Thread: The Studebaker goes to the track

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Well today I made it out to Sacramento Raceway for their Test and Tune day. I wanted to get some sea level runs and a decent track. Weather was perfect, low to mid 60s with high pressure. I was told the air density altitude was 1120, which is pretty good wherever you are. I don't have a basis for comparison on track prep, but on street tires I had a major traction problem. My best time was a 13.68 at 101.6. 60' was 2.159. That was the only time I was able to hook decently at all. Next best time was a 14.24 and 14.60. By rolling into the throttle I could get moving Ok, but would break loose when I got to full throttle. Couple times I felt like a funny car going up in smoke! I honestly felt that like I have had better traction on the street. In 6 passes my 60' were all between the 2.15 and 2.42. At any rate I am not disappointed. To be able to drive to the track and run through the mufflers on my wide white radials and run in the 13s makes me feel pretty good. I have some video, fixed the watermarked versions. Thanks Denny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2COP-SCuNIk (That's not my car you here running in the back ground!)

And this one got my attention real fast :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf4ZJHF7szo

Pat

Pat, it sounds like the track was cold and they didn't fog any glue down. Too bad. I would rather pay a little more at the entry gate and have them buy and apply VHT as I would to pay a little less and have a slippery track. We encounter the same thing at Firebird.

Friday nite drags where there is little gate money means little or no glue. At a larger show where there is enough money at the gate to pay for glue, it'll suck your shoes off walking at the starting line.

Good runs, Pat... Need to get some stickier shoes on that Stude!!!!.....On one of the you tube things, saw .227 on the board...tell me that wasn't your rt!!!!!!

Thanks Denny, now I gotta figure out how to convert them in segments instead of the whole DVD.

Richard, I think you called it right, I never saw them spray the track the whole day. There were only about 40 cars and bikes there tops.

Good runs, Pat... Need to get some stickier shoes on that Stude!!!!.....On one of the you tube things, saw .227 on the board...tell me that wasn't your rt!!!!!!

LOL, thanks Dave. I was staging as shallow as possible to get the best ET and then leaving on the last yellow. My reaction time ranged between .200 and .280 and believe it or not, in 6 runs only one person had a better reaction time than I did and that was a .141 by a guy driving an 11 second Corvette. Not sure what was up with that. As for the sticky shoes, they are what they are, they work great for what I use the car for. Until next time at least

Pat

[QUOTE=Stu Cool

My reaction time ranged between .200 and .280

Pat[/QUOTE]

hmmmm... We'd better get you back up to Thunder Valley next summer and get you some laps!!!!!!

Ummmm. Just don't ask the guys who did the .308 light on the last test night....Ya see I made a pass in the Comet with that silly*** automatic transmission and got to watching the tach (no two step on it) and holding the tranny brake button..... Well, us shifter types get confused when there's only 2 pedals down there and.....well, you know how it goes!!!!

Just doesn't seem that long ago that if ya caught a light in eliminations that didn't start with .0__ it cost you a six pack at the party afterwards....geez, I'm gettin' old!!!!!!

i cherrish my .0032 and my .0005 from 2006 haha

Yeah, the .00's are the one's that are nice to remember, but the .308's are the one's you wish you could forget!!!!!!

.00x is really close to -.00x.... I prefer .01x-.02x Anyway, Pat nice that you got out to the track and those are some pretty stout numbers for a street car... too bad you couldn't get a good hook but you did really good for what you have If you could get that 60' down you might have a 12.9 in there somewhere

-Chris

Denny, The rear end is an 8" Ford with 3.80 gears and trac loc. The Trac loc does not work as well as I would like, it spins the right rear tire pretty easy if traction is the least bit slick. It may need better clutches. I bought it off EBay and it was supposedly just gone through. The gears were new. I still ahve contact info for the guy who built it, I may send him a note and ask advice. It is one of the lesser units with 2 spiders instead of 4. Most of the time it works pretty well. Tires are 235R70-15 Yokohama T4s. I am runnning a 4L60E tranny with a 2800 stall converter. The converter may actually be hurting me some at the track, but it sure is fun on the street when I punch it from a 20 mph roll.


Pat

Originally Posted by skids72

.00x is really close to -.00x.... I prefer .01x-.02x

-Chris

Yup, .00's mean you were just too slow to red light....but they sure are fun to get!!! So many good bracket racers and Super class racers out and about these days, some days if you're whole "package" for the run is more then .02_ off, you're trailered.... My best ever Super Gas pass was an .010 light, and a 9.90 with a 4....and I got trailered!!!!!!! talk about a shattered ego!!!!

Thanks Denny, I will follow up on that and try adding the additive. Also thanks for the info on the video converter. I have fixed the videos with new versions amd linked them in the original message.

Pat

hmmmm.... Are the clutches too tight, or was it just a cold track and street tires?????

C'mon Pat!!!! Get a spool and some slicks so we can see what this thing really does!!!!!!!!

I know you guys have seen me post over and over about loading the passenger side rear tire with an air shock. Well, a guy on another forum took my advice and I just had to share the results with you.....

"I've been having trouble getting it to hook up and preventing the one wheel peel... So Techinspector told me that I could play around with the pre-load in my airshocks until I get both wheels spinning equally.. Well boy was he ever right!!!!
I was playin around lastnight and I finally got both wheels spinning... I brake stalled it to 3300rpms, let off the brake, and floored it.... YIPPEEEE IT HOOKED UP AND LAUNCHED GOOD.... The downside is the whole body flexed and the windshield cracked in about 15 different directions...."

Now I feel bad about the windshield, but hey, at least the car hooks!! Now to plan B and some subframe connectors.....

I know it, it ain't funny but it is.

I have airbags over the leaf springs in front of the axle on mine and had the right one jacked with about 10 lbs more pressure. That did help some. Probably should have taken more time to tune that. There is always next time. Hopefully with a warmer track. Thanks for the comments and suggestions all

Pat