F.A.S.T. race at Englishtown, NJ

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Attended & participated in my first F.A.S.T. (Factory Appearing, Stock Tire) racing event today and I had a great time!

If you ever get a chance to attend one of these factory appearing race events, you will not be disappointed!  Simply amazing how muscle cars can run mid to high 10 second runs on bias ply tires!

I ran in the "Factory Stock" class.  You are allowed more leaway in this class (radial tires, bigger cam etc)  No headers etc.....must be stock appearing....  If interested the rules can be found here.  www.stockappearingdrags.com

I was able to get 3 runs in today before I had to leave.....the first 2 were time trials & the 3rd was a real "race"   I raced a convertible '65 GTO with a 389 4 speed.   I beat him by 3 tenths!

I really concentrated on my starting technique to minimize wheel spin & get my 60 foot times down.

First run was my personal best
13.55 @ 102.40
13.59 @ 101.86
13.63 @ 101.79

Got my 60' times down from 2.3's to 2.0's as well.  Car was really hooking up well.   Only wheel spin that I heard was on the last run.
I also weighed the car... 4092 lbs with me in it! I weigh 180

Sad part, as a racer, I did not get to see a lot of the F.A.S.T cars go down because my class went right after them...also as a racer I got "0" pics!   I had my friend take a few pics.....brought my video camera but the dang thing wouldn't work!   I was pissed because of that

I did get one of those nice starting line photos....don't mind the flash in the glass on the frame....he got me right on the launch....you can see Sponge Bob on my rearview mirror holding on for dear life! (as was I.....definitely felt the "hook" due to the fact that it was hard keeping my head straight!...that helmet really weighs you down when you are getting traction.  You racers know the feeling.

[firefighter3931]

Chris, nice work taking out the Goat !  Congrats on the new bests too ! 

So, are we hooked yet ? 


Ron


Ps. That launch pic is awesome !!!   

[Ghoste]

Way to go man!

[resq302]

Chris,

Nice job on the run.  Really nice shot of you in the launch too.

[firefighter3931]

I also weighed the car... 4092 lbs with me in it! I weigh 180

I missed that on the first read of this post...wow, that is one heavy Charger !  The upside is that it's making good power to push it into the mid 13's at that raceweight. 

The only thing i want to know:  when is that guy with the Burnt'70 is gonna make a pass !   



Ron

[Hemidoug]

chris, you have to fill me in on the class you are running. I can't run in FAST because I'm running aluminum heads and I've got a Gear vendors. Can I qualify in the class you run in? I would like to run the hemicar, but the way I have it set up, I don't fit in any of the classes I know of....

[Chris G.]

when is that guy with the Burnt'70 is gonna make a pass !   
Ron

I hear 'ya Ron, but I have headers at the moment, and I would be turned away at this event.

Chris, sweet run my man, but 4092lbs? What's up with that? Mine is 3880 w/driver, and I have nothing but bigger wheels on my car.

[Hemidoug]

when is that guy with the Burnt'70 is gonna make a pass !   
Ron

I hear 'ya Ron, but I have headers at the moment, and I would be turned away at this event.

Chris, sweet run my man, but 4092lbs? What's up with that? Mine is 3880 w/driver, and I have nothing but bigger wheels on my car.

It's all that additional paint (lol)

[Jklnhyde]

Chris your car ran & looked awesome!! Congrats!! It was nice meeting your mom as well.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

chris, you have to fill me in on the class you are running. I can't run in FAST because I'm running aluminum heads and I've got a Gear vendors. Can I qualify in the class you run in? I would like to run the hemicar, but the way I have it set up, I don't fit in any of the classes I know of....

Doug, the class I was in was called "Factory Stock".  Honestly they did'nt even tech the car.   I do however think that if I went into the 11's they might have looked.  Basically in this class you can have radial tires but no aftermarket external body or engine parts.  In my case, if they really wanted to, they could have booted me to the RacewayPark sponsored Muscle Car class which allows headers, slicks and other engine mods, because of the fact that I have an aftermarket Edelbrock intake & a carb with no air horn.
Like I said probably because I wasnt a "threat" they didnt check/press the issue.
Here are the rules for the Factory Stock class
http://forums.factorystockmusclecars.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/352100271

when is that guy with the Burnt'70 is gonna make a pass !   
Ron

I hear 'ya Ron, but I have headers at the moment, and I would be turned away at this event.

Chris, sweet run my man, but 4092lbs? What's up with that? Mine is 3880 w/driver, and I have nothing but bigger wheels on my car.

Now now Chris, you knew there was a Muscle Car class that allowed headers & other mods ...you would not have been turned away     

Where/when did you weigh your car?  I'm assuming the scale at the track was right?  Maybe it was all the Zaino polish in the trunk weighing it down 

[Chris G.]

Where/when did you weigh your car?  I'm assuming the scale at the track was right?  Maybe it was all the Zaino polish in the trunk weighing it down 

I did it about 4 years ago at a place that buys aluminum, brass and copper. They have a huge scale that I drove up on.

