Being rusty is bad news in the world of drag racing. Rust is dangerous for the car, trailer, tools and all other metal parts. However, a rusty mind is just as hazardous. It’s been three months since Chris and I ran the dragster and the comfort of routine was not present to calm us. We knew we needed to get back to the track; both to help us get comfortable racing again and to scratch that racing itch that bugs the both of us constantly. So, we decided to hit the track at Pacific Raceways for one of their Wednesday night Grudge Matches.

On Wednesday, Chris and I loaded up the trailer and headed out to Pacific Raceways. We both had a nervous knot in our stomachs. Racing at a new track is always scary. Pitting can be difficult if you don’t know where you are supposed to go, especially with a 30 foot trailer. Luckily Chris is quite talented at maneuvering the heavy load. The next item on our list was to check out the track. We found the Tech point, staging lanes, starting line, finish line, both turn offs and the return road. This is something that Jack Beckman was insistent on, both during the class and during my time with him at Bremerton. Jack walks the track at any and all races; as should ever racer, no matter how fast or what class they are running.

With the recent loss of Scott Kalitta, there has been a huge surge of racers inspecting the track on their own before they race. I find it beyond ridiculous that it takes such a tragic accident to convince racers that it’s their responsibility to make sure they know the track backwards and forwards before hitting the starting line. In an article on CompetitionPlus.com Tony Pedregon was interviewed about his confidence in NHRA tracks and their shut down areas. Competition Plus reported, “Defending Funny Car world champion Tony Pedregon told U.S.A. Today that he’s personally taking a walk through the shutdown area prior to this weekend’s NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio before he makes a lap down the strip in qualifying. The champion said he didn’t realize such a chore was his responsibility.” That last sentence infuriated me more than anything I’ve ever read on drag racing safety. And trust me, it’s a common topic on the many racing blogs and websites. I am astonished that someone as educated, experienced and proactive in the safety of the sport of drag racing (not to mention, someone who has been in some of the most terrifying accidents in the sport) would allow himself to be quoted in saying that checking track conditions for safety is a chore and should not be his responsibility. Most drivers pack their own chutes, mix their own fuel, and check their own safety gear and harnesses for the specific reason of being in control of their own destiny on the track (as much as they can). Therefore, why would the track set up/conditions be any different? This is such a horrible model to set for the up and coming racers who dearly look up to those racing veterans, such as Tony Pedregon. Although no one can deny that it is NHRA’s responsibility to provide safe tracks, such an important undertaking should be double checked by every driver.

With this in the forefront of our minds, Chris and I made sure to drive the track and return road on our four wheeler. We even found a safety worker who took me for a personal tour of the track, pointing out the grease, kitty litter and fire extinguishers at each turn off. It is comforting to know that these men and women dedicate so much of their time to the safety of the racers. We thanked them over and over for what they do, knowing full well that they aren’t thanked often enough. We then went back to our trailer to unload our car and supplies to get ready to race!

Our first pass was a little rushed and therefore my reaction time was not up to par. However, as far as first passes go, we made a good run. We did a 8.95 at 166 mph. The track was not quite as good as we had hoped and the car got out of the groove a little down track. The weather was unbearable at 5:30pm, with a temperature of almost 90 degrees and close to 60% humidity. The car could hardly cool down in the staging lanes from the drive from the pits. By the time I was ready to run, the car was already hotter than it was supposed to be. All of which contributed to a less than perfect run.

Our second run was postponed until a couple of hours later due to the array of street legal cars running, most of which had little or no knowledge about their car. Many oil downs, broken transmissions and clutches, and one scary crash into a side barrier later, we made our second pass. Now, this pass was not our proudest moment. I got my worst reaction time ever (a number that should be seen only in my log book) and a 9.03 at 162 mph. My dad received some unwelcome criticism from the starting line crew on my driving skills. After looking at the data, we found that the track simply wasn’t holding our car. We chalked it up to the fact that there were a number of delays and a large accident right in front of us, all of which affect the track. I was most frustrated by my reaction times and decided to figure out what was going on in my head. I sat down for a practice session with my travel tree. I realized that I been thrown off by full tree (where the three amber lights flash individually) that they run at these test session. In Super Comp they typically run a pro tree (where all three amber lights flash at once) and therefore, that is what I had been practicing. So, I spent 10 or 15 minutes practicing my reaction times with a full tree, while my dad reviewed the data in hopes of improving the run from that end.

Our third and final pass was significantly better than the previous two. My practice paid off and my reaction time was a solid .094. Nothing to brag about, but light-years better than my other two times. We ran a 8.94 at 165 mph. Although the track still wasn’t completely solid, we had all of the factors on our end in place and the result was a pretty good run. We knew that this was not going to be our best test and tune, especially with the lack of practice in the past three months. However, we accomplished what we needed to do, to get out there and race! On the way home, Chris and I turned to each other and simultaneous said, “I loved that!” We both have such a passion for this sport and it’s amazing to be able to do this together.

But before I wrap up this blog, I must tell you about our adventure with the trailer battery at the track. After our last run, at about 9:15pm, we decided to pack up and head out. As we are packing up, we notice a lightening and thunder storm heading our way. We picked up the pace slightly and then quickly realized that they had shut down all racing and were sending people home. We managed to get everything packed up and tied down before the rain hit. The only task left to do was lower the trailer back on the hitch, attach it all and head out of town. Except the trailer wouldn’t lower, in fact the entire trailer battery was dead. By this point it was pouring rain and we were soaking wet without a clue in the world on what to do. Chris’ quick thinking concluded that we could attach the dragster charger to the trailer battery (and by attach I mean Chris holding them in place) while I attempted to lower the electric trailer onto the hitch. After a long endeavor we managed to get it lowered and attached to the truck. I can’t tell you how pleased we were to be on our way home and out of that storm. In the morning we came to find out just how dangerous that storm had been, as it was all over the news. Chris did a little diagnosing on Thursday and found out that it was actually a fuse in the truck that blew and therefore wasn’t charging the trailer battery. Luckily the truck can be taken to GMC to have that fixed, whereas if the problem was in the trailer, it would be up to Chris to fix that wiring. Hopefully this was all be straightened out by the time we head to Bremerton next Friday.

Check back for an update from Bremerton!