Post by Dave Schultz on Jun 9, 2010 12:56:17 GMT -5
With a low-mid 9-second 4-speed car, the weather didn't appear to affect me that much. I never carried weight because I short-shifted the car to hit my number -- yet had enough left over (to run out at higher RPMs) if I lost time from spinning the tires, which frequently happened with a 4-speed on skinny slicks.
On the Vitamin C -- it is a whole different concept. The first time I drove the car was at Bradenton. No matter what I did with timing, shift RPMs, or lifting -- I couldn't get close to my number. I broke out all three times in qualifying.
For Bowling Green, I bought a pair of 12"X12"X2" steel plates (about 75 pounds each), sawed them in half, drilled a pair of 1/2" holes in each of the 4 half plates, painted them black, and mounted them in the trunk -- half on the left and half on the right. I made 4 passes adjusting RPM to around 6000RPM, and all were within .03 of 11.00
In Maple Grove the weather was about 3900' -- and so the car unchanged from Bowling Green ran a much slower 11.170 -- almost 2/10s off. I unbolted the two half plates from the left side -- and the next three passes were 11.09, 11.05, 11.02. The next day the air was at 4200" and the car was 11.17 for two passes. I unbolted the 75 pounds on the right side and the car runs a 10.99.
So now that I've become a believer in moderating weight -- I noticed that all of the guys really running their number are religiously using a computer weather station like Pit Pro -- with the wind speed indicator -- and they're playing with weight right down to about 10 pounds.
My observances is that they bolt in plates for the big weight -- and have a box for loose (bags of shot) weight.
I need to come up with a plan. I thought you had to have weight bolted in with a pair of 1/2" Grade 8 bolts per 100 pounds -- but I see that that a lot of people are using barbell plates with one hole in the Center. When asked -- they say that it is legal and that NMCA has inspected and approved. I don't know how or where they're bolting it in.
The best set up for the heavy weights has a home built dumbell rack mounted in the trunk with 5-6 1/2" grade 8 bolts holding to the trunk floor. Dumbells are placed in the rack and a hold down bar across the handles of the dumbells held down with grade 8 bolts.
One driver had two 50 pound dumbells in the rack -- but says he's had as many as four 50 pounders and looks to have room for as many as 6-8 dumbless in the rack.
I'd sure like to see so photos of ideas and opinions.
Can bolted weight be added in the driver's compartment?
On the Vitamin C -- it is a whole different concept. The first time I drove the car was at Bradenton. No matter what I did with timing, shift RPMs, or lifting -- I couldn't get close to my number. I broke out all three times in qualifying.
For Bowling Green, I bought a pair of 12"X12"X2" steel plates (about 75 pounds each), sawed them in half, drilled a pair of 1/2" holes in each of the 4 half plates, painted them black, and mounted them in the trunk -- half on the left and half on the right. I made 4 passes adjusting RPM to around 6000RPM, and all were within .03 of 11.00
In Maple Grove the weather was about 3900' -- and so the car unchanged from Bowling Green ran a much slower 11.170 -- almost 2/10s off. I unbolted the two half plates from the left side -- and the next three passes were 11.09, 11.05, 11.02. The next day the air was at 4200" and the car was 11.17 for two passes. I unbolted the 75 pounds on the right side and the car runs a 10.99.
So now that I've become a believer in moderating weight -- I noticed that all of the guys really running their number are religiously using a computer weather station like Pit Pro -- with the wind speed indicator -- and they're playing with weight right down to about 10 pounds.
My observances is that they bolt in plates for the big weight -- and have a box for loose (bags of shot) weight.
I need to come up with a plan. I thought you had to have weight bolted in with a pair of 1/2" Grade 8 bolts per 100 pounds -- but I see that that a lot of people are using barbell plates with one hole in the Center. When asked -- they say that it is legal and that NMCA has inspected and approved. I don't know how or where they're bolting it in.
The best set up for the heavy weights has a home built dumbell rack mounted in the trunk with 5-6 1/2" grade 8 bolts holding to the trunk floor. Dumbells are placed in the rack and a hold down bar across the handles of the dumbells held down with grade 8 bolts.
One driver had two 50 pound dumbells in the rack -- but says he's had as many as four 50 pounders and looks to have room for as many as 6-8 dumbless in the rack.
I'd sure like to see so photos of ideas and opinions.
Can bolted weight be added in the driver's compartment?