driver chased him, it was a race to the finish line with no disqualification. There was no “red-light” unless the other driver sat completely still and didn’t move at all. It takes a split decision to determine if it’s better to sit still and hope it was a DQ, or chase the driver down and hope to catch him. It was a wild night. One pairing ended up catching the bean field on fire. Brian Britt and Dennis Bailey were racing each other, when Dennis crossed the line and ran Brian into the gravel on the right side of the road. Brian over-corrected, and he crossed back over to the left side onto the banking of the hill and into the 3-foot-high grass. When he came to rest, his headers caught the grass on fire. The crew pushed the car out of the grass, but couldn’t get it over the ditch quick enough and the hood of the car caught fire as well. It took a

He may be the boss of the Memphis races, but JJDaBoss also earns his respect with his Chevy II known as ‘Heifer,’ predominantly on the top of the Memphis list.

Precious Cooper in her ‘Puddle Jumper’ Chevy II exhibits that the ‘small tire’ contingent of Outlaws is still a very big part of the Memphis scene.

Multi-car competitors aren’t just for the drgstrip as Brian Britt races both the ‘Assassin’ Camaro and ‘Assassin II’ Chevy II. 30 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Jason Carpenter’s show-worthy Camaro still takes on the mean streets of Memphis.

blower and a floor mat to beat the grass fire out. This episode meant the end of allowing the crossing of the center line. It is those unorthodox style races that caught the eye of the Discovery Channel and brought the Oklahoma City guys together with the Memphis teams. On the Season 9 finale, JJDaBoss and the Memphis Street Outlaws traveled to “the 405” to square off with the original Street Outlaws. The race was run JJ style with JJ rules, including Chase is a Race. You won’t get any spoilers from me, but a year after meeting these guys, I walked onto the location for the filming of JJdaBoss’ Memphis Street Outlaws. From the beginning, he has had bigger dreams than anyone around him. He has set a goal to show the world that some of the best street racers in the country come from the MidSouth. His ability to build and keep his highly-competitive team together has earned him the name JJDaBoss. Viewers will continue to see the Memphis guys doing their thing on the back roads of the area, so stay tuned. DRS Search “Memphis Street Outlaws” at DragRacingScene.com for much more on our night with the Street Outlaws.

SAVE THE Words & Photos: Todd Silvey

CRANK

A racing crankshaft isn’t necessarily a disposable component

acing cranks adhere to the tightest tolerances. Typically, the machined surfaces on today’s racing crankshafts are held to a .0003-inch (or better) tolerance right out of the manufacturer’s box. Those precision ground tolerances provide excellent load-carrying surfaces leading to a longer life for the crank and bearing surfaces under the massive torsional load they endure in a racing application. In the realm of drag racing, the stress imposed on a crankshaft is incredible when converting the radial forces from the piston and rod to the rotating motion of the crankshaft. The best materials and machining tolerances in your engine components are at war with the abuses of high rpm, clutches, torque converters, and launches. The list of crankshaft-hating scenarios goes on and on. 32 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Ray Darner is head of the Ohio Crankshaft team that grinds new racing cranks for their constant 1,200 racing crank inventory, but also repairs over 500 cranks per year for customers.

A prime example of a cost-effective crank repair is this unit that had a damaged main and rod bearing journal. The bearing material you see embedded in the crank will be machined away prior to welding as it will contaminate the welding process.

g A metallic liquid solution soaks the crankshaft while an ultraviolet black light is shined on the inspected areas. The electric field is disrupted around any cracks, which concentrates the fine metal particles, making any cracks visible that can’t be seen by the naked eye (arrow).

This crank is carefully fixtured for welding. The welder torch is carefully programmed to follow the stroke and journal size of a rod journal while the crank is rotated at an exact rpm.

Magnetic particle testing, popularly known as the ‘Magnafluxing,’ happens when a ring of electrical current produces a magnetic field around the crankshaft or any other metal engine component requiring inspection for cracks.

The failure of a rod or journal bearing is the most common calamity in the torturous bottom end of a racing engine. Other common failures include the thrust bearing area, typically located on the rear journal of the block. The crankshaft itself can incur damage without bearing failure. General wear of the crankshaft surfaces can go outside of tolerable dimensions, and cracks or bending can take place. Before you go and toss that damaged high-dollar crankshaft into the scrap heap, there are very viable repair techniques for these described scenarios. Of course, the simplest repair is to regrind the typical rod and main journal to a smaller diameter, thus cleaning up the damage. Though bearings are readily available to compensate for the reduced crank journal diameter after a “regrind,” many debate the strength of a crankshaft beyond the typical .010/.010 clean-up. We will save that debate for another tech article. There are reputable crankshaft specialists like Ohio Crankshaft who have the skills and machinery to repair your expensive crankshafts so they live to fight another day. Ohio Crankshaft not only stocks more than 1,200 crankshafts for motorsport and hot rod applications, but they also inspect and repair hundreds of crankshafts per year. Their crank repair reputation ranges from motorsports to mega-sized cranks for agriculture and industrial applications. Ohio Crankshaft is also relied upon by many leading auto restorers to resurrect irreplaceable vintage crankshafts. “Racing crankshafts are reasonably straightforward when it comes to maDragRacingScene.com 33

terial and hardening processes used,” Ohio Crankshaft owner Stan Ray explains. “We also repair crankshafts ranging from huge air compressors, to 7 1/2 feet long Allison aircraft engine cranks, to WWll aircraft. Some of these repairs get tricky with unique materials and hardening processes. We have mastered many welding and heat treating processes over the years for so many different crank materials.” Ray recommends the first step in crankshaft repair is the analysis of the damaged unit. “We always recommend the customer gives us a call to describe in detail what kind of crankshaft they have and what general damage it has before spending the dollars in shipping,” Ray continues. “Though we can successfully repair some pretty severe damage, we just hate to see someone spend the money to ship us a crank that is beyond repair. More importantly, we can usually listen to what kind of crankshaft they have, along with the damage description, and derive if we can repair it. Today’s digital photos and email can help us be spot-on with repair diagnosis too.” Once a crank arrives it is given a thorough inspection through magnetic particle testing, popularly known as the “Magnaflux” process. A ring of electrical current produces a magnetic field around the crankshaft. A liquid solution containing fine iron powder flows over the crankshaft. A crack in the metal will disrupt the magnetic field, thus concentrating the liquid/metal mix at the crack. An ultraviolet black light clearly illuminates any cracks typically invisible to the naked eye. We followed Ray Darner through the repair process. Darner has more than 30 years of experience in crankshaft grinding and repair at Ohio Crankshaft. “The entire repair process is based on knowing what process works best for each crank we repair,” Darner tells us. “Different welding wire, welding heat, and welding speed are factored into every repair.” Before the welding process, the crankshaft surfaces to be welded are lightly ground to remove any foreign materials, like bearing material, embedded in the crank. Crank journals can also be out of round at the damaged surfaces, so this also provides an even journal for welding. At the welding station, Ohio Crankshaft uses “Submerged Arc” machinery considered to be the most effective way to get proper penetration of material build-up for re-machining. This welding process allows gravity-fed flux to completely cover the point of the arc from a 34 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

The submerged arc welding process uses a granular flux that flows over the active weld. This is an example of a very popular crankshaft repair option performed when the thrust flange becomes worn from transmission or clutch/torque converter issues. This flange can then be welded and re-machined to proper dimensions.

The granular flux not only creates a shielding gas to keep impurities from the air out of the weld arc, it creates a slag of molten flux surrounding the weld as it cools. it also prevents weld splatter from damaging other areas on the crankshaft.

The completed weld shows the careful welding of both the bearing face and radiused corners. Note the heat colorization on the crank surrounding the weld.

The straightening station is used many times during the repair process to make sure welding and machining are not altering the crankshaft. Staff experience keeps everything to dimension without overcorrecting during the hydraulic straightening operation.

A repaired crank is then machined and re-ground in the same high-tech machinery used to create Ohio Crankshaft’s new product lines.

At the final station, every dimensional tolerance is checked again over the entire crankshaft, and then each machined surface is polished to specification.

The pre-heating and post-heating processes are different between brands and crank material with Ohio Crank’s multiple ovens. Each crank is handled differently for the best outcome.

high-amperage MIG welder. As with any welding process, a flux creates a gas that shields the welding arc from impurities in the general air we breathe. The welding machine is set up similar to the crankshaft grinder. If a rod journal that rotates outside of the crankshaft centerline requires welding, the welder is programmed to move with the rod-stroke to keep an exact distance between the welder tip and the journal motion. “We pay close attention to the straightness of the crank throughout the repair process,” Darner describes. “From the beginning and throughout the welding and regrinding steps, we make sure the crank remains dimensionally straight. We also pay very close attention to repairing of the radius at each side of a journal to the specs. This part of the repairing process is where experience pays off. Weld penetration can change between the journal face and the radiused ends. Knowing your various brands and material makeup of each crank pays off.” The straightening process is not exactly high tech, but the savvy straightening process is more of an art than a science. The hydraulic crank press station is strategically located between the welding and grinding stations inside the Ohio Crankshaft facility. This station is filled with fixtures and multiple dial indicators that monitor many points along the length of the crank. Hydraulic pressure is applied to “bend” the crank back to proper tolerances. “This is where experience pays off,” Darner smiles. “We know how much counter-bending is needed to any given crank and expect it to return the proper tolerance. It’s kinda like baking cookies; you just get experienced in what it takes between a 5140, 4340, or billet crank to bring it back to straight in one shot without going too far. “Our experience goes into any heating of the crankshaft needed before and/or after the repair process,” Darner points out. “Depending on the crankshaft material and what kind of heat treating it had as a new product, we follow any pre- or post-oven time to hold the strength it had from its manufacturer.” Great care goes into the starting point between the grinder and the welded surface, as not to be too aggressive or put unnecessary heat into the welded area, but crank welding and repair is becoming a more viable option when it comes to repairing a damaged engine to get back on the ‘strip without breaking the bank. DRS Source: Ohio Crankshaft, ohiocrank.com

DragRacingScene.com 35

SQUARE BODY Words: Laurie Silvey Photos: Todd Silvey

LLET The Malibu powerplant is a 632 Chevy with a Ron’s Terminator injection and NX Stage 6 nitrous plate system enriched with alcohol. They used an Edelbrock intake, AFR heads, Dart block, Jesel rockers, and COMP Cams pushrods. Their plans are to run some heads-up Outlaw 632 class racing this fall.

ob McGee grew up drag racing with his dad Ron McGee, Sr. and brother Ron McGee, Jr., who ran IHRA Top Sportsman for a year before being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and having to leave the sport. “I always had Ford Mustangs, and my dad always had Chevys,” Rob says. “In 2005, both he and my brother passed away. I got away from drag racing and competed in racing quad runners for a while. That’s where I learned to bend cages. Racing off-road, you have to rebuild them a lot, so I bought a bender. I got good at it.” Five years ago, at the age of just 37, Rob’s wife had a stroke that left her paralyzed and unable to speak, so he thought it was time to get back into a safer sport. “We went back to drag racing and have been racing for the past five years,” Rob says. “We had a tube chassis ’96 Monte Carlo the first couple of years. We tried running the Top Sportsman field at Eddyville Raceway and qualified for it, but always on the bump. We knew we needed to build a car that could make the field every time.” He decided the only way he could afford to build a good car was to build it entirely himself. “That’s how this ’81 Malibu came about,” Rob says. “We found a body style that was something no one else had and was cool too. We started building the car in September last year. I initially told my son, Devin, it would take about two years to do it. We worked in the garage a lot of nights until one or two in the morning. It went smoothly, and we finished early.” Rob had never built an entire car on his own. He had helped with pieces and parts on his Mustangs before, but constructing the complete car from scratch was a new experience. Devin working beside him was added incentive. “Devin is really good,” Rob says. “We have always spent time in the garage together. He is computer smart and figures out and bends pipe well, using the Prosoft software for our bender. But, he has no interest in welding. He will bend all the pipe, notch it, and help me fit it, but when it comes to welding, he’ll just walk away. No interest in even picking up the welder.” Devin remained fully involved with working on the car and wanted the best of everything for the project. “Devin’s hands were on every inch of this car while we were building it, “Rob says. “I wanted to try to go cheap in a couple of places, but he told me we weren’t just building a race car, we’re building a show car. Everything I wanted to go cheap on, he was dead against.” DragRacingScene.com 37

The ’81 Malibu has a stock shell and has all of the stock lights with LED bulbs and a stock grill. The doors, front clip, and 5-inch cowl hood are all Glasstek fiberglass, and the trunk lid is from Harwood. All of the Lexan windows were cut and sized by Devin and Rob. They wanted to keep the body clean and stock-looking, so they laid on Dark Gray Metallic paint. The all-custom aluminum interior was also a McGee project. They added a fiberglass dash and Racepak digital dash for gauges. The 2x3 mild steel frame rails, strut front end, and four-link rear suspension were also home-built. There is a 9-inch rear end with 4.56 gears and Moser 35-spline axles. Magnum 2.0 wheels are on Mickey Thompsons in front and rear. Power is provided by a 632c.i. bigblock Chevy, with a Ron’s Terminator injection and NX Stage 6 nitrous plate system enriched with alcohol. They used an Edelbrock intake, AFR heads, Dart block, Jesel rockers, and COMP Cams push rods. Power is transferred through a Reid case Powerglide, with TCI flexplate and Coan 10-inch converter. They shift with a TCI Outlaw Shifter with Shifnoid. Rob and Devin spent every free day and night working on the car, and after four months, the car was tested in the south in early February 2017. At their local Eddyville Dragway, they have run a best time of 5.02, spraying nitrous for three and a half seconds. Later, at the No Prep race at Eddyville, they ran 5.05, spraying nitrous down the entire track. “Devin was able to feel the tires slipping going down the track during the No Prep, but it went straight as an arrow,” Rob says. “He didn’t have to steer it or anything.”

Plans are to run some Outlaw 632, starting with the No Mercy 8 event in Georgia in October. “We plan to spray 250 hp down the whole track at Eddyville and hopefully get it into the 4.80s soon,” Rob says. “If we can get into the 4.80s, we’ll be able to qualify at No Mercy. We’ll have to add 100 pounds to the car unless Devin lets me take the wheelie bars off the car. He’s a little gun shy of doing that be-

cause I flipped my old Monte Carlo over backward once.” Rob and Devin are extremely proud of the car they’ve built. “I have had probably five people here wanting to buy it in the past few months,” Rob says. “They want me to give them a price, but I just can’t. I just built the car, it’s brand new, and it works for us. I built it with my son to go racing, and that’s what we’re going to do.” DRS

Rob and Devin McGee are extremely proud of their four-month wonder. The workmanship shows, and the car is performing exactly how the father and son team hoped.

