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[Tigers] Speed Week, next version, Part 2

To: Tigers <tigers@autox.team.net>, Alpines <alpines@autox.team.net>
Subject: [Tigers] Speed Week, next version, Part 2
From: drmayf <drmayf@mayfco.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:00:12 -0700
Part 2.
As I got close to the start line, I finished getting ready to run. Let 
me tell you, that an SFI 20 fire suit, Funny Car SFI 15 booties, a head 
sock, a helmet and Funny car drivers gloves in 100+ degree heat is very 
hot! I nearly had a meltdown, lol. When we get to the line, the starter 
takes a pull on the straps, asks if you are ready and when the course is 
clear, tells you to start it up. Turn the fuel on, hit the starter, 
burbles to life. Turn on the radiator pump and the water transfer pump. 
All the gauges look good. As the waves me off, I pulled the tranny shift 
down into the 1,2,3 gear set without overdrive. Still leary about that 
after last  year, lol. Off I go. Course is rough. Motor pulls like a son 
of a gun! I made it to about 5300 rpm very quickly in 3rd gear which is 
over 180 mph. Ran through the 2 to 2 1/4 mile trap at 184 and the rpm 
dropped just abit to about 5100 rpm. This was around 175 mph and that 
held through the 3rd mile.. As soon as I hit    mile three marker, I 
pulled the chute. Man, hits pretty hard. 175 to about 40 mph in about 
3/8s of a mile. Turned out to the return road. Pulled all of that hot 
fire suit off and gathered up the chute and put it into the car. Tow is 
there now. We took the car to impound because at that time there was no 
record for the class I was in. Did all the things necessary to run next 
morning. Grabbed the laptop and headed to the motel where I printed out 
all the data. It showed the high boost, high injector duty cycles, etc. 
And the little dip in rpm. I thought we had a record even if it would 
hold up for only a day or 2. Got up next morning for the return record 
run. Pulled down to the start and waited our turn as there were 80 cars 
and bikes that had qualified to make record runs. We set up like before 
and started exactly the same....except the car simply would not run and 
we turned out before we got to the 3 mile marker. No record for us. Back 
to the pits where we started looking for problems. Pulled the plugs and 
they were very sooty and showed evidence of being very very rich. 
Removed the throttle body top hat where boost air comes in and there was 
a bad gasket. big piece of it missing. Went through the motor. Silicone 
so I don't think it hurt anything. Put in 1/8 inch of paper gaskets that 
we made on the sport, added some high temp silicone pucky and put it all 
back in place. Let all that set up over night. Next day, which was 
Wednesday by now, we tried again. This time, top speed was only 118 mph, 
so I gave up and turned out. Didn't even have to pull the chute...  4 
runs and we were done. But what fun!

Roger Davis came by a couple of times with his sound recording apparatus 
and chatted. Then we met an Australian man who had brought his red tiger 
through the salt water and joined us in our pit!  Very nice gentleman 
and I have his name somewhere.... Absolutley gorgeous Tiger, Red. We 
have pictures of it and our car together. I plan on making a cd of every 
picture taken in the construction and running of this car, so hang with 
me to see the pictures. Some are made by really good photogs (not me, lol).

We had a great time except for the miserable heat. I wish I had met more 
of you there but it was an iffy meet to begin with. Right now, I am in 
the throes of trying to find out what went wrong and getting salt off of 
everything. There is a LOT of salt on everything! If I can get the 
trouble shooting done and fix a few things, then we will go to World of 
Speed starting on the 11th of September. But I do have a lot to get done 
before then. Keep posted!

And thanks to each and everyone of you for your support and well wishes. 
This is a Team Beam effort and you are all part of it!

mayf
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