What's new
By:
Filters

Adventures in dirt track racing...roundy roundy...

SLOWPOKE693 said:
The only thing having big money can't buy you in racing....... Talent. :laughing:
Click to expand...

Ive been DVR'ing the Dale Jr Download shows and watching them. I havent been into nascar for a long long long time but his shows are extremely entertaining.
He is into the history and has a lot of old dudes on there, shoot my wife even enjoys it.

A couple of weeks ago he had Hank Parker Jr on and he was talking about Hank Parker Sr racing. Hank Parker as in the pro bass fishing guy.
Big wallet, no fear, no talent and he wrecked damn near every race :laughing::laughing:
 
YJ4Rox said:
Yep lots of "sealed" GM 602's running around here in the mid ohio valley with stroker cranks and who knows what else.
Some tracks let our class run a "sealed" 602 crate with a 4 barrel and they get a 100lb weight break because they are only 300ish hp.
My bud that we pit with has close to 40 wins in three seasons, our engines are very similar. He started on the pole of the feature one night, crate car on the out side pole and I started 4th.
That "stock 602 crate" gapped the hell out of us on the start and the next restart.

most people say if you arent cheating your arent gonna win. :lmao:
Click to expand...

I use to work in an engine shop in the Charlotte area. My roommate worked for a guy who was the former head engine builder for a big name cup shop. This guy would go buy old cup engines literally out of the attic of the cup engine shop and turn them into late model engines. I would go hang out in this guys shop in the evenings and on weekends. His stories about the good old days of cup racing would always end with "You gotta cheat to eat!". Meaning that winning put food on the table.
 
A little update, dad brought his car down Saturday and so stripped it so he can part it out.
0618A0B6-0CBA-4D72-80CD-25AF4D9AEA47.jpeg
 
665.0coupe said:
I use to work in an engine shop in the Charlotte area. My roommate worked for a guy who was the former head engine builder for a big name cup shop. This guy would go buy old cup engines literally out of the attic of the cup engine shop and turn them into late model engines. I would go hang out in this guys shop in the evenings and on weekends. His stories about the good old days of cup racing would always end with "You gotta cheat to eat!". Meaning that winning put food on the table.
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfq7-1ePW-M
 
I bought the motor and trans, the vultures are circling for the rest of it.

add this hot mess to my winter list of money to spend. Still have to see if my engine builder has room for it.

basic 355 mystery motor. Has a cast crank, 010 block, vortec heads and an edelbrock 2116 intake. No clue what the cam is or how many laps are on it. Still runs good.

I think if I can find the money it will end up a 388 with questionable work when it comes to the rule book. After seeing what was Checked at tech this year I think it will get some extensive head work.

C01F1675-DC38-4A27-99CD-4CE954C5D547.jpeg
 
30D4C3B5-EDA0-48E9-AA69-A7DE574261A2.jpeg
I picked up a GM I take off a 604 crate last night. These are hard to find. When you do find them in good shape they usually won’t separate from the heads. I lucked out and got a smoking deal. Stupid things are about $400 new. They really are a good intake for vortec heads. It will get port work too.
 
Started a TO DO list. I really need to get a white board up.
this is too Road kill and I try hard not to be a hack when it comes to the race car. Hack work is reserved for the Jeep and tow rig :laughing:
AAB2E1D8-65DE-4891-87A4-91579CBA7B85.jpeg
 
SLOWPOKE693 said:
Do the tracks/series you race have engine claim rules? I always thought that was a thing in dirt track racing.
Click to expand...

Engine claims used to be huge, it’s kind of faded out. Our class only has a shock claim and a carb claim.
 
YJ4Rox said:
Engine claims used to be huge, it’s kind of faded out. Our class only has a shock claim and a carb claim.
Click to expand...

So no real tech inspections and no claimer rule, I'd be building a "gray area" engine then also. :laughing:

We ran NASCAR tracks and points series with our pro stocks. After race tech on our cars, even at the local Saturday night track was scrutinizing. Everything you mentioned above would be caught in a NY second in after race inspections of the top 5.

