What a weekend. I left friday and made it to Bob's house in Sacramento at 8:00pm, Where I was greeted with a mans size steak dinner and some good ol' NorCal Hospitality. I got schooled pretty much all weekend from Bob's Father-in-law "Butch" and his sidekick Gino! These 2 dudes are 60+ retired, and put the "D" in Drag Dacing. :worthy: Butch cuts 1.3 60's in his Firebird and runs low 9's like it aint no thing. After looking over there race cars it became real apparant just how GREEN I really am! Never the less it was great talking to to a these Veterans and taking in any info I could get my hands on. This racing thing has gone from weekend warrior to serious pretty quick! Anyhow I had plans all week in my mind, I was bench racing all week, In my mind I was cutting 1.60's all week and deep in the 10's. Well Sunday morning reality kicked in. It always does about race time! LOL! So once again the pressure was on and it was time to put my thoughts into action. Easier said then done believe me.:scare: So lets get to the action. So I tell the tech guy I ran 11.0 last week and he instantly puts me with the Big Boys!! Like full on Drag cars! 7 sec cars, I was a bit intimidated seeing as the Challenger is always a crowd favorite. I once again had all eyes on me! Which is tuff when concentration is the key to success at the tree! So I have a plan to launch off the convertor, I stage, Something in front of my car screws with the staging lights, They flicker, they go On/Off, when they do finally set right, they go, Well the plan went out the window and Im matted again . Cut a 1.72 and run 11.10 first pass. Then 11.17 with a 1.74. Next pass Im not sure what happened but Im at the tree and its green, I cut a 2.5 reaction time lol! and run another 11.1 pass. So now 3 runs deep and I still aint got a proper tree and launch. The clock is ticking. Between last weeks 1000 mile run and this weeks 1000 mile run to race I was gonna be crucshed with out "The 10 sec slip" Im watching the day slip away, The track is packed and I only got like 2 passes left to get it done. :unsure: The pressure is on. I new it was all in my launch and 60'. I can see the 1/8th time pop up half way thru my run so I know when its on, Im looking for a 6.999 1/8th, When I see that I know its going down! I stage again , this time the guy realizes whats up with my spoiler and helps get me staged proper, Then Bam! I cut a 1.68 60', I felt it hook and go like no-ones bussiness, The 1-2 shift was sick! I see the 1/8th time, 7.0! Im burying the pedal into the floor looking for anything left in it! I knew it was close!, a 10.99 wasnt gonna make me happy at all but I knew this run was close. Before I hit the ticket box I called Bob and he told me I ran a .86! I was screaming!!! :clap:, the lady in the booth was tripping cuz I already new. It was such a relief! I knew I was driving home soon and without this slip, it would have been complete devastation, Now I was grinning from ear to ear! I went back to back it up and got staged, Then the guy at the tree flashed me 4 fingers? Im like WTF? We stage, Then Bam it goes green!!!! They threw the Pro tree at me :stars::scare: Again Im confused and and just go. Ran a 10.99 LOL! but hey back to back 10's! it is what it is. Now to the car, I ran the 620hp tune all day, Never missed a beat! Bob you are the Man Dude!! :rockon: I was on my DR's still No slicks!, The car has Mad Power which Im not getting to the ground all the way, There is way, way more in it just the way she sits now, Ive got 100hp on reserve when I want it, Im running pump gas. Builder Bills tranni was slamming all day! I beat the crap out of it and it never said a word, Very dependable and rock solid! Thank you Mr Bill! :worthy: Ive learned this, Once you step over the 500hp mark in HP/TQ its a whole new ballgame. Its all driver, Im not gonna make excuses but I gotta say track prep at Sac Raceway was crap! I saw No prep 2 weekends in a row! I cant help but wonder what she will run on a real prepped track. This time I have no video unless one pops up from elsewhere. You know this started with a 11.97 N/A first pass in the Challenger to the 10.86 last pass in the Challenger, This whole mission of 4 track days, 2 at Famoso and 2 at Sac was just to get thru the 11's. I expect the working down thru the 10's to be the same only way harder. If I can go out and PB by 2-3tenths each time out as Ive done so far, I really thing we got alot more to go. I need to re-think my goals cuz from here, From here on out it just gets silly, ridiculous! The West Coast 10 sec Challenger will be going back East in 3 weeks. Real East I mean, First stop Atco, New Jersy!! Then Englishtown May 15th, Then its off to Maple Grove Pennsylvania for the NMCA race. Be nice to finally get some real Data on what a West Coast Car can do on the East Coast. Even though DA don't matter to much to me anymore, Track Prep does and most of those 1.5's and low 1.6 60's all are on the East Coast! Lets find out what's really going on! :hmm: Ive got alot of race prep to do between Spring Fest and Atco and 3 weeks to do it. Expect alot more out of this ride! Once again big thanks to all who have supported me. HHP, SMS, SVS, Crespo Family, CTP, Paramount Perf, Builder Bill, Diablo, Morroso, Kooks, Corsa, Pedders, MandH and all you guys here! Could not have done it without you all :thanks:.
HUGE congrats Chris. haha Maureen and I were having our 15th Anniversary dinner when your text came through my phone. haha Now to go show those East Coast boys what's up. lol
I have all the respect in the world for how hard it is. Heck, my 13 flat Crossfire has squirmed all the way down the track before. I've a lot to learn but the first lesson was "its all in the launch" Super big props for the 10 and backing it up! Now for some good eatens in the East! Les
Was gonna try, Times flying by, this thursdays my only shot cause next thurs is pre SprinFest at Beach burger. Gonna Try for this thursday.
Congrats Chris, and your run in the 10's. I told that 127 mph you did was good for a high 10. It's going to be awesome to see what you can do on a fully prep track. Go to the Eastcoast and bring home a low 10.
