ND this week? Bradshaw's comments

Last time I checked, the world was round. It can get very lonely in the pits.

 

Randy, I'm pretty sure the best anyone ran with a gizmo was a 5.29. That was Santos in 1200 ft. corrected air. Later, he ran a 5.27 at Maple Grove with a D in below sea level air, then Shields ran a 5.26 at Englishtown with a D, also in below sea level air.

 

Randy, Also, only TADs used the gizmo. The only exception: One TAFC run was made one time with a gizmo. You wouldn't have known it, because it was definitely not an outstanding run. Believe it or not, the fast times you're remembering were made with Ds.

 

Pat:

I know of a certain team that had never run 250 before. Suddenly they ran 256. The GIZMO's were swept from the pits and they never came within a country mile of it again. Another car was knocking on the door of 260 and they slowed, too. Rumor had it that these two had it, but it was never confirmed. Norm told me a few years ago they didn't, but those were sure some impressive numbers back then that came out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast.

RG

 

Randy, I wish I knew why our customers sometimes seem to lose their way, running a sterling number out of nowhere and then never to be heard from again. Sort of like pop music's "one hit wonders." Remember when Bob Newberry ran that crazy roots blower time years ago -- wasn't it a 5.69 or something? Where did that performance edge go? Who knows? And, if you're thinking about the Miners, that really was a D.

 

Pat are you sisters with the Blower lady?? LOL

 

That too was run under below sea level air and at Dallas!

 

King: No, but you're close. T.: Absolutely. But that doesn't explain why in all the runs since (wasn't that in the mid-90s?), no one with that combination has duplicated that time, not to mention bettering it. So was Bob using a funny blower? No! He's simply a good tuner who was able to take advantage of the stars converging. It happens.

 

Pat:

The sister to Newberry's Mert roots 5.69 blower ran a 5.72 on another car in worse conditions.

Randy

 

Ask me where I found my tune up?

Oh, was that what I tripped over in the staging lanes at Woodburn!!!

I usually don't respond to these sites as well but when my name is mentioned.....

For those of you who don't know me from a cow pile in Texas, I have been working on that tune-up with Gregg Lawrence and Russ Parker since 2001.
IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY.

Before I get started on my 2 cents, I would like to thank Mr. Bradshaw and all the competitors I raced against in Sonoma. I don't have a ride and Gregg was kind enough to work out a deal with me to put me in the car for that race and and I am very thankful fo that. I am just a crew guy who has been working for many years to drive and that was my first race. No one played any games with me and I am glad the fans got to see some good racing. On the issue of alcohol vs. fuel, all I have ever worked on or driven is fuel so I cannot comment on driving anything but a fuel car. Was it hard? Sure it was, but it would have been just as hard to drive an alchol car as well. They are each their own animal and require a huge amount of sack to drive! I do believe that when the a/fuel cars are running in the right conditions, they do have an advantage but if the NHRA made a rule change with weight, fuel percentage or whatever against the fuel cars, we would would do what we always do and put our nose to the grindstone and find a better combination. As a driver, I could really care less who is in the other lane and I focus on my race, my lane. The same goes for the tune up. Alan, Randy, your car is haulin' the mail right now and I take my hat off to you, but I could care less how much mag, clutch, fuel, or right front tire pressure you have in your car. Each car no matter what fuel it burns has it's own combination and it's own potential and I really believe that if someone with an alcohol car looked hard enough, they would find it. Gettig back to the NHRA - if whatever they decide to do fairly evens up the class, I'm all for it because bottom line, it's about the fans. The fans pay hard earned money to come watch us race and they deserve a good drag race.

Garrett Bateman
AFD 611

 

Garrett - that was a great post. Alan - thanks for your comments also. I do think you need to explain the fuel additive comment as you are implying that someone is "cheating" and that's a big deal. Also, what is the GIZMO?

 

GIZMO is a progressive PSI sometimes refered to as the "C" model. Norm Drazy will have a cow if I mess up in the explaination. Unfortunately, I left my "Logarithms, Calculus, Physics and the Basics of the Advanced Scientific Model" handbook in the trailer.

There were changes in the inlet and discharge port area which gave a significant increase in boost and was supposedly released to the public after NHRA's cut-off date for new designs. NHRA disallowed it, so the few out there are at the sand drags, etc, where they don't police such nonsense.

In a word, the supercharger technology for TAD was frozen by the rules 3 years ago while the A/Fuel guys keep coming up with ways to burn more fuel.

I'm sure Pat Alexander will tap Norm on the shoulder and correct me if I am wrong.

 

Randy: Pretty good, except for two things. The issue with the NHRA was that the C wasn't "generally available" before the cutoff in 1997 (it was on only two cars in 1996, although it had been offered to others, without success). Also, blower technology to compete with the A-fuelers isn't just three years old. It's going on SEVEN years old (nothing newer than beginning of 1997 allowed). As for textbooks and slide rules, I'll ask Norm to try to make it simpler next time you call.

 

MARK HENTGES,

It was only a joke. Hell I dont know exactly what MTBE is or what ever that stuff is. Maybe someone could enlighten me. I only heard the name once at Brainerd and many racer's names came up. No big deal. For all I know, it could be some of your Powerpunch product line. Anyway, just so everybody feels better............ I'm sorry if I upset the apple cart with a snide remark that was made in the midst of aggravation. Next time I'll take those two aspirins you offered me. They'll probably taste better than the aftertaste of this forum debate. AHHHH, I feel better already Sincerely, Alan Bradshaw

NOW, lets all get back to racing on the track instead of the keyboard. AB

 

If we only had 125% back...

Hmmmmm.

 

MTBE or "methyl tertiary butyl ether", is a toxic substance that was also found to be corrosive. To suggest (even in jest) that someone would use that in race fuel is well, ill advised at best, at worst, well I wont go there.

 

Would MTBE show up in Fuel check?

 

I think it did in Seattle....

 

That stuff smells so bad,no way you could hide it. I doubt it would help anyway, unless you are wanting to reduce your carbon monoxide emissions.

 

Tell us more...

You seem to know a little about the compound...