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Bowling Green 2009 - Rained Out

NMCA in Bowling Green

We loaded up the stacker and the motor coach last week and left Wednesday for the 1000 mile trip to Bowling Green. We arrived there Thursday noon and set up the pits.

Thursday night and Friday morning it rained, and we took the cars to tech in while it was only sprinkling. We were the second and third cars to tech in. We immediately put the cars back in the trailer and wiped down. At about 3PM, they had the first part of the track dry — so the opened it up for 1/8 mile Time Trials — hoping the exhaust and hot tires would dry the top end enough to start qualifying at 5PM. The top of the track was seeping — and so they kept with the 1/8 mile until about 6PM — when everyone was warned that a major storm was coming in — and the track was closing at 6PM to batten down the hatches. We personally passed on making any of these 1/8 mile passes.

It rained like Hell all Friday night and was sprinkling Saturday morning. The weather forecast was for rain through Sunday — and I was expecting the NMCA to hold the race over to Monday. I rode the scooter up to the line at 10AM — and there wasn't a NMCA official to be found. No doubt they would have been pummeled with questions they didn't yet have answers for, so they hung out in Race Control. There was a rumor by someone who is a pretty good friend of the track owner — that Charlie was waiting until noon to see if the forecast would change — and would announce if they'd run, cancel, or reschedule. At 11:30, it was announced over the speakers that the race would be rescheduled. A couple of us NSS guys snickered that it wouldn't be rescheduled — but if they announce it was cancelled, there'd be a run on people getting refunds, which the NMCA didn't want to deal with at the moment.

We pulled out of the track and noon — and drove the 1000 miles arriving home at 3:30AM

We were notified by NMCA that the race will not be rescheduled.

2009 Bradenton Report

NMCA Bradenton 2009 Report

My wife, youngest daughter, crew chief/shop rat, and I left at 6AM on Wednesday for the 1100+ mile trek to Bradenton, Fl. I managed to sneak my 84' rig through the Florida Port Authority without an oversize license and had many a stressful pass of a Florida DOT cop sitting in the median looking for truck violations. My son (Dallas) no longer races with me — and so I had to do all of the driving. I stopped at a Flying J in Tallahassee and spent the night.

On Thursday morning I took on 200 gals of diesel, dumped the waste tanks, and on to Bradenton. We got there at around 1PM parked the rig next to Skip Koester and Kurt Neighbor — and set up in the sand pits.

Friday we teched in the cars and made our first T&T pass. My car had a lot of changes done to it over the winter — and we'd not had one opportunity to T&T it. On the first T&T pass the car turned hard left and started to break up between 5000-5500 RPM. Back in the pits we checked under the valve covers and all looked well. I put it on a hard surface (all pits are sand) and rev'd the motor and it broke up at 5400 — which happened to be where my launch chip (I'm a 4-speed) was set. I turned the chip up to 6800 and the motor broke up there. OK — obvious the MSD box was stuck in the launch stage. Further diagnosis showed the the line-lock button was wired wrong when the transmission/shifter was swapped. That was fixed and we focused on the Aspen Preston was running in NMC.

Prston goes out and makes his pass and never returns to the pits. I get on the scooter and he's at the top of the track. He says that the oil pressure was fluxuating and now the car won't start. I get Skip to help tow him back and we start looking at what was wrong. The no start is because the neutral safety wire wasn't put on tight enough when Preston swapped in the new motor. The lack of oil pressure is explained as being "great" pressure and then the gauge drops to 0 fast then back up to "great" — all in less than a second. Damon and I feel like it must be a sender on the electronic gauge — because nothing bounces to 70+PSI to 0 and back in less than a second if a true oil pressure problem. Preston goes back out a again and make another pass. He comes back and says the same — and that is when we asked to define "great" oil pressure. He says it never got higher than 30 PSI. Far from "Great"! So I have him put the car on jack stands, pull the oil filter, and cut it open. Sure enough — gold flecks from the new crank bearings. The car goes in the trailer and he's done. Dallas pulled the motor apart yesterday — and it is trashed on the three passes with the great 30PSI oil pressure.

Back o my car, I make a second T&T pass and do a 10.5 slip sliding all over the track. I make a third pass and the car hooks — and I get a 9.56 pass — lifting a little. I'd declared B/FX — which is 9.5. My new Crew chief counts the number of clicks for my brand new Double Action QA1 shocks — and tells me there is something wrong when he's exceeded 50 clicks. Yes, it is true, he went fifty clicks on my left shock before mentioning that something was wrong. Great — the adjustor of the shock is now busted in the high position and the shock doesn't have a stop at either end. We put the car away for the night.

Saturdy is Qualifying Day. There is a terrible wind that shifts from head to cross wind — and to make it worse there is a farmer at the end of the track plowing the field so that there's a sand storm — complete with mini-dunes starting to form at the very top. It is obvious that the track and the farmer must be at war for this to coincidentally being plow day.

