Tigges Talk - Epping

I've had the pleasure to crew for the Tigges for five events now, and I'd like to start posting up event reports from a crewguy's perspective. I've been writing these up for my car guy friends who are kind of ignorant of drag racing, so it's a little dumbed down but enjoy! I'll post one after each race I'm at.


Bittersweet weekend folks ;>)

The car is a beast. We left the track with the quickest and fastest TAFC on the property, but it was in the trailer after the first round...

Qualifying Session 1 - 5.641 at 260.76 MPH (qualified second)
Qualifying Session 2 - 5.584 at 262.74 MPH (qualified first, best ever speed for the car)
Elimination Round 1 - 5.555 at 261.37 MPH (nobody else made it down the track with a full clean pass)

So how did we end up losing first round? Fred left forty thousands of a second too early and got the red light, giving the win over to a tire smoking Todd Veney.

Have you have ever watched drag racing on TV and heard a driver say how disappointed they are for making a mistake because of all the work the crew has done? I know how that actually feels like now. The emotions are pretty intense, and immediate, there is a big red bulb shining at you. Fred saw the red on the way by the tree, and was pretty mad at himself at the top end. Back at the pit, Mark gave us the team speech, you win as a team, you lose as a team. That's drag racing, any mistake puts you out, you move on to the next race.

We did normal servicing between the qualifying runs, and an extended service before the first round. This new engine likes to spin, and high RPM puts a lot of stress on parts. Leakdown tests after the second qualifier showed some leakage in the #1 cylinder, so Saturday morning the supercharger and one head came off. Closer inspection found a very slightly bent exhaust valve which was replaced. We also dropped the pan and replaced several rod bearings. The work paid off, with that 5.555 in round 1 the best performance for this engine.

Once the car gets back in the shop a full teardown will be done. With 15 passes on the motor there are several items that will need service replacement and some items that will need upgrades to deal with the extra RPM we are seeing.

I got an extra treat this time out. We watched round two of eliminations from the stands, and when Matt Gill advanced to the final we went down to his pit to help with the turnaround for the final. It was great to be able to use my learned skills on someone else's car, and to be trusted and accepted in that position as help. The Gills were first in the lanes for the finals, and had a clean fast run to the runner-up position against Mickey Ferro who took an expensive win, dropping an intake valve in the lights and blowing it up pretty well. Matt Gill is doing great as a second year driver, really showing real poise in a class of car that is the most difficult to drive in drag racing.

I've found where I belong. I've been into cars all my life, and always been a big fan of drag racing, but working crew on an alcohol funny car is the most satisfying thing I've ever done with my spare time. The speed and precision, the attention to detail, the sharing of tasks and confidence in other crewmember's work are all so thrilling for lack of a better word. I'm so thankful to the Tigges for trading my work for their need, it is a joy to do and an honor to be trusted with someone else's investment and safety. When it goes to the line loud, runs straight and smooth and comes back to the pit dry and hot, it is a great feeling, win or lose.

They say alcohol drag racing is like family. It is true, the longer I work at the track the more at home I feel, whether helping out a competitor's effort to get to the final, congratulating a dragster guy for running 277MPH, or standing in line for a banquet talking about hockey with a Canadian team member. A banquet you say? Thanks to family members & A/Fuel dragster guys Art Gallant & Dan Page for the lobster & steak banquet for all the competitors Friday night.

The next race for me is the national event at Maple Grove, Pennsylvania in October. The next race for the car is up in the air, maybe Indy, maybe Charlotte.

 

Thanks for your report !
Another one lost from this disease !




Bob Meyer
Meyer Race Cars / San Diego
2014 Our 49th Anniversary

 

The Tigges's

Cool report, You landed with some great folks. Fred and Mark are great guys and I only wished I lived closer to see them run.

Also glad to hear they are officially hauling A$#! It seems the fathead switch is already paying off.

Best wishes to the tigges's (Did I get that right) and keep up the hard work,
Trevor Sherwood