|
Series Records:
Goodguys
2005 VRA ET Record: Current AA Supercharged ET Record:
Seattle
Washington
Sonoma California April
2006
April 2005 6.617
Seconds
6.710 Seconds Current AA Supercharged Speed Record:
Mission BC, Canada August
2008
207.32 MPH
Track Records:
Medford Oregon:
Mission Canada:
September 2005
August 2008
6.799 Seconds 6.665 Seconds
200.51 MPH 204.63 MPH
Woodburn Oregon: Las
Vegas Motor Speedway:
June 2008
February 2007
6.718 Seconds
6.658 Seconds
204.87 MPH
206.67 MPH
How to Earn AA/Supercharged
Points
Points for Eliminations
300 Points for 1st Round Loss
500 Points
for Semi-Final Loss
700 Points for Final Round Loss
900 Points for a Win
Points
for Qualifying
80 Points #1 Qualifier
70 Points #2 Qualifier
60 Points #3 Qualifier
50 Points #4 Qualifier
40 Points #5 Qualifier
30 Points #6 Qualifier
20 Points #7 Qualifier
10 Points #8 Qualifier
Event
Points
100 Points for Each Event Attended
Bonus Points
471 Points for
Racing all Events
2007 Race Results Click Here
Great Photo from
Woodburn #1 the Final
Thanks to Larry McFarland and Grandstand Photos
A Mechanical Review of the Woodburn Weekend
Saturday finally went to plan. With only two qualifying runs available, we set the combination
soft for the first pass. The clutch slipped the entire pass and the cylinder temperatures were cool at the finish line,
resulting in a 6.80 at 202.75MPH. Pretty much what we expected. For the second pass, we leaned the fuel system,
added both static and counterweight to the clutch. Normally this would be a crazy move, but we had nothing to lose at
this point. The second pass resulted in a track record 6.71 second pass. Evaluation of the computer data determined
the car was on the edge early in the run and the cylinder temperatures were still cool. Our normal cylinder leak check
following the run found a failed piston. Quick repairs were done and we were ready for Sunday.
By
qualifying #1, the amateur racing ladder matched us with the 2007 AA/Supercharged champion in the first round.
We were planning on him running a mid 6.8 second pass or better and had to tune appropriately. We removed 1/2
turn of static clutch pressure and leaned the fuel system a little more. If the wheel speed was in our target range
early, the 60' time would improve and it would result in a run in the 6.6 second range. Sunday brought cooler temperatures
and the best track conditions that I have ever seen at Woodburn. The combination of the great track conditions and less
clutch static pressure, resulted in low wheel speed early. When the clutch counter weight came in, the car shook
violently. Howard had to peddle the car and was not able to run the champ down. If we were able to properly race
the #8 qualifier, the result would have been an easy win. Sour grapes for me.
Lots more to come as
we prepare for the annual trip to Canada......................
2008 AA/Supercharged Point Standings
(Following Woodburn #2)
**To see how to earn AA/Supercharged
Points, check the "Results and News" page.
1. Gary Reinero
1800
2. Howard Anderson 1720
3. Mitch Chamberlin 1640
4. Ron Nahas 1450
5. Mike Molea 1390
6. Scott White 1120
7.
Dave Thompson 660
8. Dave Inglis
640
9. Bill Fitting 520
10. Scott Wyke 440
Woodburn Quick Race Results
Not a good day for
the Sierra Pipe race team. Following a record setting day on Saturday, we were rewarded with a match against the
2007 AA/Supercharged Champion Mitch Chamberlin. A great reward for qualifying #1. We shook the tires early and
could not run him down. As the race progressed, a steady performance from Ron Nahas and Gary Reinero landed them in
the final. When the dust settled, Gary took the win, with a great 6.98 pass to a solid, 7.03 run from Nahas. Congratulations
to Gary for the win and Ron for an excellent weekend. Next, we go to Canada for the race at Mission. Lots to come......................
Woodburn #2 Qualifying Results
Finally things went well for the Sierra Pipe team in qualifying. Following the first pass, we
sat on top with a 6.80 pass at 202.75 MPH. With a solid pass under our belt, we tried to lay down a 6.6 second pass
in the second and final round of qualifying. We came close with a new track record of 6.71 seconds at 204.87 MPH.