[Ghoste]

So the place that buys metals weighed you on the scale they use to determine how much they have to pay for these metals?  And your car came up light?
Just busting your chops a bit.  I think any number of scales on any number of days would weigh all of our cars differently.  My car weighs 100 lbs different between what our closest dragstrip and a nearby scale for garbage trucks claim.

[HITMAN 149]

  WOW GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
chris, i wanted to go as i live in monmouth cty, but just couldn't make it LOL
when is the next one?!?! or all done for this year?!?!? maybe my car will be ready for the spring e-town show?!?!? 
-JOHN

[BlueSS454]

I was planning to take my 70 SS Chevelle up there and run the Muscle Car Eliminator class, other events prevented me from doing so, but I plan on going to at least 1 of the 3 races they have next year.

[RECHRGD]

Great job Chris!  What were you doing differently to get your 60' times down.  I haven't been to the track in a couple of years, but 2.2's & 2.3's were the best I could get.  Our cars are pretty close in E.T.'s but I was running 104-105mph trap speeds with 3:55 gears.  Maybe my new redlines will hook better than the Goodyears I had before.   Bob

[ChargerSG]

 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Great job Chris!  What were you doing differently to get your 60' times down.  I haven't been to the track in a couple of years, but 2.2's & 2.3's were the best I could get.  Our cars are pretty close in E.T.'s but I was running 104-105mph trap speeds with 3:55 gears.  Maybe my new redlines will hook better than the Goodyears I had before.   Bob

The only thing I did different was not to mat it off the start.   I powerbraked the car to approx 2k rpm and "walked" the car out of the hole....approx ½ throttle...felt it hook then matted it.

First 2 runs my 60' times were 2.095 & 2.088 respectively.
The third run it was 2.129...that one I heard more wheel spin than the other runs.....

On the last run, I paid more attention to my trap RPM's which were around 5k rpms (according to my "floaty" tic-toc-tach.

Anyone know what this tells me?

[472 R/T SE]

Respectable times Chris.    I wish we had a FAST class out here. 

[firefighter3931]

On the last run, I paid more attention to my trap RPM's which were around 5k rpms (according to my "floaty" tic-toc-tach.

Anyone know what this tells me?

Yep, you were turning 5000 at the stripe   

Ok, serious now....were you upshifting at 5k on the 1-2 & 2-3 upshifts ? The car might ET better with a higher shiftpoint but that's something you have to experiment with. As a rule, most stock 440's are all done at 5000-5200 rpm....but yours has a little more cam than stock and a descent exhaust system, intake, carb. Ultimately, the cam and heads will dictate the engine's powerband. To a degree, the manifolds will also limit high rpm power. With 3.55 gears you're just about where you should be in terms of engine speed, inmo. 


Ron

[BrianShaughnessy]

     Nice!

  Nice pic too...  can you get it without all the extra crap on there too or did they automatically add it to the pic?

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

On the last run, I paid more attention to my trap RPM's which were around 5k rpms (according to my "floaty" tic-toc-tach.

Anyone know what this tells me?

Yep, you were turning 5000 at the stripe   

Ok, serious now....were you upshifting at 5k on the 1-2 & 2-3 upshifts ? The car might ET better with a higher shiftpoint but that's something you have to experiment with. As a rule, most stock 440's are all done at 5000-5200 rpm....but yours has a little more cam than stock and a descent exhaust system, intake, carb. Ultimately, the cam and heads will dictate the engine's powerband. To a degree, the manifolds will also limit high rpm power. With 3.55 gears you're just about where you should be in terms of engine speed, inmo. 


Ron

I thought rpm's at the line told you something about your gearing

First run I shifted at 5k....second was a bit higher 5300-5400 (tried to shift when I felt the engine fall off....couldnt really tell though...) third run was around 5k again.

Brian, they added the Raceway park logo to the pic......I could have gotten it without it though but I chose to add it in there.  On line there is 44 pages of photos that the track photographer took.   The one I posted & another side shot in the far lane of my car is on there.   This was the better pic.

http://www.davemilcarek.com/110406/

[bill440rt]

CONGRATS on the runs, Chris!!! 

Mid-13s on redline skinnies is VERY respectable. I'm envious.   
Sounds lilke it was a great time!!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

CONGRATS on the runs, Chris!!!

Mid-13s on redline skinnies is VERY respectable. I'm envious.
Sounds lilke it was a great time!!

They're Redlines but they aint skinnies!  At least not on my car ;-)

These are the results of the cars in my class taken from the Stock Appearing Drags website.....

