Archive for July, 2000
The CSX: July 13, 2000
by Russ Knize on Jul.13, 2000, under CSX
SDAC-10 = the best time I have ever had with cars in my entire life. I finally got to put faces to some of the names that I have known for years now. The Chicagoland folks were probably the rowdiest bunch there.
The highlight was definitely the performance driving school. It was done at Michigan Speedway (NASCAR). The road course included almost a full mile of track oval, allowing me to achieve speeds of over 120 MPH! My 3rd session was in the pouring rain, which resulted in a spin-out on one lap and some hydroplaning through the cones on turn 1 on the lap after. Not long after I flew through the cones, someone smashed their nice 1987 Shelby GLHS into the wall on turn 1 due to hydroplaning as well. Big bummer.
My first trip to the drag strip went fairly well. My time slips are below. The only things I did to the car were empty the trunk and remove the muffler. I drove very consistent low-15s most for the day. The ND Computer was only giving me 13-14psi of boost (should be 16), so I borrowed a G-valve. Unfortunately, the ball was not seating and I only got 3-4psi and ran high 16s. I fixed the G-valve and set my boost to 18psi. The engine would break-up real bad above 4700 RPM. The 8th light on the A/F gauge was flashing at those speeds, so I raised the fuel pressure. I also gapped the plug down a bit. From then on, I couldn’t get traction (see my 60-foot times). I finally got a run in the 14s with 20psi of boost: 14.918 sec @ 94.68 mph. I KNOW the car can do deep 14s if I could just hook it up. The treads on my tires were full of track rubber because I couldn’t find a clean spot. All in all, I had a great time.
| Reaction | 60ft | 1/8 ET | 1/8 mph | 1/4 ET | 1/4 mph | Comments |
| 0.738 | 2.507 | 9.934 | 73.53 | 15.294 | 92.04 | First run ever, 13-14psi boost |
| 0.802 | 2.477 | 9.997 | 72.59 | 15.361 | 92.03 | 13-14psi of boost |
| 1.026 | 2.451 | 10.681 | 65.57 | 16.701 | 80.49 | 3-4psi of boost |
| 0.644 | 2.537 | 10.861 | 65.02 | 16.889 | 79.77 | 3-4psi of boost |
| 0.888 | 2.638 | 9.989 | 74.73 | 15.173 | 93.94 | 18psi of boost, breaking-up above 4700 rpm |
| 0.941 | 2.529 | 9.957 | 74.27 | 15.174 | 93.33 | Still breaking-up |
| 0.580 | 2.550 | 9.945 | 74.26 | 15.174 | 93.18 | Should have been bracket racing! |
| 0.579 | 2.527 | 9.742 | 75.38 | 14.918 | 94.68 | More fuel, gapped plugs, 20psi. Best run! |
| 0.862 | 2.574 | 10.075 | 74.98 | 15.257 | 93.92 | No traction; spinning through 3rd. |
| 0.631 | 2.629 | 10.059 | 74.59 | 15.248 | 93.96 | More spinning; tires full of track rubber |
| 0.655 | 2.614 | 9.918 | 74.39 | 15.140 | 94.13 | Found a clean spot for quick burn-out |
I certainly got a lot of runs, as the track was not busy at all. I wish the track stayed open after the SDAC events for more runs. Many of the other drag racers were having car troubles and everyone seemed to have trouble with traction. Anyway, it was a blast. I’ll definitely try to bring the car to more local events to work on my launch techniques.
The CSX: July 7, 2000
by Russ Knize on Jul.07, 2000, under CSX
After dealing with all kinds of problems with paint on that fender, I finally got the car ready. The doors are back together and everything is installed. One of the power door lock motors was frozen, so I will have to find another. I even had time to paint the upper door trim and the mirrors to match the new lower trim pieces a bit better. I also resealed the valve cover and got the A/C working (just this evening). All I need to do is wash the car tomorrow and take off!
