WISVTOA Day at the Drags - August 10 - Great Lakes Dragaway

[BlueOvalBolt]

It's that time of year again, Fun Ford Day at Da Grove!

There is a little something for everyone. In addition to the usual racing, instruction, tower tours, and some friendly competition, we will be hosting the car show part of the event. We are also working to arrange for the Minnesota SVTOA chapter, and possibly the Northern Illinois chapter, to attend for an interstate shootout so bring out your best. Trophies will be awarded to show and race winners.

The details are still be hammered out but we will post them as soon as we figure out a few things. One thing is for sure though, we will need some volunteers to help with the car show part of the event. Please post if you or your family members would be willing to help out.

Stay tuned. :)

[CSCOBRA]

Sounds like a good time to see what the Cobra can do. Lets hope I dont bust the car before I get to the track like last year.

[Yellow Iron]

Count me in for helping if you need it. See you there!!! Marv Z

[animal]

I'll be down there :D

I'm gunning for the top reaction time again, since there's no way I'll take overall lightning e/t with all you crazy mod guys there :D

I'd suggest we should go to a bracket format, but it'll be hard to get in all the runs we'd need. We could just write down our dial ins on a piece of paper or something after a little test n tune, and do our own little pseudo "Who's closest to their dial in" single race though rather than the typical eliminator bracket. Maybe another class. So we could do, Lighting e/t, cobra e/t, focus e/t, reaction time, and dial in proximity or something like that to make it a little something more to shoot for among us stockers than just r/t :D

Just an idea i had.

[DOHC 281]

I like Animal's idea. :cool:

Chris, should we do a "closest to dial-in" trophy for the Cobra, Lightning and Other Fords classes?
:bna:

[BlueOvalBolt]

The slow guys always want bracket racing. :rolleyes: LOL

If I'm reading animal's suggestion right, I think he is proposing an overall dial-in champion and just adding another trophy class. If I am reading DOHC 281's suggestion right, I think he is proposing closest to dial-in within each class which would replace fastest e/t trophies.

I am personally in favor of adding a trophy class for closest to dial-in overall since the class of vehicle really doesn't matter, only how well you know your vehicle and keep fastest e/t for each class.

Any comments?

[animal]

You got my suggestion right.

My proposition was that we do our normal "One race at the end of the day" then:

We split the e/t classes and take fastest e/t of each class for a trophy, fastest reaction time is a trophy, and the closest person to their "dial in" that they specified before this last race.

There just won't be enough room and time to get in a full elimination type bracket, so just one race, winner of the bracket is the closest to their dial in without breaking out. Everyone is in the same class for this one.

Maybe greg can help us decide any ties... as I'm not even sure of how that's normally decided in the event of a tie.

This way there's a little bit for everyone.. overall speed, quick reflexes, and lastly knowledge of how your car works, and how to get it to do what you want it to do.

We just gotta inspect time slips... everyone turns in a dial in at say, 3pm for example (after running all morning to see how it's running that day), and the final race timeslips will all be marked after 3pm.

I think it would add to the fun and give the slower (read: less crazy :D ) guys something to shoot for besides just r/t.

[BlueOvalBolt]

Actually, this race within a race could add some drama in classes where 2 or more vehicles in a class are close in e/t and dial-in. I think we should also have each racer submit their dial-in secretly so no one knows what they are shooting for. Interesting.

[animal]

That'd be a cool idea too.

[BlueOvalBolt]

Here are the details for the Day at the Drags. :)

The gates open at 9:00 AM. Admission to race is $33.00 but your SVTOA membership card gets you a $5.00 discount. For those who are only showing their car in the Car Show, admission is $25.00 at the gate ($15.00 general admission plus $10.00 show admission).

There will not be an WISVTOA event fee of $10.00 as there was last year as we will not be serving lunch. However, tower tours will still be available (please see me at the track) and we will have plenty of water and some soda available. You may bring food into GLD if you would like otherwise the track does serve some pretty darn good burgers, hot dogs, etc. at the grill.

All racers will need a helmet and wear long pants as well as passing tech of course. Greg, please chime in on this. :thumbs:

Timed practice runs will begin at 9:30.

The WISVTOA shootout will be between 2 and 3 depending on the track's schedule. Please be ready to assemble by 1:45.

