Do you remember the first time you won anything? Now I'm not talking about a raffle or a killer game of Bingo. I'm talking about any kind of sport. With sports it's usually as a team, but when you win something all by yourself, with only your skills and ability, it can be hard to describe.
As with any type of motorsport, there are different emotions in victory. I got to see this firsthand last week. I've been racing different types of motorsports for more than 30 years. Many people have asked me how it is to win a drag race or a major NHRA event. It is very difficult putting it into words, literally. After a big round in drag racing, or in the finals, the adrenaline kicks in and it can be hard to put sentences together that make much sense! Now you know why John Force's interviews can be so entertaining. Now with Kart racing or road racing, you're driving for much longer periods of time and, unless you're in the heat of battle with another competitor, you may feel like you're just driving around. Yes, you still may be only inches off the ground and traveling at high speed, but you do get used to it.
My son, Daniel, had raced Karts for the past five years. We had a lot of fun in Karts, and he finished in the Top Five every year. He turned 16 late last year and decided that he wanted to go drag racing instead. He has been racing in the Summit ET series with me in the High School Class. Now, this is a great place to start, and it gives you great skills to carry over into the higher classes when you become proficient.
At our local track, Infineon Raceway, they also run a High School program on the Wednesday grudge night. Last Wednesday we went out and it was a five round race in High School and some of the best in the class were there. After three rounds he met up with his good friend Spencer Neft in the Semis. Spencer is the current point leader in the Summit ET Series, and Daniel knew that it would be a tough race. The tree came down, and when the dust cleared, Spencer had run two hundredths under his dial-in and Daniel was one hundredth under for a double breakout and the win. A few minutes later he was back to the lanes for the final. When I walked up to him he was speechless and I thought, I've been there before! He went on to win in the final for his first event win. We had a great father/son talk on the way home. He told me of the differences in Kart racing to drag racing. I was very glad to see the excitement in his eyes and his first win in the bag. I don't care what anybody says about going straight down a dragstrip, it's very exciting to get your first win-and every win.
Twister 383 ReduxQI'm building a 383 with almost the exact same specs as the Twister 383 in Part III (Aug. '02). Same headers, carb, electric water pump, intake, cam, 1.6:1 roller rockers, and about a 9.6:1 compression ratio, as opposed to the 9:1 of the GM 383. The main differences are that the bottom end will be an Eagle street/strip stroker kit w/SRP pistons, and I will be using a pair of World Products Sportsman II 200cc heads with the new Comp Cams Beehive valvesprings instead of the Vortec heads. I looked up the flow numbers and they are very similar with a bit less midlift, but a bit higher lift flow. I will also be using a Moroso kick-out oil pan with trap door and windage trays. Can I expect to see 480 lb-ft and 450 hp with my combo? Or would I be pulling a bit more/less with this setup? Thanks a million.Eric CardonVia e-mail
A The Twister 383 was one of the most popular engine buildups we have ever done. Many of these engines are running around today because of that project. Your buildup is just another example of people giving one its own personality. Let's check out your pieces.