We will have to wait and see what race day holds in store.
1. Howard Anderson
6.718 204.87
2. Scott White
6.831 205.38
3. Ron Nahas
7.079 189.87
4. Mike Molea
7.136 187.73
5. Mitch Chamberlin
7.292 195.10
6. Gary Reinero
7.321 190.27
7. Dave Inglis
7.391 186.37
8. Scott Wyke
8.632 125.94
9. Dave Thompson
9.129 98.08
Medford AA/Supercharged
Event Cancelled
The event will not be made up and qualifying points will be awarded to the
teams
With all of the rain that occurred the week prior to the event, the track conditions
finally became unraceable for the powerful AA/Supercharged cars. Heavy rain late Saturday afternoon and evening created
the track problems. Jim Taylor and the Champion Raceway crew worked all day Sunday to try and prepare the track for
racing, but is was not to be. Gary Reinero was our test pilot and tried to make a pass late Sunday afternoon.
His car only went a couple of feet, before smoking the tires. At that point we decided to cancel the racing portion
of the event.
As a tribute to the fans and thanks to Jim Taylor and the Champion Raceway crew, the qualified AA/Supercharged
cars made single exhibition passes. We all detuned our cars as much as possible, in an effort to make a smooth pass.
Unfortunately nobody made it down the track under power. More updates to come later in the week.
Medford Qualifying
Update
Saturday qualifying at Medford
brought difficult conditions in more ways than one. The track conditions were difficult to deal with and the weather
did not help either. Virtually no cars could make it down the track under power in the first qualifying session.
When the dust settled, the Sierra Pipe 38' Chevy was on top with a tire shaking 7.13 at 195.73 MPH. A distant second
was Scott White with a 7.44 at 182.33 MPH. The second qualifying session brought the threat of rain and before the session
was complete, the rains came. Four cars including the Sierra Pipe team sat when the rains came. We will complete
qualifying at 10:00 AM, with the remaining four cars. The four cars include Howard Anderson, Mitch Chamberlin, Gary
Reinero and Mike Molea. A new day and a new set of track conditions will make for exciting racing tomorrow.
The racer turnout and the hospitality at Champion Raceway are top notch. For this race we have a total of 10
AA/Supercharged race teams as compared to 7 for the NHRA event at Bakersfield. The Champion Raceway crew is great and
we enjoyed a great BBQ for the racers, following the conclusion of the days activities. Thanks again to Jim Taylor and
everyone involved. The weather forecast is good for tomorrow. Look for a race wrap on Monday and pictures to follow.
Woodburn Elimination
Results
Thanks Rob Frazier for Round by Round Results
1st Round
Mike Molea defeated Scott White
.032
Reaction Time .106
7.087 Elapsed
Time 7.204
177.20
Speed 191.08
Mike ruptured a oil line and Scott Slipped
the Clutch
Howard Anderson defeated Dave Thompson
.212
Reaction Time .075
7.078 Elapsed
Time 7.783
199.42
Speed 179.35
Howard Slipped the clutch big time
Gary Reinero defeated Ron Nahas
.052
Reaction Time .388
7.107 Elapsed
Time 8.874
184.57
Speed 104.67
Gary kicked the rods out.
Mitch
Chamberlin defeated Bill Fitting
.073
Reaction Time .102
7.067 Elapsed
Time 7.385
195.31
Speed 185.64
Semi-Finals
Howard Anderson
defeated Mike Molea
.116 Reaction
Time -.180
7.006 Elapsed
Time 7.175
201.70
Speed 188.71
It must have been Mad Mad Mike, as he
turned on the red bulb. Howard slipped the clutch in low and shook hard in 2nd.
Mitch Chamberlin raced
Scott White
.078 Reaction Time
.095
6.971 Elapsed Time 6.902
198.76 Speed
197.15
Mitch was declared the winner of the round when Gary Reinero broke. Scott Raced Mitch for the fans.
Finals
Howard Anderson defeated Mitch Chamberlin
.084
Reaction Time .083
6.911 Elapsed
Time 6.997
203.84
Speed 197.64
Howard still shook in 2nd, but took the
win. Mitch kicked a rod out.
Woodburn Qualifying
Results
Without the qualifying list available, I will try and provide the results to the best
that I can recall. On the first run, the Sierra Pipe 38' Chevy left extremely soft and slipped the clutch through
the entire run. The engine went to 9000 rpms and stayed at that level. The result was a weak 7.03 at 197 MPH.
The second run was actually worse with a 7.13 ET. Major Changes will be made for race day, with cooler conditions expected.
Here is the qualifying order.
1. Scott White - 6.84 202MPH 2. Gary Reinero - 6.90 189MPH
3. Howard Anderson - 7.03 197MPH
4.
Mitch Chamberlin - 7.17 195MPH
5. Mike Molea
6. Ron Nahas
7. Dave Thompson
8.
Bill Fitting
Images from the 2008 March Meet
|
| The Winged Express Ready to Run Sunday |
|
| Not All Drag Racing |
|
| Rods O' Plenty |
|
| Huge Midway |
|
| So Many Cars Parked on the Dirt |
|
| The Stands were Packed and 6 Deep on the Fence |
March
Meet Mechanical Update and Elimination Statistics
Following the disassembly
of our engine, we found evidence of a small piece of metal that became temporally lodged under the intake valve and the result
was a supercharger backfire. The origin of the foreign material is yet to be discovered. It is now time to tear
the entire engine down, inspect each component and install a new set of connecting rods. Our focus will now shift to
the AA/Supercharged season, which begins at Woodburn the second week in May.
I have the summary of March Meet AA/Gas
Supercharged eliminations below.
Round 1:
Mike Leonard,
Plesanton CA, '69 Chevy, Right lane, (0.089) 6.663 208.09 def. John Peterson, Homewood CA, '70 Plymouth, (0.066) 6.964
199.07
Chris Abbey, Clovis CA, '63 Vette, Left lane, (0.138) 6.578 211.01 def.
Ron Nahas, Reno NV,
'41 Willys, (0.064) 6.948 196.93
Steve Woods, Danville CA, '63 Corvette, Right lane, (0.096) 7.250 145.91
def. Cecil Matthews, Redwood Valley CA, '67 Mustang, (0.229) 8.207 170.51
Rich Roberts, Atwater CA, '34
Willys, Left lane, (0.060) 6.728 203.06 def. Howard Anderson, Auburn CA, '38 Chevy, (0.034) 7.566
143.83
Semi-Final Round:
S Woods, Right lane, (0.061) 6.659 207.51 def.
C Abbey, (0.136) 6.673 208.86
M Leonard, Left lane, (0.121) 6.692 207.08 def.
R Roberts, (0.069) 6.748 207.66
Final Round:
S Woods, Right lane, (0.092) 7.780 124.41 def.
M Leonard, (-0.306 foul) 10.050 72.29
Low ET:
Chris Abbey 6.578 seconds
Top Speed: Chris Abbey 211.01 MPH
March Meet Qualifying Final
Results
A better day for the Sierra Pipe team. We used
a combination that was safe enough to run the return road, in an effort to make sure we qualified for the 50th March
Meet. Fortunately everything worked as predicted and the car went straight down the track, slipping the clutch the whole
way. The result was a 6.77 at over 204MPH. We now have something to work with on race day. Unable to
connect to the Internet at the motel and I have to do short updates over breakfast. Complete race coverage coming tomorrow.
Final qualifying standings shown below.
1 780 Mike Leonard,
Plesanton CA, '69 Chevy 6.682 207.18 210.18
2 7595 Chris Abbey, Clovis CA, '63 Vette
6.705 179.78 179.78
3 1190 Steve Woods, Danville CA, '63 Corvette
6.725 206.18 206.18
4 707 Howard Anderson, Auburn CA, '38 Chevy 6.775
204.68 204.68
5 7235 Rich Roberts, Atwater CA, '34 Willys
6.792 201.79 201.88
6 7545 Cecil Matthews, Redwood , '67
Mustang 6.935 202.56 202.56
7 7014 Ron Nahas, Reno NV, '41 Willys
7.030 193.38 193.38
8 430 John Peterson, Homewood CA, '70 Plymouth 7.080
195.52 195.52
------------ Not Qualified ------------
9 7408 Gary Reinero, Merced CA, '48 Austin 7.128
195.10 195.10
10 7238 Efren Vazquez, Huntington, '68 Camaro 7.365 188.63
188.63
11 7965 Sean Renteria, Hollister CA, '65 Valiant 7.816 179.35
179.35
Encouraging Test Results
Based on the huge number of race cars attending the open test at Bakersfield,
most of the day consisted of waiting to make a run. The consensus among the race teams was the track conditions
were considered marginal. This was confirmed when the Sierra Pipe 38’ Chevy finally came to the line
at 2:30PM and not one alcohol or fuel car had made it down the track under power. With this in mind, we
made sure to have a conservative clutch and fuel system combination. This paid off, when we went straight
down the middle of the lane, smooth as silk, with the clutch slipping all the way. The result was a 6.71
second pass at 206.42 MPH. The soft leave and other
incremental times are shown below.
