Wow, let's see if I can recount all this mess... First let me say, so many people where so kind to ask me if we got problems solved, did I get a good pass, etc... Thanks so much, I appreciate those who care..I really do...
Friday started with hopes of all things better than Thursday right...wrong...We put the new plugs in and indeed, spark plugs can solve odd conking out problems...hey I thought it was crazy but the motor was fine for the rest of the weekend. problem solved..old one resurfaces...I have had three races this year that my tranbrake cord has wrapped around or yanked out completely. no zip ties or tape or anything was keeping it from getting stuck in the groove or the key, etcc.. so first pass Friday, I go to do burnout and no line lock. I look, see my accessories switch is on, think that is it. Didn't even think the trans brake was fried too..Go to stage, no transbrake, catch it but ended up foot braking too late, no rpm up, no shift light, .wasted pass. Dan reconnects the ripped wires, replaced grounded fuse and we hang my transbrake button so I need to just hang on to it, no more long cord. 10 hours later, time for pass number 2, full of hope and promise. I am nervous over the idea of holding button, do kinda crumby burnout (struggling with that with big tires but we'll get to that later) Do my own staging, not watching other lane at all, come up on converter and turns out other guy is pokey puppy...I'm on the converter a good 10 seconds, I spin so hard, never see a shift light come on full pass. The rest of Friday night is bad news. Let's just say Dan was very frustrated with me, I assumed I have killed the converter. I was ready to pack up and admit fully I did not belong at the finals. I can tell you, we definitely should have spent more time testing, we are still gathering data on the changes and I had to just keep thinking I used the ET finals as 4 days of test n tune but believe me, I don't believe that is where you come with a car you are still figuring out...I believe in the finals being the baddest of the bad ass racers battling, not someone who has barely made 10 passes on a practically new car. I know it and was very embarrassed to be such a problem all weekend. So back to our tale, Dan tries to find a converter, no luck, we decide to check a few things and the tranny fluid was super low, probably drained out slowly out at Speedworld's top end (wink) Dan messes with it, seems like it's ok. I am ready to quit racing. (yeah it was one of those kinda nights, the ones were you doubt you have any talent for this sport.)
Saturday comes around, good night sleep, I feel like if I have a car that works, I know I can race. I am ready to give it another shot. Dan adjusts the rear shocks to soften them up, but no help. First time run comes, It spins super bad again (1.80 60ft..yikes) My 11.50 car has yet to run in the 11's at all. Time for First round, I am total duck soup....really, I feel bad for the guy who red lit to me because I dialed a 12.00 and came no where near it as I spun again. BUT I feel somewhat better knowing that I, at least, gained my beloved TF one point. I didn't totally make a fool of myself for accepting a slot on the team.
Sunday comes, I was just so glad to still be racing on Sunday 2nd round. I actually felt pretty good, I didn't think I was going to red light but I did -.007 red. I thought I hung it out and was late, guess NOT, but it did hook up a bit better, that didn't help. I felt sorta bummed but I felt good about my lights all weekend and I know I can finish line race with the best of them. (If given the chance)
I never ran 11 seconds all weekend. There is no question Big Red is wounded and the overwhelming consensus is that the converter is slipping We believe it has been even at the last team race causing me not to spin the tires but the trouble is the converter slipping. My wise young brother in law called it at the TF race, said the converter was toast then. We have another, it's just on a certain lady named Lily at the moment. We plan to get her changed for the next race in Nov. I am getting better at the bigger burnout, I spent so many years trying to take them easy to preserve my tires I am just not aggressive enough. I took some wise advice from Jody Davis, spun them harder than I ever have, I just need to drive her out of it a little further. She is just so much more of a handful and I am a slow to change habits style person. I mean, my feet still want to foot brake, old habits die hard for me! By the way, one habit that wasn't hard to change...I love holding the transbrake button, it's like using my practice tree- I let go and drop it, no worries, I actually adjusted to that right away...Hey!
As for the weekend on the whole, I tried to stay calm and cool over all the shite Big Red was tossing at me.. I was so glad to be at a finals again! I was so happy for my bud Ryan Smith, I hope he knows his victory meant a lot to his friends too! Thanks for letting us be in the photos! I had some good words in to some folks I know upstairs for him. The finals were some of the most amazing memories I had in recent years with my family, we always had a ball from painting signs, jangling pepsi cans or my mom sewing FIREBIRD letters on shirts. I was very emotional to be back in those stands knowing how much fun the whole team spirit thing was for my parents and I. So I just ran down there and tried to get the gang cheering... The "Give me an F" cheer was aimed right up at Butch for wearing that F with pride... So if I was loud, obnoxious or nutty...it was divine intervention...
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