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Wicked Quick

ATI’s Turbo 400 valve body makes a technology leap

here are many racing transmission components on the market featuring a laundry list of improvements in just the past few years. Some notable components displaying a big jump in technology include the ATI Performance valve bodies and transbrakes for the Turbo 400 racing transmission. Since ATI released their Turbo 400 Supercase aftermarket transmission case, they have also put fresh engineering efforts towards the internal components. ATI Performance valve bodies are broken down into two product lines. The Compu-Flow valve bodies are a modified valve body/transbrake based around the factory Turbo 400 cast iron unit. The factory maze of valving inside of an OEM valve body is modified to provide better shifting action for racing applications. The iron valve bodies are also modified with transbrake circuitry and have been a proven part of drag racing technolo-

40 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Words: Todd Silvey gy for decades that are still a popular, cost-effective option for racing. The aluminum valve bodies are often referred to by racers as “Pro” brakes and/or “Safety” transbrakes. They are called “Pro” brakes because they offer a faster release and work well for the best reaction times when competing on a pro tree. ATI has worked diligently to ensure their line of “Pro” brakes is the quickest release available on the market today; hence the title “Wicked Quick.” The “Safety” brakes designation stems from the fact that you MUST apply your trans-

brake button, in addition to being in the reverse circuit of your transmission, to actually back up your race car. This ensures you cannot accidentally apply reverse while moving forward. The redesigned transbrake valve body originated on the popular Powerglide racing transmission application where the pattern was P-R-N-2-1. Since many racers would shift from second gear into neutral at the end of a pass, a broken or worn shifter or linkage, or the actual momentum of the components at high RPM inside of the trans, could accidentally apply reverse. That action locks up the transmission, drivetrain, and tires, and usually ends with engine and transmission catastrophes, or worse. “We have been working very hard on all of the components for the Turbo 400,” JC Beattie says. “Our Wicked Quick line of billet aluminum valve bodies is a total redesign of the internal hydraulic passages, as well as the transbrake release. The internal brake solenoid and fluid dump for the transbrake are relocatWith a freshly engineered valve body, the pilot circuits are redesigned with direct paths. This results in quicker brake releases and multiple shifting options in multiple part numbers.

The E-Quick Electronic Shift Reverse Manual Valve Body utilizes solenoid-controlled 1-2 and 2-3 shift functions. These shift solenoids from this new valve body can be wired into a late model electronic control unit and shifted with the racecar’s computer system.

ed exactly where it needs to be for the quickest release of the transbrake pressure from within the valve body.” Other fresh design features for the billet aluminum brakes include multiple shift options, two- and three-speed transmission designs, and revamped valve bodies incorporating a “clean neutral.” Clean neutral refers primarily to the location of neutral in the shift pattern, but to ATI, it means much more. A standard T400 forward pattern is P-R-N-3-2-1. A reverse pattern would be P-R-N-1-2-3. A clean neutral pattern looks like P-R/ N-1-2-3-N, putting neutral all the way at the end and behind high gear. This allows the driver to shift into neutral safely at the end of the run. (Remember, Any ATI CN VB (clean neutral valve body) is going to be a safety brake, so the R position will act as a neutral, since you have to push the button to back up.) “The ATI Performance design is nothing like some other ‘clean neutral’ products offered out there,” Beattie explains. “Where ATI differs is in the fact that some other clean neutral valve body designs simply move the N neutral position. Even though it says neutral, it actually still allows fluid to go to the forward drum, and the vehicle can still move forward under throttle.” Conversely, ATI’s clean neutral is a complete hydraulic dump of all fluid going to both the forward and direct drums. The transmission dyno sheets from ATI illustrate that the rpm of your engine can come down to an idle much faster than with comparable clean neutral products. If you look at the ATI valve body options list, the “band apply” and “engine braking” references in valve body descriptions cite the intermediate band in the Turbo 400. You will see most reverse manual valve bodies and

transbrake valve bodies labeled as “no band apply.” This means there is no engine braking upon deceleration while in first or second gears. If you pull the shifter from third to second and lift off the throttle, the engine will come to an idle. The intermediate band would normally apply, clamping around the direct drum, causing the engine braking affect. The intermediate band

has a sole purpose to downshift from third to second gear in a factory stock transmission. It is very common in racing transmission applications to delete this band to eliminate the engine braking. There is also a “low band apply” reference. This refers to the low and reverse bands, which is located around the reaction carrier. ATI offers the “low band apply” as an option on its Turbo 400 aluminum valve bodies. If you are racing with an engine operating in the 2,800 hp range or making over 1,500 hp in a heavier car, ATI recommends using a low band apply valve body. When in low gear, all the load is placed on the forward sprag (also known as the low/roller sprag). By using a low band apply, this contributes significantly to the holding abilities of the transmission while in low gear and

Shown are the ATI solenoids for both the E-Quick Electronic Shift Reverse Manual Valve Body (right) and the Wicked Quick Lightweight Billet Aluminum Valve Body (left). The solenoids are located internally within the transmission on both of these applications. DragRacingScene.com 41

The Compu-Flow valve bodies are a modified valve body/ transbrake based around the factory Turbo 400 cast iron unit. These valve bodies have been a proven part of drag racing technology for decades and are still a popular, cost-effective option for racing. With this comparison to the ATI Performance billet aluminum valve body, you can see the direct path the the hydraulic circutry takes compared to a modified OEM unit.

as an additional benefit, prolongs the life of the low/roller sprag. “It is NEVER a good idea to downshift a transmission to low gear unless the vehicle is completely stopped,” Beattie explains. “Pulling it into low gear while it is still moving can cause premature failure, and ATI strongly advises against this action. You’ll damage the low roller sprag and/or the low reverse band.” There is yet another generation of valve body now available for the Turbo 400 from ATI Performance. The E-Quick Electronic Shift Reverse Manual Valve Body is an ultra-fast and lightweight billet aluminum valve body that uses a low band apply and solenoid-controlled 1-2 and 2-3 shift functions. This allows the Turbo 400 to be used in late model race cars utilizing computer control units. The shift solenoids from this new valve body can be wired into a late model electronic control unit and shifted with the car’s computer system. The valve body can also be used as a normal full manual shifting unit. It is ideal for racers utilizing a Turbo 400 racing transmission while also using computer-controlled shifting. Racers also take advantage of this valve body when competing in a class where air shifter-assists are not permitted. A transbrake option of the all-electric valve body is entering the final stages of production at press time. In the past, you would say a new engineering marvel was started with a fresh sheet of paper. Now that statement is a dated cliché, since computer-based engineering and related CNC machinery at ATI Performance places all these new valve bodies and transbrake options on an entirely new level of design. DRS Source: ATI Performance Products Inc., atiracing.com

42 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Current ATI valve body options for the Turbo 400 include: Compu-Flow (Iron) Valve Bodies 403100 - Street/Strip – auto-shifting and kick down functions • P-R-N-3-2-1 403200 - Reverse manual with no engine braking • P-R-N-1-2-3 403300 - Forward manual with engine braking • P-R-N-3-2-1 403080 - Reverse manual with trans brake – no button needed for reverse • P-R-N-1-2-3 Wicked-Quick Billet Aluminum Valve Bodies 403085 - Reverse Manual with transbrake. Brake operates in both first & second gear • P-R-N-1-2-3 403085CN - Same as above, but has clean neutral & low band apply • P-R-1-2-3-N 403086 - Two-speed unit. Brake works in both forward gears, forward pattern • P-R-N-2-1 403091 - This is the basic go-to shift pattern w/ transbrake • P-R-N-1-2-3 403087 - This is the 403091 valve body design with a low band apply, standard reverse pattern • P-R-N-1-2-3 403091CN - This is the 403091 valve body design with a clean neutral and low band apply • P-R-1-2-3-N

The Turbo 400 trans brake valve body comes with all installation hardware. In an OEM transmission case, the internal trans brake solenoid wire can pass through where the kickdown lever previously was located. In a new SFI transmission case, a wire pass through connector is available. ATI recommends the use of a minimum 16 gauge wire and a 20 amp fuse for the solenoid feed. The ATI solenoid only pulls a current draw of about 6-8 amps.

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ostalgia Funny Cars bring back the feeling of stepping back in time to the golden age of dragstrips. Spectators filled the stands in those days to see these ground-shaking floppers flying down the track. Two events that pay homage to those good old days of Funny Cars of the ’70s and ’80s took place in the northeast in July and August. The Funny Car Nationals moved to Keystone Raceway Park this year, with great success. Thirty Nostalgia Funny Cars from across the country were on site, providing what has been called the biggest and most exciting funny car event of 2017. “That was my youth watching the old cars fight to get down the track,” Bob Sweatland says. “That’s what got me into the class. I loved watching the funny cars run at Englishtown, so when I could drive one, I bought one.” Sweatland is owner of the Lill Miss Behavior 1984 Corvette. The car was 44 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Jami Russell and his father, Bob, were long-time round track racers until just a couple of years ago. They now campaign the Iron Outlaw Mustang II Nostalgia Funny Car throughout the east coast and are having a blast driving in straight lines.

Flopper competition in the Eastern U.S. is alive and well Words: Laurie Silvey Photos: Carl Skillman and Steve Vreatt

originally built as a Top Fuel car out of New York, but he’s had it for many years, turning driving duties over to his daughter, Bobbie Leigh, when she was 16. “She got married last year and wanted to take a year off, so I’ve been picking up her slack in driving duties,” Sweatland jokes. “I’m not the world’s best driver, but did pretty good this year. We were fighting a few gremlins during the weekend.” The Funny Car Nationals celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and Keystone Raceway Park promoters welcomed the event with open arms. Greg Miller has wanted the event at his facility for a while and put great effort into making it a huge success. “We were excited to race with a track that really wanted to pour extra effort into promoting it,” Kevin Johnson says. “I’ve been to all of them since the event started, and this was the single best event yet. Greg was so excited to get on board that they did so much more than the other tracks in the past.” Johnson runs the Quarter Pounder ’79 Trans Am built in 1980 for a Midwest racer. “It’s been run its whole life except for sitting idle for a few years,” Johnson says. “It was last campaigned by Bob and Cathy Floch on nitro. It’s still going strong. The car has a new look this year with a new paint scheme. It’s a 427 iron big-block Chevy, and with the blower, it should be running 7.20s consistently. I’ve had some issues this year, but put new slicks on it and am working it out, getting in the mid-7s now.” Dennis Salzwimmer and Jerry Streb of the Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Car Circuit put much hard work into making the race a success, bringing in their members to put on a fantastic show.

DragRacingScene.com 45

“The show went off without a hitch,” Johnson says. “We had 110 minutes of uninterrupted funny car racing without oil downs, no breakdowns, nothing to stop the action. The fans were not expecting that. In today’s racing, they expect so much stop and start. And with funny cars, they get a little violent and move around down track, so you never know what will happen.” Husband and wife team, Chris and Krista Massarella, won the event in their Total Insanity ’70 Monza. “The stellar effort they put forth was just astounding,” Johnson says. “They ran a 6.99, which was disqualified since we run on a 7.00 index cap. The next round, Chris went out and ran 7.00 on the nose, and won in the final round with a 7.0. The racing was that exciting all weekend long.” Fireworks closed the Funny Car Nationals show, putting the cherry on top of the cake for the event. Fans stuck around talking to the racers long after the last car went down the track, making it obvious these cars really are a draw. In early August, Island Dragway celebrated the 57th Anniversary of the New Jersey track, which has been

Chuck Exton’s Wild & Crazy Mustang made a 6.66 pass, the fastest run to date for the car at its home track.

Blair Smith and his Boston Challenger came down from Massachusetts. Many of the racers are lined up by the traditional back-up girls in their high boots and mini-skirts.

‘I call my team Johnson Family Racing, and that’s how I grew up,’ Kevin Johnson says. ‘I always went to the track with my parents. Mom Anita and dad John are in their 70s now, and along with my wife Debbie, we’re still doing it all today. –As much fun as it is for me in the driver’s seat, dad loves to be at the track. He still finds it fun.’ 46 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Chris and Krista Massarella were instrumental in bringing so many cars to Island Dragway for the Funny Car Throwdown. Chris drove the ’70 Monza to the win this day. After his first pass was below the 7.00 index, he tuned it to a string of tight passes on his index.

30 funny cars were on the grounds at Keystone Raceway Park for the 10th Annual Funny Car Nationals. Bob Tyrseck had his Crazy Bear Navy Vega ready for action.

Bruce Larson and this USA-1 1970 Camaro

‘I put this Corvette together with nothing but spare parts and broken parts I had fixed,’ Bob Sweatland says. ‘Two years ago, I got to match-race my daughter with two cars running.’

owned by the same family throughout its existence. Melissa Milano, the track operator, is the third generation of that family and wants to provide a safe and fun environment for racers and spectators. The members of the Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Car Association love racing at Island Dragway. “We love the smaller facilities,” Johnson says. “We are better received, they fill the stands, and it’s an overall better event for our group and any type of funny cars.” The Massarella Funny Car team worked with track management to put together the Funny Car Throwdown as part of the track’s anniversary celebration. It started out with only a couple of cars testing during their 50-plus anniversary celebrations and has blossomed into the Funny Car Throwdown. “Island Dragway is my local track,” Johnson says. “I’m only 30 miles away, so I test there often and have a lot of fun racing. The Throwdown came out of the blue; it started out at 12 cars, and we ended up with 20 going down the track. This was not something that anybody expected, and the fans got an incredible show. The weather was beautiful, and there were so many cars on the property; it just couldn’t have turned out any better.” Johnson has run at the Funny Car Throwdown for the past three years, but this year, the gremlins kept him from doing well. “The slicks on the car just went up on every hit,” he says. “So, the Throwdown wasn’t the best event for us either. We needed to get off the line at that track, and we were a little iffy down track, so we didn’t have good success this year. We do have fun there, though, and race there a lot.” In addition to the alcohol burners and blown cars at the Throwdown, Island brought in two of the most wellknown nitro racers from the early 1970s. Bruce Larson and his USA-1 Camaro were pegged against the Frantic Ford Mustang driven by Joe Morrison. Running on the eighth-mile, the best effort for the day came when Larson ran 5.86, 180.38 mph. Morrison was right with him, though he was forced to lift when he got loose, posting a 6.14, 169.53 mph pass. It is anticipated that both events will be on the schedule again for 2018. With so much flopper action in one month, both racers and fans are in drag racing heaven. DRS DragRacingScene.com 47

fuel questions asked of TOP 10 Topthe10VPracing Racing Fuels tech help lines TECH

Words: Todd Silvey

race car combination can be very straightforward when it comes to a racing engine bore and stroke, the size of carburetor you should implement, or even the best rear end gear ratio for your entire application. But, what fuel you should feed your racing combination may not always be so clear. With this in mind, we went straight to the experts for some frequently asked questions. Companies like VP Racing Fuels have well-publicized tech support lines with fuel experts who can answer your questions. We talked with two of their key professionals — Duane Minazzi and Jason Rueckert — to get their take on some of the most frequently asked questions of their tech support specialists. There are six different phone numbers for VP specialty tech support listed by topic on VP’s literaIf racers are looking for a little more torque, the max power fuel is Q16, the oxygenated fuel. For tuning purposes, the general rule of thumb with Q16 is if you are tuned correctly on a nonoxygenated fuel and you want to move up to an oxygenated fuel, you are going to run about 6 to 8 percent richer.

