Nitro Madness AA/FA

[WildcatOne]

I thought I felt the earth trembling beneath my feet...
Hope ya got a video!!! If not, you gotta run 50% next year at Eddyville! Wish I coulda been there! WC1

[Rapid Randy Baker]

I took some plain old video with my camera, and Laura got some digital video. I am hoping that we can get it edited and posted later this week.

[Billy Mac]

Rapid.....I've got to apologize to ya......there is a Happy B-day thread over on www.outlawracing.com 's message board, for the site administrator....and I wished him a Happy...but told him I could NOT send any cake, because YOU had eaten it all...LOL.....Thought you should know.....LMSAO!!!!

[Rapid Randy Baker]

That is funny!! Sorry to cut short the conversation today Billy. I was late getting to work as I had to go explain why an insurance company has it's head up it's,,,,well anyway I was just swamped with piled up stuff to do buddy.

Rapid

[Billy Mac]

Not a problem, Rapid......I take my chances when I call in the middle of the day like that...if you can yak a minute...fine...if yer busy....tell me you ain't got time to fool with me...I won't get my feelin's hurt

[Rapid Randy Baker]

There has been lots of stuff going on. We are getting ready for the World Fuel Altered Nationals which is taking up a bunch of time. I have been swamped at work. I have been thinking over the tune-up for the Altered Race. We have discussed, rehashed, wondered about, contemplated every part on the car and any changes we might wish to make.

I have a different pulley to move the overdrive to 40%, we are at 35% over now. We usually just leave the overdrive alone because the Outlaw Fuel Altered group has 35% overdrive as it maximum. So I don't see any reason to work out a separate tune-up for the different overdrives. So in the end we decided to leave it at 35%.

We have been increasing the Nitro % all this year. We don't talk alot about that. It is interesting to say the least. Some of the normal things that happen, now suddenly take on a different direction. A couple of highlights of the year for me as a tuner was the complete revamping of the fuel system when we got to Tulsa, due to the major change in the air, then running low qualifier in round 1. That was a pretty cool deal for us to run the 4.19 with the air over 4500 feet corrected. Then to end up in the finals with a great shot at winning was great.

Then the changes I made on the system that resulted in the record run at the Draglist Nats in front of all my friends, priceless. I know you can't make the right calls all the time. I am just thankful for the times it has worked out. I can not take the credit for all these ideas. Sure, I am the one who makes the calls but I have a few guys who I can bounce ideas off, and I listen when they talk about things. Then I try to apply what I have heard and relate it to what I am doing with our car. Tommy Howell will tell you, you don't run this car like a clutch car. It doesn't just slide into the clutch at 6000 rpm to get off the line. You have to hit the tire differently as we leave in the 3000 range not 6-7000 like a clutch car.

Guys like Leon, Tommy Howell, Frank Oglesby are masters of the craft. I am very lucky to be able to call them and discuss things. It wouldn't be going as well for us if it wasn't for the help getting going from all of them.

I am just kind of rambling around, hoping to get you kids caught up with where we are on the car. We also have a new rear center section. It is a steeper gear than we run now. I am sure the car would like it, but I am unwilling to try it at this time. We are thinking of maybe putting it in later this fall to see what happens with it.

We have a new set of slicks that just arrived today for the car. We only have 15-runs on our old ones, but usually new tires are always a good thing.

After our last display at Arnolds we took everything apart. Looked at the rear end, checked the trans over, pulled the heads, freshened them up. We replaced a couple of intakes, and one exhaust valve. We replaced a number of valve springs, and also decided to up the spring pressure on the seat. Here is an interesting little tid-git of information. Have you ever thought about the pressure on the backside of the intake valves from blower boost? Well on our motor it is approx 115-lbs. If you have 365-lbs of seat pressure, the first thing you have to do is subtract 115 from 365 which equals your effective spring seat pressure. So if you thought you had 365-lbs you really only have 250-lbs. Quite a difference!

We pulled the pistons out, checked the ring lands, inspected the wrist pins, looked for any sign of cracking on the piston. They all looked perfect.

Next was the main and rod bearings, along with the crank. Even with the more aggressive way we are running the car everything inside looks perfect. So back together it went.

I pulled the fuel system clear apart, checked all the lines, pressures of the by-passes, all the nozzles have been inspected. It should be good to go.

About all that is left is to go "nutting and bolting" this is where we check every nut an bolt on the car, every single one gets checked.

Well I have typed long enough. I will give another update after we fire the car up an make sure it all still works.

Rapid

[Barb]

Great report Randy. You and your crew are awesome

[pro70z28]

Thanks for the update Randy. Unfortunately we won't be able to make it to the Fuel Altered Nats. We're goin' to Super Chevy Tomorrow @ 66, that'll be it 'til Cordova. (Well, there is the cruise night tonight where I have the task of BBQ'n hot dogs N' pickin' the "favorite car"). Last month there were 600+ cars. Looknin' forward to the report from Eddyville and........maybe..........another........best ET/MPH... Never know.

[jim sanders]

great reading this morning !! and thanks for the e-mail Rapid !

[Lippy]

We are all proud of you guys Randy, thanks for keeping us in the loop, it isn't everyday a person gets the kind of information you are willing to share. It's cool how you take the time to post that stuff. You always hear of how someone ran this or that, but you never get inside information, everyone is always hush hush about their tuneups and stuff. I never could understand that about the big name racers, I know big money is on the line, but as you know, two identical cars same day same track, one for no explainable reason will not run the same, or smoke the tires, or? So I never understood the secret stuff, a lot of it is head games I guess. Thanks for the inside information Randy, that's cool!! I always figured, if you can beat me with my combo, more power to ya!! I'll just get ya next time!! Anyway, thanks Randy for the posts, keep em up!!!