Just can't get past the Semis these days..

[chevytrucks92]

Well, the title says it all. I just can not seem to get past the semi-final round these days. Last night (8/27/05) made the 7th weekend on this 355 engine, and I've now been to 4 semi finals with it, with this latest being the 2nd in a row.

I've came to the conclusion that I have to be the most unlucky driver that races where I race, lol, maybe even anywhere. Get this. The guy I race cuts a .543 light and goes 4.533 on a 4.49 dial. In other words, he was dead in the water, or let me re-phrase that: he should have been dead in the water.

Ok, on to me. When my car left, I knew I had a killer light and I also could tell that the car had hooked really good. I seen his light go green as I went by the tree (there wasn't a big spot, I was dialed 4.84 to his 4.49, so the spot wasn't even a full light), so no gimmes in this round. Now I knew that once I got into high gear if we both had close reaction times then I should start seeing him coming up on me, but I didn't. At about where the mph lights used to be on the track, I start looking for him and see that his front end is barely at my back bumper. This is all about 60-70 ft from the finish line so I know he's not going to be able to catch me so I start gettin out of the gas. I probably pedaled 3 or 4 pretty big pedals and I know that 3 of them were before the line. Now in bracket racing, 99% of the time when you can get out of it that much, then you win, so when I went accross the finish line I just knew my win light was coming on...but it didn't.

Sure enough, I broke out. 4.835 on a 4.84 dial. I got in 3 good pedals, maybe 4 before the finish line and still broke out by .005 seconds! Like I said, I have to have the worse luck of anybody that races there!

Oh well, lol. Still got me $100, so all wasn't lost. And my stats from the run: dialed 4.84, had a .512 (.012) light, 1.653 60ft, and went 4.835 in the 330.

[-The Stig-]

Keep at it mang!

Good Jorb either way!

[500]

Here's a tip I developed when I was racing.

Never let off the throttle. If you need to kill a little et near the finish line then drag the brakes while holding the throttle WFO. It's a little easier to control how much you 'pull the other guy up' beside you.

[-Josh-]

Get that 355 out and get a big block in there!!


I dont care if it is about consistency or not, i want big block or cow bell, and cow bell has nothing to do with this so get a big block!

[street_racer_00]

I know what your problem is: your car is too fast

[chevytrucks92]

Originally Posted by 500

Here's a tip I developed when I was racing.

Never let off the throttle. If you need to kill a little et near the finish line then drag the brakes while holding the throttle WFO. It's a little easier to control how much you 'pull the other guy up' beside you.

I've always heard that, but I've never tried it. I've always been a little skittish of hitting them too hard and gettin the car out of shape. But, I've got to try something becuase I got in 3 good pedals before the finish line and still couldn't get back in my time. Now with the 406 I had, that would have done it, which is odd, becuase it had a lot more power then this motor does.

I believe this 355 does better if I jsut lift completely off and let it coast through the lights, but I'm so used to pedaling I just can't always remember to just lift completely. But, the next time this happens, I'll try and drag the brakes a little. I can do that against a car closer to my time (like the one I was racing), but I dont like to lift period against the really fast cars, and when I do, its less then 10 ft (if that) from the line, lol.

Josh, big blocks are way WAY too high maintenance, lol. You have to spend a small fortune just to get those things to hold together, let alone run anything! Spend the money on a small block that you spent on just getting the big block to hold together and the small block will run circles around it, not to mention stand a lot more punishment.

But, with that said, a 454 punched out .030 with a mild cam and some mild porting would beat what I got, and I've got a wild cam (.650 or so lift roller), atleast for a small block, and as good as heads as you can get for a small block (2.08/1.60 valves and ported to the gills). But, just stay tuned, hopefully by next season, I'll be sportin' a 13.5:1 383 that'd give those 468s and up a run for there money (in a lighter car that is, lol).

Originally Posted by street_racer_00

I know what your problem is: your car is too fast

Lol. Not trying to be a smart ass or anything, but actually, I think my problem is because I've slowed down almost 4 tenths, lol. Now I realize better then anybody that speed doesn't mean a thing in bracket racing, but I was used to getting shot out of a cannon (mid-high 1.4 60s vs. low-mid 1.6 60s), and having enough to power to pull with cars that were 3 or 4 tenths faster then me in high gear. Now, the car doesn't feel like it jumps 100 ft out when it launches (more like 30 or 40 now, lol) and I don't have near the high gear that I did have (used to go through the 330 mark turning about 6000 rpms, now its more like 5200-5500 rpms). I just still haven't gotten used to being slow, not that it was ever really fast. I always had as much power as everybody else, but I also had about 500 or more pounds to lug around then they did. Now I dont have as much power, but I've still got the extra poundage. The only way to loose it is to invest in a new chassis, and that's in my long term plans, lol.

[CassiesMan]

Originally Posted by chevytrucks92

but I've still got the extra poundage

Ya know, I got something that just might work...stop eating. Not only do you loose wieght, but it also saves money for the car!

[chevytrucks92]

Originally Posted by CassiesMan

Ya know, I got something that just might work...stop eating. Not only do you loose wieght, but it also saves money for the car!

LOL. Yeah, that might work, lol. If gas keeps going up, it may come down to something like that too!! 110 Citgo Race fuel is $5.00 a gallon now! Sunoco 110 is $5.25, and 112 is $5.75. LOL. So you know, its going to end up being "buy something to eat" or "buy some race fuel", lolol.

[mason_RsX]

Originally Posted by chevytrucks92

LOL. Yeah, that might work, lol. If gas keeps going up, it may come down to something like that too!! 110 Citgo Race fuel is $5.00 a gallon now! Sunoco 110 is $5.25, and 112 is $5.75. LOL. So you know, its going to end up being "buy something to eat" or "buy some race fuel", lolol.

pump and run man pump and run! lol jk that never works unless you block your license plate

and I cen't believe you let off the gas at the very end!! whens the last time you've seen a sprinter take it easy at the end of a race????

[CassiesMan]

Originally Posted by mason_RsX

pump and run man pump and run! lol jk that never works unless you block your license plate

and I cen't believe you let off the gas at the very end!! whens the last time you've seen a sprinter take it easy at the end of a race????

When was the last time you saw sprinters bracket race?

[chevytrucks92]

Originally Posted by CassiesMan

When was the last time you saw sprinters bracket race?

Lol.

mason_RsX, alot of people go as far as hitting the brakes before the finish line.