48 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

ture and website, from motorcycle, circle track, and traction compounds to two drag racing lines for either street legal or general questions. Check their website before calling so you find the one that most suits your needs.

1 - What fuel makes the most power and the most sense for my application? Rueckert – For example, C23 was our top of the line nitrous fuel developed for Pro Mods, etc. A few years ago, when people were starting to build these 900c.i. monster engines, a fuel like C23 was not a slow burner, but also was not fast-burning. All the fuel would not be burned in the cylin-

Duane Minazzi is VP’s Chief Chemist, shown here in the lab with VP Racing Fuels President Steve Burns. Race fuels contain a variety of different types of compounds, some of which are highly reactive chemicals that don’t store very well in heat or ultraviolet light. The team works to minimize those effects.

Freddie Turza is VP’s Technical Manager of Research and Development. In addition to working with the tech lines back at the office, he is often at the track working directly with racers and engine builders. Spark plugs are the diagnostic tool for tuning when a racer says he is hitting his air/fuel number.

der, so there was some left sitting on top of the pistons. At some point, that fuel on top of the piston would ignite and catch fire. It was like putting firewood on a fire. Guys started looking outside the box into other brands, such as unleaded fuel that burned quicker and had octane numbers high enough it didn’t detonate. We developed our C25 to do that. When you look at C25 on paper, there is not anyway a 900c.i. engine should work with 112 octane fuel, but it does. It gets a good complete burn. C25 just works better, and that’s what all the NHRA Pro Mod and PDRA guys are running now.

Jason Rueckert, Midwest Regional Manager for VP Racing Fuels often advises on which fuel is best for a racer. He asks a lot of questions to determine the optimal choice. With five basic questions, he has a good starting point to make a good recommendation.

So, the first thing we need to know is their application. Is it for truck pulling, drag racing, circle track racing? Next, is your car naturally aspirated, nitrous, roots, turbocharged? Then, I ask the racer the compression and size of the engine. In what rpm range are they looking to run? The weight of the car: Is it an 1,800-pound rail or a 2,500-pound door car? Those are good starting points.

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I will go a little more in-depth with some racers. For example; if a guy tells me he has a 565-inch big block, Mitchell heads, 14:1 compression, and he bracket races shooting for 7,500 rpm, my immediate reaction would be to say C12. But, if they’re looking for a little more oomph, the max power option for fuel will be Q16, the oxygenated fuel. If they’re looking to go a little faster, 113 has half the octane. It all depends on their application.

2 - How do I tune for VP oxygenated fuels? The same calls also typically ask, “What is the percentage of oxygenates in an oxygenated fuel?” Rueckert – Guys ask those types of questions for tuning purposes, and when they first came out, we didn’t release the amount of oxygen in them. Now, on our spec sheets, it tells you the percentages. Unleaded 100 is 3.7 percent by weight of oxygen. The problem is that some racers think the more oxygen in the fuel, the better. That may not work for your application. For example, if you have a small chambered cylinder head and you try to put more fuel in it, you won’t make as much power. An oxygenated fuel requires more jet and needs to be run richer. If you have an oxygen-bearing compound in there, you are making your own air, so to make power effectively, you need to have more fuel. For tuning purposes, the general rule of thumb with Q16 is if you are tuned correctly on a non-oxygenated fuel and you want to move up to an oxygenated fuel, you are going to run about 6 to 8 percent richer. That’s about three to four jet sizes in a Holley, and that is the starting point. The racer will need to make a half track shot and read the plugs and start to work with it. Certain fuel injection systems will adjust your fuel table for you with the information, so that makes it easier for those guys.

5 - How can a high octane value fuel like VP113 work in a low compression engine? Rueckert – It all comes down to burn speed. If you have a lower compression engine, it takes a quicker burning fuel to make horsepower. I have personally taken a stock 454 with 8:1 compression and put Q16 in it and it picked up 20 hp. It has the oxygen molecules, so it is going to try to make more power by burning more fuel. It’s not a case where if you’re looking for 20 hp, then you can run a certain fuel for that gain. A lot of these crate engines that run in NMCA or NMRA are a spec engine. They are 8.5:1 or 9:1, so they recommend running them on 93 octane. But, if you use Q16, you will pick up power. That’s probably why we get that question.

6&7 - Fuel life, opened vs. unopened containers? Do oxygenated fuels need special care?

These answers again were very closely related to: How does environment (light, air, condensation, etc.) affect the life of fuel? Do I care for oxygenated fuels differently? Minazzi – We recommend keeping all fuel unopened until you are ready to use it, and store it in a cool, dry space in the original container. Some people think it’s best to transfer it to a different container to store it, but we don’t recommend moving the fuel into another jug. We have several sizes of containers, including a 5-gallon jug and 15-, 30-, and a 54-gallon drums. The 5-gallon container has a flip top valve basically meant to keep oxygen out of the fuel. Four things will degrade fuel: heat, moisture, light, and oxygen. Race fuels contain a variety of different types of compounds. Some of those are highly reactive chemicals that don’t store very well in heat or ultraviolet light. Oxygenated fuels are more susceptible to those chemicals degrading in heat. A drum of C12 that has never been opened can be good for five years or longer, depending on the temperature where 3&4 - How do I tune VP Fuels for air/fuel ratio? it’s stored. It will stay better longer if it’s not in the heat. When How do I use my spark plug readings to tune? an unopened drum heats up, it builds pressure throughout Rueckert – Questions three and four are related, so let’s the day. When it cools back down to the original temperature, answer them together. Depending on where the meter is it’s not going to try to create a vacuum. placed in the stream of the exhaust and how close it is to But, if the drum is hot and you open it to pull some fuel the cylinder head, the numbers will vary all over the place. out and close it back up, when it cools off later in the day, Reading the meter 12 it will want to create inches from the head a vacuum. When oxis different than 24 or ygenated fuels pull 36 inches away. enough air (which has When a racer says oxygen and water vahe is hitting his air/ pors) in to relieve the fuel number and still vacuum, it will accelerhaving a power probate the aging process. lem, he needs to read The 15-, 30-, and the spark plug. So, an 54-gallon containers air/fuel meter is just have a bung closure comparing to his own on them. If the condata. It will just tell tainers are left outthem if they are runside, condensation ning richer or leaner. can develop, or rain If they are tuning for may collect on top of air/fuel number and the drum. When the it doesn’t make powweather then cools off, er, they need to read it wants to pull in the the spark plugs. The moisture through that spark plugs are the bung. If the containmost accurate engine er is kept inside, you diagnostic tool in modon’t typically have torsports. Spark plugs to worry about moisdo not lie. ture getting into the Turza spends a lot of time at the track advising racers on tuning their fuel. 50 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

drum. Oxygenated fuel is a lot more susceptible to absorbing moisture out of the air, more so than water being pulled in through the bung. Leaded fuel or fuel with other metallic compounds can be subject to UV light, and those compounds will fall out of the fuel. We often have racers tell us they have stored fuel in a white or clear plastic jug in the back of the pickup truck, and the fuel would have problems. I explain to them because of the lead in the fuel, it will oxidize under UV light, and the fuel will have lower octane and sediment in the jug. With a colored jug, some light can still permeate into the jug, so it helps, but it’s not a perfect solution. We recommend you keep the fuel in the original metal container to block the light. The fourth thing that causes degradation is air. If you start off with a drum of fuel and use half of the drum, then half of that drum is now air, and the other half is fuel. Once that drum is open, the shelf life is now shorter. How long it is good for depends on the conditions when it is stored. If you use a little bit of fuel and then return the rest into the drum, you are also subject to contamination. Typically, if fuel is kept in the original sealed container in a cool, dry atmosphere, it can be used for five years or more.

same thing happens in fuel pumps and filters. An oxygenated fuel pulls in moisture, it evaporates, and you now have corrosion. That’s why everybody thinks Q16 is corrosive. I have run Q16 personally for 10 years now since it’s been available. If you have a carburetor, the best thing to do is to leave all the fuel in there and put a rubber cap over your vent tube. This will keep fuel in the bowl and liquid on the gaskets, and there is no way for it to oxidize. It is sealed, and the oxygen can’t evaporate out of the fuel.

8 - Are oxygenated fuels corrosive?

Rueckert – Consistency and knowing where it comes from is the selling point for VP E85. Hopefully, there were some great answers to questions you may have had about your own racing fuel choices and practices. Always remember, answers to your specific questions are only a phone call away by calling the VP Racing Fuels tech lines. It is easy to contact one of the individual specialists for your distinct motorsport. DRS

Rueckert – What happens is an oxygenated fuel works like methanol. It pulls moisture in [hygroscopic]. The cans of Q16 say to drain your carburetor after each use. When you drain your carb, it leaves a film of fuel in there, and that film of fuel is going to pull in moisture through the vent tubes. That will cause water to be in your fuel bowls, though only a small amount. When that water evaporates in most carburetors, it will oxidize and leave a white powder in there. The

9 - How do I handle vapor locking issues? Rueckert – With vapor locking issues, we look at the fuel they are running and what they are doing. If it is determined that it is the fuel they are running, we will suggest a change, but it could be fuel lines too close to exhaust typically. It happens more in the carburetor, not in the engine. We don’t see it too often in drag racing. Racers may be self-diagnosing it as vapor lock, but it could be the fuel delivery is off, and the car is sputtering due to that issue. Our tech line takes questions like that all the time, and we often figure out it is not a fuel problem.

10 - Why should I buy VP E85 instead of getting it at the pump?

Source: VP Racing Fuels, vpracingfuels.com

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NO CLOCKS AND PLENTY OF GRUDGE

If you’re into grudge racing or clocks-off events, Milan Dragway and the Detroit racing scene has it going on strong

acers in the Detroit area are wholeheartedly embracing the Heads Up/No ET movement. Milan Dragway has put together a schedule of both types of events and has been blown away by the response. Jay Payso is the host for the No ET/Clocks Off Motor City Mayhem races held at the track. The series started seven or eight years ago when he and his friends were street racing. “We realized the cars were getting faster, and it was hard to race with no lights and

52 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

cars getting loose on the street,” Payso says. “We knew we had to get off the street. It’s dangerous, the police don’t like it, and it’s not the right thing to do.” He talked to Milan Dragway and let them know what the group was looking for with their events. “We wanted to race on the track like we were on the street,” Payso explains. “We wanted our guys to be lined up by the car’s capabilities. We wanted people to be able to bet in the staging lanes. It originated from my vision, and I think we’re doing very well. We do no clocks

The starting line gets a little crowded on grudge night, and the spectators line the fences and the walls. There is a lot of betting going on between both racers and fans.

Racers are just out to have fun and hopefully win some money with their cars (and trucks). It’s a secret what they have as a powerplant.

because when you’re building a grudge car, you’re constructing it to make it as fast as possible without the hindrance of showing people your times, your parts, who makes your parts, “We had a shootout with $15,000 to win, no entry fee,” Payor who is tuning your cars. Everything is one big secret and so says. “You come to the track and enter your car in the race. one big lie.” As long as you have never showed a time, have no wheelie The lies are a big part of the success of the program. bars, and run a certain tire size or smaller, you can race and Drivers make a concerted effort win $15,000 (winner takes to conceal what they are doing all). This is grudge racing, and keep their combination to and that’s what is bringing themselves. One big part of the the drivers out to partake in rules is that a driver who has these events.” posted his times on the internet Rob D’Iorio was tired of at any point is not allowed to bracket racing and looking race in these grudge shootouts. for something new. “The first rule in grudge is “We wanted to run headsno class cars,” Payso says. “You up and got into the whole can’t post your times and con10.5 Outlaw racing,” D’Iorio figuration on the internet. We says. “A friend and I decided put together common rules for it was hard to keep up with everyone to build cars around. the guys doing that, so we We eliminated wheelie bars sold my outlaw car, bought a first, because you can’t drive bigger motor, and installed to church with wheelie bars on it in a two-car garage. We your car. We also limit the tire used that to start the No size and keep it a stock front Time racing. suspension. The rules make the He and his partners, JP shootout work.” Delisi and John Rackham, The grudge races are continureally like the format of the ing to grow, with more cars and grudge racing style. more fans at each event. Payso “We’ll end up talking Jay Payso is all over the place during his Motor City Mayhem Productions does not charge the Promoter big with the grudge racers, events. In addition to pairing the cars, he also does video duties and racer to enter. and then we’ll be paired in posts them to You Tube to rouse up the racers for the next event. DragRacingScene.com 53

a shootout,” D’Iorio says. “Next you know, we’re lined up the points chase (except for Open Comp). The track offers against each other, and there will be two or three grand ridRun What Ya Brung, Open Comp, Outlaw Sled, All Motor, ing on that race. We have a couple of races lined up for the Drag Radial, Outlaw 10.5, and Outlaw 632 classes, along with next event already; we’re racing a dragster, and the other one Motor City Muscle and Pro Street Bike. is a nitrous car.” “I got some help D’Iorio credits from PRE [Pro RacePayso with building craft Engine],” Waterthe events at Milan straadt says. “He gave up so well. me some big point“It’s a free-forers, and it made the all,” D’Iorio says. car into a raging ani“Jay is extremely inmal instead of a factotense and wants to ry car. It’s amazing. I make all of the banthought I was doing it ter, both online and right, but it was really at the track, work a crazy change.” to build the events. Those little tips Somebody will brag, from racers in the and the next thing know can really make you know, a friend a big difference. chimes in, and then “At the beginthe guy with the car ning, you don’t know puts his comments what the other guys in, and then you are running, so you have a match-up.” have to dip your toe Troy Waterstraadt into the water to find enjoys both the out,” Waterstraadt grudge racing and The Milan heads up events are bringing in fresh blood to the sport. Every Motor City Mayhem says. “And, it’s conoutlaw race has new participants including hardcore street/strip enthusiasts bringing their the heads-up events or stantly changing. Evslicks in the trunk. Milan is holding. ery month, guys are “When Top Dragster died out, I wanted a new car and found moving up faster, and they don’t want you to know that until a ’92 Mustang Fox Body car,” Waterstraadt says. “I put a 540 bigthey’re lined up against you.” block Chevy on alcohol, and it seems to be working pretty well Payso Productions keeps the fans both at the track and for me. I first went out to the No ET races to test the car out a at home in the know about what’s going on. He does have a little bit and got hooked. Those are really fun events, and everysmall team with two more members, but he’s one busy man body is really nice. I’m getting the hang of it now.” at the track. Waterstraadt has been racing for 25 years with his dad, “I record the races, and I’m on the mic when we’re recordDon, and his cousin, Bill Smallman. ing,” Payso says. “I’m running and jumping over the walls up “We’re a good team,” Waterstraadt says. “Dad’s a little calmand down the 1/8 mile. I’m also facilitating the shootouts, er when it comes to the bluffing. People are always changing pairing the cars, doing hat pulls, and giving my racers the their cars to be faster, so it’s a big bluff game and dad’s good times they need to be back in the lanes for the second, third, at not letting people and fourth rounds. know our car is as fast It’s pretty interesting. as it is. That’s importPeople ask me how ant because the quiet I’m doing this, and guy hanging out in that’s why the fans the back of the lanes support me. I put can smooth his way 100 percent of myself into a good grudge into these events, edrace.” ucating the fans and He’s added drag rousing them up.” radials to the MusThe track is welltang and is also runprepped for both the ning it in the Drag No ET races and the Radial class at the Heads-up races. They Heads-Up Series Mipride themselves on lan hosts throughout having the track ready the season. to handle any car and “That’s another driver who show. Troy Waterstraadt was looking for something new when Top Dragster went away. He and his dad learning curve for added a 540c.i. big block to his Mustang and quickly got hooked on heads-up. “My most recent me,” Waterstraadt event, we had Stevie says. “Going from slicks to the radials is a big change. I’m learn‘Fast’ Jackson there,” Payso says. “I had racers coming from over ing the timing and how to handle when I put it on the back 25 hours away to take part in Motor City Mayhem, our biggest bumper with all four wheels off the ground.” event. Success shows as it continues to grow every year.” Milan holds the Heads-up Series the first Friday of every The grudge races started almost eight years ago with a bamonth. Any racer who competes is automatically entered into sic four-car shootout paying $500, winner-take-all. Payso made 54 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

it his goal to make them grow, and he is proud of what the “We had over 5,000 spectators at our last Motor City Mayraces have become. hem event for 2017,” Payso says. “I’ve seen the grandstands “A lot of people go back and forth, but I think Milan for the Heads-up races, and they’re pretty full too. Spectators is the true originator of the No Times race at a racetrack love this stuff, and if we can keep educating them, they’ll keep in the Midwest,” Payso says. “It grew because I found a having fun watching it and betting on it, and stay involved.” bucket of guys who D’Iorio knows have cars with simhe’ll keep coming ilar specifications. back to Milan for From there, I had the events. guys asking what “Drag racing as a they can do to get grudge event sport into the shootout is definitely going and just keeps to keep on growgrowing today.” ing,” he says. “You Payso knows that make more monthe popularity of ey doing this than grudge racing today I did in class racis largely due to the ing. I see a lot more TV show Street Outpeople coming into laws and wants to grudge racing. It’s get more facetime Rob D’Iorio loves the trash talking on the internet and in person that leads to the grudge races. more laid back for his guys. than other types of He and his partners already have races set for the next grudge night. “Street Outlaws is racing. You don’t what we do,” he says. “It’s just they do it on the street with TV have to be at the track every single time running for points; behind them, so they’re super stars. We’ve been doing this for it’s just fun. I just go to the track knowing it’s going to be a long time. I just need to find a way to get them the spotlight. prepped well and the money is good. That’s good enough That’s why I video the events and put them on YouTube. We for me.” just need to keep adding to our fan base.” Payso puts every sponsor dollar he has into making the racThe fans are loving the No ET and the Heads-up races es better for the Milan drivers who support him. He’s happy at Milan Dragway. The spectator counts continue to grow the drivers continue to support him and plans to keep doing right alongside the car counts. these events for a very long time. DRS

Along with the street/strip machines, the Detroit racers also come in with very high tech arsenal of power as well.

Dealership creampuff or a 1,000-horsepower monster. Ante up with some cash and find out. DragRacingScene.com 55

Teaching an old dog new tricks I

t’s a first for Drag Racing Scene! The as a detriment, but we see it as a great line performance. From there, we will magazine will be detailing progress editorial opportunity to do step-by-step begin some very exceptional upgrades on our new project 1968 Camaro, upgrades and see how they affect its that all readers should enjoy. with extensive technical articles here performance at the track. Project Rover, as it came from the in print, as well as online at DragRacThere are multiple components race car classifieds, is a ‘68 Camaro, all ingScene.com. not necessarily hurting the car’s persteel (except for the hood). It currentAll racers strive to better their hot formance at this point, but there are ly has a 482c.i. big-block Chevy with rods with not only more basic horsemany good opportunities to wake it up. a short block from Ohio Crankshaft power, but also to ultimately get that Our first two goals are to scale the and General Motors rectangular port power to the pavement. Once you reCamaro as she sits after rolling off the iron heads. view the current condition of Rover, trailer for the first time. We also want Behind the engine is a Powerglide you will see how these fundamental to get a few ET slips to establish a basetransmission and 8-inch torque congoals will apply. verter of unknown origin. We thought it would be The ‘Glide is equipped with a great to take a very traditional transbrake, but the previous back-half race car and see what owner never used it, strictly we can do with some “new competing in his area tracks’ school” components. What foot-brake classes. The backwe have is a very solid Camaro half appears to feature good with a good foundation when workmanship with a six-point it comes to the chassis and cage, ladder bar rear suspenbody. When we purchased the sion, and a narrowed 12-bolt car, the back history included Chevy rear end. having been a race car since We mentioned the car’s the early 1970s. Texas Super Stock pediThe car was a Texas-Oklagree. I’ve seen some great homa Super Stocker until bracket cars over the years changing duty to a “no electhat came from the old Sutronics” bracket car. What per Stock days. That is one intrigued us about it was its of the reasons we chose to Managing Editor Todd Silvey and son Christopher will share driving extensive use of dated com- DRS purchase this car. To kick off duties. The first order of busness is to relocate the seat, steering wheel, ponents. Some may see that and shifter. a father and son project, the

Very first step in logging the weights and balance of the Camaro was to set the scales up level on our shop floor. Front-to-back and side-to-side, the scales must be absolutely level to get accurate readings.

24-hour banzai trip to Oklahoma was a great start. The 482 sounds incredibly good, actually “angry.” The previous owner recommended we might want to install some new roller lifters in the engine, for the sake of maintenance. In our experience, when a seller of anything suggests something might need to be replaced, it probably really needs to be replaced. With a big 4500-style carburetor currently feeding the big block, we are surprised at the traditional “blue” pump and small fuel lines in place. Other items visibly in need of future upgrade include a horribly tired race shifter and a wiring nightmare extending from headlight to taillight. We are

Project Rover is carefully lowered onto each scale pad using a jack. Once the scale electronics are connected, we logged our total weight, side to side measurement and front to back balance.

also planning for the eventual install of a 9-inch Ford rear end, and goals are for a 4-link suspension. “It looks like a car with great potential,” Shawn Brereton, Xceleration Media director of operations said at the unveiling. “With Todd’s background in building race cars and creating technical articles, this looks like a great example car for tons of individual upgrades, while gauging what the improvements do for weight, consistency, and performance.” After a few nights of gazing at our new hot rod in the shop, we got Rover up on the scales to determine our starting point. As we dive into the project, we will not only monitor the overall poundage of the car, but will also

weigh individual components to measure the weight savings. We will also gauge what we can do for front-to-rear weight ratios. Project Rover “off the trailer” scales in with the rear half weighing 1,262 pounds and the front at 1,893 pounds. This comes in at a higher than expected total weight of 3,155 pounds overall. That measures out to almost 60 percent of the total weight on the front tires. Not terribly surprising for an iron-head big-block Chevy with lots of factory tin, but we are definitely putting the car on a diet. Exact corner weight measurements will come as we dive into each future tech article. We will be building on the concept of creating tech in the magazine, while

The starting point for our horsepower source is a 482c.i. big-block Chevy. An Ohio Crankshaft short block is topped with GM iron heads and a 4500-style carburetor. There are lots of ‘old school’ components here that are prime for an upgrade. DragRacingScene.com 57

Father and son check over the suspension components on the car. One trick to test the racing shocks while on the scales is to ‘bounce’ all corners of the suspension. If the scale readings change in balance, the shocks are not returning to the same ride height.

continuing many subjects in greater detail on our website. Articles big and small will concentrate on the Camaro part-by-part to gauge each performance gain.” We have developed a beginning laundry list of modifications. Each will create quicker ETs via either horsepower gains or weight savings. First will be an overhaul of the fuel system, with a conversion to the new Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST) self-tuning EZ EFI 2.0 electronic fuel injection system planned. Another example of the old dog’s hardware is the current fuel cell. Right now, Rover has a vintage spun aluminum fuel tank that looks like something right out of a 1960s gasser. The entire fuel system will be upgraded to feed the new FAST EFI and

Every hot rod in our shop has a dedicated binder for keeping all manuals, receipts, and recorded data. We will log all components and performance effects with each component installed.

matched FAST Race Inline-Style Fuel System, which we will plumb as a recirculating system back to our new safety fuel cell. While we are setting up the new fuel system electronics, we will also be installing the related FAST E6 Digital CD Ignition Kit and XDi Dual-Sync Distributor. Though the EFI doesn’t need them, these work in symphony with the FAST EFI system to create a fully engineered fuel and ignition package, so it makes sense to just go ahead and make that change at the same time. As the old (very old) ignition system comes out, it is a perfect time to go after the entire wiring system, which pretty much consists of black and white wire in its current state. This is also the perfect opportunity to rethink the old

First order of business: We are replacing the entire fuel system and old carburetor with a FAST self-tuning EZ EFI 2.0 electronic fuel injection system and FAST E6 Digital CD Ignition Kit. 58 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

instruments strewn across the aluminum dashboard. The FAST XFI eDash is not only used as a touch screen control panel for the fuel injection and ignition, but it also displays 21 sensor readings. Since those readings include such standards as the tachometer, fuel pressure, battery voltage, coolant temperature, air/fuel ratio, and vacuum advance, it looks like the only necessary standard gauge to outfit the dash will be an oil pressure gauge. Our first day at the local track gave us some good starting groundwork. The car has never been outfitted with the aforementioned transbrake, or even a line-lock control for the front brakes. So off to the track we went in true old-school fashion. Power-braking burnouts and launching off of the pedals at 3,000 rpm netted us a reasonably consistent string of low 6.80s in the 1/8 mile. Nothing jaw dropping for the stout 482, but it will only get better from here. Unfortunately, at this point, we haven’t had time to look into what gear ratios are in the Powerglide or the rear differential. Some of the performance was scrubbed off due to a little driving difficulty — some moving to the left under power. Right now, we are going to blame the steering issues on another component in the car, an old-school panhard bar located in the ladder-bar rear suspension. More scaling, shock improvements, and the addition of a diagonal link will be our first steps toward improving down track handling. Teaching this old dog some new tricks will come in the form of better performance, lighter weight (especially when it comes to front/rear weight ratios), and an overall harder working dragstrip blaster compared to much of its current setup based on old-school applications. DRS

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Drag Racing Scene has compiled a list of some of the hottest new products to hit the drag racing market. On the following pages of our Vendor Midway, be sure to check out the variety of racing products offered. Product and company contact information is provided should you see something you wish to purchase — and we know you will.

Strong as an ox TCI, Race Bolt-Together Torque Converters Strong, customizable, and consistent. TCI designed its Race Bolt-Together Torque Converters with those three things in mind. Available for GM 6L80 transmissions, the torque converters feature a furnace-brazed turbine, CNC-machined billet construction, triple-disc clutch, and 50-spline clutch hub, all supporting extreme power and reliable performance in high-torque racing applications. The bolt-together design makes it easy for racers to disassemble and service the unit, or set the optimum stall speed — up to seven-tenths of a second in 1/8-mile testing. TCI’s HDT Coating further enhances performance through heat dissipation and corrosion prevention. Available in three different stall speeds: 2,600-2,700, 2,800-2,900, and 3,100-3,200 rpm, with speeds up to 4100 rpm available upon request. tciauto.com 888.776.9824

60 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Lighter weight

Reduce friction

ATI Performance Products, Drum Kit

Driven Racing Oil, GL-5 Racing Gear Oil

ATI’s brand new OEM replacement clutch drum assembly is now available for the GM Powerglide transmission. The ATI drum assembly is seven-tenths of a pound lighter than the hard to find OEM unit, accepts the stock piston and accepts 5-7 clutches easily. Like all of ATI’s products, you can trust the quality of these drums are second to none. Part number 207015, which comes complete with a teflon bushing and check ball, is on the shelf and ready for shipment today. atiracing.com 877.298.5039

The new synthetic 75W-90 GL-5 Racing Gear Oil is the best gear oil in Driven’s lineup, and in the most popular viscosity. Designed to offer maximum protection in a wide range of race and street performance applications, it contains high viscosity index synthetic base oils that help lower operating temperature and reduce friction and drag in hypoid gears, spiral gear boxes, and transmissions that call for GL-5 gear oil. It also provides race-grade performance in differentials and synchronized manual transmissions. drivenracingoil.com 866.611.1820

DAN FLETCHER JOINS THE 100 NHRA NATIONAL WINS CLUB WITH VP RACING FUELS

We congratulate Dan Fletcher on his milestone win and are proud to play a part in his success. Support for Sportsman drag racing has been a hallmark of VP Racing Fuels since its inception, and Dan represents the best aspects of the sport. - VP’s Director of Marketing, Donato Bonacquisto

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Total vacuum Aerospace Components, Complete Vacuum Pump System

Producing high crankcase vacuum increases horsepower by improving ring seal and preventing blow-by, intake charge contamination, and detonation. The vacuum pump allows racers to run low tension piston rings for less friction and is more consistent and effective than header mounted evacuation systems. Aerospace Components’ vacuum pump features a billet aluminum housing, sealed roller bearings, 1-piece lightweight carrier/shaft design, carbon fiber vanes,12- AN fittings, and integral mounting lugs to fit most engine applications. The panel mounted remote breather/oil separator can be used with dry or wet sump tanks or rear axle housings. Features a filtered breather from K&N Filter, drain valve and a #12 fitting. The complete Aerospace Components’ kit includes the vacuum pump, bracket and pulley, mandrel drive system, breather tank, relief valve, 6-foot stainless steel flex hose, one -12 90 fittings, three -12 straight fittings, and valve cover bung. All components are available individually. aerospacecomponents.com 727.347.9915

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Push it baby! COMP Cams, XD-A Adjustable Pushrods COMP Cams has figured a way to simplify setting lash or pre-load when using non-adjustable-style rockers, while also enhancing valvalvetrain stability in LS engines. Patent-pending XD-A Adjustable Pushrods come in two pieces, the top section sliding two inches inside a wider bottom section, with shims allowing for adjustments over a range of .232 inch in .004-inch increments. They are proven to increase bending stiffness by 90 percent in 9,000-plus rpm solid roller LS applications, though compatible with hydraulic camshafts, as well. The pushrods also lighten rocker systems by 30-plus grams by removing the adjuster and required support area for threads and seating. Pair with lighter rockers for even higher rpm capability. compcams.com 800.999.0853

FAST fix FAST, FireWire Set for Gen5 LT1 Engines Five minutes is all it takes to upgrade ignition systems on Gen5 LT1-powered Camaros and Corvettes. FAST has custom engineered and custom fit a set of its FireWire spark plug wire sets for the applications, with the 8.55mm wire available with or without a heat sleeve rated to 1,200 degrees. The low-resistance wire — 25 ohms/ft — maximizes electrical energy flow to spark plugs, providing the hotter spark needed when upgrades like forced induction, custom programming and high-flow intakes are involved. An advanced reactive core design also offers electro-magnetic suppression, so electronic components run without interference. fuelairspark.com 877.334.8355