My first pass has me spinning the wheels badly for a 10.2 pass in a 14MPH head wind. Everyone appeared to be slow in the first pass as the weather stations said the air was 3000'. My next pass is a 9.68 into a 28MPH head wind. For the third pass, sand from the plowing is collecting at the top of the track, there's a bad headwind, and while we're in line they decide that this is the perfect time to run the jet car. After the Jet car fogs the lanes with unburnt JP4 and blows the sand everywhere — there are immediately two wrecks in the class running just before us. Many NSS drivers pull out of line and decide not to make their Third Qualifying pass. Kurt Neighbor, Skip Koester, Barry Camp, and two other cars pull out before me. Of those remaining — a couple (Doug Duell & Double O Joe) say they were going to make an 1/8 mile pass because they were still working out issues — and use the first pull off. I don't know who pulled out after me. We put the car away for the night.

Sunday orning is raining bad. It stops at around noon and they start to dry off the track. The first car goes down the green track at 3:30PM. I believe it was about 5PM when the 18 NSS cars started to run — and I drew Kurt Neighbor — both B/FX cars. I had a .062 light and saw the red bulb in Kurt's lane as I went by. We both aired the cars out to where I did a 9.4 and Kurt and 9.2. First round to me.

The secod round I went against the Black Horse Thunderbolt (A/FX). I left first with a .032 light and the Dark horse car caught me at the top and paced me. I decided I needed to put a fender on him and did. I got a 9.52 and he broke out with a 9.22. Second Round to me.

I got a be in the Next round. I wanted the left lane — but just before the five NMC cars that ran before us — it was time to fog the track with the Jet Car. We sat in the staging lanes while our cars filled up with jet fumes in the prerace burn. Thanx NMCA! I was going to take the right lane (I'd been put into it the first two rounds by the better qualify cars) but the jet car ran there — so I switched to the left. My low 1.3 60's turned into a 1.64 60' (a record worse for my car) and I ran a slip-sliding 10.5 on my 9.5.

The hot laped Semi's had me against the Princess, and Skip against Doug Duell. The track was still greasy and my car wouldn't hook — I went from close to the wall to close to the center all of the way down — hoping to get Stephie to break out (she'd had two 9.99s and a 9.96 on the brakes for the previous three rounds) — but she too was having problems. Even with her .320 light and 10.5 on a 10.0 pass — she had a better package than my 10.5 on a 9.5. I'm going to take some of the blame as I didn't have enough RPM when I launched — but the track was like an ice skating rink for a ladder bar 4-speed.

Skip's Wife Washed His Helmet In Hot Water The Night Before

So at 9:30P my night was over. I collected my $200, packed up and left. There was another bad accident after my pass, and Skip won the event over the Princess. I was whipped and only made it 135 miles the first night and 1000 miles the next day. Got home 9:30PM Monday night.

Old Hippie & Big Red Ram 4th For 2008 NMCA/NSS

Old Hippie and Big Red Ram Come in 4th in NMCA's 2008 Championship Points for NSS I'm a little disappointed, but is was my first year going up against the pros, many of who have ran the same car in the same class for 10+ years. I missed the race in New Jersey, which didn't help — nor did the .0001 (yes three zeros - not two) red in the first round of Milan. Hopefully, 2009 will be a better year.

Memphis Report - October 2008

The Memphis Report

NMCA 2008 Finals - Nostalgia Super Stock

October 13, 2008

Dave 'The Old Hippie" Schultz

Deb, Dallas, Hope and I left Houston Wednesday at 2Pm and pulled into a WalMart parking lot (they let motorhomes spend the night in their parking lots) about 50 miles SW of West Memphis. Got up leisurely late Thursday, showered, stopped to drain the waste tanks, top of with diesel, and arrived at the track at about 10AM. Sat in the Staging Area (about 40 rigs back) until they opened the gates at noon.

We got the pit set up and teched the car in — but passed on making any T&T runs Thursday night. Friday from noon to 3 PM they had TT and we made one pass (9.524@144MPH) to get the cob-webs shook out of the driver (the car usually doesn't need that). Car was fine — but we had to thrash on the rig when the fresh water pump died and 4 people needed showers! One was located across town and Dan Bell gave Dallas a ride to fetch it. At 3PM, NSS made their first qualifying pass — and I broke out with a 9.434. The track was hooking good and it was cooler than I'd thought. We put the car away and the Jack Daniels flowed as we celebrated Dallas' 21st Birthday.