Won a $5k 100 lap open show at Modnadnok(sp) Speedway in NH one year and after post race inspection that we made it through no problem, the guy in 4th fucking place protested my crankshaft saying its probably light..... After making a nervous phone call to our engine guy and getting the OK, we pulled the engine and stripped it down to the bare block to get the crank out. Crank weighted 31lbs on the dot and we collected the dudes $500 on top of the $5k. It was a stinky ride home because my uncle decided the heads, rods/pistons and crank were all getting wrapped in sheets and blankets and put on the bed on the RV for safe keeping instead of in the trailer. :shaking:
 
Tech varies a lot from track to track. Tyler County speedway runs a class called Hot Mod. They will go as far as to pull heads post race.
Last year the post race tech on top 5 was basically just a compression check on a random cylinder.

A couple of tracks will check carbs, pull valve covers, etc for pre race tech.
For some reason two tracks check deck heights, widths, roof height, etc... while we are on the scales pre race. Then everyone scales after qualifying, top 3 in heats and top 5 feature have to scale.


Im just thinking out loud now and venting a little. I woke up thinking about motors and winter mods.
The two closest tracks wont release 2021 Rules until Jan-March, which is bullshit. If i want a motor built and have if for early season test and tune I HAVE to get on the schedule NOW.
Its a huge gamble, spend some $$ on an engine and boom here comes the rules in Feb and its a crate only class now.

So do I decide to run the tracks in Ohio that will post rules this fall and build around those? All of the tracks cant get on the same page for our class, its extremely frustrating to need to add spoilers, change carbs, have 4 sets of tires just to run a few different tracks.

I have even considered moving up to open mod, at least the tracks all run UMP rules now. I just cant afford it, hell i get out "money'ed" in our class, moving to the open class and the gap is even wider. $30-40k motors, several thousand $$ in shocks, $30k rollers. You have guys rolling in with $500k toters to race for $750. The Mid Ohio Valley modified field is one of the strongest in the country. I would say the only one stronger is the St Louis area and some of the WI/Minnesota teams. Im not just bias because i see them all the time, there are several locals that finish top 5 in national UMP points. I would probably just be a field filler which would be frustrating as hell.
 
No updates this weekend. Heading to the mountains to get away from the covid/election and overall day to day BS.

:usa::usa::usa:
 
YJ4Rox said:
I think if I can find the money it will end up a 388 with questionable work when it comes to the rule book. After seeing what was Checked at tech this year I think it will get some extensive head work.
Click to expand...

For LS motors, there's a handful of places that CNC profiles for stock heads to make them flow near aftermaket stuff. Is there stuff like that out there for old SBCs?
 
JohnnyJ said:
For LS motors, there's a handful of places that CNC profiles for stock heads to make them flow near aftermaket stuff. Is there stuff like that out there for old SBCs?
Click to expand...

Yep there sure is. There are places that can cnc port old style GM heads to swiss cheese. The 2 barrel is so restrictive that excessive and expensive head work really has diminishing returns.

You can also get lightened blocks where they CNC off every extra bit of casting on the block and save a bunch of weight.
 
Yeah, I've seen places doing it for $500 for LS heads. I figure at that price, it's likely to compete with any reasonable person doing hand work.
 
I waited for the Black Friday sales to start before I ordered parts.

I got my first shipment today. It’s all front end parts, spindles, complete steering setup, upper a arms, a lower RF. Lower left was out of stock. I’ll pick it up next month. I also got more clecos and pliers, Rivnuts and a bunch of double ended drill bits for rivets.

tomorrow I will be picking up sheet metal and some misc body stuff at a local shop.
9491AE8E-9249-476F-AF12-3B6DC3049F76.jpeg
 
E9B741B4-D4B7-4649-8079-14AE79D882C2.jpeg
I picked up all my sheet metal Wednesday. I ended up getting eight sheets(4x10). That should be enough for a couple of extra quarters and one right side.

I tore into the front end today.