62 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Moving water Mr. Gasket, Water Pumps Holley/MSD is pleased to announce the release of all-new water pumps from Mr. Gasket. They’re built with all-new (not remanufactured) components and meet or exceed OEM flow for extra cooling, performance, and durability. The cast housings are considerably more attractive than OEM housings, made in the USA, and come in your choice of custom finishes — black, chrome-plated, or natural. holley.com 866.464.6553

Increased durability Lunati, Vertical Bar Pressurized Oiling Solid Roller Lifters Serious racing applications demand serious performance. Lunati designed its Vertical Bar Pressurized Oiling Solid Roller Lifters to reduce wear in the axles and increase durability. The pressurized oiling system ensures constant lubrication, while all surfaces are hardened and polished for not only strength, but reduced friction. The lifters are available in standard and +.300-inch heights, as well as in centered and +.180-inch offset versions, for popular Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler engines. lunatipower.com 662.892.1500

Get More Power From Your Vehicle NEWS. TECHNOLOGY. PRODUCTS. • Engine & Driveline Tech • “How-To” & Installations • Technology Explained • New Product Reviews • Performance Testing

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Square it up ARP, Piston Ring Squaring Tool The important process of gapping piston rings is made easier and more accurate thanks to ARP’s precision Piston Ring Squaring Tools. Setting a ring absolutely perpendicular to the bore is assured through use of the ARP Squaring Tool, which registers on the block deck. This is far more accurate than using a piston or other device that can rock in the bore and place the ring at an angle. Precise end gaps are essential to achieve optimum combustion sealing. ARP’s Piston Ring Squaring Tools are precision CNC machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and black anodized for long-lasting protection. They come in six sizes, with ranges covering bores from 3.150 inch (80mm) to 4.800 inch (122mm). The sizes are prominently engraved on the tools for ease of selection. In addition to in-block gapping, the squaring tools can be used in conjunction with ARP’s bore-specific Tapered Ring Compressors to facilitate gapping the rings on a bench for added comfort and convenience. ARP offers them in more than 125 different sizes to accommodate virtually every popular SAE and Metric bore. arp-bolts.com 800.826.3045

No more spills VP Racing Fuels, SureCan VP Racing Fuels has introduced VP SureCan, a gas can designed with truly innovative spill-proof technology. Featuring a rotating nozzle and thumb release trigger, VP SureCan allows the flow of fuel to dispense from the bottom of the can so gravity does all the work. It precludes the need to bend over, tip your can or get gas on your hands ever again! It’s self-venting, has a comfortable grip and its durable design carries a 1-year warranty. VP SureCan’s patented flexible rotating spout and thumb trigger and locking system make this gas can safer and more convenient. The fill cap and spout cap are both child-proof and the materials used in the design are extremely durable. VP SureCan has been certified by the DOT, EPA, Canada UL and the California Air Resources Board. VP SureCan is available in two sizes – 5 gallon and 2.2 gallon. vpracingfuels.com 877.515.1733

Stepped up rockers Crane Cams, Bushed OEM Rocker Arms for LS Engines Increase valvetrain performance and eliminate the risk of losing needle bearings in the engine by upgrading LS OEM rocker arms with bushed ones from Crane Cams. The drop-in fitment rocker arms feature pre-installed bushed trunnions that provide increased stiffness and improved dynamics over needle bearing versions. The rockers are also able to handle higher lift and higher speed applications than OEM LS rocker arm options. cranecams.com 866.388.5120 64 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Next generation Vortech Superchargers, V-30 Supercharger The Vortech V-30 is the culmination of years of research and development into new centrifugal compressor technology. Nano-tolerance technology, diverging diffusion technology, superior bearing components, and multiple advancements in enhanced air inlet design come together to produce superchargers that produce less heat, and lower IATsl. Nano-Tolerance Technology (NTT) is a patented material and process that allows Vortech to minimize internal clearances, without raising the chances of internal component compromise. The result is previously unattainable levels of both efficiency and performance. Boost increase with NTT is typically 2-3 psi depending on compressor stage and engine combination. Vortech’s Diverging Diffusion Technology is utilized to optimize the compressor stage for specific applications and engine configurations for maximum horsepower gains. V-30 Series Superchargers utilize a proprietary ceramic bearing design that are unique to the V-30. Vortech also uses a unique method of lubrication in the V-30 Series that is assisted through the introduction of air/oil misting. V-30 Series Superchargers come with either billet or spun aluminum bellmouth air inlets that promote uniform inlet flow, resulting in improved compressor performance and increased horsepower output. vortechsuperchargers.com 805.247.0226

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evOILution OIL

Words: Cindy Bullion

Driven reformulates break-in oil

erfection is an illusion; there’s only improvement. Just consider the iPhone. Apple barely lets a year pass before releasing an updated version of the device, touting new features and technology that gets customers running to their cellular provider for an upgrade to the latest and greatest gadget available. Likewise, Driven Racing Oil continually works to ensure its lubrication products are meeting the needs of all-out race and high-performance engines and drivelines. Testing and engineering are just part of the company’s daily operations, and an improved break-in oil is the latest product of such. Certified Lubrication Specialist Lake Speed Jr. says Driven’s 15W-50 BR Break-In Oil has been reformulated to provide more than 30 percent better protection than the original version developed 12 years ago.

“This newest formula provides increased ring seal for better vacuum, less blow-by, and more horsepower,” he says. Driven pitted the new formula against the original during testing in conjunction with high-performance piston ring manufacturer Total Seal. A traditional 30-minute, 3,000 rpm breakin method was used, with a significant reduction in camshaft wear resulting. Testing data shows the wear rate dropped by 3.56 microns/hr, based on precision measurements taken by an Adcole machine. Overall cam wear averaged to 0.00027 microns across all eight lobes. An inspection of exhaust ports following break-in also revealed that while the original formula sealed the piston rings within 30 minutes, some oil did get past the piston rings early on. Little to no oil made it past the piston rings when using the improved formula. DRS Source: Driven Racing Oil, drivenracingoil.com

Note the black residue in this exhaust port after a 30-minute breakin period using the original Driven BR formula. That’s oil that made it past the piston rings early on. 66 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

The color difference seen here reflects a recent formula improvement to Driven Racing Oil’s 15W-50 BR Break-In Oil. It offers more than 30 percent better protection than the original.

No oil residue was found in this exhaust port after break-in using Driven’s improved Break-In oil.

This pilot learned to bend chromoly, TIG weld, and custom form his own carbon fiber body

MIST

cott Farley doesn’t just sit around thinking about doing things; he goes out and does them. The UPS transport pilot from Kentucky has a 1970 Camaro that started its motorsports life with the original body and some issues that needed to be addressed. “I bought the Camaro with its original steel body,” Farley says. “The tires really didn’t fit in the rear correctly, and it had a 540c.i. big-block Chevy with an 8-71 supercharger. We were at about 800 hp on alcohol, so I decided right away to put some Pro-Filer Performance cylinder heads on and step up the supercharger to a 14-71. That got us in the 4.70 ET zone on the 1/8 mile at about 155 mph or so.” Though he said the car was amazingly fun at that point, he wanted more. He was sitting on the deck with his wife, Michelle Torromeo, and told her he wanted to put a screw blower on the engine. Becoming more astute with the world of racing, she asked him if the big-block Chevy would hold up to that. He said yes, but once he talked to friends, they told him to find a real car. His answer? I’m going to build one myself. Farley had no TIG welding experience, but wanted to do things himself and bought a welder. He took the body off the Camaro, bent up an SFI 25.1 E certification chromoly chassis, welded it himself, and got his chassis certified. “NHRA says TIG-welded chromoly, end of story,” Farley says. “I had never performed TIG welding before, so I got on YouTube and studied videos how to do it, practiced, and built the chassis.” Continuing his path of constructing most of the car himself, Farley put together a 500c.i. Chevy engine with a screw blower and went about “blowing up things left and right,” as he put it. Farley knew he needed to get some advice on what to do next with the 68 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Farley has put together a very straightforward engine combination with a 521c.i. BAE block, combined with Noonan X1 ‘Blackhawk‘ heads, and a PSI screw blower.

E R D.I.Y.

Words: Todd Silvey Photos: John Fisher

DragRacingScene.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192;69

car, so he got hooked up with longtime friend and Pro Modified mentor Camp Stanley. “Camp got me on the right path with a standard engine combination for PDRA ProExtreme class competition,” Farley says. “Noonan Race Engineering X1 ‘Blackhawk‘ heads, a Brad Anderson block with 4.467 bore, 4.150 stroke that comes out to a 521c.i. combination with a PSI screw blower on methanol. Those are all of the components that all the guys have been running and successfully winning with for the past two or three years in ProExtreme competition.” He had been using a two-piece bolted inner steel converter, but after a couple of destroyed torque converters, he has changed over to a bolt-together Bradco Super Turbo 400 two-speed transmission and converter. With his approval on Farley’s new powertrain combination, Stanley and other racing friends started an effort to convince him to get a true Pro Modified body and chassis instead of the steel Camaro. Farley agreed to build a car with a carbon fiber body shell, but he wanted to keep his original 1970 Camaro body shape and size. “I love the Pro Modifieds, but these new aerodynamic bodies are so caricature-like,” Farley says. “All of my life, I’ve wanted a ’70 Camaro. I have one now and I’m not going to lose that. So, I did a lot of research and decided to make my own body from scratch, with my current steel body as a template. I taught myself the body mold making process, built the mold from my original Camaro body shell, and cast the layers of carbon fiber for the new body. I broke the mold apart and then put together the ’70 Camaro you see here. That whole body weighs only 52 pounds from headlights to taillights.” Farley built the car as light as he could, with the goal to get the car underweight so he could add necessary ballast where he wanted. “We’re going to be sorting out carbon fiber wheelie bars I just finished building from scratch,” he says. “When I built the rear suspension, people were scaring me about tire shake, so I way over-constructed the four-link components. Now that I have studied some successful four-link kits out there, I have some ideas to save some more weight there. Another example of saving every ounce possible shows in my steering column design. I found 3/4-inch titanium tube online for the steering rod, and the outside column is made of carbon fiber. Camp Stanley said ‘Dude, really?’ I said, ‘Yeah, really.’” 70 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

As a pilot with the United Parcel Service (UPS), Farley is the captain of an Airbus 300 airliner. He flies around the world, but mainly North America. He stays in contact with his fellow pilots via a personal internal forum. With long layovers, he has a lot of time to think about his hobby and has enjoyed posting photos and info about his race car on the forum for other pilots to see.

“All pilots have pet projects,” he says. “A lot of them are into experimental aircraft or nostalgia aircraft. The UPS has tight restrictions on what their pilots can build and even fly. They’re building from kits. I’m the most radical gearhead among our group with land-based stuff. I just laugh when they look at the Camaro tell me I’m off my rocker.”

Jeff Farley stands with his new set of self-made, carbon fiber wheelie bars along with a shop full of equipment he used to construct the Camaro on his own.

So, how does a successful pilot who gets those little brown overnight envelopes to you in time have the drive to build his own race car weld by weld and one piece of carbon fiber cloth at a time? Farley worked his way through pilot training as a Chrysler heavy engine mechanic. His modest upbringing with close friends and family will always have him pegged as a hardcore gearhead and racer.

It’s a matter of pride Farley has done so much of the work on the car by himself. He knows it’s not absolutely perfect, but it works. “If you get up close to the car, you can look at it and see it’s just okay,” he says. “It’s not a show car, and it never will be. It’s light, and it’s strong and weighs 2,350 pounds. I am going to run it in ProExtreme in PDRA compe-

‘I love the Pro Modifieds, but these new aerodynamic bodies are so caricature-like,’ Farley says. ‘All of my life, I’ve wanted a ’70 Camaro. I have one now, and I’m not going to lose that.’

tition, among other events. I’m going to Virginia for the PDRA World Finals to race this fall. We will get ourselves some really nice three-second runs, and I hope to go a few rounds while figuring out the new Camaro combination. I fully expect to have my ass handed to me by the regulars for a short while, but I’m going to have a blast doing it.” DRS

PUMP ITUP

Melling’s new Billet Shark Tooth Oil Pump Words: Jeff Smith Photos: Jeff Smith and Todd Silvey

ob Dylan once wrote, “The pump don’t work cause vandals took the handles.” He probably wasn’t talking about oil pumps, but there’s still internal vandals causing problems. Melling engineers realized that while spur gears were fine for a stock 283, race engines deserved something better. The result was the patented Shark Tooth pump gear design. It’s all in the shape of the gears. One of the more important issues was that spur gear pumps tend to create rather severe pressure fluctuations. Nearly all oil pressure gauges are highly damped, designed to minimize these fluctuations so the gauge doesn’t dance around. If you want to see for yourself, look at the hydraulic entry point of a typical aftermarket oil pressure gauge. Even if fed by a -4 (0.250-inch ID) feed line, the gauge entry will be restricted to a 3/16inch (0.1875-inch) orifice. This tiny entry dampens the large hydraulic pulsations that occur in the engine’s hydraulic oil circuit. These pulses happen for a number of reasons, many of which have to do with wide clearances in the spur gear assembly and significant internal leakage. One time-tested attempt to minimize this pressure oscillation issue was to use the big-block Chevy pump in a small block. While the big-block pump offered a larger volume capacity while still using spur gears, the gears offered more teeth, which tended to reduce 72 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

One of the first orders of business is to order your new pump after measuring the depth of your oil pan with your gasket in place.

the amplitude of the pressure oscillation. This helped, but it was not the ideal solution. By simply redesigning those original spur gears into a set of asymmetrical convex gears that now operate more like a sliding bevel gear, Mellingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple design shift radically reduces those pulsations. The result is an amazing 70-percent reduction in these pressure pulsations. The included chart shows a recording of typical pressure fluctuations over less than a full second of duration. This test was performed using a production Melling HV10555 cast iron oil pump moving 20W-50 oil at 194 degrees at a pump speed of 3,250 rpm, which would be equivalent to 6,500 rpm since the oil pump spins at half engine speed. The blue lines across the top indicate as much as 150 psi peaks, while

After installation, we check for all rotating assembly clearance and double check the pickup depth for our oil pan. Melling recommends 1/4- to 3/8inch clearance between the pan and pump pickup.

Right out of the box, our Melling Performance small-block Chevy billet oil pump comes with all installation hardware.

The shark tooth design increases the relative gear tip position to the housing that increases volumetric efficiency.

Melling Performance also offers the shark tooth pump design with a cast iron case for use with a tubular oil pump pickup. DragRacingScene.comâ&#x20AC;&#x192;73

the same color lines across the lower portion indicate negative pressure (vacuum) far in excess of -50 psi. The red traces in this same graph are the pressure excursions mapped over a similar time frame, with the only change being a swap to a Melling 10555ST pump using the Shark Tooth gears. The change in pressure peaks and valleys is more than significant — an average pressure reduction of 70 percent. Note the peak pressures have dropped well below 50 psi, with negative pressure also dramatically reduced. This illustrates the pressure stability that would obviously make this pump a much more stable platform, along the lines of a wet sump version of a dry sump-style pump. These pressure fluctuations are not something you would see with a common oil pressure gauge, because of the aforementioned internal damping, but the wild swings are present none-

This graph illustrates the dramatic pressure fluctuation advantages of the redesigned Melling Shark Tooth oil pump. The blue lines indicate a Melling production-based spur gear pump, while the red lines reveal the 70-percent average reduction in pressure changes from the Shark Tooth gear design.

