Speedworld 12-29-06 - morning session

[Meister]

I was fortunate enough to run a couple of 12.9 passes at SpeedWorld yesterday (morning/afternoon session) with a DA of +1500' at the time of the quicker run. The remaining 25 runs were low 13s.

As such, mine was the quickest non-exotic street car at the track (Corvettes, Camaros, Firefirds, GTOs, Mustangs, vintage American Muscle of several flavors) by .2 or better, thus my sweet C was the only (non-exotic) street-driven car at the track to get into the 12s. You won't see that happen at an East Coast track due to their lower Density Altitudes.

OK, who were the "exotics"? There were two:

1. A beautiful deep blue new Z6 'Vette w/the LS7 motor (505hp stock), stock but for full racing tires and upgraded air intake. Best run: 11.6@125.
2. A new, black, Mercedes S600 AMG (V-12), with $5 grand worth of performance computers, running drag radials. Best run: 11.6@118.

I could hold my own against the 'Vette for most of first gear, then adios amigos, away!

I hung with the S600 for maybe half of first gear, then same story. The S600 owned the first half of the quarter mile yesterday, the 'Vette owned the second half, really coming alive at the eighth.

They were there at different times. A race between the two of them, each with his best run of the day, would have seen the S 600 ahead by a length and a half or so at the eighth mile, with the 'Vette catching him exactly at the quarter mile with great overtake, for a dead heat. Would have been a great race to watch!

[Hurst Equipped]

do the tracks by you ever close for the season?
is 1500' the best the DA gets out there?

[Hemi31]

Nice runs Jim.

[Ella C SRT]

Just the update I was waiting for and now all I can say is Wowzers!!
Is it time to change your signature or does that best still stand?

Thanks for the idea co-pilot duties last time, btw. I was already settled in and okay with a little spectator time, but that made the night 110% complete!
Maybe next weekend I can be witness to some more of you and your Sweet Cs sub 13 runs??

[Meister]

do the tracks by you ever close for the season?
is 1500' the best the DA gets out there?

No, Tony, they're open year-round.

1500' DA is reason for ecstacy here. With track elevations in the mid-1200s in the Phoenix area, and above 3000' in the Tucson area, we're lucky to ever get a 1500' DA. For six months of the year the Phoenix DAs run from 4500' to 7000' and greater. Thus an East Coast car could come to Phoenix any time from April through October and instantly be 3 full seconds, or more, slower than he was last night in Baltimore.

Nice runs Jim.

Thanks, Erik. I appreciate that.

Just the update I was waiting for and now all I can say is Wowzers!!
Is it time to change your signature or does that best still stand?

Thanks for the idea co-pilot duties last time, btw. I was already settled in and okay with a little spectator time, but that made the night 110% complete!
Maybe next weekend I can be witness to some more of you and your Sweet Cs sub 13 runs??

No, Ella, the 12.97 still stands as her best outright time. My two 12s last night were 12.98 and 12.99. Thanks for asking.

And you're very welcome. I'm sure Mike would gladly endure another scolding from the officials for running too quick with a passenger on board just to have you riding shotgun again.

[fatchance]

Good job Jim, I bet the other attendees had no clue what you had.

[SRT8AZ]

nice Jim! i picked up mom and the baby7 safelly! Too bad i went to the track for 3 hrs not to get a run in! Speedworld is a joke to me in the way of scheduling! The people who work there are very nice though! If we could have run in the 9 am hour it would have been fun!

Oh well maybe next time!

[1bad4dr]

Jim,

I have said it a million times, and will say it again, "You sir, are my HERO!"

Way to go Jim, now go have a grand New Years Celebration.

Ron

[Ghostface Mag]

Nice runs Jim.....

[hemiwagn]

Great runs -- what is your target for 2007?

It is an amazing era right now: a vette and a 4 door benz well into the 11's. NOBODY in 1975 would have thought that was possible with street cars.

[Meister]

Good job Jim, I bet the other attendees had no clue what you had.

At first, you're exactly right. In fact a couple of guys I blew the doors off of shared with me later that they were secretly snickering when they saw the car they were paired with for the next run. That all quickly changed when my sweet C very quickly showed them her tail lights.


But whenever I was stopped, particularly if her hood was up, I was only too glad to talk about the car and what she had.

