Bugorama is coming up and we had yet to get the new combo (heads and injectors) down the track. We really wanted to test and tune, so we thought we might chance a street legal night at Redding Dragstrip. I met with the track owner and asked if there will be any track prep at all. She said that they would prep it, but it wouldn’t be what they would do for a big event, but it should be good enough to hold some fast cars. So I got my crew on the phone and asked what they thought. The decision was made to go for it and keep the car tame to just get it down the track. A big change was made by adding 35 more pounds to the nose to make sure it stayed down. Again, the plan was to just get it down the track to see what these new heads and injectors would do.
Saturday morning Jeff Hook came up from Sacramento to help and we decide to start the car here at the shop to make sure it would start and run on Alcohol. We pulled it out of the trailer and started to get all the batteries out and ready to start. As we were doing that, a rain cloud came over and just dumped on us, so we put the dragster back in the trailer. So now what it has rained for about twenty min and I was sure the track is wet. Not good for traction. Then the sun came out as the rivers of water flowed down street gutters. We pulled it back out and got all the stuff out to start it. It started with no problems and everything seemed good. Back in the box it went and we got the trailer ready to go.
We towed out to the track and got there about 3 pm. The track staff were sweeping like hell trying to get the water off. They informed me that it had hailed there, but if they can get it dry it should be ok. So we sat us and got all the preliminary prep done. Gene Adams and Ron Pratt showed up around 5pm and we ready to roll. We started it up, checked timing, and put it on Nitro. Things went well. After the blow down they said lets get it up there. So in the monkey suit I got and up to the line I went. No problem starting so I went up to do a burn out. Burn out was good. As I was backing up all I could think of was man, is this track going to hold? Into the staging lights I went. Trans break on, foot hovering the go pedal, I let the lights come down and left when I felt like it. Away we go nice and straight. My muscle memory pushed the shifter way too early, but we were still pulling. There’s the finish line, grabbed the brake, ahh shit late on the chute. Got it slowed down but passed the return road… Wont do that again. Jeff comes over the radio saying good run. I ran 7.36 at 176mph. Cool, that’s a record for that car (7.40 being our best before).
Back to the pits for a turn around. In the pits we got the car ready to run amongst the cheers that we might be on to something with this new combo. By the time we got it ready to roll, it was dark. Redding track has lights.. just not enough of them. On the shut down, I think there is only one to mark the return road. Regardless of the darkness, up to the line we go. Gene and Ron both reminding me wait for the shift light. I shift at 7K. Burn out was good and into the beams I go. Lights came down and I was off. This pass, I got a 1.04 sixty foot, not good but not bad for us. Hand on the shifter. Voice in my head saying wait, wait. There’s the light, then shift. (Not going to answer for shifting early). “Car is still pulling, shit it’s still pulling, damn I am hauling ass!” Here comes the line. Hand on the chute, front wheels on the line, chute out, off the go pedal, hand on the brake. Chute hit hard. “Damn, that felt like a good run. Now get it stopped. I think we are on to something here.” Jeff comes over the radio. Great run 7.25 at 180mph. Boys I think we found something here. Back to the pits Gene and Ron are already plotting what to do for Bugorama. I think they just want me to get a hair cut. With that pass, we set a new record for a naturally aspirated VW dragster!