Re: Live from Bristol
 

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...c/DSCN2960.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...c/DSCN2962.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...c/DSCN2961.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

here's some hemi driver looking for advice before rd 1 of SS...........
he did alright for himself!

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...c/DSCN2946.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Wonder who that could be? Thanks Tom!
Bob Rice

Re: Live from Bristol
 

I'm a Ford guy and I like those Novas.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Bucky looks like a serial killer in that photo....LOL

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Stef...... Bucky was ready to "kill" after spinning in rd 2.
He was .016 to his opponents .109 lite (and lost).... spun bad.
He was not a happy camper.
He'll get it fixed..........

Here are a few stocker photos I had left from this mornings first rd.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/DSCN2964.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/DSCN2965.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/DSCN2966.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Well.......... we lucked out so far......the mountains have kept all of the rain away so far this weekend.
I hope the good LORD will give us one more day of sunshine.

Friday and saturday is in the books. We've completed two rounds of all sportsman (super comp -3 rds) and the next rd will be sunday after the first rd of pros.

I feel blessed to make into the third round. My two opponents today were .008 and .011 on the tree and I still managed to get the win lites.

Also... We'll be taking home the STRANGE money after going dead-on the dial in round 1. THANK YOU STRANGE ENGINEERING!

More reports tomorrow........... good nite............ (i know it's early...... but..... )

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Here's a cool pic of the local weather map.......
This is how lucky we've been.
It's been raining everywhere but Rt 81. (note bristol in center of map on rt 81)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...ks/weather.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Good luck tomorrow Tom.
Bob

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Thanks Bob.... I'll need it.

Guess what..... 930 tonite..... it started to rain.... hope it clears out tonite.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Good luck Tom. Good to see someone with a strong faith. Always a good thing to thank the LORD for everything he gives us.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Amen brother

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Also... We'll be taking home the STRANGE money after going dead-on the dial in round 1. THANK YOU STRANGE ENGINEERING

Congratulations on the dead-on Tom. I heard it on the NHRA audiocast this AM before going to work. Keep up the good work!

Phil Daly aka Chevellewagon.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Thanks everyone.

It's sunday morning.... 705am.... and the rain is still here.

local forecast said it should end by 11am and be nice and cold after that.
its going to be interesting.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...c/weather2.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Here is a couple more pics that I forgot to download from the last couple of days.....

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...misc/test2.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...misc/test3.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...misc/test1.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...misc/test4.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom

I love the pictures from when your standing way up top & looking down at the track. Great View....

Plus all of your updates on Stock & Super Stock are great.






Pistol Pete

1374
J/SA

Re: Live from Bristol
 

10am... rain stopped about 845am
track is being dried....
still cold and humid....57 degrees and 77% hum 28.66 baro

sportsman run their next round after the first rd of pros... (if we don't get a revised schedule because of a weather delay)

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Thanks for the updates Tom, good luck!

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Pros started at 12 noon sharp....
I quit counting but I think every other pair oiled the track.

Stock and super gas in the back of the lanes and waiting to get paired.

One heads-up run of stature this round..... Boudreau vs Bertozzi

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Time to ice it down - Jim Boudreau before his heads-up run...

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...misc/test5.jpg

Rest of the stockers waiting to be paired

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...sc/test4-1.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...misc/test7.jpg

Mary Meints still in with her stocker (rd 3)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...misc/test6.jpg

Edmond Richardson still in the hunt too..

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...sc/test3-1.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

151 pm .... finally finished top fuel and funny car
pro stock is next and then the sportsman

Bucky Hess got best engineered car..........
Congrats Bucky


http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...isc/test11.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...sc/test2-1.jpg

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Thank you, Tom, for your care and concern following my "crunch" (one of my fellow racers informed me it's not a crash, it's a crunch). Thanks to all of you who wrote on this forum and those who called to check on me. I am doing very well today -- no lasting effects. I can (unfortunately) personally vouch for the safety features on these vehicles. They do their job well!

The Safety Safari here were great! All of the officials and other racers went out of their way to check and make sure I was doing well and to offer whatever help we might need with the car. I can't express my appreciation enough.

I was able to go on and race to 3rd round in stock.

