"Live From" NHRA 4-Wide National
 

Hello everyone, just pulled into Charlotte. As you can see there is plenty of room to park. No need to ask if if you can save a spot, you have your pick of most anywhere you like. I have never been to a national with so much room left. There was no line to get in, I just rolled up and went right into the track.

The weather is great, 70 and sunny, and it looks like the rest of the week will also be good expect for Saturday were there is a 50% chance of a thunderstorm.

I'm heading to tech, wish me luck, I hope it will not be like Gainesville. I will be back later with pictures and a schedule if I can find it.

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Glad to see you're on the job boss ..................

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Thanks for the reporting Ken since some of us are stuck behind a desk working.....makes it feel like we are there with you guys

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Ken is there any schedule or run order up for tomorrow? We are just getting ready to leave MI.

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Just saw the schedule at the registration trailer and it's calling for 3 rounds of stock qualifying tomorrow starting at 9:30 and first round of class on Friday morning at 8:30am.

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Re: "Live From" NHRA 4-Wide National
 

Well, I busted my *** all day, make it to the track, met some nice gate personnel (after I figured out how to get to the gate), some very friendly and helpful parking guys (landed right in front of some portajohns, so at least I won't have to hike for that), but evidently missed the cutoff for the end of the tech line by about 60 seconds. :mad: Fantastic, so I've wasted 4 hrs of my life (and work), and get to try again in the morning. Enjoy your evening, all.

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Between Michael and Dempsey? I have never had the pleasure of meeting Dempsey, but I can't argue with his fine taste in cars.......

Shoot us some photos for all of us stuck at work, and attending weddings this weekend.

Thanks Ken



Eric

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Eric, its just something I witness in the pits. As far as I am concerned, Michael is one of the nicest racers you will ever meet.

Here is a shot of Dempsy's car. Also Dave Thomas's V10 DP, this car is beautiful. I am sure I will have a nice view of his tail lights if we run in class. I couldn't run with him if had 2 428's in my car.

In car camera's for tomorrow. Michael Iacono, Chuck Veach and Jim Boburka.

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Thanks Ken, thats great, like Dempsy's car, nice looking, it will be nice to see Michael in the car.

Good luck in the elims...

Eric

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Ken, I show that Mr. Lynch is also entered in C/SA with the "New Hemi Racing" DP in C/SA. Any sighting of the Ohio gang there yet? Myron Stutes

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Yep, I saw the MegaManiac. Looks good.

Doing a complete drain and re-fill of the fuel just to make 100% positive the switchover from Sunoco Purple back to Sunoco Blue the other week was a clean one. This fuel tank is a little tricky, so I incline the car *and* jack up the left rear to make sure as much fuel as possible gets to the pickup. Drain, pour in a smidge, drain again, then fill.
http://www.staginglight.com/photos/concord11/fuel.jpg

I found out that the main entrance was the one you needed to go into to get to more interior gates, after passing several blocked off entrances trying to find the sportsman gate. It's all pretty easy once you know the lay of the land, but having never been there, I could've used a little guidance. Rookie all over again!
http://www.staginglight.com/photos/c...1/entrance.jpg

On the road from the sportsman gate heading back out toward the main entrance, looking down over the pit and back half of the track.
http://www.staginglight.com/photos/c...1/overlook.jpg

Hey Ken, I'll do a helmet cam one day if you want, and you think those things have enough memory on them to record one of my runs! LOL

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Thanks for the great pictures and Good Luck to all you guys!

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Awesome pics, can't wait for the incar videos.. Thanks for reporting, us guys out here in the west don't always get to see the cars on the east coast.

Rick

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speaking of Dempsey's rides, you should have seen his Ford GT AND Nissan GTR he had at belle rose

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Ken I can't believe that tech would check Bill "POP UP" Hawk for a non factory item on his car !!! That's just not like a Shelby racer.

Good Luck to all. We will be watching.

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San Antonio race coverage is finally done. Crash for a bit, then see y'all in the mornin'.....

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Great to have Ken and other contributors sharing their 4-Wide experience.
Enjoy the race and stay well:).
MB

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Good morning everyone, for those of you weather nuts out there, here are the numbers as of this morning. Rigs are still rolling in, pits are looking more like a national event.

Bright sunshine and very little wind.
Temp 48
Humid 73%
Bar 29.41
DA 330 feet

The weather looks a little better than last year. It will probably around 1000 feet when we run our first qualifying around 9:30 this morning.


Be back later.....

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Good luck to all.. Y'all keep us updated...

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Got up at 5:20am and made it to the track in decent time. After a little confusion at the gate, was able to get in before 8am with the contestant sticker, and got through tech and credentials smoothly. Heavy dew on the car this morning as it got down to the low 40's last night, but it's burned off. Currently 56.7 F, 59%, and oh, wherefore art thou barometer? 29.37. (Got spoiled with the 30+ baro at MIR last week. 726' DA.

Parked between Gene Jordan and the PC Richard crew. Saw the Fisher family this morning as son John is shoeing"That D*mn Dodge" this weekend for Johnny. Robbie Shaw's Firebird looks very clean with no decals, but it'll be getting the Strickland "contingency wrap" shortly, with the proper sized decals.

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I kinda dismissed the "new" tree as inconsequential but I'd be curious what Ken, Michael, and other competitors think about it after their first hit. Wish I could have come but family commitments came first. Thanks to you guys for taking time to provide live reports. Too bad they don't do live timing on Thursday to help us home bounds...see who's got the edge going into class eliminations tomorrow.

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I would of been there with Rich South & Ralphie but just had to stay home to get the first stats book of 2011 ready to send to Howell Printing and the fact that I've only been home 6 days out of 41 days, I'm tired, lol.
Good Luck to all down there
and MB, just cant be-leave they didn't roll the red carpet out for you as much as you support the cause, lol ;)

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Butch stopped by with a photo of the Volare from the Union Pro-Am last year. Thanks!

First pair out was a AA/S Cobra Jet and Dick Kincaid's Firebird... Good test of the track? Oh yeah, and baby it was there as both go sky high. Cobra Jet moved around a little in the first 100' you could see the tracks, but it set down and boogied.

I was in the 2nd pair with the Line Performance M/SA Rocket. After MIR's sticky burnout box, this place caught me by surprise. It's as smooth as glass and the rpm will go right to the moon. New stage lights are different, but not too weird. Took 3 bumps and stabbed the 2nd going out to come up -.014 red, confirming my suspicion (and hope) that the rollout would be nice and tight here (I'm guessing a fiber optic Compulink). 15.313 @ 87 mph. (Is that better, Polhill?) ;). Scales and fuel check were clean, and the "weekend" has begun. Saw Fletcher on his scooter hanging out by the scales.

61.5 F, 51%, 29.38, 1034' DA

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mike your car is too cute, pretty sure it will fit in back of my wagon... we could save on towing expenses :)

good luck keith lynch... from your ky lynch mob member !!!!!!!!

captain

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I thought all these guys have 2009 cars. How are they running C?

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Our observations from last year were that you go faster than the weather says because the track is downhill. Micael are you seeing that ?

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The 2010 is heavier it breaks 8.60, so it can run A, B and C

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No difference in trim or body parts

I think you can buy a '11 "crate" motor V10 now and put it in an '09 or '10

We will need to make room for more of these than the 70 being built

Can't wait until we get some good air

Jeff and Dave have been getting some favorable conditions and running good

Our best shot will be Bakersfield next month and that won't be real good - Fontana as you know will be marginal

:-) peace

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Cool ride in a DP car...too bad he didn't follow Eric's and Carey Bales lead and run it out. .85 under....hummm.

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would be nice too if the tach was over where we could see it better!

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Thanks Kenny......

this kind of stuff helps when you really want to be there......

Rock Haas

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Those weather numbers are sooooo different than we have out here on the left coast, how do you tune for those???? Video is very cool !!! Thanks guys

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Does it have power windows? as it down @ the 1.46 sec mark.

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Certainly downhill, built in 1% I hear. I was fast this morning, but slowly losing ground as we get into the heat of the day, the barometer goes away, and a crossheadwind presents itself at times. The wind is difficult to gauge here, with the lay of the land, big grandstands, etc. Bryan Phillips had 5mph headwind between Stock and Super Stock 2nd session.

3rd session air, 74.4 F, 25%, 29.34, 1834 DA'

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Stock and Super Stock are done for the day. It has warmed up to 77. The track does not seem to have the bite it did last year. We are running in lanes 3 and 4, last year the super classes were in 3 and 4 and they were having issues back then.

I have another in car video and lots of picture. Be back later when I get my car put away and get something to eat.

Here is a in car with Joe Santangelo.

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Michael Beard you have a PM.

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What motor does Charley Downing have in his J/S Mustang?