Lower Class Stockers

[Mike Meier]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

I dont know about that.I know I've adjusted very well,and Toby's kind of figured it out LOL.Mike Meiers here in Div. 1 was killer with Billy Nees's fwd car.And he's even better with the Spirit.It's just a matter of
adjusting to the situation.Going deep was actually a pain in the *** when it was allowed.Us slow leavers thought we needed it but we've been proven wrong.

Ed F.

Yeah, its easy to cut a good lite when you have 20 inch front tires. I think I was the only guy with tires smaller than the ones on Al Vanis's cars. In fact now that I have moved up to a quicker car it's a matter of backing off mentally so I just stay green.

Hey Ed, if it's nice out we're gonna come pay a visit to the car on Saturday morning, so we may stop by. How's the kitchen coming along?

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Mike Meier

Yeah, its easy to cut a good lite when you have 20 inch front tires. I think I was the only guy with tires smaller than the ones on Al Vanis's cars. In fact now that I have moved up to a quicker car it's a matter of backing off mentally so I just stay green.

Hey Ed, if it's nice out we're gonna come pay a visit to the car on Saturday morning, so we may stop by. How's the kitchen coming along?

Moving along ok.Bathroom next then maybe the central air.I'm keeping the economy rolling.Dont come by too early I need the sleep.

Ed

[Owen S Quirion]

Ed, don't be giving Dennis any more ideas. I am having a hard enough time figuring out how to beat his car now.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Jimmy D. Hyink

As someone who works as a starter for a dragstrip, I do think that the loss of deep staging has hurt the racers with slower class cars. This is one of the few downsides of autostart, not so much the fault of the system, just need to let NHRA@IHRA approve it again. For a good line crew deep staging with autostart is not a problem. just an opinion.

Jimmy D. Hyink

Wow Jimmy, Thanks...and because of you I found something else I agree with Ed over. In my cars set-up, shallow staging works much better. I recanted my quarter final finish at the '06 Mile Highs, and noticed that my worst rt during elims was in fact my quarter-final loss to Ryan McClanahan (0.045)...I'll remember that race until I get a rematch against him, because I tree'd him by 0.026, and he was safe against his dial under by just 0.014 (and my car fell off that rnd by 0.133)! If ever there was a race I wish I could do over, it was that one, because 0.015 or more quicker by Ryan, and barring a foul in the semi's by me against Mike Loge (his car slowed against Ryan by 1.989 sec---13.409 on his 11.42 dial), I would've had the chance to race Scott Burton in the finals and thus had a chance to join Mark as the only fwd national event winners...plus I would've seen my car in action on the "Inside Drag Racing show after the race on ESPN"! Everytime I watch that video, I wish for a do-over because I know what I did wrong, and I felt that race was mine for the taking! It would've allowed me to be the first fwd national event winner this century---which is my motivation to keep plugging away at this, because as that saying goes, "every dog has it's day", and when I have mine I won't just be barking...I'll be "HOWWLLLLING!!!

I give credit to my car leaving like the rwd cars (shallow staging) due to the converter that Marv Ripes at A-1 put together for me, and the M/T slicks I used there for the grip. Someday I'll get my rematch against him (Ryan), and I will do my best to do to him what I did to one of my friends (Wes) at a combo race here in Phoenix ( shortly after I lost the quarters to him at last years Div VII race #2 in Tucson), a 0.017rt, and a right on the dial + 0.004 run out of my car on a slippery track, which earned me a 0.003 sec margin of victory!

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Ross Family Racing

When was the last time that a Stocker running 13.00 or slower won a national event? Has a front wheel drive stocker ever won a national or divisional event? Should the lower class cars be in a seperate eliminator (like there would ever be a seperate eliminator)? I've always liked the uniqueness of all the slower cars/trucks. Jeff Ross

Hey Jeff,

I have another one for you (kinda off part of the topic but close). Larry Dowty (Div VI), used to run a 13sec Pontiac Grand Am, with the Quad4 engine, and a 4spd (SS/GS). I mention him because he won the 2006 Mission, BC Stock/Super Stock combo race with that car! Moreover, at the 1300ft Firebird International Raceway LODRS '07 race #1, he qualified 7th out of 47 cars, with a 13.612 on a 14.89 index (-1.278)! BELATED CONGRATS TO YOU LARRY FOR THAT AWESOME WIN!!!

Gratitude I must give to Drag Race Central, for all of the specific info on Larry's and my (previous posts) performances!

B.T.W. Jeff, I definitely wouldn't want a separate eliminator, because we slower rollers are making an across the country comeback against those 12.99 & quicker cars...stay tuned, and you'll see!!!

Jeff I forgot to mention (since you were talking about fwd's in this thread), that back in 1990 Bandimere Speedway had a high school reunion race, that I just happened to win (a 7rd'er), with of all cars...my 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity that had Pontiacs 2500 4cyl (Iron Duke) engine in it, and a Turbo 125 tranny...it ran 20sec et's at Bandimere's 5800ft track....perhaps I should've made a stocker out of that car (4dr./4cyl.)...it could've become Chevy's version of "The Taxi" (Gapp & Roush had a 4dr Ford Maverick Pro Stocker back in the 70's)...now that was cool too! They haven't had another reunion race since...AAHHOOOOoooo!!!

[Billy Nees]

;-)