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Cal-look/High Performance => Cal-look => Topic started by: Jim Ratto on September 05, 2008, 22:59:45 pm



Title: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Jim Ratto on September 05, 2008, 22:59:45 pm
tell us about your scariest trip down the 1/4 mile.

Mine was @ Sears Point 1997, Sonoma CA, went 11.38 @ 116 in BH Ghia, all over the lane. 2nd pass ever in that squirrel. I had gone 13's a few times in my car and that seemed like riding in Grandma's Rambler compared to spool, slicks, race motor, no weight...  and top of the track wind @ Sears pt.


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Sam K on September 06, 2008, 00:06:20 am
My bug usaully runs low 14's with the occasional high 13 without much fanfare, but the scariest 1/4 pass I've made to date was in my Mustang last year. It's an 89 LX that I drive to and from the track and it runs on pump gas. It was the first time I used the nitrous with the stroker engine and it ran an 11.1 @125mph. All I remeber is that the and of the track was coming up really fast. I was shaking for about 15 minutes afterward!


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Diederick/DVK on September 06, 2008, 01:06:29 am
i am yet to make my first pass. but i fear the first might be the scariest of all... ;)


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: sheep on September 06, 2008, 01:26:47 am
I thought this thread would mean something else ???


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Mike Lawless on September 06, 2008, 06:05:02 am
About 1986 or 87, eliminations pass in my Challenger (500 inch big block, tube chassis, alky injected) dialed in at 9.70 something. My opponent was a dragster dialed at close to 7 flat. I knew he was gonna come around fast and there was no way to gage the speed difference, so I had to run 'er out.

So, there I was calmly motoring along at around 140mph, and when this guy came by at close to 190, I thought the wind he was pushing was gonna blow me clear off the track.

Imagine standing about 10 feet away from the railroad tracks when the train comes by at 50mph. The wind would knock you on your arse.

At any rate, it got my attention and I'll never forget it. I did not win the round.


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Thomas 356 on September 06, 2008, 15:38:18 pm
my scariest trip down the strip

was when my car looke like this at the ende of the strip

it was in 2006  and i have not been on the strip sins   but just got and new racer ( not home from the us but on it way )

Cherrs
Thomas




Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: louisb on September 06, 2008, 15:54:28 pm
That sucks man.

--louis


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: speedwell on September 06, 2008, 17:42:10 pm
About 1986 or 87, eliminations pass in my Challenger (500 inch big block, tube chassis, alky injected) dialed in at 9.70 something. My opponent was a dragster dialed at close to 7 flat. I knew he was gonna come around fast and there was no way to gage the speed difference, so I had to run 'er out.

So, there I was calmly motoring along at around 140mph, and when this guy came by at close to 190, I thought the wind he was pushing was gonna blow me clear off the track.

Imagine standing about 10 feet away from the railroad tracks when the train comes by at 50mph. The wind would knock you on your arse.

At any rate, it got my attention and I'll never forget it. I did not win the round.
any pictures of the challenger mike ???


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Mike Lawless on September 06, 2008, 18:55:43 pm
Not a bunch of surviving pictures fom back in the day, but here's a couple
(http://home.comcast.net/~mlawless29/challenger1.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~mlawless29/M&M.jpg)

The race shot is from 1987, NHRA Division 7 bracket finals. The last time I ever drove the car. It is still being raced today and runs in the high 8s, but now it's red.

The shot in the garage is with my oldest son Mark. This was early 86 so he was not quite 4 years old. He always liked to help out!


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Chuck Fryer on September 06, 2008, 19:45:00 pm
when you get a steady diet of pictures of racing vw's, that mopar looks HEAVY!


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: speedwell on September 06, 2008, 20:56:48 pm
thx mike for the pic
off topic : i ask youthat because i'm building a challenger funny car 1/25 scale models  ;)
back to topic


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Gary Justus on September 07, 2008, 00:25:28 am
Every trip is scary for me (not that many comparitively). The new Drag-In dvd proves that!!!


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Bewitched666 on September 07, 2008, 10:10:50 am
My scariest trip down the 1/4 strip in a vw beetle was when on race day becoz of rain the race was cancelled but at night the weather turned out ok and we could just make some roadteston the track and on a pass at the end over the finishline it was still wet and my car splipped and flipped over a few times and was totally destroyed.
This happened in 1989,after the accident i bought jack's old autocraft pro stocker.

Another scary ride was with my dads pro stock trans am in 2002 when at the end of the track i think a fuel line came loose and the engine caught fire and burned down the whole car.


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Fastbrit on September 07, 2008, 10:42:30 am
Holy Moses! I'm not gonna let you near my car!  :o ;D


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Bewitched666 on September 07, 2008, 11:30:30 am
Why not Keith,been around your others and nothing happened ;D

Greets Stanford


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Neil Davies on September 08, 2008, 09:43:16 am
Mine was quite calm compared to that! The only time my car ever felt slightly scary was when the motor blew and put oil under one of the rear tyres. 2276 superflow motor, low 12's - crossing the line at 107mph when the motor let go! The car did seem to step sideways a little, but it stayed shiny side up and no more drama. :)


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Bewitched666 on September 08, 2008, 20:25:06 pm
Lucky i got out before the car went totally up in smoke :-[


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: danny gabbard on September 10, 2008, 02:03:37 am
From the looks of things , you were'nt talking vegas huh!


Title: Re: scariest trip down the strip?
Post by: Bewitched666 on September 10, 2008, 09:49:06 am
Nope thats in curacao on the international dragstrip 8)