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Disappointing week-end to say the least! In retrospect, the days leading up to this event should have indicated that the results and performance we would experience and we made our decision to travel to Englishtown at 10:30pm on Wednesday night. Long story short, we did a lot of testing trying some different combinations that did not work and during that process, we broke several motors really bad. While the performance had picked up, the reliability we had in the beginning of the season all but vanished. So with just 3 days before the event, I had to build and assemble two engines plus do all the other maintenance on the car working 14-hour days. It was exhausting to say the least. Driving up to New Jersey gave me an opportunity "relax" and to reflect on what I had tried and come up with a plan for the event. I decided that I would go back to what I know worked and that was to go back to the same set up as I had used in Richmond earlier in the season when we ran the 7.27 pass. Thanks to all the guys who helped me over the week end to set-up, service the car and cook some great Spanish food at the track.
For Q-1 qualifying, I used the same Richmond set up with the exception of adding 2% more fuel to the MAP. This should have produced at least a 7.50 pass but the car was almost 4-tenths off with a 7.89 ET. Why was the big question? The motor was good, compression was high yet it just was not making the power it used to. For the next round, I removed the 2% and left everything else the same. Q-2 attempt was a fraction better with a 7.80 @ 173.29 but not good enough to make the field at this point. With the points chase as close as it was, I was in a world of hurt and just had to at least qualify. After checking the engine and analyzing the data from the Q-2 pass and consulting with several guys, I made a few changes and prepared for final round of qualifying. Talk about pressure! 11 Cars attempting to make the 8-car field with a 7.680 bump plus the points ramifications. I had to pick it up at least 2-tenths!
Q-3 was just a little better buy the car just was not right. It repeatedly kept falling off every time I hit 3rd gear all the way to the end of the 1/4 mile. With the 7.670 @ 176.24 I made it in by the skin of my teeth and just 0.01 seconds. In all the years I have been drag racing, I never experienced anything quit like this. With qualifying over, I analyzed the data from all 3 runs, we checked the engine and with a unanimous decision from my crew volunteers, we decide to change the engine just to be "safe" as we would be paired against Brent in the first round of eliminations who qualified with a 7.30. We took our time and made sure everything was ready on Saturday night. All we would have to do was check the weather in the morning and make an adjustment to the MAP and hopefully make enough power and out drive Brent to make it into the next round and keep the points chase alive.
In the staging lanes, we were interviewed by ESPN and we discussed the close points race and I expressed optimism that I could get by Brent providing I did what I had to do. We would soon find out. After two burn outs, I mentally prepared for the all important staging and reaction time as I felt that was my only shot at beating Brent. Well, I screwed up big and went RED by a whopping -0.264 and gave it away at the line. Having said that, There was just no way that I could have overcome the 7.189 of Brent. I just backed out at the end when he literally went flying by me as though I was going backwards. How did he go that fast? Brent told me at the end of the run while we were rolling up our parachutes that he "sprayed it" That meaning nitrous. As we would find out, the rules were clear and there was no weight penalty for the second power adder he used so that was that. He beat us fair and square. So after that humbling experience, I felt a load was off my shoulders but now I had to worry about the World Finals and the points. Mathematically, I still had a shot at the championship with a deficit of 43 points. Or so I thought! I found out late this last Friday (10-12-07) that Brent was given an additional 20 points for setting the record. Here is what I am going to go the the World Finals with. Something new, stay tuned. NO PAIN - NO GAIN
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