Saturday morning at 10:15, NSS was called up for its second Qualifying pass. We had 24 cars in line. I ripped off a 9.526 @ 145.96mph — which that MPH held up as the fastest (although there was at least one car running A/FX) MPH for NSS. At 5PM (or so) they called up NSS for the last qualifying — and I decided to try to better the 9.52. A 25th car, Terry Lamphier, made it for that round (his first attempt) — assuring the Top Qualifier was going to get a first Round Bye. It was right after the damn Jet car had run — and while they re-prep the first 400' after it — it sure doesn't help us 4-speeds on skinny slicks skating on unburned JP4 jet fuel that gets fogged on the track. My car broke loose on the 2-3 shift and got out of the groove. I was just getting back into the groove for my 3-4 shift — and the rear came around on me again. Despite staying in it the whole time — (and using all of the lane with tires spinning) I did a 9.762 @139MPH on my B/FX index. Later that night, while we were enjoying the gastromac delights of Dan Bell's Paint Stripper Chili (which our families also got to enjoy the aroma of (as will our launderer) for the next 24 or so hours) — the Qualifying order was announced as:

http://www.nmcadigital.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10447
Top Speed 145.96 7601 Dave Schultz

(car #, class, car description, engine displacement, Driver, Home, ET, R/T, over/under)
7270 A/NSS '64 Plym Savoy Jeff Millward Columbia Station OH 10.002 0 0.002
7572 C/NSS '65 Malibu SS Chev 572 Jimmy Ray Atoka Tn 11.003 0 0.003
7596 A/NSS '65 Belvedere Hemi 426 Bob Willsher Monroe LA 10.008 0 0.008
2 B/FX '64 T-Bolt Ford 530 D.W. Hopkins Tupelo MS 9.509 0 0.009
7770 C/FX '62 Bel Aire Chev 409 Barry Camp Monroe GA 9.765 0 0.015
7251 A/FX '65 Chevelle Chev 440 Bill White Demotte In 9.271 0 0.021
7544 A/NSS '63 Galaxie Ford 427 Mark Artis Frisco TX 10.021 0 0.021
7601 B/FX '65 Coronet Mopr 580 Dave Schultz Richmond TX 9.523 0 0.023
7700 C/NSS '65 Coronet Mopr 440 Donnie Wilson Cave City KY 11.024 0 0.024
7600 B/NSS '68 AMX AMC 390 TD Holland Huntington TN 10.525 0 0.025
7777 A/NSS '64 Fury Plym 540 Doug Duell Newburgh IN 10.038 0 0.038
7022 B/NSS '64 Thunderbolt Ford 427 Skip Koester Columbia Station OH 10.546 0 0.046
7036 C/NSS '66 Plymouth Chry 440 Dennis Gorrell Lavergne TN 11.048 0 0.048
7066 B/NSS '66 Biscayne Chev 427 Mike Moss Paducah KY 10.549 0 0.049
7037 B/NSS '64 Plym. Fury Mopar 500 Terry Lamphier Troy TN 10.549 0 0.049
7396 C/NSS '65 Chevelle Chev 396 Richard Morris Collierville TN 11.049 0 0.049
7421 B/NSS '66 GTO Pont 421 Mike Davis Monroe GA 10.565 0 0.065
7018 C/NSS '65 GTO Pont 421 Calvin Hill Lakemoor Il 11.07 0 0.07
7595 F/NSS '63 Ford Galaxie Ford 428 Jack Presgrove Munford TN 12.573 0 0.073
7464 C/FX '64 Chrysler Mop 572 Joe Midize Jr Medino Oh 9.837 0 0.087
7092 C/NSS '65 Chevelle Chev 396 Steve Wilson Collierville Tn 11.135 0 0.135
7015 E/NSS '64 Plym Fury 440 David Colemin Union City TN 12.14 0 0.14
7167 B/NSS '66 GTO Pont 461 Ava Thompson Wendell NC 10.646 0 0.146
7669 A/NSS 64 Fairlane Ford 427 Craig Powell Pflugerulle Tx 10.888 0 0.888
7017 B/NSS '63 Polara Mop 426 Joe Ewing Evansville IN 10.486 0 -0.014 (make a note at who was the 25th Qualifier!)

According to the NMCA Points chart, DW Hopkins was in 3rd, I was 55 ponts behind in 4th, and Skip Koester was 5 points behind me in 5th. I needed to go one round more than DW and not let Skip go one round ahead of me, for me to get 3rd.

Sunday ROUND 1 had me line up against Joe Midize in his 64 C/FX Dodge. I'd had first round red lights at Atlanta and Milan (-.0001 - yes 3 zeros and missed by 1/10,000 second) and was gun shy — so I took a late light, ran down Joe, paced him, and put a fender on him at the finish. Mark Artis turned on the Beer Light against another 63 Ford. Donnie and Steve Wilson had a double breakout — but Donnie by a lesser amount. Mike Davis broke out against Barry Camp’s C/FX 409. Bill White had a 9.249 break out against Cal's 65 GTO. Moss got a Break Bye over Ray. Craig Powell's white Thunderbolt broke out against Skip's white Thunderbolt (damn (lol)). Willshire red lit against Lamphier. DW sprayed parts out of his oil pan at the line against Morris. Double breakout between Duell and Ava — but Ava by a lesser amount. Double-O Joe beat Gorell on the tree with a .007 RT. TD Holland had a Broke Bye and Millward had the Top Qualifier Bye.
 

