Any interest in meeting up at Woodburn Drags (Woodburn OR, about in the middle between Portland and Salem) on like 4/22, 4/23, 4/29 or 4/30/06?

I have to look at the track schedule in case it is tied up with a certain classes only event, but I am hoping the weather allows something soon.

And is anyone here knowledgable about evening drags at PIR, just south of the Columbia River off of I-5??

I'm busy the 22nd and 23rd, but I think the 29th or 30th would work.

Here's PIR's schedule:

Wednesday Nights NHRA E.T. Drags & Beaches Cruise-In
March 29 to October 25 (Except April 5, June 14 & July 19)

Friday Nights Les Schwab NHRA Late Night Drags
March 31-October 27 (Except April 7, 21, June 9, 16, July 7, 21, September 8)

Saturday Nights Les Schwab NHRA Late Night Drags
April 1-October 28 (Except April 8, June 10, 17, July 8, 22, September 9, October 21)

www.portlandraceway.com

Marty

Let me know which date works and I'll be there:)

I would like to go too. I wouldn't mind going to Woodburn or PIR. Just let me know when/where you're going & I'll try to be there.

-Aaron

Odds are better than 50% I'll be at Woodburn early Saturday, at the track before 9 am, to get in a few runs before noon.

Anyone have theories on front tire pressures for launches on concrete instead of asphalt at the starting line?

Here's the game plan:

- get to track between 8:30-9:00 am on 4/22/06
- spectators are $10, racers are $25 (my best guess)
- do several runs by noon and then see what other Saturday obligations beckon. Or keep racing. Or go home for a cold adult beverage.

I expect to be running my 98 CSVT. A buddy (who is holding a gun to my forehead to make me go with him) is running his 2003 SVT Cobra, trying out his new drag radials P&P blower and xcal2 tune.

So what's a rookie driver with an NA 2.5L w/ headers and an LSD likely to ET?

I'm gonna be on my way out to the forest for the Oregon Trail Rally that morning, otherwise I'd head down there. Maybe next time!

Marty

Yes, guys, this is happening Saturday morning 4/22/06 also.

Is this a gearhead heaven weekend or what?

If someone is inclined to show up at Woodburn, do a PM tonight if you want me to be on the lookout for you. I'm not sure I can get to the Rally races on Saturday.

Marty, I figure you'll have some duties at the rally, but will you get to do some pix for us? Meanwhile, I promise to not post a 16.0 timeslip.

The good news: Nothing broken (Yay!) drove the car home. Learned a LOT of respect for the practice needed to launch an fwd car. Spin, spin, spin on starts but wheel hop was close to zero.

The bad: Hit the raised rev limiter on the first run; messed up shifts on two runs; had too much spin spin spin on three runs. There was an event going on at the track, so time testing was very limited and I only got those three runs in. Most of the cars in sportsman classes only got in two runs before dialed in bracket racing eliminations started. Anyway, did I say crappy starts, too much spin and needing practice on starts? Yep. I had 60' times around 2.4, my "good" shifts were still too slow, and a 1/4 time of 15.7.

Did my 3 runs with my windows closed, as the other sportsman cars were all noisy V8s, and I did not want all their noise to distract me. That was a rookie mistake, as then I also had less appreciation of my own overspin.

I saw only one other fwd car run there, a Civic automatic set for consistency for bracket dial in racing. Can't recall how slow he was, but he kept doing/running the same thing over and over.

On one run, I was matched up with some guy with a rwd chevy V8. He left me way behind on the 60', but then he only turned a 16.1. I did not see him run again after that. Maybe he was too embarassed over losing to a 151 inch contour?

The buddy with the modified Cobra had issues with his stock clutch slipping by his third run. But with no practice before today with that car and its new drag radials; overpowering his clutch; and his own launch/spin problems, he ran a 12.02 and traps of 115-118.

Anyway, I gotta work on the driver mod. I need practice, practice and more practice. Sounds like you spend less time between runs during evenings at PIR, so trips there will be coming up soon.

Glad to hear it went pretty good -- and you drove it home! Hopefully I can make it to the next one!

Marty

It sounds like you had a good time. I'm sad that I missed it, but I am really going to try to make it next time. Maybe I'm over estimating, but I thought you had a good chance at seeing some 14's.
Let's try to get a group together for PIR soon. I went a few years ago with Qbert & some of his friends & we all had a pretty good time.

-Aaron

How about this coming weekend? I'm in!

14s... The car should be capable. Maybe with a different driver. I suck, starting from scratch learning how to launch this rig.

Now I have the experience of a clutch drop @ 3000 rpm on 205-55-16 fronts @ 35 PSI and then going right to WOT without letting the tires hook up first. That's some finesse, huh? Doing everything wrong still yielded a 15.7, so the car did fine.

PIR sounds good, but next Friday night won't work. I'll do a posting when I have my next "launch school" session figured out.

Right on. I think your car is easily in the 14s, maybe a high 13 with some slicks and a skilled driver. I'm not super at it, but I managed a 15.4 completely stock...same night I blew the diff.

I'll be down this coming weekend. Might be in a 2000 Mustang GT or my SVT...not sure. I am sure we'll be at PIR Saturday night.

PIR Saturday night? Hmmmm. That's worth considering.

That would be great! Bring your friend with the fast Mustang. My friend Jared will be with me...he's a big Mustang lover.

Anybody else want to come out?

I'm very interested. What time do you think you guys are going to be there?

-Aaron

I might, I tryed to make it down last weekend for the rally but it was a no go. So, Fri or Sat? Time?

I'm thinking I'll be there on Sat night at about 8:00, maybe earlier. It starts at 6:00. When I go to the drags I STAY at the drags...until they kick me out. That would be around midnight!

The buddy with the SVT Mustang is interested in going if I do, but he's not running his car until it has a new clutch installed, that might not happen this week. Then again IF he has a new clutch in that soon, I don't think he could resist racing his car. He's also having a line lock put in so he can better clean/heat his tires before runs.

What kind of turnout does PIR get Saturday nights? Do many other fwd cars show up? Since it's prom season, there should be fewer HS racers, would be a good chance to get more runs in.

If I go, I'd want to be there earlier, say between 6 and 7 PM.

Mike: I will also be at PIR Saturday night, experimenting/ practicing with the contour.
Marty: What are you up to on Saturday night?
Aaron: Are you in?
Quicksilv3r: Do you need directions?
Does anybody else?

If the weather is nice the whole family will be there.I don't know if I will race the tour but I might.Is anybody eles going to run there tour?I want to see how accurate my G-tech is.

I plan to run mine.

I should be able to make it. Hopefully the weather'll cooperate! Not sure if I'll run mine yet.

Marty

If you have a stock diff, keep your starts gentle.

I'll be there tonight, but I can't run my car. My clutch is slipping and my 2nd gear synchro is bad...it would be embarassing. You other guys should run though. It's a blast!

This morning's weather forcast called for cloudy and rain by afternoon. We have that rain right now at 3 pm. It also called for clearing by sometime tonight. I may still go tonight, if the rain lets up soon enough.

I just called the track. They are running late night drags at normal time tonight. You can always call (503)823-7223 to find out on days like this.

See you all at the track!

Good to see everyone last night!

A shot of PDXSVT representin' the Contour on-track.



Marty

Mike: The clutch seemed fine on the way home.
No clutch smell. Held when I punched it at crusing speeds. It could have been warmed up a little, the car
did 7 or 8 runs over the last hour.

Mike's best ET: 15.36
Best 60': 2.370 (on what turned out to be his worst run of the night)
Best mph: 90.45

I caught myself shifting early too often
(I did not like hitting the limiter last Sunday)
and my shifts aren't fast.
My best ET: 15.80
Best 60': 2.343
Best mph: 87.50

Getting some hook up, but not too much,
seemed to help on that particular chilly evening.

At sunny Woodburn a week before, my best ET was 15.71
best 60' 2.343
best mph 88.93

Marty: Pardon me for not saying so earlier, but thanks for posting the photo. Pat is jealous, and wants to know if you could take a picture like that of his Cobra at PIR after he gets his clutch upgrade installed.

That was an amazing picture. Can I twist your arm for more?

Mike: did you ever get matched up with the black SRT-4? That guy was having so much trouble trying to hook up, it would have been easy getting a picture of a contour beating one off the line. And did you catch the name of the guy with the soon-to-be-turbo'd Focus who knows Qbert?

Thank goodness Marty did not take video shots. With his good resolution, somebody would read lips on missed shifts, not good for a family-suitable forum.

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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Thank goodness Marty did not take video shots. With his good resolution, somebody would read lips on missed shifts, not good for a family-suitable forum.

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So true

I never matched up with the Neon. I ran several with the Focus...can't remember his name, but Qbert helped put his struts on...and his plates said FOCI. I also ran several with the SHO with all the mods...that thing was fast! Sorry guys...I'm so bad with names!

I look forward to really beating on mine when all is fixed up. I think I'm with you on the Spec Stage 2. That held down really nice until we started hot lapping. Hearing that it's not acting up now has me totally sold.