Most were amazed that a car with a race weight of 4300 pounds could be that quick with that relatively-light degree of modding (mild cam, killer heads, and then all the standard add-ons). And almost without fail each made some comment about this car running several tenths quicker that any (n/a) SRT8s they'd seen. Which told me that they all hold the SRT8 (justifiably) in high esteem.

nice Jim! i picked up mom and the baby7 safelly! Too bad i went to the track for 3 hrs not to get a run in! Speedworld is a joke to me in the way of scheduling! The people who work there are very nice though! If we could have run in the 9 am hour it would have been fun!

Oh well maybe next time!

You bet, Mike! A 9 am run would have seen a nearly unheard of DA of just over 1000' or so.

Next time...

Jim,

I have said it a million times, and will say it again, "You sir, are my HERO!"

Way to go Jim, now go have a grand New Years Celebration.

Ron

Ron, thank you so very much! I, sir, am honored and humbled.

I believe Mary Ellen and I will celebrate somewhat quietly here at home tonight, but thank you!

Nice runs Jim.....

Thank you much, GfM. 'Appreciate it.

You keep on showing off your fine ride and her great HHP products to good effect!

Great runs -- what is your target for 2007?

It is an amazing era right now: a vette and a 4 door benz well into the 11's. NOBODY in 1975 would have thought that was possible with street cars.

It is an amazing era, hemiwagn. Both of those runs would have been 10 second runs, by a vette and a benz no less, back east.

For 2007 I'd just like to keep improving, and keep on lovin' and enjoying life.

[ManWagon]

At first, you're exactly right. In fact a couple of guys I blew the doors off of shared with me later that they were secretly snickering when they saw the car they were paired with for the next run. That all quickly changed when my sweet C very quickly showed them her tail lights.


But whenever I was stopped, particularly if her hood was up, I was only too glad to talk about the car and what she had.

Most were amazed that a car with a race weight of 3300 pounds could be that quick with that relatively-light degree of modding (mild cam, killer heads, and then all the standard add-ons). And almost without fail each made some comment about this car running several tenths quicker that any (n/a) SRT8s they'd seen. Which told me that they all hold the SRT8 (justifiably) in high esteem.

You bet, Mike! A 9 am run would have seen a nearly unheard of DA of just over 1000' or so.

Next time...

Ron, thank you so very much! I, sir, am honored and humbled.

I believe Mary Ellen and I will celebrate somewhat quietly here at home tonight, but thank you!


Thank you much, GfM. 'Appreciate it.

You keep on showing off your fine ride and her great HHP products to good effect!

It is an amazing era, hemiwagn. Both of those runs would have been 10 second runs, by a vette and a benz no less, back east.

For 2007 I'd just like to keep improving, and keep on lovin' and enjoying life.

How in the world did you get your weight down to 3300#?! My Mag (with my large self in it) tipped the scales at 4675# when I ran in SSHS6 in Atlanta.

I know I could go on a diet, but, could only lose so much...

[Meister]

How in the world did you get your weight down to 3300#?! My Mag (with my large self in it) tipped the scales at 4675# when I ran in SSHS6 in Atlanta.

I know I could go on a diet, but, could only lose so much...

First off, I got ill from a very serious disease this past year and lost 50 pounds (weighing 165 now in race trim ). And, in preparation for serious track sessions I remove everthing from the car, to include the passenger's seat and the rear seat for another 80# or so. And am down to 3 or 4 gallons of fuel, topping off as needed.

Finally, the 300C is the lightest of the three LXes, while the Magnum is the heaviest.

Which is why, all things considered, 300Cs are quicker.

All things add up to a relatively race-light LX.

[Meister]

Hemi31 kindly PM'd me re. my typo in my prior post. Race weight is approx. 4300 pounds, not the 3300 pounds that my errant finger placed on the page. Thanks, H3.

(Can you just imagine what these cars would perform like if they were a thousand pounds lighter! We'd be knocking at 8 sec. quarters, setting new lap records at Willow Springs, etc., etc. Hmm Hmm.)

[1bad4dr]

Hemi31 kindly PM'd me re. my typo in my prior post. Race weight is approx. 4300 pounds, not the 3300 pounds that my errant finger placed on the page. Thanks, H3.

(Can you just imagine what these cars would perform like if they were a thousand pounds lighter! We be knocking at 8 sec. quarters, setting new lap records at Willow Springs, etc., etc. Hmm Hmm.)

Agree'd Jim.......... To reduce another grand off of the weight, I think the back doors would need to go bye bye.... :D

I would love to see a 10 sec LX........... That would be grand in itself... haha a 4300# anchor going 10's.... woo hoo.

Congrats again Jim.... Hopefully I can get out to AZ in Feb to do a few runs with you.....