IF you really want to top bulb bracket race and be competitive, get rid of the radials!

Radials require a different track prep than slicks do.

quote:

Originally posted by 434 olds:
Radials require a different track prep than slicks do.

I’ve got 27 years of racing on radials. Depends on if you’re trying to run heads up or what I’ve been doing. I’ve found ways to be able to run a radial on normal track prep.

But you haven’t bracket raced on a track prepped for bracket racing. You got a quick car and radials are not the tire you want for top bulb bracket racing consistency.

quote:

Originally posted by Fabman:
Rear separates 3" peaking out at 1.58 seconds.
Rear spring is a 14" x 70#.

How much travel is in the rear shocks you’re using?

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:
But you haven’t bracket raced on a track prepped for bracket racing. You got a quick car and radials are not the tire you want for top bulb bracket racing consistency.

I full well know I'm putting myself at a disadvantage running a radial tire. When I ran 8.50, there was only a half dozen of us on radials where everyone else was on the max tire of a 33 x 10.5W bias slick.

Back then we would go test on Sundays with the bracket cars. They would prep the track in the morning and that's all it would get all day. If a bald spot showed up it might get a little gold dust or a small hand spritz of glue, but no scraping, dragging, full spray, etc. This testing method forced me to learn how to get the car down a marginal track. That way when race day came, I had a setup I didn't really have to worry about kicking the tire. Now granted, a bias might be more consistent run to run, but the radial did pretty well.

I didn't build this car to be a big tire car. Sure it's got room for a wider tire but I didn't open the quarter panels for a tall tire. I personally think big tire fox Mustangs look dumb, just my .02.

So the largest bias slick that will fit is a 29.5 x 10.5W (stiff) which is the same overall size as the 315 Pro tire on the car now. My concern with that tire is tire life. Those that I know who run them on heads up cars only put 12 to 20 runs on a pair. Granted a bracket car should get more than that, but sidewall life is a concern compared to the radial.

That is my backup plan if the 315 doesn't work out, but given my background with radials, I wanted to give them a try before switching. Maybe I'm wasting my time with them, but time will tell.

quote:

Originally posted by markemark:

quote:

Originally posted by Fabman:
Rear separates 3" peaking out at 1.58 seconds.
Rear spring is a 14" x 70#.

How much travel is in the rear shocks you’re using?

These rear Santhuff's have 6" of travel. I'm seeing 3" of extension on the shock sensor data logs.

Glad t see you got her put and back at it. Bada$$ car fore sure and initial runs look very promising for sure. Can you tell me the weight again

quote:

Originally posted by Al Alguire:
Glad t see you got her put and back at it. Bada$$ car fore sure and initial runs look very promising for sure. Can you tell me the weight again

2687 lbs with driver (55.5% on the nose) and no ballast.

2767 lbs with driver (53.5% on the nose) and ballast in the rear.

What are you chipping it at? Sounds like you could go a lot higher.

quote:

Originally posted by moparacer:
What are you chipping it at? Sounds like you could go a lot higher.

I have the 2 step set low at 3000 rpm for now. I will work on raising it some as we continue to make more runs.

I ran leafsprings/calverts on a 72 nova, 29.5x10.5x15 PBR, iron head BBC, 3300 lbs, 5.70's - 5.80s in top bulb and was deadly. Never had an issue on typical Friday trophy night and or Saturday bracket races. Won several races, ran this combo for about 1 year, never had an issue in all sorts of track conditions summer included. The radial is deadly consistent and out performed a much larger bias ply tire 31x14x15 by a good margin both in ET and in consistency. Reaction times were very predictable and ET variations were minimal if any. This combo was one of the best I've raced in many years. There are more people out there doing it successfully than some may think.

It got a little more finicky when we stepped the power up and went 5.40's - 5.30's on the same PBR. It was still good at 70% of the races we entered. The problem is the 30% days (for us that was usually mid-summer). When it was bad it was really bad, if the tire lost grip it went up in smoke. If it was hooked, it was deadly, and hard to beat. This was back before they developed the larger versions of the PBR's so we only had experience with the 29x10.5 version. I wish i had an opportunity to try that car on a set of the larger PBR's offered now.

Launch RPM was anywhere from 3600 to 4000 never really saw much difference in performance, 6000 flash converter.

If you have "decent" track prep and the tire isn't TAX'd to the point that it needs a radial prep'd RVW style track, they work.

The OP’s car is/going to be a 4.90s - 5 teens player. It will not be a competitive car/a threat to win in top bulb on radials let alone with a 3 speed and short wheelbase on a typically prepped bracket track. Further, with .015 packages and better being commonplace today at any track with a weekly bracket program that pays at least $2000 to win no mind any big $ event, deadly consistency is everything and that starts with a car that prints time slips within a few thousands in 60 foot all day, all night long.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 1320racer,

Hoosier 29.5/10.5 DBR is a heckuva radial tire. Im sure you got a grid or can pull timing with your ECU. You might not be able to run your absolute fastest each week but who cares. It can work, but id ditch the go fast radials in favor of bracket radials

Outstanding. Glad to see somebody doing something different. If we all took exactly the same approach, how sad would that be? Thank goodness that WE are not limited by rules. Looking forward to seeing more updates. Take care. Tom Worthington

can tell you this, he is a very talented individual, that is self evident. Beautiful design and fabrication work. I'm sure he will have a lot of good times with his creation. Top notch stuff.

Well it’s sucks to post this but looks like my ability to drive the car has been put on hold for a while.

A couple weeks ago, I woke up with a pain beside my right shoulder blade. Didn’t think to much of it as being a fabricator, aches and pains are par for the course. Once as work, the more the morning went on, a burning pain started radiating down the back side of my right armpit, down to my elbow with tingling in my forearm and weakness and loss of dexterity in my fingers. By lunch time I couldn’t move my arm in any way without severe pain, so I was forced to go home.

Turns out I have a bulging disc that is pinching a nerve that runs down my arm. Lost a bunch of time at work till we could see several specialists, get tests done and start some medications to try.

Have a cortisone shot scheduled this week as well as a consult with a surgeon in case the cortisone doesn’t provide any relief.

Hopefully this will resolve quickly, but we will see how it plays out. Really disappointed to not be able to race given we just got things going but there’s no way I can be in the car feeling like this, much less try and drive the truck 1.5 hours to the track with my arm hurting.

Had the same basic thing happen 12 years ago. Ended very quickly with a C6 - C7 vertebral fusion. Woke up from the surgery completely pain free and no real lasting complications. Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by Lincoln:
Had the same basic thing happen 12 years ago. Ended very quickly with a C6 - C7 vertebral fusion. Woke up from the surgery completely pain free and no real lasting complications. Good luck!

How long was your recovery?

I was back to work in 2 weeks. I have a desk job though. If I recall, I was golfing in about a month and a half and in a race car again in about 3 months. I had a very successful experience and feel very fortunate.