what is going on at the tracks???

[lecroy]

Tore the thing apart and blew another gasket. I replaced it and went to a much larger main jet and back to the stock needle and seat. The fuel flow is much better now. Plan to find a road to test on tomarrow. All I need is 120 feet or so just to make one short pass to get a reading.

 

[rosco15]

They only list the top so many on the sheet. I'm not sure how many are signed up for points this year. Last year it was 16. This year probably 10-12. We had 13 bikes Saturday in the bike class. With buy-backs we went 5 rounds. Three more bikes showed up, but they ran trophy. Our bike class is usually pretty small. Most of the streetbike guys don't like the dragbikes. Wednesday night I've seen 40 bikes. Saturdays can be anywhere from 8-16. If only we could get the turnout they do on wednesdays.

 

[lecroy]

Same thing at the two local tracks. Test days has a whole different crowd. A lot more bikes show up. Sounds like you have about the same number of people running bike class for points. Too bad about it being an NHRA track. Martin is IHRA so we go to Norwalk if Doug pulls it off.


As I continue to take the bike apart I am finding more problems. The exhaust had cracked for the wastegate. Not just the gasket failed. They must have had a problem with the original design because they had welded a strap on one side. Did the same to the other. New weld is much better job than the Mr Turbo original

Glad it did not drop the wastegate anyway. All these leaks, no wonder the thing lost pressure.

New HSR carb, still running very lean..... Damm these stupid float valve designs. Increase pressure to get more flow and they leak. Smaller needle and seat and increase the pressure and the flow gets worse.....
Talking with a guy who did a lot of testing on one, he gave up at a little over 200HP. I am now getting a little over 30ml/sec with mine but this is when the valve is wide open. Should be ready to test the new jetting this friday if the new clutch pack and gaskets make it in.

So much for running my new compressor this year. EFI is in my future....

Running the methanol had its down side, it was hard on paint.....

 

[RacingJake]

I'd like to run a turbo but when factor'ing pistons, turbo kit and newbie tuning mistakes I feel safer going the nitrous route.

Found a crank for my ride so I should be back at the track in August with the old gal. I feel the need for speed as my other rides can't make the cut.

 

[lecroy]

Nightmare at a Drag Strip
Car & Driver

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=29&article_id=9651

July 2005 STEVE SPENCE

Posted on 07/06/2005 1:09:44 PM PDT

It will likely go down in history as the most freakish, nightmarish accident in drag-racing history. One top drag-racing official with 40 years' experience told the media he'd never seen or heard of anything like it.
On the first Saturday in April, Michelle "Shelly" Howard, a 59-year-old registered nurse and mother of three who had been drag-racing for 27 years, took her Top Alcohol Dragster for a 10 p.m. practice run at Tulsa Raceway Park as part of a late-night event. Howard, the wife of a Tulsa physician, had huge experience-she'd won the Division 4 title twice and was a three-time national event winner. Top Alcohol is just one notch below drag racing's ferocious 8000-hp Top Fuel class, where these rails rip to 100 mph in less than a second and at least one has turned the quarter-mile at 335 mph in 4.4 seconds.
Howard got off to a good start, but what happened next will have drag-racing people shaking their heads in disbelief for years to come. About halfway down the quarter-mile course, the nose of her dragster got airborne, lifted straight up into what is called a "blowover wheelstand," and while continuing to roar down the track standing on its tail, turned 180 degrees and came down with tremendous force, now facing the starting line. It is likely Howard was knocked unconscious.
Although the dragster was pointed toward the start line and the wheels were spinning in that direction, the tremendous momentum continued to send it backward, toward the finish line, which it passed, astonishingly, at 115 mph with a time of 6.633 seconds. This rearward travel finally ended about 1500 feet past the finish line, with Howard unconscious and the dragster's throttle still at full tilt. Then the rear wheels sent the dragster headed back toward the start line, careening off the spectator and tower lanes as it gained speed, and crossing the line where it had started the race just seconds earlier, at perhaps 250 mph.
Adding an element of tragic, numbing shock, Howard's husband, Paul, was watching all of this, helplessly, from the stands, while their son, Brian, 36, was in the back of their chase vehicle about 125 feet behind the start line. The dragster next plunged into the chase vehicle, killing mother and son instantly. The force of this bizarre collision sent the dragster and chase vehicle 225 feet through a rear burnout wall and into an open field and stream, according to a report posted on the Internet.
Besides her husband, Shelly Howard is survived by two daughters.

