DallasDSM ennis May 1st
#16
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"But for those ten seconds or less I'm free."
now THATS what I'm talking about!!!!
1/4mile....not as free as say, a Mile????
167 mph
I've been sharing this around, never thought about posting it, but its the best 'mind-in-body' explanation of the experience of racing I've ever read....it just happens to be the mind of a drag racer....and so it belongs here...
from AutoWeek's 03/09/09 edition; What to Drive...An NHRA Top Fuel Dragster?
Antron Brown, driver of Mike Ashley Racing's Matco Tools dragster:
"When the helmet goes on, I become a different person, I'm in a zone, and my mind is blank. The guys strap me in, and the car and I become one. The steering wheel is an artery coming right into my body. When they light the engine, it takes over my body. It's intense. I do the burnout to put down some rubber, and as I back up, I focus on my breathing. The routine is always the same.
At the line, I disengage the reverser and start inching forward. I find a spot down the track and shift my eyes between the christmas tree and that spot a few times to make that move automatic.
The crew chief gives me the final OK, and I slam my helmet shield down and creep into the prestage timing beams. I stare down the middle of the groove, because with these cars, if you look anywhere else, that's where it's goingAs soon as the other car is prestaged, I take one last breath, turn on the second fuel pump and take my foot off the clutch. The handbrake is the only thing holding the car back. I ease up on it just enough to bump into the stage's timing beams, and then every ounce of my focus is on that tree....
As soon as I see a flicker of anything in the lights, I stomp the accelerator through the floorboard. Everything slows down in my mind. I'm going 100mph in 0.8 a second, this happens in the first 60 ft. I get from there to the 330ft. marker in another 1.2 seconds before the clutch locks up 1-to-1 and the car bows up and feels as if it wants to lift off the ground. Only the wings keep it down. There's a sensation that you're floating and steering becomes more of a suggestin than a demand. You hope you're winning the race.
Since we now only race to 1,000 ft. we can see our times on the scoreboards, but I don't look until the parachutes are out. The whole thing is right on the edge of control, and you know it, but that's the thrill. You must try to handle something that accelerates faster than the space shuttle. Its crazy, but it's the best feeling ever.
120 seconds: entire time car runs, including burnout and run itself...500-cid motor gulps 18 gallons of nitromethane fuel during this time
now THATS what I'm talking about!!!!
1/4mile....not as free as say, a Mile????
167 mph
I've been sharing this around, never thought about posting it, but its the best 'mind-in-body' explanation of the experience of racing I've ever read....it just happens to be the mind of a drag racer....and so it belongs here...
from AutoWeek's 03/09/09 edition; What to Drive...An NHRA Top Fuel Dragster?
Antron Brown, driver of Mike Ashley Racing's Matco Tools dragster:
"When the helmet goes on, I become a different person, I'm in a zone, and my mind is blank. The guys strap me in, and the car and I become one. The steering wheel is an artery coming right into my body. When they light the engine, it takes over my body. It's intense. I do the burnout to put down some rubber, and as I back up, I focus on my breathing. The routine is always the same.
At the line, I disengage the reverser and start inching forward. I find a spot down the track and shift my eyes between the christmas tree and that spot a few times to make that move automatic.
The crew chief gives me the final OK, and I slam my helmet shield down and creep into the prestage timing beams. I stare down the middle of the groove, because with these cars, if you look anywhere else, that's where it's goingAs soon as the other car is prestaged, I take one last breath, turn on the second fuel pump and take my foot off the clutch. The handbrake is the only thing holding the car back. I ease up on it just enough to bump into the stage's timing beams, and then every ounce of my focus is on that tree....
As soon as I see a flicker of anything in the lights, I stomp the accelerator through the floorboard. Everything slows down in my mind. I'm going 100mph in 0.8 a second, this happens in the first 60 ft. I get from there to the 330ft. marker in another 1.2 seconds before the clutch locks up 1-to-1 and the car bows up and feels as if it wants to lift off the ground. Only the wings keep it down. There's a sensation that you're floating and steering becomes more of a suggestin than a demand. You hope you're winning the race.
Since we now only race to 1,000 ft. we can see our times on the scoreboards, but I don't look until the parachutes are out. The whole thing is right on the edge of control, and you know it, but that's the thrill. You must try to handle something that accelerates faster than the space shuttle. Its crazy, but it's the best feeling ever.
120 seconds: entire time car runs, including burnout and run itself...500-cid motor gulps 18 gallons of nitromethane fuel during this time
Last edited by DEVO330; May 1, 2009 at 01:32 PM.
#18
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what a blast!!!!
never have tried this, still believe its risky on the car, but couldn't resist the $5 price tag for 3 runs...never a better time to see what its all about
i was so 'deer in the headlights' on the first run...i don't remember even SEEING the amber lights!!! first thing i saw was the green...burning a hole into my retina!!!
last two runs were both 101mph, so thats pretty consistant, meaning- i guess i really need to find some horsepower, I think EVERY Evo had better speeds-some stock Evos even had better trap speeds.
My last two launchs: 0-60 just under 2seconds, everybody said that was good even for an experienced driver....time to retire while i'm ahead!!!
May try it again, only after i get my final tune, and check for boost leaks looking to find my hpower
NTEC attending: (did i forget anybody?)
Andrew
Danny and Connie
Justin and Keren
me
Laramie
Joey
Robert
Andy (new owner of Bimmertech's silver 9)
Big Thanks to Heath and the Dallas DSM crowd who set this up
we had our own staging lane, so we had a good time visiting before our runs
Robert came in third for the awd class and won a gift certificate
Justin threw his slip into the pot moments before the door prize drawing and won a $75 prize!!!
never have tried this, still believe its risky on the car, but couldn't resist the $5 price tag for 3 runs...never a better time to see what its all about
i was so 'deer in the headlights' on the first run...i don't remember even SEEING the amber lights!!! first thing i saw was the green...burning a hole into my retina!!!
last two runs were both 101mph, so thats pretty consistant, meaning- i guess i really need to find some horsepower, I think EVERY Evo had better speeds-some stock Evos even had better trap speeds.
My last two launchs: 0-60 just under 2seconds, everybody said that was good even for an experienced driver....time to retire while i'm ahead!!!
May try it again, only after i get my final tune, and check for boost leaks looking to find my hpower
NTEC attending: (did i forget anybody?)
Andrew
Danny and Connie
Justin and Keren
me
Laramie
Joey
Robert
Andy (new owner of Bimmertech's silver 9)
Big Thanks to Heath and the Dallas DSM crowd who set this up
we had our own staging lane, so we had a good time visiting before our runs
Robert came in third for the awd class and won a gift certificate
Justin threw his slip into the pot moments before the door prize drawing and won a $75 prize!!!
#20
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Thank you all for coming out.We had a great turn out.Congratulations to Shimanchu for the prize!
We all were a little rusty,rest assured will do this again soon.
To the silver evo:next time i will wait until you are gone before i do a burn out.Nice bumper.
We all were a little rusty,rest assured will do this again soon.
To the silver evo:next time i will wait until you are gone before i do a burn out.Nice bumper.
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