ROUND 1
7595 F/NSS 19 Jack Presgrove Munford TN '63 Ford Galaxie Ford 42 0.034 12.5 12.357 109.11
7544 A/NSS 7 Mark Artis Frisco TX '63 Galaxie Ford 427 -0.011 10 9.842 138.8

7270 A/NSS 1 Jeff Millward Columbia Station OH '64 Plym Savoy 0.054 10 9.971 134.62
SINGLE 0

In ROUND 2 Ava treed Barry and put the yellow Belair on the trailer. Jeff went -.016 Red on me — so I aired my car out for my best ever time slip of 9.38@144. TD Holland put Morris on the trailer. Jack Presgrove came 1/1000 of sending Double 00 home when he broke his 63 Ford out with a 12.499 — allowing Joe to live on to the next round. Wilson red lit against Lamphier. Skip got a Broke Bye when Cal's GTO couldn't make it to the line after having a piston kiss a spark plug and water in the oil (damn again lol). Moss got a Bye.

ROUND 2

7167 B/NSS 23 Ava Thompson Wendell NC '66 GTO Pont 461 0.027 10.5 10.538 124.09
7770 C/FX 5 Barry Camp Monroe GA '62 Bel Aire Chev 409 0.121 9.75 .76 138.13

7066 B/NSS 14 Mike Moss Paducah KY '66 Biscayne Chev 427 0.145 10.5 10.32 127.96
SINGLE 0
 

In ROUND 3, I red lit against Ava and aired the car out for my best time slip to date. Moss and skip had a Double break out — but Skip by a lesser amount (damn the third time). I believe that gives Skip Koester third Place in the Points, me 4th, and DW Hopkins 5th. Double-O Joe Ewing put TD Holland on the trailer  — but Ole TD still comes away with the 2009 Points Championship — Congrats! Lamphier got a Bye.

ROUND 3

7167 B/NSS 23 Ava Thompson Wendell NC '66 GTO Pont 461 0.138 10.5 10.558 118.83
7601 B/FX 8 Dave Schultz Richmond TX '65 Coronet Mopr 580 -0.089 9.5 9.375 145.08

7037 B/NSS 15 Terry Lamphier Troy TN '64 Plym. Fury Mopar 500 0.062 10.5 10.509 126.15
SINGLE 0
 

In ROUND 4 Ava got a Broke Bye when Terry Lamphier couldn't get his car started (Damn my red light!), and Joe put Skip away one round too late for me (again lol).

ROUND 4

7167 B/NSS 23 Ava Thompson Wendell NC '66 GTO Pont 461 0.051 10.5 10.545 124.84
7037 B/NSS 15 Terry Lamphier Troy TN '64 Plym. Fury Mopar 500 10.5

7017 B/NSS 25 Joe Ewing EvansvilleIN '63 Poara Mop 426 0.097 10.5 10.518 123.27
7022 B/NSS 12 Skip Koester Columbia Station OH '64 Thunderbolt Ford 427 0.159 10.5 10.528 123.47
 

In the FINALS, Double-O's .007 tree gave him the win.

FINALS

7017 B/NSS 25 Joe Ewing Evansville IN '63 Polara Mop 426 0.007 10.5 10.546 122.59
7167 B/NSS 23 Ava Thompson Wendell NC '66 GTO Pont 461 0.01 10.5 10.533 124.9

Congratulations to all. We left the track at about 9PM and got to Houston 14 hours later. This was my first time ever running a series of any type — and I had a blast. I intend to do it again next year — and to do better that 4th place. In the couple years since I started racing — I've moved Big Red Ram from 10.5 to 10.0 2006, to 9.75 in 2007, to 9.50 in 2008 — and now I intend to move up to A/FX in 2009. The car is going to Texas Thunder Wednesday to have Mark Artis perform some upgrading and fine tuning to it — while I go to the hospital to have some fine tuning carving done on my right kidney. I'm hoping a month later we'll both running a little healthier.

As a side note — a little birdie told me that there will be a couple of end of the year NSS rules changes made — one including transmissions. Please check www.nss-monster.com as that's where the rules will be posted hen they get to me for posting. Also remember to check out the NSS Wall Calendars, T-shirts (Sizes to XXXXL for us full-figure guys), and other kool NSS items in the Gift Shop. http://www.cafepress.com/texasbigbird/6039006 & http://www.cafepress.com/texasbigbird/5677660