What happened -- after crossing the finish line, I bumped the shifter up to 2nd gear and as I was reaching up to cut off the engine, I heard a thunk and started sliding. At the time I thought something had let go in the engine and oiled the tires. I tried counter-steering and pumping the brakes to no avail. Afterward, it appears that the transmission locked up for some reason, so I was just along for the ride. We are currently waiting for the wrecker to get here so we can get a line on the car, then pull the drive shaft so we can get the car loaded in our trailer. We started the engine yesterday, so all appears well there. With a bit (ha ha) of sheet metal work and a few other minor things, we should be back in business. In the meantime, I'll see you all at the races in my stock car.

Thanks again!
Mary Meints

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Sorry to hear about what happened with the car, Mary, but I'm very happy to hear that you are doing well. Paul and I hope to see you and your husband at the races later this year!

Mark Berg
I/S 2665

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom,


Thanks, for all the great pictures and updates from Bristol... You did everything you could this week and had a great race with Fletcher... Nice job and congrats on winning the Strange $$$$..........Good luck the rest of 2009, Say, hi to Dad ..

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom got down to 6 cars, had a .006 react and Fletcher a .002. Fletcher won by .0005, approximately 1 inch. WOW!

Congrats on some great driving, Wayne.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom ..Thanks for the great pictures and updates from down south and Congratulations on a Good weekend .

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Tom,

The photos are great...Thank you for sharing! All I was able to see from my vantage point were wheelie bars and taillights. AND great wheelstands.

All these years doing my D-7 races and finally working my first "east coast" race at my "new" home track (only on my 4th year here). The show the stockers & S/S'ers put on was great. I thank those of you took the time to say "hi", or just call me names. Even though the forecast was absolutely lousy, the weather wasn't too bad, especially for those who made it to Sunday. But, when you make it to Sunday, it's always a pretty good day. It was awfully quiet this year, without the Nitroplate Party Zone.

Today was pro test day and open to the public at Thunder Valley. Many new fans came out and I had several that came into the tower and I was asked many times..."When will see those "wheelstanding cars" again?"...Yes, fans DO watch Stk and S/S.

Again, I thank all of you who came to Bristol for putting on the show at Thunder Valley.

Rick Carlson

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Sorry to see the aftermath of Mary's incident at Bristol.
I have a question though....

Mary wrote:
"What happened -- after crossing the finish line, I bumped the shifter up to 2nd gear and as I was reaching up to cut off the engine..."

I'd like to understand the shutdown procedure described here. The car is an automatic, presumably a 3 speed, and is going 120+ MPH at the finish. What could possibly be the reasoning behind downshifting to second and then shutting off the engine? What transmission can be downshifted at that speed? Is there some GM trans that freewheels in second when coasting, or was the downshifting accidental? I think if I did that with my FoMoCo C4 I would be picking up pieces of either the engine or trans. Just wondering. :confused:

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Read again, it was a mistake, as she went for the switches she bumped the shifter into 2nd. It wasnt on purpose.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

On a GM three speed, like a TH 350 or a TH 400, if it is set up for racing, it has no 2nd gear braking band. So, if you shift from high to 2nd, and do not step on the gas, it free wheels, as it would in neutral. The sprag that is part of 2nd gear will not hold in deceleration.

By the way almost any full manual valve body will select any gear you shift it into at any speed.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

That makes more sense that it was an accidental shifting.

However, reading it again it does not say that. It says "after crossing the finish line, I bumped the shifter up to 2nd gear and as I was reaching up to cut off the engine..." That implies that the "bumping" was intentional. If it was accidental I would expect the wording to be: "after crossing the finish line, I bumped the shifter up to 2nd gear as I was reaching up to cut off the engine...". The "and" makes a difference. If it were stated "after crossing the finish line, I (accidently, inadvertently, etc) bumped the shifter up to 2nd gear as I was reaching up to cut off the engine..." it would be more clear.

Not trying to start a fight or be the grammar police, I just wondered about the procedure used.

Must be the scars from the nuns.

Re: Live from Bristol
 

Ahhh... Alan..... now THAT is what I was wondering!! I thought that something like that might be going on with the trans. It is similar to first gear on my C4 when the reverse band is not applied. In coast, it is like being in neutral. I dun did lern sumtin tuday!

Re: Live from Bristol
 

I think it may be possible to roll a sprag and have the transmission lock up, or at least the to decelerate the car, when you put it in 2nd. I never put a car in 2nd gear at the finish line driving an automatic, and Kevin does not do it with the Camaro.

Last year, I had the luxury of just stepping on the clutch after I crossed the finish line. Of course, no better than my lights were, I only got to cross the finish line a couple of times. And I'm not driving this year, either. :eek: