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Actually my wife and I both got offered a part time weekend job next summer. Going to be working as a pit crew member on a nostalgia class funny car. Buddy of mine builds them, his brother drives it. Watched them pull down a record breaking pass this summer, 5.321 seconds at 291.26mph. Nitromethane powered, somewhere north of 9,000 horsepower.
If anyone is interested in checking it out here is a youtube video,,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM12knlP0Gs&t=28s
That was wild. That driver must have nerves of steel and reflexes like a cat. I bet they could hit 300 next summer. Have fun!
I used to go to watch the races at Martin speedway back in the early 70's. It's not all that far from our house.
Very cool insider's view of a funny car team. Have never seen anything like that before.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pipefitter
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Awesome
Love it!! I go watch super Late Mods at a local track, but it's nothing like this.
Drag racing is far out man , apologies to the Original show off Jim Liberman aka "Jungle Jim" and oh my dear Jungle Pam ..
I live for nitro ..
I miss racing... I had a 1974 Gremlin X in the late 70's early 80's. 750+ HP 160mph car. Squirrely with that short wheelbase! Guy next to me blew an engine and crossed into my lane, clipped me and put me into the wall. I was a hurting unit after that one! Career got in the way after that...
What a great job!
I remember when top fuel was over 6 second quarters… those were the days!
My wife made me quit when a good friend rolled his Super Stock Mustang in the lights and a weld broke one of his belt attachments.Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryB
Just boggles the mind when the 291.5 mph came up. Congratulations. Frank
Very cool.
The Pop Rod Nationals if I remember correctly. I was living in WI and made a couple trips down for the weekend. Martin made for a great weekend as it didn't have the crowds and hassle of the really big NHRA events.Quote:
Originally Posted by CastingFool
To the OP: I'm jealous. Sounds like you have a fun summer coming up.
Back in the late 60's and early 70's I was heavy into racing. One of my sponsors was a local machine shop who also sponsored a local funny car. This enabled me to work in the pits on race nights. The speeds were nowhere near what they are today but the smell and burn of Nitro and burning rubber is something I will never forget.
I grew up in Riverside, Mich. Martin was 2 hours away and a favorite Saturday place to be. That would have been 68-70...
Ran my 65 Ford Farelane 6 cylinder 3 x's (T- Stock) and brought home 3 trophies. Alot of fun !
A few years ago I went to the Nostalgia Drags at Famoso near Bakersfield. Seeing those old chassis with modern Top Fuel engines was both thrilling and frightening.
As a kid, I lived down the street from Jim. With windows open at night in summer, I loved to hear him "test" at night. Pam was just a little older than me, so I did not know her in school.Quote:
Originally Posted by HollandNut
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Nothing beats the smell of Nitromethane and Rubber burning in the morning air .Quote:
Originally Posted by Pipefitter
My best friend's brother had a car shop and drag car ... we were his Pit Crew ...
Sunday Mornings at the drag strip were glorious !
The car was named " The Instigator " ... sort of a play on Louisiana having a lot of alligators .
Gary
Car club I was in had a huge garage, could get 10 cars in it, had 2 floor lifts, a bay for engine swaps, and the all important bunk room, kitchen, 4 bathrooms. Stock car guys worked in there as did a half dozen of us who raced 1/4 mile. Friend had a 1970 Mustang Mach One with a very non stock 428 that was pushing 1,000hp. He blew the engine Friday night, next race was 60 miles the other way so we stopped at the club house, rebuilt the engine with the spare block and pistons/rods/bearings and made the races the next afternoon. Grabbed 3 hours sleep in the bunkhouse, and a shower and bacon and eggs form the stocked kitchen fridge(replace what you eat in the next 5 days). We wee still in high school and out parents never worried where we were. A quick call saying sleeping at the clubhouse and good to go. Yes it was stocked with beer too! On race weekends that was limited to 1 or 2 before bed then crash from exhaustion. Winter we had parties but with the bunks nobody was driving so parents didn't care. Many were there with us LOL They tended to be on the stock car pit crews while the young set drag raced...