Had a fun weekend of car racing even though I got eliminated first round

[Curt Leatherbee]

Just jumped in my Pontiac G8 GT last friday and headed off from Florida up to Darlington South Carolina for the LS powered GM event they had there. This included Vettes, Camaros, GTO's and Pontiac G8's like what I drive. My car is pretty much stock with just a Vararam intake, Corsa Exhaust and Tune. I was running low 13's all day with a best of 13.21 so when the bracket racing started around 2 Saturday I decieded to dial in at 13.30 to be safe. I panicked and was really nervous I was going to break out so at the end of this run shown here I backed off the gas just before I hit the line. It dropped my speed from what would have been around 106 mph to 99 mph. I thought for sure the guy in the other lane was going to break out as he was going so fast but he ended up running a couple hundreths over his dial in time so chances are I would lost anyhow had I not backed off at the end of the quarter mile. It really made me think after the weekend that I really want to get a supercharger for the car so I can run 11's like just about everyone else that was at the track.

Glad I just went for it and got in the car and drove halfway up the east coast, it was worth it. I met a lot of the guys I've been talking with for so long on the G8 forums online, good to be able to put a face to their posts now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo0qg_ojajY&feature=youtu.be

[LindaT]

Sounds very exciting Curt!

[Curt Leatherbee]

yep, lots of fun. Drag racing is a blast.

[LindaT]

Sorry you were eliminated, but what a thrill to participate. I'm sure you meet a lot of guys and gals. Very sharp car.

[marycsm77]

Sorry you were eliminated, but what a thrill to participate. I'm sure you meet a lot of guys and gals. Very sharp car.

Linda,
you used to date drag racers before you were married didn't you?

[nrf]

It sounds like you both backed out at the end. You probably both would have broken out if you stayed in it. Some people say running from behind is easier but I always opted for a slow dial so I could hit the brakes at the last second. It was kinda fun because I could react with my brake where the guy charging up from behind really only had throttle until it was too late.

[Curt Leatherbee]

Ya, it just amazed me though that the guy in the camaro ran just 2/100's over his dial in. As you can see on his window 11.85 and then at the trap going over the line 11.85. It would have been about a one in million shot I would have ever beaten that time. It sure was not my day for winning, I lost every race in practice as like I said all the other cars had blowers on them, the event was sponsered by Procharger I guess thats why. I was a little disappointed there were not any other cars with just bolt on's like mine. I was really hoping there would be a stock pontiac GXP there for me to race as my car with the 3 mods woulda been very close to a stock GXP which is factory rated at 415 hp with the 6.2 motor instead of the 6.0 like my car has.

[nrf]

You didn't lose the race, the camaro won it. You should have tracks much closer to you than Darlington. I have a local track that on friday nights has a race what you came in night where they match you up with people pretty close to your E.T.'s for the first couple of rounds. I never liked going across the finish line at 80mph with some kid coming up behind me at 150 mph. this track even has atv races and farm tractor races. they are much more serious on sunday.

[Curt Leatherbee]

You didn't lose the race, the camaro won it. You should have tracks much closer to you than Darlington. I have a local track that on friday nights has a race what you came in night where they match you up with people pretty close to your E.T.'s for the first couple of rounds. I never liked going across the finish line at 80mph with some kid coming up behind me at 150 mph. this track even has atv races and farm tractor races. they are much more serious on sunday.

Ya, that was a little nerve wracking having cars going by me all day at much higher speeds due to the fact they had much more power than my car, 400 hp like mine ain't bad, 600 like they had is even better :) . Yes I have a track only 45 minutes away from me here in Florida I go to, Bradenton raceway, the reason I went all the way to Darlington SC was cause of the LS motor event with the guys I know from the forums I'm on for my car. If I don't have a supercharger or turbo on my car by the time of next years event I don't think I'll bother going, I kind doubt I will as that would void my GM warrantee and I really don't want to do that as I still have a couple of years left on it.

[Wills77]

Nice. Makes me even more excited to finish my car and start driving again, take it to the strip and some auto crosses. I have a 04 gto that I bought wrecked and am in the process of rebuilding. It has a good amount of bolt-ons already done. The previous owner said it ran high 12's which sounds about right for what it has but he also said his stock 06 gto runs 11's haha so ill wait to see what it really does.http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/codywills77/gto1-1.jpg

[nrf]

Nice. Makes me even more excited to finish my car and start driving again, take it to the strip and some auto crosses. I have a 04 gto that I bought wrecked and am in the process of rebuilding. It has a good amount of bolt-ons already done. The previous owner said it ran high 12's which sounds about right for what it has but he also said his stock 06 gto runs 11's haha so ill wait to see what it really does.http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s283/codywills77/gto1-1.jpg

We race at a track called Numedia, @ 1 1/2 hours north of you. Maybe next summer we can mix it up.

[Wills77]

Sounds good nrf. Most of the guys i know around here go to beaver springs and south mountain.

Curt- do you just launch from a idle? I want to go with the menox hand controls but you cant do brake and throttle at the same time.