 

[Hoomgar]

Remote kill switch will become a mandatory must. It could have saved her.

They do it in monster truck rallies. Why not at the strip? Is it a bad idea for some reason?

Certainly they could do it and this tragedy could have been avoided.

 

[lecroy]

Interesting point. I can tell you that not all of the people who use the tethers on the motorcycles have them wired and the tracks do not test anything on the bikes. And why don't people use them?? Because it is another failure point. Something else that can go bad and cost them a race.

I have a friend who drives a small altered that runs in the low 8's in the 1/4 mile. Something happened a couple of weeks ago and the throttle stuck wide open. He was trying to reach down and pull the lever up, and did get it loose before going into the sand. No one knew that anything had happened until he told everyone. I asked him about adding some kind of kill switch that he could use. These guys have a five point harness, their heads are harnessed in and their arms are strapped in. Hard to move around so it needs to be something simple.

If we did this by a remote, I am not sure that the onlooker would be glued to the kill switch and be able to save them. Even an 8 second car does not give you a lot of time to think. Before your brain decides something is wrong and you press the kill, it may be all over with.

 

[rosco15]

A new personal best. 9.75 @134 in the heat of the day. Got a 1.36 short time. Ran a 9.75, 9.76 and a 9.77. Lost in the semifinals.

 

[mike J]

Ok finally got the 1150 to the track tonight. My best run was a 7.66 at 89mph. Bike is still not running right. I would think that it should be able to run high 6's in the 1/8th. My first pass was an 7.90, didn't leave too hard. My next one had a wheelie but still got better at 7.80's. My last past the bike picked up the front tire and carried it about a foot off the ground on the 7.66 pass. Looks like I may have one cylinder running lean. Not sure why yet but I'll look into it more this week. Mike J

 

[lecroy]

A new personal best. 9.75 @134 in the heat of the day. Got a 1.36 short time. Ran a 9.75, 9.76 and a 9.77. Lost in the semifinals.

!!!!

Looks like your trying to attend the Prostar event. We may see you there.

 

[RacingJake]

You guys are killing me ](*,)

I just order a new oil pump, base gasket and cam chain getting ready for the big tear down :twisted:

 

[RacingJake]

Ok finally got the 1150 to the track tonight. My best run was a 7.66 at 89mph. Bike is still not running right. I would think that it should be able to run high 6's in the 1/8th. My first pass was an 7.90, didn't leave too hard. My next one had a wheelie but still got better at 7.80's. My last past the bike picked up the front tire and carried it about a foot off the ground on the 7.66 pass. Looks like I may have one cylinder running lean. Not sure why yet but I'll look into it more this week. Mike J

What size jets are you running? With a good exhaust, pods and 14T up front it might be close.

Don't forget to strap that front end down too

 

[lecroy]

Ok finally got the 1150 to the track tonight. My best run was a 7.66 at 89mph. Mike J

I spent the weekend at the track, well, driving back and forth from the track. Saturday I was driving home on the GSRX and was about a mile from the house and this older lady pulls right out in front of me. I was pissed. I stopped right next to her door. I waited to see what she would do. The longer I waited the more frazzeled she became. She could not figure out how to roll her window down. Drunk driving perhaps? She gave me the sob, I didn't see you thing.