Here is a comparison of the Shark Tooth gear (left) compared to a stock spur gear (right). Unlike stock spurs gears, the asymmetrical Shark Tooth gears are designed to slide, much like a beveled gear that reduces friction and stabilizes the output pressure. The taller Shark Tooth gear is actually a high-volume version compared to the stock-sized spur gear.

Standard small-block pumps use a 5/8-inch inlet. A 3/4-inch inlet reduces restriction and improves pump efficiency. Melling cast iron Shark Tooth pumps (left) also offer the option to use either a press-in or bolt-on pickup. 74 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

The pickup area of the billet pump features ‘feet’ around the perimeter to prevent shutting off oil flow to the pump should the pan become damaged and press against the pickup.

The setup comes with a chromoly intermediate shaft with a pinned steel collar. The collar has a machined rib which will snap over the grooved oil pump shaft.

theless. Minimizing these wild fluctuations drastically reduces the impact loads on the internal gears, as well as the distributor drive and cam gear. This effectively dampens the hammering effect of the distributor gear on the camshaft, which would therefore also account for a dampening of sorts in the valvetrain. Among the other benefits beyond just the redesigned pump gears is the pump’s CNC-machined, one-piece billet housing offers not only strength advantages, but integrates the pickup directly into the pump body. The billet version is also 1.7 pounds lighter than a typical cast iron pump, which means there’s less mass hanging off the rear main cap. The billet aluminum Shark Tooth pumps are available for drag racing applications in both standard and high-volume versions. Overall pump length is determined by the depth of the oil pan, given the integral pickup, with applications ranging from 7.25 to 9 inches. There are separate applications for either small- or big-block Chevy engines. DRS Source: Melling Automotive Products, melling.com

A handy o-ring sealed plug is easily removed with an Allen wrench where you can change between three different springs. The red spring (factory installed) provides 60 - 80 psi of oil pressure. Swapping springs can increase or lower that initial pressure by 10 psi.

For even more info and pics, search “Melling Shark” at DragRacingScene.com.

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Jason Jensen won the race on Saturday, earning his $50,000 payout and the trophy, along with the big check to hang in his trailer. The final featured a battle of door cars, with Jensen coming out on top in his ’69 Malibu.

24 years of high roller bracket racing held at the World Super Pro Challenge

id-Michigan Motorplex has been holding the World Super Pro Challenge for 24 years. Over that entire time span, they’ve never had a repeat winner, and this year was no different. Mary Jo Ledford, who co-owns the track with son Mike, knows that is unique. “I think it is amazing that no racer has been able to win it twice,” Mary Jo says. “This year, we had weather challenges, but still got racers from 29 states. But, all the money from Saturday’s big race was won by Michigan entrants.” Saturday’s event paid $50,000 to win, making a happy man out of winner Jason Jensen of Vicksburg, Michigan. As this was the biggest win of his career, that money is great. But, he also

76 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

appreciates the symbolism of the trophy he received and the oversized check to hang on his trailer wall. The World Super Pro Challenge is spread over a four-day weekend, with $10,000 to win on Thursday and Friday and $5,000 to win on Sunday. Additionally, the Ledford family offers a Racer Appreciation Gambler race with free entry. The 16 competitors are drawn from the weekend’s entry tech cards to decide who gets to run for the extra money put up by FTI Performance. Dragsters and door cars are run separately until an eliminations ladder is created at eight cars. At the quarter-finals, it was an even split between each kind of race car.

Words: Laurie Silvey Photos: Bryan Epps and Todd Silvey

Rain was in the mix all week and most likely contributed to the number of racers being a little lower than usual. Friday was totally rained out, forcing the Ledfords to make some changes to the format. “We had rain every day except Saturday, but on Friday, we just couldn’t beat the weather,” Mike says. “We dried the track four times, and every time, it would begin coming down again as soon as we finished. We made the decision to roll Friday’s money over into Sunday’s races and start that day from the beginning. We did have about 200 racers entered during the weekend, so it worked out okay.” In addition to the weather issues, many racers were not in attendance on Friday due to a funeral. Matt Cornell, who had won the $50,000 in 2011, lost his father, Rick, a few days before the event. The racers in the area are a close-knit bunch, and several went to the funeral to honor Rick’s memory. Additionally, many of the racers purchased a tribute decal in Rick’s memory and placed them on their cars for the weekend. The Ledfords accumulated daily giveaway prizes for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the event. The prizes were drawn from all the names of drivers eliminated from the race by the third round that day. Thursday, Digital Delay provided a Mega Delay Box won by Ohio racer Tim Buckley. Saturday, Steve Kaefer of Illinois was the winner of a paint job or helmet from Todd’s Extreme Paint, who also sponsored the entire event. And on Sunday, Jose Diaz from Ohio received a 4150 carburetor donated by Pro Systems. “It’s just a special event,” Indiana racer Bill Shipman says. “I’ve gone to most of the events since it started. It’s just different and fun. I like the racetrack, I like the pit layout, and I enjoy seeing the guys who come to the race every year. It’s a hard race for a single-entry guy to win, but if you don’t play, you can’t ever win, so I’ll keep trying.” Shipman, his wife Connie, and their daughter Sara, look at the trip to Mid-Michigan Motorplex every year as a vacation. “We come a few days early, unhook the trailer, and then go travel and see the scenes,” he says. “One year, we’ll go to one side of the state and see Lake Michigan. The next, we’ll see Lake Huron and the other side of the state. Then, we come back to the track and see our friends. We’ve made a lot of friends at this event.”

Georgia racer, Bug McCarty, stopped in Cleveland on his way up to Stanton to pick up his second ride for the weekend, this gorgeous Rambler wagon with its brand new paint job.

Many racers honored the memory of past 50K event winner, Rick Cornell, who died days before the event. Racers not only came from near and far for the race, but many took a break from Friday competition to attend Rick’s funeral.

Chris Cadle was wheeling Todd Zeller’s ’94 S-10 pickup to earn the runner-up money in Saturday’s $50K big event. DragRacingScene.com 77

The racers like the event format of door cars running door cars, and dragsters taking on dragsters until they get to an eight-car ladder. “The doorslammers really did well this year,” Mary Jo says. “Ironic though it was, we had two door cars in the final, and I don’t think that’s ever happened before. We’ve Mary Jo Ledford runs Mid-Michigan had door cars win the Motorplex along with her sons, Mike and Jeff. She expressed surprise that no race, but no all-door car racer has managed to win the big money final in the past. It was more than once. great. We had a lot of really nice cars that have not been here before, many of them door cars.” Bug McCarty brought two cars to the race this year, his American Race Cars dragster with fenders, along with his unique Rambler station wagon. “We like this race,” McCarty says. “It’s a northern getaway for a bunch of guys from the South like me. I like going to this event because they 100 percent guarantee the payout. It’s a long way to go if the money isn’t guaranteed. Mike is a good guy, and this is a good track. This race has a cheap entry fee for the high amount of money they pay with the guaranteed purse.” The World Super Pro Challenge was the race debut for his Rambler Wagon. “I just had the Rambler painted by R&R in Cleveland, and I picked the car up from them on my way up here,” he says. “It was a street car that I’ve had for a few years, and I’ve had a guy building it since 2014. This event is always a good race, but I didn’t have any luck this year.” Next year’s event will be the 25th anniversary of the World Super Pro Challenge. Plans are for the Silver Anniversary Celebration to take place on August 15, 2018. DRS

Bill Shipman bought his ‘Sara’s Toy’Belvedere GTX when he first returned from Vietnam in 1971. He paid $500 for the non-running car. When he completed the Dodge, it sported a $75 paint job that it still has today. The car has a lot of history as it was the first car to run one of the earliest transbrakes invented by Steve Griner. Shipman is as comfortable in his car as he is sitting in a recliner at home. Pictured are Bill, wife Connie, and daughter Sara. 78 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Rick LaRoque drove his ’00 Mustang to the quarter-finals of the 50 Grander on Saturday, falling to the eventual winner, Jason Jensen.

Chris Cadle works for the event sponsor, Todd’s Extreme Paint. His Atomic Lobster dragster got our attention for the paint scheme and the name. Cadle was reading the aptly named book as he was finishing the car.

It’s ‘game on’ by the time you get to the late rounds of the race for 50 grand. The average reaction time was a .009 during the quarter finals.

THE FAMED “BURNBOX BOB” IS BACK THE ART OF THE BURNBOX

day by an extra hour or two. So, I make sure the racers can’t miss my signals and keep things moving.”

Bob Kirsch, better known as Burnbox Bob, was supposed to be a one-time fill-in at Central Michigan Dragway when he was asked to work for a night in 1984.

In addition to Mid-Michigan Motorplex, Kirsch has worked the water box at multiple other facilities, including Milan and US 131 Dragway. He’s proud to have worked the US Nationals, too.

“Jim Ledford had a couple of guys out for prom and needed someone for just that one night,” Kirsch says. “Racers evidently liked what I did and asked if I could stay on, and 15 years later, I finally took a break.”

After 15 years of hard work, Kirsch took a break away from the dragstrip to focus on his furniture repair shop.

Kirsch used his martial arts skill to develop his personal style, knowing big movements would help the racers to see his gestures better. “The long strides and moves come from the different belt levels,” he says. “I learned No Contact martial arts, and we emphasize stopping power, so that influences what I do. Of course, at my age, I can’t jump three feet in the air anymore and do a 360 turn. I still do big movements so the racers can see what I’m doing, and I’ve always been known for working hard. To change that wouldn’t be Burnbox Bob, so I’ve modified my moves so I can work a two- or threeday race without wearing myself out.” Kirsch is easy to spot in the water box with his signature white shirt and pants and green and red gloves. “It’s not so important at Mid-Michigan Motorplex because they have good lighting and the starting line isn’t that far from the water box,” Kirsch says. “Other tracks though, that makes a big difference. If cars stay in the burn box area too long, it holds the race up. It only takes a few seconds per pair to extend the race

“My son, Bobby, wanted to do other things on the weekends,” Kirsch says. “I opened my furniture repair shop, and that’s gone well. A lot of people don’t know what I did up here at the dragstrip. The community knows me for my furniture work. I like doing things for the community and enjoy teaching people to do furniture repair. So, I stepped away from the track for about 20 years.” Earlier this season, he drove by the Motorplex and saw the help wanted sign. He called to ask if they needed help. “Mary Jo Ledford didn’t know it was me and asked me to come in and fill out an application,” Kirsch says. “I said, ‘Mary Jo, this is Bob.’ ‘Bob who?’ I said, ‘Bob Kirsch.’ I didn’t say, Burnbox Bob; I’m just Bob Kirsch, that’s all, the guy who loves being there with the racers.” Mary Jo invited him to come in and work a few events this year, starting with the World Super Pro Challenge. She told him he could work when he wanted and do the job he wanted. “I just turned 72 years old in August,” Kirsch says. “When Mary Jo told me they needed me back in the water box, I cried. I wasn’t sure I could still work the water box, but I got back in shape, and I’m working a few weekends this year. I love to help the racers, and it keeps me young. I am in my second childhood now, and if I can do this for another five years, that would be wonderful for me.” DragRacingScene.com 79

GET UP and >>>>> GO ZEX nitrous spurs Mustang to low 12s

Words & Photos: Brandon Flannery and Cindy Bullion

The major hard parts in the ZEX Nitrous kit include the bottle and brackets, the blowdown kit, and the new Coyote Perimeter Plate.

Adding Zex’s new Coyote Perimeter Plate Nitrous System with a 150shot boosted this 2012 Mustang GT’s track time by more than a second. 80 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

ex is at it again, making fast cars even faster. This time, they set their sights on the 5.0L Coyote-equipped Mustang. While the GTs roll off the lot putting down a solid 412 hp, who doesn’t want just a little bit more giddy-up? If you haven’t been educated on the ways of the bottle, know that in small doses, nitrous is perfectly safe for most automobiles. It’s not a fuel, but an oxidizer, which adds more oxygen into the combustion mixture so the engine can burn even more fuel in the same amount of time. There are two kinds of systems: a dry system that simply adds nitrous, and a wet one that takes a little bit of a safer route and adds extra fuel to avoid any lean conditions. The COMP Performance Group (CPG) test 2012 Mustang GT featured here got a wet kit, which will help keep the EFI system from lagging behind trying to keep up with accelerated combustion. Zex’s new Coyote Perimeter Plate — the star of the kit — bolted directly onto the intake, just behind the

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The new 5.0 Perimeter plate bolts onto the intake manifold behind the throttle body.

A liquid filled pressure gauge lets us keep an eye on bottle pressure — regardless of line pressure, purging, or if the valve is open or closed.

g As safe insurance against an over-pressurized bottle, a blowdown tube connects to the discharge nozzle (at left) and routes excess nitrous under the car when a burst place (arrow) ruptures above 3,000 psi.

Since the solenoids — one for nitrous, the other for fuel — pull a lot of power, a relay is used to keep the high power line as short as possible and not routed through the switching system.

The fuel line for the wet kit ties into the fuel rail from the solenoid. This allows the fuel to be pulled from the pressurized system to the solenoid. Once the solenoid is activated, it sends fuel through an inlet line to the throttle plate. This keeps the engine from leaning out. DragRacingScene.com 81

throttle body, and tied into the fuel injection supply line. Install in any post-2011 Ford 5.0L should take only a day or two with common hand tools. The system in this case is activated with a switch installed below the E-brake handle. It’s designed to only work at wide open throttle with a throttle position sensor switch, to avoid any mistakes. A blow-down valve was also used, for safety, on the trunk-mounted bottle. Zex’s harness came with everything needed to complete the install, and the only wires that required splicing were one into the TPS and another into a switched 12V power, sourced under the dash in this case. A power and a ground lead were connected to the electrical system. Zex markets the wet system for Coyote engines as capable of handling increases from 100 to 250 hp. CPG recently welcomed Xceleration Media to their Memphis headquarters to observe the install and see how well the system performs, and they even took us to a local racetrack for some passes down the strip. At Memphis International Raceway, where temps were in the mid-80s, it would take just a few minutes for a bottle heater to bring the 10-pound bottle of nitrous to 900 psi for optimal performance. That was plenty of time to establish a baseline quarter-mile time and ET for comparison. The Mustang made three passes sans nitrous, logging an average ET of 13.528 seconds at 107.48 mph. The numbers are on par with what is expected from a stock 5.0. Aside from nitrous, CPG’s test car has only had one modification: a TCI Automotive high-stall, single-disc, bolt-together torque converter. Nitrous activated, the Mustang sped down the track at 118.82 mph in 12.253 seconds — more than a second and 10 mph faster. Time slips comparison shows the Mustang best performed around mid-track, picking up more than half a second with the nitrous at the 1/8 mile mark. In terms of power boost, the Mustang saw an increase of 122 hp to the wheels from the best naturally aspirated pass to the best nitrous pass. It’s safe to say the Zex upgrade has given this 5.0 a bit of get up and go! DRS With everything all buttoned up and the engine cover in place, it’s hard to tell this Mustang has been modified.