I’ll post a bunch of pictures Monday.
 
well ive been working on the RF.
Again this is a Chevelle clip and it has some stress cracks, especially around the spring buckets.
I added a gusset to stiffen up the bucket area.
4.jpg
 
The cross member also had some cracks on the front so I gouged them out with my new Milwaukee die grinder and welded them up.
7.jpg


3.jpg
 
Front end uses a combo of Pinto 7.5 degree spindles, GM metric hubs and hybrid rotors.
6.jpg
 
The new spindles have to be reamed for larger lower balljoints. I use QA1 that are adjustable and rebuildable.
I run a stock style chevelle center link, outpace tubular tie rods with heims.
1.jpg


Wehrs makes really nice TRE eliminators for the heim to center link connection.
8.jpg
 
I run the stock style centerlink so its the Fuse in the steering system. It usually bends first at the pitman end. They are cheap, easy to replace and it saves the more expensive spindles.
Stock style pitman and idler.
I run a Sweet 6:1 steering box.
9.jpg
2.jpg


the pitman and idler must be parallel and square to one another. The new ones are nice and square so my clip isnt bent.
The old ones were 1/8" out of square (idler was tweaked).

I did manage to install the new RF parts as well as 1" spacers on the engine.

I got a shipment of shocks, springs and misc parts yesterday.
Im wheeling tomorrow and picking up my spare transmission Sunday so probably no wrenching this weekend.

I still need to pull the deck off and start laying out the new sheet metal patterns.
 
I need to post some updated pics.
New body is all hung, just need bumpers.

I still need to work on all of the rear end updates too.
 
How often are you wrenching on this thing? Everyday of the week? Quick tune ups during the season? Rebuilds during the off season? I know when I was wheeling, I was spending endless hours in the shop. Simply got sick and tired of it. I don't mind some fabbing, but if I need to turn wrenches for 40h to race for 1h, I can't see it lasting.
 
woods said:
How often are you wrenching on this thing? Everyday of the week? Quick tune ups during the season? Rebuilds during the off season? I know when I was wheeling, I was spending endless hours in the shop. Simply got sick and tired of it. I don't mind some fabbing, but if I need to turn wrenches for 40h to race for 1h, I can't see it lasting.
Click to expand...

If you don't maintain a race car, you don't finish.

I did not maintain my bro-lite, but it wasn't a really real race car. I'd drag it out of the weeds, throw it on the trailer, and go win :laughing:

I remember the first spring race I had snow on the floor boards.

But in that series no one maintained their shit, it was really just a bunch of friends banging doors. People get stupid serious once you get into completive racing.
 
TiTRD said:
If you don't maintain a race car, you don't finish.

I did not maintain my bro-lite, but it wasn't a really real race car. I'd drag it out of the weeds, throw it on the trailer, and go win :laughing:

I remember the first spring race I had snow on the floor boards.

But in that series no one maintained their shit, it was really just a bunch of friends banging doors. People get stupid serious once you get into completive racing.
Click to expand...

Well, there's maintenance and then there's working on shit over and over again. If you're rebuilding motors, redoing suspension, and yanking transmissions every other day forget it.
 
woods said:
Well, there's maintenance and then there's working on shit over and over again. If you're rebuilding motors, redoing suspension, and yanking transmissions every other day forget it.
Click to expand...

during race season I consistently spend 40ish hours a week wrenching on average. Some weeks less some weeks more.
Im always adjusting and changing stuff to get faster. I move lead and scale the car weekly

Normal week, work job 7:30-5. Home at 5:30, in garage from 6-12. M-Thur

Monday is reset shit back to base line settings, nut and bolt, inspect everything
Tuesday is decide make changes, scale, adjust, scale, etc..fix what was found inspecting on monday.
Wed is usually clean air filter, fuel filter, change fluids, grease everything, check Toe, caster, camber, etc..
Thursday is tire prep night, pressure wash, clean, sipe, groove, grind, mount decide on backspacing etc..Plus load truck and trailer
Friday leave work a little early, home at 4, load car, feed dogs, Get to the track at 5pm friday, usually home at 3 am sat.
Up at 8am sat work on car until 1pm, leave for the track at 2, get home at 3am.
Up Sunday at 9am for wash day and reorganize the trailer.

Thats April through Sept. There are race nights that we get home earlier but there are also nights we get home at daylight.

It gets much more difficult/hectic if you get torn up on Friday or Saturday.

I was running low on spare parts late in the year and the race shop wasnt open on Saturday. I was fighting for points and stopped racing on Fridays.

I refuse to have DNF's because im lazy during the week. Mechanicals happen, shit breaks unexpectedly, flats, etc..I can deal with that, its just part of it.

I love it but with all that being said, i can see getting totally burned out very soon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh