Saturday June 14th
Beaver Springs Dragway

We were off to our first match race of 2008. Beaver Springs 200mph Summer Thunder show, under the lights at The Beaver. I drove down to Lake Hiawatha NJ to meet Al and his buddy Billy who would be my trusty crew for this go around. Guest crew member Chris Masarella, driver of the Total Insanity Monza, decided to go, and we were all excited. After a bout with a generator @ 6am, I arrived at Chris' house, parked the car and we all proceeded, in the interest saving fuel, to pile into my trusty dually.

We encountered some humidity on the way, the weather report was NOT good, calling for T-storms in the afternoon and showers all night. But we soldiered on. We arrived at The Beaver at 1pm, finally found a parking spot and saved a space for Rocky P, who was. a half hour away. Well 2 hours later, Rocky pulls in, something about a bridge being out..lol.. We were just done prepping the car for the warm up. Chris kept saying boy you guys sure do things differently than us We have our little idiosyncrasies but it seems to work..lol. I climb in, Chris is manning the squirt bottle, Al the C&A behemoth, Billy is handling cable and check over duties. Al gives me the nod, Chris gives it a healthy squirt, Al spins over and ungrounds the mag and the Chevy comes to life. We warm up the fluids, set the launch RPM, check the timing and shut her down before it gets too hot. Something like 92 degrees and about 1000% humidity! Time for burgers and hot dogs! Rocky fires up The Screamin Eagle around 4pm and just about then it begins to drizzle. So we wait and we wait and we wait. In between rain drops Beaver Bob is encouraging everyone to stick around that we WILL get the show in. So we push the cars in and mingle and visit with spectators and other racers. Around 6pm the drizzle became a steady rain, and I thought we were doomed. Beaver Bob was even quiet on the mike for an hour or so. But around 8pm there was a clearing, and Beaver Bob comes over and tells us to get ready, we're going racing, BUT 1/8 mile only. He says, smoky burnouts and loud noise and give the fans a show. We'll do!

Well the Beaver is a neet track, dark , narrow and a lot of fun! BUT there is a nasty bump in the right lane, which I avoided all last year,lol. Well Rocky put John Headley in the drivers' seat, and we flipped for lane choice. John won the toss and picks the left lane, no problem, I'll just hang on! Rocky's crew chief, Tom Fox, jokes, that low ET from round one gets lane choice for round 2. Funny Tom, funny. We get strapped in and head up to the lanes in the HEAVY summer air. John and I planned to do some battling dry hops, he wanted to go across the starting line, but Rocky reeled him back,lol. We get fired up, Al lowers the body and removes the sheet from the windshield, we remembered this time! Al guides me in the water and I ensure I'm in high gear. John and I whack the throttles simultaneously, my car begins to pitch wildly and drift sideways to the right, ala Bob Rosetty at last years York show. I gather it back up before the grass and whack the throttle one more time for the show. I bring the car to a stop at the 1/8 mile (finish line) and proceed to back up rather quickly, whacking the throttle for the fans while backing up. Al pops into view and guides me into the groove. He backs me up to just before the water. I slam the shifter in low, give the brake a good tug, Whomp!!! John answers back, whomp!!. We go at it again. We decided on 2, but he puts a 3rd one in there, not to be out done I whack it again. I'm ready! Al rolls me in the prestage, walks out of site and gives me the thumbs up as he passes. John stages, then I stage,,ahem deep stage by accident. Hit the trans brake button, floor the throttle, at the first sign of amber, I'm off! Car leaves with a little wiggle, then seems to pull well. I'm eyeing the shift light and just as I put it into high gear, WHAM, my head slams the ISP pads and I lose sight of the groove for a second! Man! That must have been the bump! I zero in on the 1/8 mile cones and just as we approach there's the nose of that Bird! Man that must have been a close race. Well we get slowed down and off the second turn off, and I hit the fuel and roll to a stop along John. I pop out the hatch and give one of the track crew a hand pushing John further off the turn off. He asks me when he gets out, is it dark down here to you? No John, it's just The Beaver,lol. Race data, Bits RT .036/Screamin RT .200 Bits 1/8 mile ET 4.67/Screamin ET 4.50 MOV .006. Al told me when our car hit the bump it picked up the car and moved it over a car width or better. All I know is that I was steering for dear life!

We get cooled down and back up to the lanes in less than an hour. We go in the left, John in the right. Let's see how he likes that bump! We get fired up and roll in the water together. Whack the throttles together and I'm pitchin and sashaying around and get down around the 1/8 mile mark. Roll back quick as to not hold up John. Get ready for a dry hop, whack the throttle WHOMP!!. Listen for John, nothing whack it again, nothing. The starter gives me the hold up signal. Then he motions me up. Al gets me up to the pre stage beams. I roll in, wait for John, and wait..and wait. I missed Al's break� signal with his hands, so I peer out the right side window, huh, no nose. I'll just stage and see what happens, if he pre stages I'll get ready. Well he didn't and I was caught off guard, so the light was terrible, but the car made a good move off the line (1.06) good for us, then about 200' it made a BIG move towards the center, I was reeling it back and just as I hit high gear it slid back over and just missed the cones and was giving me one helluva ride. It was fun tho'! We ran a 4.57 and with the 1.06 60', that's pretty darn good for our little lung in the soupy weather.

Back in the pits, I found out that Rocky's car had spit out the #6 spark plug on the burnout. Good job Al! I hid that hemi spark plug wrench back in your tool bag. But seriously, we had a great time and are looking forward to the York nostalgia show next month. Thanks for taking the time to read. Hope you enjoyed.
Keith

Sunday July 13th
Beaver Springs Dragway

Believe it or not, a couple of hours after this photo was taken, the rains came. York Reunion show was cancelled and it was on to our next event at Skyview Dragway.

Since we've been dodging raindrops most of the season, here's my second weekend report. Hope you all enjoy!

Saturday, July 19th
Skyview Dragway
Tioga Center, NY

We were invited by The Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Car Circuit to participate in the Skyview Dragway IHRA Thunder Jam Show. And that's just what it was, a show! Al met up with me Saturday AM and we picked up John on the way. Being only 3.5 hours this would be a one night turnaround for us. Dennis Salzwimmer, of GLNFCC, said we would be running at 7 and 9pm, so skipping a motel was in order. We took a nice drive down I88 in NY under hazy, hot and humid skies. Boy, sure glad we're running at night, it was HOT out! We arrived just after 2pm and Rocky P. in the Screamin' Eagle team followed in just minutes after us. Rocky and I had already planned to do everything in our powers to make sure bragging rights stayed on the east coast for this show! [Big Grin]
Now not being to Skyview before, it was an interesting facility, carved out of the side of the mountain. The staging lanes and return road go right down the center of the pits. Track was smooth and level, shutdown, long enough, but went down hill for a bit just before climbing back up hill for the turnoff.
We get the car out, fueled up and ready for the warm up. We had to make some minor adjustments from last weekend's tune, since this was only an 1/8 mile track. Al has the starter duties; John handles the primer bottle giving her a healthy squirt to start. Spin it over and light it off. Al and John are checking for leaks and measuring head temp. Once we get some heat in the motor (not long today!) we check the starting line settings. Grab low gear and check the launch RPM and she sings past 5 grand. Still too much, Al makes a couple adjustments, and now even though we're still at 4600, we decide to kill the engine since it's getting a little toasty. I reach over and hit the fuel shutoff and let the RPM's die before killing the mag. Now just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat before our 4pm drivers meeting.
Denny goes over all the specifics at the meeting, and we draw stamped washers out of a GLNFCC Frisbee to figure the pairing for the first 2 rounds. Chicago style, 2 low ET"s will come back for a round 3 runoff and winner. Rocky and I just nod at each other...we're ready! I get Drew Sweetman in the Sweetman Bros Citation for round 1 and for round 2, I'm teamed up with Rocky P. Both times we're the 4th pair out. Denny wants us ready and suited up by 6:30pm. We're running after the jet dragster, but before the jet semi!! This oughta be interesting! They also have The Chevy Rebellion wheelstander on tap and Benny The Bomb. Like I said, this was pure show.
We get all buttoned up and ready to go and keep an eye on the western skies, it does not look good. Dark clouds rolling our way. A quick call to our weather girl, Abby Napier, and she informs us the cell is roughly 30 miles long and heading our way! Rutt-row!
Thankfully the brunt of the storm passed north, but just about 7pm we had a brief 30 second downpour, but they still set off the fireworks to signal the start of the show, and the crazy dude in the wheelstander made a pass! I joke with Rocky, we should just go out there and pedal fest it down the wet track.
Well around 8pm, we're called to head on up. I get all suited up and Al and John get me locked down. We line up next to Drew, in the left lane, he'll be in the right. I hear the announcer talking up a burnout contest. Many guys are telling us the shutdown is still wet, so just do a killer burnout and blip the throttle off the line. Now remember, 2 low ET's are to meet for the chance at bragging rights, and some dough! Rocky P. is running in the pair, just in front of us, so we'll see what he does. As the funnies are making their passes I hear most of them on and off the gas, just legging it down the track. The best ET I've heard so far is a 5.15. We get pulled into the water box, which is a chore, since the tower is DIRECTLY behind the water box! I watch Rocky launch and skate down thru to an early shut off 4.57. OK, a mark I can shoot for IF the car feels good. We run between high 4.40's and mid 4.50's depending on the track. Al and John, with the assistance from Denny get me line up in the water box. Since it's a ways away from the starting line, I'll try to get some ground speed up for the burnout, so the fans can see the show. Al and John get me fired up. John grabs the C&A from Al and the body pole as Al lowers the shell. He guides me up a few feet, click it in high and he holds me up for Drew. Drew starts rolling and I give the throttle a quick whack to get the wheel speed up, and instant 8 grand, I begin to feather the throttle and about at the tree, it begins to haul ass and pick up some ground speed. All the while the shift light is staring at me. I go till I can't see out the windshield, and grab the brake. Puts the nose at roughly 600'. I slip it in neutral, whack the throttle and slide it into reverse. About 200' John pops into view. Now Al has told me the groove in the left is pretty much dead center. I get behind the line, grab low and whack the throttle for one WHOMP!..no two dry hops WHOMP! I jump right into the stage beam! Oops, back up real quick and Al just noses me up. A quick check at the oil pressure, 110 psi. Drew prestages, I prestage. Lower the visor, ease into the stage, now Drew has a pedal clutch, so he begins to rev it up. I go in, hit the button, mash the throttle, WHAAAA! Man does that sound high! YELLOW Bam, I'm gone! Wow! , not a hint of chatter and she's going straight and pullin' hard! Around 300' she begins to haze the tires, so I hit high, and it dances a touch, but still smooth and controllable. Reach over for the chute levers at the first MPH cone, as planned. Push them forward and wait for the tug before trying the brakes. There's the tug takes a little longer without the speed, now I ease on the brakes just in case it’s slick and roll around the turn off and slide it into neutral in hit the fuel. I pop up out of the hatch and peel off the gloves, glasses, neck collar, helmet and jacket, roll off the side of the body. Roll up the chutes to keep the lines straight and we're ready to service for round 2. Our ET, was an easy 4.65 at only 131 mph. We'll have more for round 2.
Round 2 was at 9:45pm and Denny has given us the news, no time for the 3rd round. So since Rocky P. and I are slated to run each other anyway, it's close enough to a final for the 2 of us. We get in the lanes, and now the dew has settled in, and I hear all the funnies pedaling it just to make it down the track. This is gonna be good! Rocky and I get fired up, and he starts to roll forward WHAAA!!!......side by side smoky high RPM burnouts just what the fans ordered! Now I'm conscious that Al has told me the groove in the right lane is towards the center a bit, so were lined up appropriately. WHOMP!!...one dry hop this time and Rocky pre-stages. I look at the oil pressure, prestage, lower the visor and stage the car, just as I hit the gas, I notice I deepstaged and all of a sudden, Rocky's stage lights go out. Then the tree goes YELLOW and I gotta go! She launches good, and by about 100' this thing is making some wheel speed and RPM, shift light comes on around 200' (200' shorter than normal), but still going straight. I don't hear or see Rocky yet, stab high gear and the car begins to sashay and wash out to the right getting dangerously close to the wall. I ease off the throttle and see the finish line just up ahead. I blip the throttle real quick, just in case he's close. Hit both chutes and wait for the tug and for Rocky to wheel by me. I file in after him on the turnoff and shut it down. We ran a 4.88, not stellar, but I believe a good run considering the conditions and apparently won the round1! Rocky accidentally rolled the beams and went right up in smoke off the line. Ahhhh a time when an underpowered Chevy is the way to go! One of the only times.
Back in the pits, while cleaning up, Rocky's crew had brought some beers and we all shared in a few cold ones as the fireworks were going off. Michelle Hohnensee came over and told us of a wine and cheese party, complete with campfire at Jerry Streb's trailer after the clean up, cool! Wine and cheese, and Rocky, being from Philly, brought beer and pretzels! All in all a great event, despite being a little damp. Neat little track with a great show and great guys to race with.
Thanks again Denny for the invite.. Thanks to Rocky and his entire crew for being great to work with and a pleasure to be around! Denny worked his ass off to make sure everything went smoothly. From backing up fellow racers, to helping us get lined up in the water box! Two thumbs up Denny, great job! We were truly impressed. Great meeting new racers, Scott and Michelle Hohnensee, Jerry Streb, Jeff and John Decort, plus visiting with old ones like Denny, Johnny and Chris, Drew and Lance.
Hope you enjoyed the read.

Keith