60’ - 1.087 330’ - 2.869, 1/8 Mile 4.353 @ 165.44MPH
¼ Mile 6.717 @ 206.42MPH It
sure felt good to get a full pass under our belt. For the next pass, we tightened up the clutch a little,
left the fuel system alone, since we were in test mode. The waiting continued and the sun was setting fast,
as the track became cold. The clutch change worked and the car left better. Half way
through second gear, the car moved out of the groove and became ill-handling, hugging the centerline all the way.
At 5.1 seconds, the transmission failed. Howard’s quick reaction and the rev limiter, saved
the engine from destruction. With the ugly nature of the run, the numbers indicate we were on pace to run
a 6.70 or 6.69 seconds. Check the incremental numbers. 60’ - 1.057 330’ - 2.847 1/8 Mile - 4.344 @ 163.69 ¼ Mile 6.923
@ 166.48MPH Today, we unloaded the car, removed the transmission
and disassembled the engine. It appears that a o-ring failure caused the transmission problem. We
will go through the entire engine, repair the transmission and be ready for the March Meet. With better
track conditions expected, the current combination should result in a mid 6.6 second pass right off the trailer.
More updates to come.
What
is New for Sierra Pipe Racing 2008
Following solid seasons in 2005 and 2006, the Sierra Pipe
team entered the 2007 season with confidence at a all-time high. In 2005 we set the Goodguys VRA ET record at 6.71 seconds,
qualified #1 and won every AA/Supercharged event that we attended. In 2006, we set track records at Medford, Woodburn
and Mission. We also set the AA/Supercharged ET and speed record at 6.61 seconds at over 206 MPH. The 2007 season
started with a Las Vegas track record at 6.65 seconds. We then went to Bakersfield and set a personal best speed at
208.51MPH. From that point on, the 2007 season was plagued with mechanical problems and plain bad luck. Over half
of the AA/Supercharged season was lost to burned push rods, we left the race at Seattle early and took ourselves out of contention.
At Mission, we blew a motor and won. At the second Woodburn race, we lost due to a spark plug failure in the first round
and came back out to set low ET of the event on a practice run. We damaged our set of Goodyear tires in testing and
had to resort to the Mickey Thompson tires, which required a completely different combination. With all of that said,
it seemed like nothing went right in 2007. Over the winter, we took a close look at the good things that occurred in
2006 and 2007 and we will apply that to the start of the 2008 season. Mechanically, we have gone over the car with a
fine-tooth comb. We have broken down all segments of our best runs and we will apply that to the start of the 2008 season.
At the end of the 2007 season, we were able to achieve 1.03 60' times consistently and that should not change. Our
car became unsettled on many occasions in 2nd and 3rd gear and we have addressed that issue. When the car was smooth
in 2nd and 3rd gear, we ran over 168 MPH at half track. The fuel system was the key to running over 208.50 MPH and we
will also apply that to the beginning of the season. If you put all of that together, we should easily run in the low
to mid 6.5 second range. But races are not run on paper and only time will tell what will happen, going into the
2008 season.
Sierra Pipe Racing on the Cover
of the New Gasser Wars Magazine
This photo was taken during the
second round of qualifying for the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. The photo captures a great leave, with a 1.03 60' time.
The front end carried higher than normal. It does not capture the transmission failure when Howard shifted
2nd gear.
For magazine copies or subscription information, click the Gasser Wars Logo below.
|
| Visit and Subscribe to Gasser Wars Magazine |
|
