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- Jun 18, 2001
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We were pretty excited to he heading back to Columbus and got on the road in decent time to get the trip done.
Checkpoint 1
Checkpoint #2 I wanted to grab some ice cream but we still had a decent amount of time on the road ahead so we kept moving
We ended this trip stuck in Columbus Rush hour traffic on 270 and 70 east. Never in my life did I imagine I would be navigated rush hour traffic and construction sites on an Interstate in my former TSO car yet here we were doing it and the car really didn't miss a beat! We made it back to the room early got cleaned up and went out for a nice dinner. We were leaving right after Day 5 to head home so we decide to have an early celbration.
The other GN was a really nice car with a father and son driving running mid 10's which was really cool to see. He was the only other 6cly car there.
Day 5 just started off bad with a Windows update that bricked my laptop and we ended up struggling with stupid shit all day as a result. It was the only day we didnt get a one and done and struggled to get an 8 sec slip which we needed to secure 3rd in Superstreet SB PA and to hand in all 8 sec slips. I borrowed my buddy Vinnie's laptop he was running a 5.3 turbo LS in a Monza Spyder. I was able to get into the ECU and I put together a day 5 tune that was a little spicier and would hopefully pick the car up a little. I have a 4 postion MAP selector so I loaded the Day 5 tune on #1 position and also cleaned up the pump E85 drive tune we had been using on position #3 and off the NTR we went.
The first pass the car was a total dog from the hit and I was like WTF. It ran a 9.63@148 and afterwards I was driving around the track looking for a laptop to borrow. My buddy Jim who who did a one a done to win Superstreet BB PA was in Quarratine lent me his and before I even hooked it up I saw what I did, I left the car on the pump E85 tune duh!! I switched the key to position 1 as the called lanes closed but the guy still let me in and I pretty much hot lapped the car. Second pass ended up being the SAME as the 1st WTF now I definitely needed a laptop!. Following that second attempt we now had to wait most of the day until they call All run for a third attempt. I found when I loaded the Day 5 tune then cleaned up the drive tune I forgot to cycle the ignition and accidently re-loaded the drive tune on the #1 position. Ugh. I get it all cleaned up and we wait and go up for a 3rd attempt.
I put some steam in this tune up we get up there and stage the car and it does what we fhought it was incapable of doing, spun the tires! Seriously the car has been such a dog in the 60' and we had been throwing everything at it but was late in the day and the track was a little sketch and we spun.
Back around for attempt #4. After I do the burn out I go to pre-stage the car and it lurches forward and double bulbs without me even being on the t-brake yet. I try to get the car to come up but just don't have enough time before the light so it was another scrubbed run. I pull off the track and the car is now wants to idle a 2k rpm, WTF? I get back to the pits and find the screws in the IAC motor housing backed out and blew out the IAC gasket causing a huge leak which is why the car lurched forward on me causing the double bulb. We scramble to find new bolts and glued the housing back on which worked.
We had time so we cooled the car down some and went up to make pass #5 for the day. I had neutered the launch I had in previously since the car spun and at this point I just wanted an 8 anything pass. I did leave the higher dome pressure in the tune I had in it prior for down the track. I stage the car and it pooches a 1.46 60 and it was off on what seemed to be decent rip. I pass half track and the car feels like it is really picking up steam and then it farts and noses over at about the 1000' mark and I coast across the strip for an 8.999!!!
Driving back to the pits the car seems fine and I dont see anything wrong its not missing puking any fluids or overheating etc. We decide to turn the slip in which secured our #3 position and successfully completed HRDW 2024 with 5 8 sec timeslips which were top 8s and should have been bottom 8s but hey they were at least all 8 sec slips lol!
We met up with Sam afterward who also took 3rd in Superstreet BB PA and Sam had the idea of getting a picture of our Buicks together. We were trying to find a spot and I was like hey there are a ton of pro photographers walking I am guessing would like to take a cool pic, so it ended up on the starting line shot by a pro, complete with Drone coverage lol!
The awards ceremony was cool they served everyone beer and pizza which was really an award in and of itself!
Top three cars were in Ultimate Iron and was an exciting finish with Byrant really thrashing to capture the OA win. Alex Taylor took second and the Nova I believe has a twin turbo SBF of all combos!
Honestly, after Sick Week and Head Up Hustle I was happy to just finish this thing and get that monkey off our back. The accolades were just icing on the cake.
Ironically the cars poor performance didn't matter even if the car was performing on point we likely would have finished the same. The second place Monte avg 7.70's and the winner David Diehl was busting off 7.0's at over 200mph in his Mustang. Mr Diehl also won an award for Spirit of DW he spent more time helping other racers than he did on his own car. This guy smoked his motor on test day Dave found him one on Marketplace and they got it in and running at the track. Me personally I would've been done but then again there has to be something said for being able to find a replacement race motor on FB Marketplace for $400 lol! Not happening with a Buick V6!!
It is amazing how a little success can change your perspective. At the onset of this race I was done after this, it has been a non-stop 2 year adventure and this year had been nothing but long ride on the struggle bus and heart ache. I got an early invite for Sick Week while I was down there and I am going to attempt to sign up this Saturday for another shot at it.
I promised my wife I would not even take the car off the trailer for at least a week when I got back which is up tomorrow! I have been working on the converter and poor performance issue and have come up with a few solutions. I need to get the car fixed and back out for more testing before everything closes down here for the season. I am NOT going to Sick Week untested and unprepared this time. I think we have enough of the puzzle peices to accomplish what we set out to do and I am looking forward to that achieving that challenge in Florida this coming January!
