Tigges Talk - 2015 Preview

Well, the drag racing season starts this weekend out west at Pomona Raceway. All the west coast alky hitters are happily making a splash, with the Swedes firing a nice pair of 50’s right off the trailer. I’m sure the conversation in the pits is all about the incrementals, water grains, barometer & 60 foots. Personally, I'm pretty impressed with Jonnie's '45 with the unintentional early shut-off.

For those of us in Division 1 it’s a slightly different story... while the top half of alky dragster is between .22 & .33, we are measuring 22 & 33... inches that is... of the frozen white variety. At the Tigges homebase the race trailer is only visible because it’s black, and up here in Maine all I can do is get ready in my imagination. Cowie & Demke are in the 30’s, I have not seen 30 degrees day or night for three weeks... It was 12 under the zero index yesterday morning leaving for work!

That said, the off season has been busy, with plenty of work earning money to feed the disease. In between all the hours spent on the job, the Tigges have been getting everything prepared for the 2015 season, parts repaired from last fall's boomer, all kinds of spares ordered, and all the required re-certifications. While you west coasters are hanging out under the awning tonight, we are hunkered down in the snow covered bunkers, keeping warm and preparing for hitting the track come spring.

If the global warming ever breaks and the snow stops, we are planning on 4 Regionals & 3 Nationals this year, Richmond, Maple Grove & Lebanon Valley in April, May & June, then out to Norwalk for the National and back home to the New England Dragway regional in July. Take a breather in August & close out with Nationals at Indy & the Grove. I am so looking forward to the crack of the throttle & the fun of hanging out with all my fellow winter dwellers at a hot racetrack this coming year. Picking up a few more of those gold men would be awful nice too! If you are a racer, I'll see you in the lanes, if you are a fan, stop by and say hi sometime in 2015!

Some more off-season pictures and old Tigges car shots here:

Galley Of New Stuff

Chris Saulnier
Mechanic Falls, Maine

 

winter woes

Nicely done, Chris. A good read.
Good to see pics of the car going back together... it helps make the winter go by.
Here in Manitoba, not as much snow...yet...Feb & March can be nasty...but damn cold!
But a couple evenings a week working on the A/Fueller passes time.
We'll start in mid Apr at Dallas ( a short 26 hr drive, one way), and work our way north.
Might see ya in Indy or Chicago.
Stay warm,
Clif

 

"If the global warming ever breaks and the snow stops..." LOL