1. Jim Spetzman 1969 Dodge Super Bee 440 12.12@112 mph
2. Bruno Beltrane 1969 Pontiac GTO 400 RAIV 12.28@115 mph
3. Peter Germani 1971 Pontiac GTO 455HO 12.30@112 mph
4. Jim Mino 1968 Pontiac Firebird 400 RAII 12.50@114 mph
5. Chuck Lombardi 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle 396 12.51@111 mph
6. Steve Polimeni 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 454 LS6 12.64@110 mph
7. Glen Annarumma 1971 Pontiac Trans Am 455HO 12.95@107 mph
8. Larry Wittig 1967 Plymouth GTX 426 Hemi 12.97@111 mph
9. Steve Vanderwall 1969 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet 12.97@106 mph
10. George Buttner 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet 13.03@100 mph (Gonzo's car)
11. Dan Korb 1972 Buick GS 455 Stage 1 13.21@103 mph
12. Chris Giardina 1969 Dodge Charger 440 13.55@103 mph
13. John Payne 1965 Pontiac GTO 389 tripower 13.87@103 mph
14. Bob Klemann 1967 Ford Fairlane GT 427 13.93@103 mph
15. Dom Scorziello 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle 454 LS5 13.93@101 mph
16. John Beilano 1969 Ford Mustang 351 13.97@100 mph
17. Jeff Hargrove 1970 Ford Mustang 428 13.99@96 mph
18. Charles Lombardi 1963 Chevrolet Impala 409 14.01@100 mph
19. Ronald Knight 1970 Plymouth GTX 440 14.08@102 mph
20. Hal Oaks 1967 Chevrolet Belair 327 14.05@96 mph
21. John Freed 1970 Dodge Super Bee 383 14.14@96 mph
22. Ty Tacone 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 14.15@97 mph
23. Bill Gonzo 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 14.17@100 mph
24. John Sweeney 1967 Pontiac Bonneville 428 14.17@97 mph
25. Jeff Ingalls* 1969 Dodge Charger 440 14.32@96 mph
26. Mark Diplato 1972 Chevrolet Corvette 350 14.50@96 mph
27. Frank Pisani 1970 Ford Mustang 351 14.52@94 mph
28. Joe Disanto 1967 Pontiac Tempest 350 14.58@99 mph
29. Evan Stern 1966 Pontiac Lemans 326 14.81@94 mph
30. John Weintraub? 1969 Plymouth Road Runner 383 14.93@97 mph
31. Robert Hill 1969 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 15.07@89 mph
32. Vince Lyons 1968 Mustang (factory racer) 15.80@82 mph (tribute run)
33 Mike Nasi 1970 Plymouth Road Runner? 383 16.34@85 mph

[BrianShaughnessy]

It's a real nice pic without the advertising ! 

I don't see where you can download it like I did mine from the guy that was at LVD.   I sent that file up to 6pkrunner and got myself these giant posters back already!   


Anyway congrats again.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

It's a real nice pic without the advertising !

I don't see where you can download it like I did mine from the guy that was at LVD. I sent that file up to 6pkrunner and got myself these giant posters back already!


Anyway congrats again.

The link to the pics is in my above post....you have to buy them though

[BrianShaughnessy]

It's a real nice pic without the advertising !

I don't see where you can download it like I did mine from the guy that was at LVD. I sent that file up to 6pkrunner and got myself these giant posters back already!


Anyway congrats again.

The link to the pics is in my above post....you have to buy them though

Ya  I see you can buy the photos... but the guy up at LVD lets you buy a download of the pic for $5 in addition to the standard $15 8x10, etc.  It came in at about 5.5 meg.   Made a good poster   

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Gotcha...sounds cool!

[RIDELIKEHELL]

Great Job Chris...gorgeous CAR!!! The Starting line photo is killer! I miss the drags already

[Blakcharger440]

Amazing how you were almost a full second quicker than the #25 69 charger and #19 70 GTX

[firefighter3931]

Amazing how you were almost a full second quicker than the #25 69 charger and #19 70 GTX

Not really surprising at all.....Chris has done a lot of work dialing in his ignition and carb. It's no accident that the car runs as good as it does. 



Ron

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Thanks Ron.  Couldn't have done it without you bud.

Funny thing is that I didnt see that #25 69 Charger there at all
I left at 5pm that day and I dont think they let you "enter" the race without having time trials to base you on.

The #19 GTX is actually the car I was looking to buy a few years ago when my car was on the block for sale  (dont ask..long story)...funny how I wound up racing him in my second time trial.
beat him 13.59 @ 101.86 to his 14.29 @ 101.51

In this shot you can see he redlighted (-.191 light) to my snoozing .546 light

[472 R/T SE]

Nice lookin' Geetttex Chris.  Did it end up being sold to someone else?  Isn't this the 4 gear one?

Nosey...aren't I. 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Nope, the guy kept it.  Yes its a 4 speed, Super Track Pack car......and its GREEN!

[Blakcharger440]

Thanks Ron.  Couldn't have done it without you bud.

Funny thing is that I didnt see that #25 69 Charger there at all
I left at 5pm that day and I dont think they let you "enter" the race without having time trials to base you on.

The #19 GTX is actually the car I was looking to buy a few years ago when my car was on the block for sale  (dont ask..long story)...funny how I wound up racing him in my second time trial.
beat him 13.59 @ 101.86 to his 14.29 @ 101.51

In this shot you can see he redlighted (-.191 light) to my snoozing .546 light

That is a coooool pic!!!!