Max and the 440 Six Pack

[chuckspeed]

Took Max out for one last dragstrip run this year in pursuit of a 12.6 @ 109 MPH. The results were interesting - good and bad.

The bad:

Cold weather and crappy track netted stock suspension/tires 60' times. Best 60' was a 2.098, with most everything else in the 2.1-2.3 range. The wheelspin was lurid - nasty assed wheelhop even in third!

Best ET of the day was a 13.003 - Hell, didn't even break into the 12's AT ALL!

The good:

Trap speeds were friggin' outta this world. Max pulled like a bear once he found traction, and managed to click off a 109.36 MPH trap speed on his best run.

Got danged if some sticktion wouldn'ta netted a 12.7 or better!

So - best run:

2.098 60'
8.564 ET at the 1/8th
1/8th MPH N/A tower side
13.003 1/4 ET
109.36 MPH trap.

the 60' and the 1.8th tell the story. I danced all over the launch, the 1-2, and even the 2-3. Tried everything from an idle launch to a 4 grand sidestep; there was no gittin' Max off the line inna hurry - period.

I was bummed. Handed the keys over to Dale, a buddy of mine who had posted up a P/B of 12.70 in his 383 Challenger R/T a few minutes B4 Max ran. Dale has a 14 flat '99 GT 'vert; figured his 20-odd years of launchin' DR cars might be able to eke out a tenth or two more than I could.

Nope. Dale ran a 14 flat. Said the car was like drivin on ice.

Guys were runnin' real hard out there today. Musta been the last run of the season...We watched a guy suck a valve on the line; another guy grenaded his motor on the big end; a Mustang gutted his trans on the 2-3 shift, and some goober lost brakes and ran off the big end of the track at 110+...

interesting. Did I mention the guy whose S-10 burned up in the staging lanes?

Anyway - the best part of the day was this:

On my 1st and best run, Max lined up against one of Dale's buddies runnin a 440 six pack Super Bee. Guy's got a 12 sec vanity plate; car's clean. Do a dry hop, stage shallow.

Lights drop; I gate the 'Bee by nearly two tenths.

Getting the jump was good; Max started spinnin' and hoppin' midway thru the 60. the 'Bee took back the lead B4 Max was outta 1st.

Powershift 1-2 @ 6500 RPM; back axle does the wheehop boogie for about a tenth of a second B4 settlin' down. Max roars; takes the lead back from the 'bee at the top of 2nd.

2-3 powershift at 6400 RPM (remember - Max has a ported intake) and the 'Bee momentarily sticks his nose out at the bottom of 3rd. Max takes it back - just. Wind the snot outta 3rd (prolly went too far) and stuffed it inta 4th.

Max gave the lead up on the 3-4, but took it back again midway thru 4th. NO FRIGGIN' WAY was I gonna lift early after the trap. We were a dead heat crossin' the line, and we BOTH kept goin' for several heartbeats after the trap; neither willing to concede even tho the line was rapidly fadin' and we were both rollin' up fast on a buck twenty.

Max braked hard and caught the first turn-off; the 'Bee went down to the end B4 scrubbin' off enough speed to turn. Rolled up to the timing shack and:

The winner of the run by 0.01 second was...Max.

What a way to end the season - knockin' down a 440 six pack.

[Ta Jay]

was this at lapeer?

anouther good story chuck, Close race.

[chuckspeed]

Originally Posted by Ta Jay

was this at lapeer?

Yup. Was a last minute deal; Dale invited me the day B4.

Figured the track would get better as the day warmed up; it got worse. Best run was the first; they went downhill as folks blew up crap and the track got messy.

It was a fun run - we traded the lead at least five times B4 the trap. In doin' this sorta thing for 25+ years, I've never had as close a run.

Usually I end up at the line with either a low 11 car that just leaves and stays there, or some goob from cooter's speed shop drivin' a 15 second Mustang. Either way - it's not much of a door-to-door run.

I'd wanted to know how I'd fare against a 440 mopar - now I know.

[Admin]

Still not a bad time! So hard getting traction in this cold weather, it really is!!!

[Ta Jay]

lapeer....hmmm i dunno that track is weird. that would be the track where i would probably break 11's

[chuckspeed]

Originally Posted by Ta Jay

lapeer....hmmm i dunno that track is weird. that would be the track where i would probably break 11's

umm...you first gotta go there to try it...

[j0n]

nice times chuck! what kinda mods you got on the ol mach?

[chuckspeed]

Originally Posted by j0n

nice times chuck! what kinda mods you got on the ol mach?

Nothin' really trick - it's more like sorting out what's there.

Engine:

meziere electric water pump
cobra full flow oil cooler
PHP plenum spacer
upper and lower plenum porting
TB porting
K&N and intake mods (mild porting)
Gutted front cats
straight thru exhaust

Trans:
Steeda shifter

Rear end:
4.30 gears
Nitto NT 555 DR's

Suspension:
Lowered and wedged
Lakewood LCA's
Swaybar deletes front and rear

Misc:
moderate (-150 lbs) lightening
drag drycell battery

I've tried to keep the car as stock appearing as possible - even with the hood open. Next round of mods will involve different spring rates along with a set of solid UCA's and a set of Lakewood 90/10's. I'm giving up three tenths on the launch, a tenth on the 1-2, and the better part of a tenth as a multiplier for hookin' up. Once the suspension is sorted, I expect a 12.5 @ 110MPH will be attainable.

[Ta Jay]

Originally Posted by chuckspeed

umm...you first gotta go there to try it...

thats the last track i would run at, only if i was lookin for times to brag about. :smt045