Tell Us About Setting A Record

[Dano]

Originally Posted by B Parker

Part of the problem with setting records other than at an open is. Set the record on Sunday get HP on Monday. BP

So, that being said, how do you set a national record without Lead on Monday? Can't be done?

[B Parker]

Originally Posted by Dano

So, that being said, how do you set a national record without Lead on Monday? Can't be done?

Set a record at an Open. Even if you don't go 1:20 under at a Divisional to set a record. And you end up going 1 under or more it will be added into your HP average. If you run a combo like mine that not a lot of others run. It can hurt your average. BP

[jimmyparker]

First record was at the very first Gainesville divisional in '69 in D/S. The last record was in '06 at SGMSP in D/FIA. Several in between but one of the most memorable was in '71, I set the O/S record at the Gainesville divisional at around 13.45 or so, tore down and was declared legal. Communication in those days was weak to say the least and little did I know that on the same day in BG Bruce Wilkinson was setting the O/S record at 13.40 or so. I received a record certificate but it never made ND which was a big deal back then.

Jimmy Parker

[Dano]

Originally Posted by B Parker

Set a record at an Open. Even if you don't go 1:20 under at a Divisional to set a record. And you end up going 1 under or more it will be added into your HP average. If you run a combo like mine that not a lot of others run. It can hurt your average. BP

Now days, you set a record, you're torn down? No matter where you achieve it?

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Dano

Now days, you set a record, you're torn down? No matter where you achieve it?

Yes. Now ,and always..

1972..We were headed to the World Finals at Amarillo (Joe Santangelo Sr. , and yours truly, as chief cook and bottle washer)
We took the drivetrain out of Bob Johnson's 68 Chevy II (SS/JA), and slammed together a 67 Camaro convertible for SS/KA, where there record looked better for qualifying.

When we got off I 40, the icicles on the street signs told us it was indeed the coldest spot in the lower 48 !
Back then, if you went under the record in qualifying, ET or MPH, you set the the record and went to tear down. Sure enough, we went over the MPH record.

Across town to the Brake-O store, we went , along with NHRA tech.
There was a guy in the stall next to us with a red CJ convertible. Can't remember his name..Bob something? Oh yeah..Bob Glidden. Of course a month later, Bob was at Ontario with his Pro Stock Pinto..You know the rest of the story there.
Dave Boertman was using the brake lathe while he was there, taking advantage of the situation LOL.

Many drag racing legends were in that garage that day, and also a couple of young guys from Connecticut, who left with a National Record in hand :-)

[GTX JOHN]

I just finished our N/SA Dodge 150 Truck a couple weeks before
the Winters. about 10 years ago. My good friend(Dave Whitnack) and chassis builder/Crew Chief had just lost his son in a motorcycle accident. We had him go to the open in Vegas with us a drive the new truck and set a National Record. My son and I have set them before and we thought it might help him to do it.

The next week at the Winters....I drove it for the first time and I guess my
foot was a bit heavier. I got about 20 or 30 ft. and broke all the right rear
wheel studs of the axle and destroyed the Tree(And the Truck) and shut down the Winters!

And now you know the rest of the story

[Larry Hill]

1991 we and at least 20 or so more set 1/8 mile records at Ohio Valley. Inspection and verification was at an ambulance maintenance shop in Louisville miles from the track. No gps so we spent an hour trying to find the place.
Record C/SA was at minimum so it would be easy to set.......Wrong! See there was this Dick Simon guy in a 427 drop top Fairlane that had the same idea.

I dont remember how it happened but we went down the track three times together, side by side. Those runs were the best, first run I was quicker and barely got there first. The cars were complete opposites, mine was quick down low the Ford was a freight-train on the big end. Second run the Ford was best in ET and Mph. Third and deciding round whoever went fastest would own the record. Nobody Iced, heck it was cold, but I did have this thing called a 2 step it was a few quicker but it made me way early. I went red and got out of the way, it was a good thing, the Ford crossed the center line just past the tree and ran head on into the wall. I saw it in my rear view mirror. Dick was ok but the car needed lots of parts and work. We got the record on the last run and set both ends. The Ford ran better MPH but you had to set the ET record first. My last run was fast enough to be quicker than the Fords second run.

That was the year tech looked real close at the Qjets. Steve Haulman took his apart in tear down and did not run the same after reassemble.

10/5/91 C/SA 1/8 mile ET 6.88 MPH 97.69

1971 Cuda 440 6pack 385/390 3680 min wt.

About as fast as a good K, L, M car now.

[Stock4106]

I decided to set my first record at the Belle Rose national open in 2016 after noticing SS/MA had gone back to a minimum. I knew several guys were faster than me, so my goal was to set it low enough to make them have to put in a little effort to get around me if they wanted it. That didn't happen. Every run was a different problem and the car never made a full pass, so I only went 11.00(.85 under).

Here's the fun part. The open was run in one day, so after qualifying the motor was sealed and we into eliminations with teardown after the race. After a couple rounds I'm down to six cars, leave the starting line and look up to see my win light on sending me to the semis. I gave a quick fist pump and BANG, #7 piston rod came out the side of the block. With a hole in the block and unknown damage inside it, we decided it has to come apart anyway so lets take it to the barn and see if it has enough good pieces to pass for the record. We started teardown before they finished cleaning the oil I put on the track. Somehow, one cylinder didn't have bent valves and the crank was still intact enough so everything could be checked.

We left that night with a disappointing record and no motor, but getting that certificate in the mail was like Christmas morning.

[cmracing]

Originally Posted by GTX JOHN

I just finished our N/SA Dodge 150 Truck a couple weeks before
the Winters. about 10 years ago. My good friend(Dave Whitnack) and chassis builder/Crew Chief had just lost his son in a motorcycle accident. We had him go to the open in Vegas with us a drive the new truck and set a National Record. My son and I have set them before and we thought it might help him to do it.

The next week at the Winters....I drove it for the first time and I guess my
foot was a bit heavier. I got about 20 or 30 ft. and broke all the right rear
wheel studs of the axle and destroyed the Tree(And the Truck) and shut down the Winters!

And now you know the rest of the story

I still have that picture. THAT is the way to hit the tree! Just kidding. That day had to suck for you. I heard NHRA was pizzed at the Stockers after that happened, screw them!

[jimmyparker]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Yes. Now ,and always..

1972..We were headed to the World Finals at Amarillo (Joe Santangelo Sr. , and yours truly, as chief cook and bottle washer)
We took the drivetrain out of Bob Johnson's 68 Chevy II (SS/JA), and slammed together a 67 Camaro convertible for SS/KA, where there record looked better for qualifying.

When we got off I 40, the icicles on the street signs told us it was indeed the coldest spot in the lower 48 !
Back then, if you went under the record in qualifying, ET or MPH, you set the the record and went to tear down. Sure enough, we went over the MPH record.

Across town to the Brake-O store, we went , along with NHRA tech.
There was a guy in the stall next to us with a red CJ convertible. Can't remember his name..Bob something? Oh yeah..Bob Glidden. Of course a month later, Bob was at Ontario with his Pro Stock Pinto..You know the rest of the story there.
Dave Boertman was using the brake lathe while he was there, taking advantage of the situation LOL.

Many drag racing legends were in that garage that day, and also a couple of young guys from Connecticut, who left with a National Record in hand :-)

Mark, I remember that race well but wasn't there. Tommy Whitaker, a local racer, qualified for the finals with his SS/P car and he made the trip. Before he left here he ran 12.20's at Phenix City and was confident he could get in. If I remember correctly his altitude record was around 13.10, long story short he could not get the car to run that fast in the thin air and didn't get in.