82 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

In the trunk, a rubber plug was perfect to run the wires and hoses through, eliminating the need to drill another hole. Be sure to stay away from the exhaust and moving parts.

With the activation switch tucked safely under the E-brake handle, all that was left to do was flip it to arm the system and press the gas to full throttle.

Scott Wahlstrom

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The powerplant that won all of the marbles is Mike Bowman’s twin-turbocharged, 522c.i. Brad Anderson 8x Hemi bullet.

PRO MOD WORLD SERIES OF

he idea for the World Series of Pro Mod was a spark in Wes Buck’s brain for nearly five years before it became a reality. “I was at a big Pro Mod race on the east coast in 2012, and when I went home after the event, I was just sad,” Buck says. “I thought about the people involved and the cars on the property, but the pomp and circumstance just wasn’t there. The fanfare wasn’t there. It weighed on my mind heavily because I thought these guys deserve better.” He explained that everyone involved in drag racing, no matter what they drive personally, has a unique admiration for the guys who drive wild Pro Mods. “It’s no secret that those cars are wild animals,” he says. “I’ve had very accomplished dudes tell me they’d never get in one of those cars. It just

84 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Poker and Pro Modified, who knew Words: Todd Silvey Photos: Brian Beers

The World Series of Pro Mod is the brainchild of Wes Buck from Drag Illustrated magazine. After this first year success, it will now be the annual winner takes all $100,000 event.

Wes Buck recounts inviting Mike Bowman to the event. ‘I called Mike and told him I had a spot open and asked him if he would be able to come,’ Buck says. ‘He said, ‘Are you serious? I got to hang up so I can order a torque converter, I got to go.’ The phone went dead, and I was thinking, did he say yes or no? It was so funny.’

smacks to me that these are drag racing’s cowboys and cowgirls. These guys are rock stars.” For most Pro Mod racers, driving their car is a hobby. Comparatively, only a few Pro Mod racers earn their living as a professional driver. “Pro Mod racers have the autonomy to say what they think, drive the wheels off their cars,” Buck says. “That’s one of the reasons we see so many of these cars bouncing off guardrails and smoking cones is because the guy behind the

wheel is footing the bill. He can tear his own stuff up.” Shortly after that race, Buck was watching the World Series of Poker on TV and the thought came to him. “I was watching it on ESPN,” Buck says. “I was picking it apart saying that’s dumb, and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with this cast of characters sitting around the table. There’s an Asian kid, a mathematician nerd type of guy, a college trust fund kid with headphones and a hooded sweatshirt, and the cow-

The supercharged competitors were making a strong showing in the Colorado air. Eric Latino came down from Canada and met up in round two with eventual runner-up Steven Whiteley in his beautiful Caddy CTS coupe.

boy guy who’s the old school Vegas gambler with a 10-gallon hat. It struck me that the show was introducing me to these characters, and I was invested. “I liked the cowboy; I didn’t like the snarky attitude college guy,” he continues. “I’m cheering him on, and it struck me that this is what we should do with drag racing. If they can make a poker game exciting at this level, drag racing’s problem is not the sport, it’s the presentation.” He didn’t feel like drag racing had a true entertainment property. His whole concept with the World Series of Pro Mods event was to seek out a cast of characters who would not only be entertaining and outspoken, but also highly competitive on the dragstrip. He would bring them together in one location, put a massive prize on the table, and create serious consequences. “Winner takes all, no runner-up prize,” Buck says. “I needed to put these guys in a situation where they had no choice but to be emotional. You either win the big prize or you’re really disappointed.” Buck started laying the groundwork for the event right away. He pitched the idea to several Pro Mod guys and a handful of industry professionals. He asked them if he charged a high entry fee and paid crazy money for the winner, would anybody buy into the idea. DragRacingScene.com 85

Buck took a notebook and started jotting down ideas, keeping it on his desk. “My idea all goes back to poker and the secrecy of the game,” he says. “My thought was no clocks and no qualifying. We would draw names from a hat to see who races who. I wanted to create an element of mystery and surprise and catch everybody off guard. Nobody would know what anybody else ran in their test pass, so there is no opportunity to go out and race the racetrack. These guys have to go out and swing for the fences because you have no idea what you’re up against.” Racers who knew about the idea were asking Buck when it was going to happen, but it meant paying $100,000, and that is a lot of money. Then, an interesting thing happened that put it in motion. “The notebook continued to fill up with drawings, notes, and ideas I’d compiled,” Buck says. “I saw an idea at a pro bull riding event, or saw the No Prep guys doing this. At the SEMA show last year, I was enjoying cocktails with my buddies, Cale and Cody Crispe, the legendary traction twins. Their uncle is Sporty Bandimere, and their grandfather is John Bandimere II. I was telling them my ideas for a Pro Mod event, invite only, 100 grand to win, no clocks, no qualifying.” Cody and Cale were blown away and told Buck he needed to do it at Bandimere Speedway. He had thought he would have to start out at a small track he could afford to rent and work his way up to a national event facility. After the discussion, they went their

After a strong performance at recent NHRA Pro Modified events, Michael Biehle rolled into the event with positive expectations. He fell to eventual winner Mike Bowman in the semis.

separate ways and Buck didn’t think about it again. “Two months later, I’m at the PRI show, and Sporty Bandimere walks up to my booth and says, ‘I hear you have an idea for a really exciting Pro Mod race,’” Buck says. “I was surprised that Cale and Cody had told him. I was getting ready for my PRI party that night and told Sporty I’d talk to him after the New Year. He told me he wasn’t going to let me off the hook.” Sporty meant it and called Buck several times by the first of 2017. Buck agreed to talk, and after spending several hours on the phone together, they had hashed out the whole program. “I started making invites,” Buck says. “I broke the news in early February, and we had guys who bought in immediately. I sent out the first round of invites and didn’t have anybody turn me down. Stevie Jackson, who has raging celebrity status in drag racing, was one of the

Part of the ‘never show your hand’ poker theme, is the no-clock event where only the individual racer saw his time slip. The event relied on extreme announcers like Al Tucci to meet the challenge of providing racer information without the use of speed and ETs.

86 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

first guys I called. He told me if I was putting up 100 grand to race anywhere, ‘I’ll be there with bells on.’ That was the response I got from everyone.” Buck was humbled by the response he got from the racers. He knew that driving across the country for most of these guys would be an expensive undertaking. “We had a couple of hiccups along the way,” he says. “We lost cars to crashes or breakdowns throughout the year as we reached out. But, after confirming Stevie Jackson, we got Mike Knowles, Danny Rowe, Steve Matusek,

Jim and Steven Whitely, and it just kept going. I’m grateful that these guys cast their votes with their wallets and time to come out and do this deal.” Though he thought the venue was a challenge since few had raced at altitude before, it actually leveled the playing field. “It made it exciting,” he says. “We could have held the race on the east coast and gotten more cars. But would it have had the magic? I don’t think so. That facility and the level of investment in passion and enthusiasm for the project that the Bandimere family and their entire staff displayed was amaz-

ing. They partnered with me and truly believe in doorslammer 1/4-mile drag racing. They believe in showmanship and putting on a show for the fans, toeing the balance between sport and entertainment. I threw so much at them, and they were so receptive to all of it. I wanted two days of testing, the track to be prepped to the nines, and to bring in high level tech guys. We wanted to take this opportunity while the momentum was there and shine a light on Pro Mod drag racing.” The racers reacted to all of the excitement and brought out their best for the crowds over the weekend. They

BOWMAN AND MENHOLT

NEVER TAKE THE WILDCARD ENTRANTS LIGHTLY

The winner for the World Series of Pro Mod was Mike Bowman, who got into the event late. He got the call from Wes Buck just two short weeks before the race. “I called Mike and told him I had a spot open and asked him if he would be able to come,” Buck says. “He said, ‘Are you serious? I got to hang up so I can order a torque converter, I got to go.’ The phone went dead, and I was thinking, did he say yes or no? It was so funny.” Bowman had to get a converter that would work in the altitude of the mountains. He had won at Bandimere in the past, though it came 22 years ago at a Super Chevy race. “It was a rush to get ready for the race,” Bowman says. “I ordered a torque converter from M&M, and after I got that, I had to change the trans, the rear gear, and other stuff, as well as adjust the setup in the car, too. It was a pretty quick turnaround, but I told myself just put your best foot forward and hope for the best. We did, and it worked out pretty good, so I can’t be happier about that.” Mike knows his car well, so he got it tuned to the track quickly. He was more than pleased to run the first five-second pass of the event during the test session on Tuesday. He found the format of the race interesting and liked the idea of racing his opponent, rather than the track. “The whole week was interesting because we didn’t have the luxury of knowing what everybody else ran,” he says. “They didn’t know what we ran; we didn’t know what they ran. So, my outlook was just going down the racetrack every time doing the best I can. Keep everybody wondering, and that was a lot of fun.”

loved the secrecy and the fun of it, and also took things very seriously. “Within five minutes of the first car running down the track, I heard ‘what did he run, what was his 60 foot?’” Buck says. “The BS was deep and got deeper. Every night at the track I heard, ‘Stevie Fast went .940 60 foot. Is that true? I heard Pete Farber ran 5.93. I heard Mike Bowman ran 2.55.’ Every night, there was a bigger whopper than the night before. It was fun.” The time slip printers were on the starting line. The starter would tear off one copy, look away without seeing the numbers and give it to a crew guy.

Bowman plans to be back for next year’s event. He already has it on his schedule for August 10, 2018. After all, he has $100,000 in his pocket, a championship ring on his finger, and a championship belt on his wall. “It was a great race weekend, so much fun, and I can’t wait to go back and do it again,” he says. Bowman’s first round opponent was the only one of the competitors who wasn’t certain he was going to run for $100,000 when he showed up at Bandimere. Derek Menholt entered the $10,000 Wildcard race on Friday night and won, earning the right to be in the big show on Saturday. “We went into the event just trying to do well on Friday night, so by winning that, it was great,” Menholt says. “It was the best weekend I’ve ever raced. We came out of the Top Sportsman ranks trying to get into Pro Mod, and this was my first entered event in Pro Mod. So for us to be competitive, it was a success for us getting the $10,000 win.” He had a broken pinion ring to deal with, but had the bye in the first round of the $10,000 event. Steve Molinari and Justin Bond helped him out with a center section to be able to finish the race. “We were able to go around a blower car in the semis,” he says. “And in the final round, the same thing. We were a few car lengths back at about half track and got around him for the win, so that’s a good feeling.” Menholt also plans to be back next year. “I think they did a great job putting this together,” he says. “We’re excited about doing it again in the future. It was so much fun in the pits at night with everybody playing mind games with each other over the no scoreboards. It was a real challenge for a lot of guys racing at that altitude, but we all got through it.”

Derek Menholt came over from Billings, Montana, to enter the $10,000 Wildcard race on Friday night and won, earning the right to be in the big show on Saturday. DragRacingScene.com 87

The other copy was crumpled up and thrown in the trash can. “One of Shane Molinari’s guys made a great pass on Tuesday afternoon – visibly good,” Buck says. “Cale Crispe tore the time slip off and handed it to his crew guy, then tore the other one off and tossed it in the trash can. Molinari’s crew guy dove headfirst into the trash can after it to grab it back out. He didn’t want anybody to see that time. It was the perfect illustration about how seriously these guys were taking this. They literally didn’t want anybody to see what they had run.” The fun continued through testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, then on Thursday, the track was quiet with preparations for Friday’s racing. “We held a badass welcome party for the racers and crew at the track on Thursday night,” Buck says. “But by Thursday night, nobody was joking around anymore. They were serious. I mean, they were here to win $100,000. I realized at that point that no matter what happened with the crowd or parking passes or how we did at concessions, these guys had bought in hook, line, and sinker. They were playing the game, playing poker, and I felt the magic I so badly wanted. Everybody felt it; there was a certain electricity in the air. This was serious business, and these guys were playing it up.” As the competition began, it was obvious that this was a different type of race. With the clocks off and no qualifying, announcing was not the typical stats and figures. Buck had brought in Al Tucci to announce.

Mike Janis rolled into the event as one of the dominant figures for oddsmakers. In the first round, he put Stevie ‘Fast’ Jackson in his trailer, which was a huge accomplishment stated by Janis. His momentum came to a stop when he dropped out in round three.

“Al spent time in the weeks leading up to the race learning about the racers’ back stories,” Buck says. “He knew he couldn’t talk about what they ran in the previous round or how fast they were going. He took this to heart and did a great job selling the characters rather than the times. I was mic’d up on the starting line, and I let the fans know these are five-second, 200 mph-capable cars so they could understand what they were watching. I loved the no clock thing, and the racers loved it. They liked the secrecy and the fun.” Buck is still coming down from the adrenaline rush of the weekend. Future plans are well under way. “We want to stick with close to the same weekend,” he says. “I’ve had some big name sponsors approach me and say, ‘If you need funding, we’ve got your back.’ Every sponsor has signed

on again for next year, and we’ve had some companies who have massive distribution networks reach out to help us with ticket programs. We want to double down, do more, do different things to help it grow.” Buck felt like the time was right to demonstrate that Pro Mod is a headline attraction. It is a class filled with all different types of cars, makes, models, and engines, and lead by people from all different walks of life. “We know these guys and girls deserve headline attraction treatment,” he says. “If we accomplished anything, I believe we accomplished that. We made sure these guys and girls felt like a million bucks, felt like THE show, and that was my biggest goal.” DRS

Wearing his event championship belt, Mike Bowman celebrates the biggest payday of his racing career with his wife Kristy, and his daughters, Kayla and Kassidy. 88 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

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DragRacingScene.com 89

SPARE THE

Words & Photos: Jeff Smith

ROD

he cost of making more horsepower – beyond the price of the parts – is that every time an engine moves into new territory. It’s like going deeper into the ocean or farther into space. No one’s really sure what they are going to find. In the horsepower game, pioneering new ground is often accompanied by a pile of broken parts. The good news is that blending the arts of physics and metallurgy can help predict the future. Rather than blindly bolting parts together and praying everything stays glued together, applying some basic fastener science can keep an engine builder out of trouble. One of the more critical yet simple components that are subjected to incredible physical torture is rod bolts. Everyone focuses on the concept that a high horsepower engine lays the load on a connecting rod when the cylinder pressure is really making steam. While big-power engines certainly propagate cylinder pressure and compressive loads on the connecting rod, a good rod is designed to withstand that load. The more subtle killer of connecting rods and bolts is engine speed. As the connecting rod rotates at peak rpm across top dead center (TDC) on the exhaust stroke, the big end of the rod actually becomes oval-shaped and imparts a bending moment into the rod bolts. As the crankshaft continues to rotate, the big-end of the rod returns to its original shape but now the inertial force attempts to pull the cap off the rod. Engineers call this tensile load. The reason this occurs on the exhaust stroke is because there is no cylinder pressure to push the piston down. Instead, it is pulled downward by the loaded cylinders. Combine this tensile load with the bending forces and you can see why the rod bolt faces the exceedingly difficult task of keeping everything attached. Just to make this interesting, inertial forces increase with the square of the speed. This means that if we double the engine speed, the above tensile forces increase by a factor of four.