Checkpoint 1
Checkpoint #2 I wanted to grab some ice cream but we still had a decent amount of time on the road ahead so we kept moving
We ended this trip stuck in Columbus Rush hour traffic on 270 and 70 east. Never in my life did I imagine I would be navigated rush hour traffic and construction sites on an Interstate in my former TSO car yet here we were doing it and the car really didn't miss a beat! We made it back to the room early got cleaned up and went out for a nice dinner. We were leaving right after Day 5 to head home so we decide to have an early celbration.
The other GN was a really nice car with a father and son driving running mid 10's which was really cool to see. He was the only other 6cly car there.
Day 5 just started off bad with a Windows update that bricked my laptop and we ended up struggling with stupid shit all day as a result. It was the only day we didnt get a one and done and struggled to get an 8 sec slip which we needed to secure 3rd in Superstreet SB PA and to hand in all 8 sec slips. I borrowed my buddy Vinnie's laptop he was running a 5.3 turbo LS in a Monza Spyder. I was able to get into the ECU and I put together a day 5 tune that was a little spicier and would hopefully pick the car up a little. I have a 4 postion MAP selector so I loaded the Day 5 tune on #1 position and also cleaned up the pump E85 drive tune we had been using on position #3 and off the NTR we went.
The first pass the car was a total dog from the hit and I was like WTF. It ran a 9.63@148 and afterwards I was driving around the track looking for a laptop to borrow. My buddy Jim who who did a one a done to win Superstreet BB PA was in Quarratine lent me his and before I even hooked it up I saw what I did, I left the car on the pump E85 tune duh!! I switched the key to position 1 as the called lanes closed but the guy still let me in and I pretty much hot lapped the car. Second pass ended up being the SAME as the 1st WTF now I definitely needed a laptop!. Following that second attempt we now had to wait most of the day until they call All run for a third attempt. I found when I loaded the Day 5 tune then cleaned up the drive tune I forgot to cycle the ignition and accidently re-loaded the drive tune on the #1 position. Ugh. I get it all cleaned up and we wait and go up for a 3rd attempt.
I put some steam in this tune up we get up there and stage the car and it does what we fhought it was incapable of doing, spun the tires! Seriously the car has been such a dog in the 60' and we had been throwing everything at it but was late in the day and the track was a little sketch and we spun.
Back around for attempt #4. After I do the burn out I go to pre-stage the car and it lurches forward and double bulbs without me even being on the t-brake yet. I try to get the car to come up but just don't have enough time before the light so it was another scrubbed run. I pull off the track and the car is now wants to idle a 2k rpm, WTF? I get back to the pits and find the screws in the IAC motor housing backed out and blew out the IAC gasket causing a huge leak which is why the car lurched forward on me causing the double bulb. We scramble to find new bolts and glued the housing back on which worked.
We had time so we cooled the car down some and went up to make pass #5 for the day. I had neutered the launch I had in previously since the car spun and at this point I just wanted an 8 anything pass. I did leave the higher dome pressure in the tune I had in it prior for down the track. I stage the car and it pooches a 1.46 60 and it was off on what seemed to be decent rip. I pass half track and the car feels like it is really picking up steam and then it farts and noses over at about the 1000' mark and I coast across the strip for an 8.999!!!
Driving back to the pits the car seems fine and I dont see anything wrong its not missing puking any fluids or overheating etc. We decide to turn the slip in which secured our #3 position and successfully completed HRDW 2024 with 5 8 sec timeslips which were top 8s and should have been bottom 8s but hey they were at least all 8 sec slips lol!
We met up with Sam afterward who also took 3rd in Superstreet BB PA and Sam had the idea of getting a picture of our Buicks together. We were trying to find a spot and I was like hey there are a ton of pro photographers walking I am guessing would like to take a cool pic, so it ended up on the starting line shot by a pro, complete with Drone coverage lol!
The awards ceremony was cool they served everyone beer and pizza which was really an award in and of itself!
Top three cars were in Ultimate Iron and was an exciting finish with Byrant really thrashing to capture the OA win. Alex Taylor took second and the Nova I believe has a twin turbo SBF of all combos!
Honestly, after Sick Week and Head Up Hustle I was happy to just finish this thing and get that monkey off our back. The accolades were just icing on the cake.
Ironically the cars poor performance didn't matter even if the car was performing on point we likely would have finished the same. The second place Monte avg 7.70's and the winner David Diehl was busting off 7.0's at over 200mph in his Mustang. Mr Diehl also won an award for Spirit of DW he spent more time helping other racers than he did on his own car. This guy smoked his motor on test day Dave found him one on Marketplace and they got it in and running at the track. Me personally I would've been done but then again there has to be something said for being able to find a replacement race motor on FB Marketplace for $400 lol! Not happening with a Buick V6!!
It is amazing how a little success can change your perspective. At the onset of this race I was done after this, it has been a non-stop 2 year adventure and this year had been nothing but long ride on the struggle bus and heart ache. I got an early invite for Sick Week while I was down there and I am going to attempt to sign up this Saturday for another shot at it.
I promised my wife I would not even take the car off the trailer for at least a week when I got back which is up tomorrow! I have been working on the converter and poor performance issue and have come up with a few solutions. I need to get the car fixed and back out for more testing before everything closes down here for the season. I am NOT going to Sick Week untested and unprepared this time. I think we have enough of the puzzle peices to accomplish what we set out to do and I am looking forward to that achieving that challenge in Florida this coming January!