Trophies will be awarded to racers in the following categories:

Lowest Cobra e/t
Lowest Lightning e/t
Lowest Focus/Contour e/t
Best reaction time
Closest to predicted dial-in time (To be eligible, you need to submit what you believe the e/t of your shootout pass will be to me before 1:30 PM).

Trophies for first and second place will be awarded to car show participants in the following classes:

Pre-Fox body Mustangs - 1964 to 1978
Fox body Mustangs - 1979 to 1993
Post-Fox body Mustangs - 1994 to present
1970 and newer Ford cars - non-Mustang
1969 and older Ford cars - non-Mustang
Ford trucks - all years

A trophy for Best of Show will also be awarded.

Registration for the Car Show will be between 9 and 11:30 at the Gazebo. Judging for the car show will be between Noon and 1 PM. Your vehicle must be in it's designated spot during this time. Racers, your race admission covers the car show admission. You can enter the car show if you are also racing but your vehicle must remain in the show area from Noon to 1 for judging.

We could use a volunteer or two for car show registration and traffic control. Please email me if you or someone coming with you can help out. :D

I know I've probably forgotten something here, please post your questions. :confused:

See you at the track!

[347Cobra]

We are an IHRA sanctioned dragstrip, so IHRA rules apply. I cannot possibly list all rules and regulations in a post on a BB, that's what rulebooks are for. In a nutshell, if your car is a street car and you are not running quicker than 11.49, you will pass tech. Bring a helmet if you are quicker than 13.99.

We rent helmets at the track as mentioned, but supplies are limited.

Greg

[BlueOvalBolt]

Greg, I got an email from a convertible owner, at what point is a rollbar required? :confused:

[347Cobra]

13.99

[BlueOvalBolt]

13.99? Ouch, that eliminates a couple of members right off the bat. :(

Sorry guys.

[NeenahCOBRA]

You scheduled this the same day of the Fox Valley Sports Car Club Auto Cross.

Would have been interested to se how car is doing now. Too last year was too hot!

Oh, well some other time.

Anyone going to Blackhawk autocross next weekend?

Scott

[xbnch]

There is always something going on every weekend. We have a family picnic next week so Blackhawk is out.
Also the 13.99 puts some of us out too. Oh well, there are the boat races at Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee.

[animal]

Nothing is saying you need to stay on the gas pedal until the full 1/4 mile though. You can still work on getting your 60' and shifts down pat... then go for the full 1/4 on the shootout run. They'll tell you you need a cage, but you're done racing anyways.

[jlightning450]

Sorry guys,
To much going on Sunday, had to go to boat races on Lake Michigan (way cool, a must go for next year).
Chris how did the L do? Animal how bout yours?
Hope you guys had a good time. Very bummed about missing the day, but you gotta love living in an area with so much to do that you have to decide in the morning what great event you are going to miss. Oh well! What is the next function?
Joel

[DOHC 281]

The weather was typical Wisconsin summer - hot and humid

The PA system was typical of this event - loud, with even more obnoxious (music?)

The car show was well-planned (Thanks Chris!) :D and well-attended - 22 cars. 13 trophys were handed out. All of the cars (and trucks) were were exceptional - judging was not an easy project. Thanks to Carolyn for her help.

The SVTOA "shootout" involved 13 of us. [Chris will provide the results at a later post.] Now, if I had KNOWN that the red light in Lane 2 was burned out, and if I had KNOWN that it was a 0.500 tree, then maybe I wouldn't have red-lighted each of my three runs.

:o

Thanks to Chris, Mark, Greg, Marv, and Animal for a another great club event...;)

[animal]

Joel,

And here I thought you got grounded after what I heard about you on saturday night. :D

Anyways, my best run was 13.82@99 :mad:

But that was .3 faster than last year in the same heat. I must be doing something right. But despite these tires hooking better than I thought, I'l still probably going to order up some Drag Radials.


I also was closest to my dial in, only .057 off :D

[347Cobra]

Originally posted by DOHC 281
The weather was typical Wisconsin summer - hot and humid

Well, could have been worse- could have rained.. :D

The PA system was typical of this event - loud, with even more obnoxious (music?)

Have to put on the music that that bosses dictate. We advertise on 95.1...


The car show was well-planned (Thanks Chris!) :D and well-attended - 22 cars. 13 trophys were handed out. All of the cars (and trucks) were were exceptional - judging was not an easy project. Thanks to Carolyn for her help.


Yes, Chris deserves mucho props for all his hard work.