Sunday was the all bike event. Only had 70 or so bikes show. All no-box. I took the old GS1100 to race. The stock jobber that I swore I was going to stop beating on. I got there late (about 1.5 hours) and could only make two time trials with it. One in each lane. Anyway, this bike always runs mid to low 12's. I have had the bike for almost 20 years and it is very consistant. Well, today the old girl busts out a 11.9098 during time trials. It has never done this with me on it. Maybe it's telling me something. I ended up using the 11.90 for my dial-in, but the bike kept running 12 teens after that. I only went three rounds, but took out a couple of busa's. Lost to Harley (seems to be a trend with me). I cut some .26 light. I think it jumped up. Well, that's my story anyway.

I think your right depending on your weight. I weighed in at 210 lbs today. If my old stock 1100 runs 7.6 in the 1/8, I would expext you to run faster.

My two test passes..... Zoom in.

 

[mike J]

Lecroy, I can't read the figures off your time slip. Can you type them in? Only do the 1/8 as that's all we run. Thanks for the numbers as I just needed something to shoot at. Like I said I ran a 7.66 @ 89 mph. I have a stg III Dynojet kit with pods and a 4into1. Other wise it's all stock. I weigh 200 lbs. I was hoping for high 6's @ 100 mph. Looks like I have some work to do. I have some 33's that I might put on it but I want to see how fast it will go as is first. I also want to add a lockup clutch. Thanks guys!!

 

[lecroy]

Lecroy, I can't read the figures off your time slip. Can you type them in? Only do the 1/8 as that's all we run. Thanks for the numbers as I just needed something to shoot at. Like I said I ran a 7.66 @ 89 mph. I have a stg III Dynojet kit with pods and a 4into1. Other wise it's all stock. I weigh 200 lbs. I was hoping for high 6's @ 100 mph. Looks like I have some work to do. I have some 33's that I might put on it but I want to see how fast it will go as is first. I also want to add a lockup clutch. Thanks guys!!

I wondered if anyone would be able to read them.

So, you've got 10 pounds on me and a bigger bike. Yep, I think with just a few mods (gearing, tire pressure and seat time) you could hit that time on a stock bike in good condition. The bike I was running has K&N pods, VHR pipe and jetting, 750ES front end. Mostly a stock bike. Stock engine and stock gearing. These are from the two test tickets...

Reaction 0.5100, 0.5350
60 ft: 1.8559, 1.9511
330 ft: 4.9910, 5.1648
ET @ 594 ft: 7.1359, 7.3611
1/8 mile et: 7.6190, 7.8528
1/8 mph: 93.15, 91.52


I know it's slow but it's still a fun bike to ride. To top it off we had the little RD run a 1.58 or something in the 60 ft this weekend. First time ever under the 1.60 mark and a trap speed of over 114MPH. The clutch just won't stay tuned for more than a few runs like this and has to come apart.
The GS on it's best day is not going to catch that little bike.

 

[RacingJake]

I have a stg III Dynojet kit with pods and a 4into1. Other wise it's all stock.

When I tried DJ jets the bigg'est one was a 138 and that's like a 128 Mikuni and the bike would lay down in the upper rpms even with the needles all the way up. A 150 mikuni is still to small so I run a 160 in my bike.

Best run was a 7.18 as a stock engine and street tire. I give credit to the 14T sprocket as it lets the motor turn up the wick (rpm's).

 

[mike J]

Jake, was your bike stock when you ran the 7.18? Lecroy I see where you bike ran 93 so my bike is off at leat 4 mph over a stocker. Usually mph is a way to tell if it's right or not. Maybe it needs a bigger main jet? Mike J

 

[rosco15]

Lecroy,

I'm planning on Saturday for prostar. Gonna have to race the streetbike. I don't have the license for running 9's. Am in the process of getting it. I'm assuming if I show up without a license and a 9 second bike they will not let me run pro-et. So I'll race the busa even though I suck on it. I'll have some fun. There are a bunch of guys from my track going to be there. Take my camera and get a couple runs down the track. Should be a good time.

 

[RacingJake]

It's 82 GS1100E and at that time with stock bore, with oem 34CV carbs with 160 jets and stock needles, V&H pro pipe and gearing 14/41. It was a cool night too so that help alittle.

 

[mike J]

Jake, were you running air filters with those jets? Mike J