90 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

There’s more to rod bolts than just torqueing them in place

Race engines are all about rpm and a good engine builder can create a reliable rotating assembly with parts that will stay together — especially if the correct rod bolts are specified and installed properly.

Stock Ford with a much longer stroke Let’s toss out some numbers that and higher engine speeds – it’s enough might make an impression. Let’s take a to make you shiver. 3.75-inch stroke small-block Chevy with We didn’t make these numbers up. 6.0-inch connecting rods and an overARP’s Director of Specialty Products all piston and rod weight of 950 grams Chris Brown graciously pulled those and spin it to 7,500 rpm. This generresults from a proprietary ARP proates a tensile load of 8,216 pounds of gram the company uses to ensure the force attempting to rip the rod cap most accurate selection process when from the rod. Divide that force beit comes to choosing rod bolts for a tween two rod bolts and those fasteners race engine. If that sounds like a good have to withstand over 4,100 pounds of force at that rpm every othRod Bolt Tensile Strength and Yield Chart er revolution. At 7,500 rpm, All ratings are listed in pounds per square inch (psi). the piston Rod Bolt Alloy Nominal Tensile Yield crosses TDC 125 times a 8740 chrome moly 190,000 170,000 second! ARP 2000 220,000 200,000 Now imagL19 260,000 230,000 ine the load Custom Age 625+ 260 – 280,000 235 – 255,000 on an 800c.i. big-block ARP 3.5 260 – 280,000 235 - 255,000 IHRA Pro

1 2 3 Here’s a little secret that few people realize. A full 50 percent of the total friction required to establish a given clamp load occurs between the underside of the bolt head and the work surface (1). Another 40 percent is created by the threads (3) with only the remaining 10 percent required to actually preload the fastener (2).

The only accurate way to establish the proper rod bolt clamp load is with a stretch gauge like this one from ARP. The tool fits into the dimples on both ends of the bolt and torque is applied until the proper stretch figure is achieved.

idea — then keep reading. Drag race engines are the definition of high-strung. This means that your big-bore/short-stroke combo aimed at singing through the lights at an extreme rpm must contend with the unavoidable physics that are trying to tear the engine apart. Since each engine is different, each load will require a given rod bolt to meet the demand. While rod bolt overkill is an easy and effective solution, that also demands diverting scarce resourc-

es for parts your engine may not need. Beyond the proper selection, it’s also crucial that the rod bolts be installed correctly in order to take full advantage of their engineered strength. The best rod bolts in the world won’t hold an engine together if the bolts are installed incorrectly. This will require an understanding of how bolts work and how to install them to get the most out of each of these custom fasteners. Let’s talk about materials. If you’re a tech geek like us, perhaps you’ve pe-

rused the ARP catalog and noticed the company offers five different rod bolt materials. We’ve included a chart that reveals the tensile and yield strength of each of the five different materials. Let’s start with a quick primer on metallurgy. Brown says there is a direct correlation between a fastener’s Rockwell hardness and the bolt’s tensile strength. Plus tensile strength and hardness go hand-in-hand. One issue that may be difficult to understand is that ductility is somewhat consistent among all the ARP rod bolt alloys. Some people have difficulty accepting that a bolt with a Rockwell of 42 will have roughly the same identifiers of elongation as a bolt with a much higher Rockwell number like 52 with a much higher tensile strength. So with the higher strength bolts you get a much

REDUCING THE STIFFNESS?

ARP’s Chris Brown told us that ARP produces an undercut between the male threads and the head on a cap screw rod bolt. This becomes the fastener’s thinnest cross-sectional area. This is done to allow the bolt to deflect over a wider area during the bending moment that generally occurs at the parting line between the cap and the main portion of the rod. By designing the bolt this way, it reduces the stiffness and spreads the load out away from the first male thread and reduces the chance of creating a stress fracture at that spot.

Capscrews and even stock stud and nut style fasteners should be torque cycled a minimum of three to five times to properly burnish the under-head area. This establishes a wear pattern, creating more consistent torque. DragRacingScene.com 91

One critical step is to record the free length of each rod bolt before it is stretched. During teardown, measuring each bolt again allows comparison to its previously recorded relaxed length. If the free length exceeds the baseline by more than 0.0005-inch then the bolt must be replaced.

ARP’s Ultra-Torque Assembly Lube should be used on both bolt threads and under-head area of a rod bolt cap screw to reduce the torque required to achieve the proper stretch.

Replacement of the bolt is necessary because it has stretched past its yield point. This places heavy emphasis on the proper measurement technique. A 0.200-inch micrometer ball insert from Mitutoyo is used to fit into the divots on each end of the bolt.

greater clamp load yet very similar ductility numbers, which greatly improve a bolt’s ability to withstand the high rpm bending moments. All steel alloys act like a spring which allows them to stretch slightly when a load is applied. With a tensile (stretching) load, the alloy will reach a point called its elastic limit or yield point. When stretched up to this point and then relaxed, the bolt will return to its original length. But if an applied load (either by over-tightening or from external forces) exceeds this yield point, the bolt will permanently stretch. How far it stretches depends on the load. If load is applied beyond the bolt’s tensile strength limit, the bolt will immediately fail. Tightening a rod bolt to just below the bolt’s yield point creates that bolt’s maximum clamp load to still be reusable. Unfortunately, this leaves virtual-

ly no safety factor. To account for this, ARP specifies a rod bolt stretch number that is generally 75 percent of the bolt’s yield point. If an ARP bolt’s yield point is 0.010inch, ARP’s stretch spec would be 0.0075-inch. This allows for variations in stretch gauge accuracy. Obviously, this means the actual clamp load created is slightly below its theoretical maximum. But if that number isn’t sufficient to accommodate the load, that’s when the builder would step up to the next higher grade of bolt. Another consideration for a bolt designer is cyclic loads, where the load is applied hundreds of thousands, to perhaps a million or more episodes. In theory, as long as those loads do not exceed the tensile clamp load peak of the bolts when torqued in place, multiple applications of the load created by engine speed should not affect the lifespan of

There are also intense bending forces that occur at the rod cap parting line. On a cap screw style connecting rod, it’s critical that all male threads be completely engaged within the connecting rod body.

An exposed male thread above the parting line exposes a dangerous stress concentration point, which could cause it to fail regardless of the clamp load. 92 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3

Effect of RPM on Rod Bolt Tensile Strength RPM Lbs of Percentage Tensile Load Load Increase 5,000 3,650 6,000 5,258 44.0% 7,000 7,157 36.1% 7,500 8,216 14.7% 8,000 9,348 13.7% 9,000 11,831 26.6% 10,000 14,607 23.4% The numbers in this chart are for a single connecting rod, so the load per rod bolt would then be half. This chart reveals how rpm has a profound effect on tensile or stretching load on the rod bolts. The example is a small-block Chevy with a 3.75-inch stroke, spinning a 6.0inch connecting rod with a rotating assembly (piston, pin, rings, and the connecting rod from the parting line upward) weighing 950 grams. The numbers are calculated using ARP’s proprietary computer program designed by ARP’s late chief engineer Ken Foster. The load (expressed in pounds of force) is the load attempting to rip the cap off the connecting rod. The effect of raising the rpm from 5,000 to 7,000 rpm is just shy of 100 percent! In keeping with the statement that load increases with the square of the rpm, compare the load increase between 5,000 and 10,000 rpm. Multiply 3,650 lbs x 4 = 14,600 lbs. This illustrates why a high quality rod bolt is essential if you are going to spin the engine at higher speeds.

This is again where inspecting the bolts for possible fatigue cracks after disassembly and checking free length will produce the evidence the engine builder needs to decide when the rod bolts should be replaced. ARP uses a normal engineering safety factor of two times the anticipated load as its target when designing a rod bolt. So if the anticipated load for a rotating package is 10,000 pounds of tensile load, this would be evenly split between the two fasteners so that each bolt would be subjected to 5,000 pounds of force. Given this, ARP would then specify a bolt that would be able to withstand a force of 10,000 pounds. Some engine builders believe that This is what a stock connecting rod bolt looks inertial forces create additional load like that has been loaded to beyond its yield point. It looks like a piece of salt water taffy on the fastener. While those loads are that has been pulled apart. You generally only real, they do not add to the tensile load find examples like this in the oil pan after the already applied to the fastener. Essenengine has grenaded — spectacularly. tially, an adequate clamp load (deterthe fastener. However, in reality no rod mined by the bolt’s metallurgy and dibolt should be expected to live forevameter) must exceed this total load in er and there is a finite life span to any order to safely maintain connecting rod bolt. That is determined by the fasrod integrity. tener’s fatigue strength – defined as the Let’s use a simple situation to help point where the material fails after apexplain this phenomenon. Imagine a plying fatigue stress over a given num200 pound steel plate supported on all ber of repeated applications. four corners. If we apply 100 pounds of This is called cycles to failure. All this lifting force to the bottom of that plate, means is that a typical high-strength rod it will not move. However, if we apply bolt will eventually fail if loaded at the 250 pounds of lifting force – there will peak of its yield strength over enough be movement. This example holds true cycles where the additional bending for rod bolts. As long as the inertial moment adds to the bolt’s stress. This force does not exceed the clamp load, is again why ARP uses the 75 percent the joint will stay together. yield point safety factor – to accommoThe only other issue is the cost of all date this bending moment. this added protection. It should come The key is determining the point as no surprise that higher strength bolts where the bolt should be replaced. are also more expensive because the alloy is more costly to produce. We recently priced a pair of Custom Age 625 Plus bolts against an identical size ARP 2000 bolt. The Custom Age bolts were more than 4 times the price of the ARP 2000. So the most cost-effective situation is to choose bolts that will withstand just slightly more than anticipated load. Accidentally exceeding redline engine speed This graph shows why using ARP’s Ultra-Torque Assembly Lube is would be one of important anytime any fastener is torqued into place. The graph shows actual preload on the fastener based on the number of times the bolt is those cases where tightened. Notice that the engine oil (Series 1) is wildly inconsistent while the rpm could creUltra-Torque (Series 2) shows a very consistent application of preload ate enough force to from the first through the 10th torque application.

One major reason that cap screw rods are preferred over stud and nut style rods is that a 90-degree notch must be machined into the main body of the rod (arrow) to position the head of the stud. Even with a radius, this area becomes highly stressed under load, creating an ideal location for a stress fracture.

apply additional load to the rod bolts. Let’s use the situation where the clutch lets loose in a manual trans big-block where even the rev limiter couldn’t prevent the engine from a 1,500 rpm over-speed. A smart engine builder will recommend tearing the engine down to check everything, especially the rod bolts. If the engine builder was meticulous, recording the free length of each new rod bolt, then checking the over-revved bolts would be an easy way to determine their condition in a simple pass-fail evaluation. ARP’s catalog states the fastener can be re-used as long as the rod bolt’s free length does not exceed 0.001-inch longer than its original free length, after the over-rev. Brown offers that any permanent elongation of the rod bolt beyond 0.0005-inch (half of 0.001-inch) is an indication that the bolt has exceeded its yield point and will eventually fail. Brown also offered that if an overrevved engine is shut down quickly, this allows the engine builder to prevent a catastrophic engine failure by replacing the compromised rod bolts. Making horsepower has never been easier than it is right now. But, with all this power and rpm also comes expensive physics lessons that cannot be ignored. Armed with the right information, engine builders can make decisions that can make them true horsepower heroes. DRS Source: Automotive Racing Products (ARP), arp-bolts.com

DragRacingScene.com 93

Focus!

retend for a moment you are a 1/8th mile bracket racer, and your car goes five seconds. You make two time trials, and with buy backs, you have a big car count, so eight rounds for the race. On a good day, when you win or runner-up, you go down the track 10 times. Ten times at five seconds is 50 seconds total! You also need to focus on the burnout and stage, so that’s 20 seconds, or 200 seconds total — less than four minutes! Just let that sink in. A typical day might be 12 hours long, and you only need to focus for four minutes! Why is it so hard to focus? Why is it so hard to focus just when you need to, and on just what you need to? Most sports require very specific times to focus and to focus on the right thing. Unfortunately, our minds wander, we lose focus; sometimes, it is hard to keep our eye on the ball (or in our case, the light). In auto racing, we must focus and make decisions quickly. Racers with experience learn to slow things down. If you can slow down the race, it means you are focusing on the right things. Have you ever heard a racer talk about a five-second pass, yet it takes them five minutes to describe how the car felt, what they did, what they thought, how they drove the stripe? So, you know you need to get focused and be focused, but how? 1. Admit you need to focus. An athlete needs to start training the brain to focus when you want to. In sports psychology, we call this mindfulness. Taking time to be present, then letting your brain wander, then bringing it back. This action takes practice, and you must want to focus and force your brain to focus. 2. Experience and practice. You will get better at focusing with practice. I am a believer in practice trees. You need to spend quality time with the tree and practice. Quality is more important than quantity. When you practice, try to be mindful and make the most out of every opportunity from the practice tree, to the time runs, to the eliminations. 3. Routine, Routine, Routine. When I ask athletes if they have a clear routine before they perform and they

say, “Yeah, sometimes,” I then explain they don’t have a routine. A routine means all the time, every time. A clear routine in the lanes, doing the burnout, and staging the same way will help you get in the right mindset to focus. Just like a baseball player needs a good on-deck routine doing practice swings and thinking about the hit, so should a racer. 4. Green, yellow, red (or orange) zones. A racer (or any athlete) simply can’t focus and be ON for 12 hours, or even one hour. The best athletes know how to get ready to focus and perform and when to turn on the intensity, and they know when to turn it off and relax. I teach athletes who have trouble with focus this green, yellow, red zone strategy (in drag racing, we hate red, so maybe call it orange!) In the green zone, you can think, you can eat, you can have fun, you can let your brain be happy and relax. It is OK to have fun and still win; watch how relaxed some of the best racers are between rounds. That is the green zone. The yellow zone is when you start to get your ‘game face’ on. For my husband Mike, the yellow zone is a few cars back when he stops the chit chat; we talk again about our strategy, the dial in, etc. Then, he gets in the car, and it is go time. Different athletes need different amounts of yellow zone time for best performance. Then, it is the red, err, orange zone. You are rolling into the water box, doing the burnout, etc. Now, you train your brain that it is ALL go time. No time to second guess, to think; it’s all do, commit, and do it. At this point, your focus should be so locked in you would not notice anything. Google For the Love of the Game and watch the scene where Kevin Costner says, “Clear the mechanism.” At that moment, everything disappears except for the pitch. It is a great example of being in the zone and ready to perform. Focusing on the right things at the right time is difficult, but it is essential in all sports for success. In drag racing, we have to focus and do it quickly and consistently. You can learn to train your brain to focus with routines, experience, and discipline. You can learn to clear the mechanism. DRS

When I ask athletes if they have a clear routine before they perform and they say, ‘Yeah, sometimes,’ I then explain they don’t have a routine. A routine means all the time, every time.

94 Drag Racing Scene / Vol. 3, Issue 3