Now, if I had KNOWN that the red light in Lane 2 was burned out, and if I had KNOWN that it was a 0.500 tree, then maybe I wouldn't have red-lighted each of my three runs.


Terry Terry Terry.... :rolleyes: What other kind of tree were you expecting? A .500 sportsman tree is the standard. When was the last time you ran off a .400 pro tree? And the two are so different, that even if you were expecting a .400 tree, the first time you ran on the sportsman tree, you would have seen each bulb light in succession, versus the .400 where all the yellows go at once and you mash the gas. As far as the burned out red light... You don't see it until AFTER you redlight, so if you had kept it above .500, it would not have mattered. Sorry about the burnt out bulb, I looked everywhere for a replacement but we ran out of them.

Thanks to Chris, Greg, Marv, and Animal for a another great club event...;)

I don't deserve any thanks because I didn't do anything except upset Chris for taking up the other pad with the RV I was staying in, and I was too busy running the main event. Chris and you other guys deserve the thanks...

I think if we ever do this again, maybe we should not do it on Ford day, so that there will be more time to have the guys get passes in and have a better time....

[jerrymjr]

"I think if we ever do this again, maybe we should not do it on Ford day, so that there will be more time to have the guys get passes in and have a better time...."

I think we all had a good time. I know I did.
Sure its busy, but (1) its Sunday...and more importantly (2) its FORD busy! (I would have gone anyway) I think its important to the local chapter to be there and solicit potential new members.

If we want to make lots more runs, we could set-up another separate outting on a Tuesday or something..and call it a drive-in cruise thing. Hmm, that sort of thing, we could get some real practice in with things like burn-outs, launching, and reaction times.

[347Cobra]

Good post Jerry! :D

I feel terrible because I was so busy and did not get a chance to talk to anybody from WISVTOA for more than a minute or two...
On a weeknight in the fall, you guys could make as many passes as you wanted to...

[animal]

Originally posted by jerrymjr
"I think if we ever do this again, maybe we should not do it on Ford day, so that there will be more time to have the guys get passes in and have a better time...."

I think we all had a good time. I know I did.
Sure its busy, but (1) its Sunday...and more importantly (2) its FORD busy! (I would have gone anyway) I think its important to the local chapter to be there and solicit potential new members.

If we want to make lots more runs, we could set-up another separate outting on a Tuesday or something..and call it a drive-in cruise thing. Hmm, that sort of thing, we could get some real practice in with things like burn-outs, launching, and reaction times.

Ya know, I was trying to think of how to respond to gregs message, and I really couldn't have said it better myself.

We were all frustrated, it was hot, and we were sitting there in line roasting with no a/c on in the cars. But all in all, I had a great time just hanging out with other people and talking to other ford guys from around the area. For sheer amount of racing, there are better days to go there, but like Jerry said, the presence of our club made some people aware of us that might not have been in the first place.

I think that making an outing to GLD on a tuesday or wednesday night would be a great idea. I know it's hard for some people to make mid-week events too though... but this would allow us all to get in there and really work on launches, shifting, learning how the tree works ( ;) sorry terry :D ) and all the other things that take more than 4 or 5 runs to get down pat. And if we can pick a nice 40-50 degree night, I think alot of people would put down some simply awesome times too.

Chris, did Mark find his wallet?

[347Cobra]

Dave, THANK YOU! I was feeling like you guys were all mad at me but didn't want to say anything. If you had a good time, that is all that mattered... :D

[CSCOBRA]

Thanks to all who worked the drag event,it was great fun. I think it was a good idea to have our SVTOA event the same time as the all Ford day, it gets the club noticed. I for one had a great time and learned much about my car. My son Scott and I will go back in a few weeks on a tues. or wed. night. It would be fun to do it as a informal SVTOA event.
In the early 70s I raced weekly at the Grove. I ran my 66 GT 350. It was set up for drag racing, Boss 302 block and heads, 6.00 locked rear, slicks and much more. After several years of development it was running high 11s at 117-120 mph. It was much simpler to launch, first yellow hold the accelerator to the floor, last yellow release the clutch. That was a 7500 rpm launch with 6 to 8 psi in the slicks, more often than not a nice straight run. Running my 03 is much different and harder to do. I did learn much about my 03,first I mastered the art of the 2-5 power shift (new shifter has been ordered)also the 03 does not wheel hop to much compared to the 01 I had last year. I think with some practice I can get my times down to the low 13s and with some drag radials mybe 12s. Well one can always dream

[BlueOvalBolt]

Hey guys, sorry to be so late with the days results, been a little busy.

First, I just want to say that we all had good time, WISVTOA was well represented and attracted some new members, and GLD management seemed satisfied with our participation in and support of their annual event. All in all, hopefully, it was a successful event for everyone.

Sure a few things didn't go as planned (which event has?), it was busy (I think we all knew that going in being that it was Fun Ford Day), it was hot (but not last year kind of hot by any means), the music was kinda loud (at least GLD doesn't advertise on Kiss-FM!) but we all made it work.

A big thanks to those who were able to come out (an event is only as good as it's participants) and to those who helped out, Marv, Mark, Dave, Terry, and yes, even Greg ;) whose behind the scene assistance to make this event happen often goes unnoticed but not unappreciated.

A special thanks to Carolyn (aka Evelyn :rolleyes: sorry 'bout that) Eggers who we surprised by requesting she serve as the third judge for the car show. You did a great job :thumbs:


Anyway, the results of our shootout was as follows:

Fastest Cobra e/t trophy went to Jerry M. whose sc'd Mystic 96 Cobra went 12.832 (I forgot to get mph's :bash: ). Runner's up were Terry at 13.917 and Barry S. (fellow SVT owner from IL) at 13.957 in his 99 or 01 :confused: Cobra.

Fastest Lightning e/t trophy went to Tim F. in his juiced 01 Lightning who ran a :cough: Cobra beating :cough: 12.742. Runner up was Dave who ran a 13.887.

We didn't have any Focus' or Contour's participate this year :(

Best reaction time trophy went to Tim F. who cut a .538 light on his run. Runner's up were Dave (last year's champ) at .633 and Barry S. at .683.

In our new category, closest to predicted e/t without breaking out, Dave took the first place trophy predicting a 13.830 on his 13.887 run (.057). Runner's up were Tim F. who predicted a 12.65 on his 12.742 run (.092) and Barry S. who predicted a 13.80 on his 13.957 run (.157) [do you think Tim, Dave and Barry have been to the track before? lol].


As you know, WISVTOA also sponsored the car show for Fun Ford Day. We were fortunate enough to attract 22 cars and trucks which was pretty good compared to the number of entrants in recent years.

Terry, Carolyn and I judged entries on scale of 1 to 10 in three categories - exterior fit and finish, interior appearance, and engine bay appearance. This was a job that proved to be more difficult than anticipated and only compounded by the quality of vehicles entered.

The trophy winners were . . .

Class A - Mustangs 1964 to 1978

1st - Dave Piech - 1969 Mach I
2nd - Aric Rodriguez - 1967 Fastback

Class B - Mustangs 1979 to 1993

1st - Andy Bender - 1992 GT
2nd - Calvin Thompson - 1988 GT

Class C - Mustangs 1994 to present

1st - Mark Goldader - 1996 SVT Cobra
2nd - Erik Zavacke - 2003 SVT Cobra

Class D - Ford Cars 1903 to 1969

1st - Andreas Kolander - 1966 Fairlane
2nd - Jack Kelly - 1968 Galaxie Country Squire

Class E - Ford Cars 1970 to present

1st - Darren Pallesen - 1993 Probe GT
2nd - John Stritchko - 1970 Cobra Torino

Class F - Ford Trucks - All

1st - Steve Vercell - 1995 F-150 SVT Lightning
2nd - Rafe Marchigiani - 2000 F-150 SVT Lightning

Btw Greg, your suggestion of a WISVTOA oriented weeknight at the drags this fall is appreciated. I'm sure we'll talk more soon. :thumbs:

[347Cobra]

Thanks for posting Chris...

Good thing I didn't bring the Cobra (broken motor mount) because I would have laid you all to waste.. :D

As far as reaction time goes... I had a .509 with my 1992 GT.. :D

(I know, does not count!)


Glad everyone had a good time.

[jerrymjr]

Tim is running TWO power adders on his Lightning while I only got one! Maybe I need a shot of giggle gas to push the Cobra's back ahead. :p

[347Cobra]

With NO power adder I run 12.20's... :D

With a little giggle gas, well... :p

[animal]

Does it still count if it's a stock power adder ? ;)

I know it does but I wanted to be a smartace. :D

At least we could all attempt to compete with you for dial in competition greg :bna: