| Technical |
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The only reason I never attempted running AA/FC was the cost of those temperamental motors. Okay,
that and the fact I had no idea what I was doing. The development cost of the current Neo Lexan car
has been a bit steep but I've just considered it the cost of my education. Sort of like paying for college.
While the cost of the program to date has been about the cost of a couple of sets of G-7 magnets, I
now have a recipe that I can duplicate much more economically. That is of course if I don't count the
cost of some of the equipment like the dyno and the lab grade magnet meter.
A bit of history may be amusing to you guys. I got out of the hobby August 1991 and re-entered it March
9, 2008. 17 years left a huge hole in my program. Tech had passed me by. My equipment was old. I
had aged and my skills diminished. When I left I had exactly one car that would run sub 1.** and just
barely. I had seen but one strap powered car make exactly one pass. It was awesome and it hooked
me. I broke out my one remaining car, knocked the dust of it and made a pass. 2.331 seconds at
25.06 mph. I could almost walk the track quicker. Fresh tires and a few tweaks and managed a 1.424
at 35.76 MPH....then crashed totaling the car. Bought an Edge and out of the box is was quicker...1.4
at 38 MPH. Took me until May 31, 2008 to break the second barrier and several cars and motors to do
it. That car carried my first 30 turn six mag motor. Same one that would eventually run a best of .752 a
year later. I had much to learn about chassis, tire, track prep and gearing, much less the effect of
weight and aero packages. You just couldn't go faster by simply throwing more horsepower at it.
By late July, and having settled on a dragster platform we were down in the mid 8's at 70 mph. It took
until August and five different chassis to get to break into the 7's and break 85 MPH. February 2009
we maxed out the package at .752 with the 30/26 motor at Marion Indiana. In April, at the same track
and with a new armature, 30/25 and a better set of tires we made it to .715 at 92 MPH. The car was
then retired and a new dragster built which to this day has not seen a pass on the quarter some 15
months later. The new Neo Lexan car is my fist trek into the 6's and I've learned ALLOT!!! .680 @ 81
MPH.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I'VE LEARNED HASN'T ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH MOTORS,
CHASSIS OR TIRE SCIENCE. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS...THE ONES YOU BUILD
ALONG YOUR JOURNEY. NOT A STITCH OF MY PROGRESS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE
WITHOUT THE PEOPLE I'VE MET, THE THINGS THEY'VE SHARED AND AT TIMES, SAD TO SAY, THE
ARGUMENTS WE'VE HAD. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, THANKS TOO:
Rodger and Laura Schmitt, Mid-America Raceway, Downers Grove, Illinois (Race place, chassis
building skills)
Larry Reaver and Mike Dennis, Penrose Raceway, Sterling Illinois (Race place, chassis set up)
Dallas and Carol Booth, SlotWorld, Marion Indiana (Awesome race place, track prep and major
encouragement, theory)
Monty Ohren, Bill, Best O' the West (The very hart of my S16D/C program)
Dan Debella and Joe Chiechi III, ProSlot (Joe always knew when to tell me NO and when to say yes to
the next motor step, Dyno operations and interpretation)
Stuart Koford, Koford Engineering ( Engineering mentor, magnets and equipment)
Paul, Alpha (armature reworK and refinement, special operations, hard to find parts, top notch
equipment)
Denny Kershner (Tires, hubs and guidance)
Joe Cardoza, JDS (need I say more, chassis man deluxe)
George Greeby (this guy sent the program into orbit at a whole different level, chassis design and
aero packages, crew chief)
Fred Barthelemy (explained what George was trying to teach me LOL)
Bill Duelly, BAD Racing (one off tooling)
Dave Mountz (Chassis Jigs and set up)
Dave Phaff (Intro. to Neo motor building and basics of the class, answers with a phone call or an
email)
Chris Banks (Got me started again)
WillyG, Gary Lum, Steve B (Tune ups and assorted refinements, hours on the phone spent sorting
details)
Robert K (Donated strap parts to give me ideas and insights and actually made the early steps
affordable by steering me clear of bad ideas. The thunder from down under)
Dave D. Club 400 ( This is the guy that keeps it all in perspective by challenging your ideas and
making you aware that to get better you have to be better than the advice you get and the experience
you have. Sort of the glue that holds all of the above together. Has a special knack for getting you
un-stuck when your just so absolutely sure of yourself....and you aren't...my get over yourself, admit
your wrong and move on guy. Sorry we got off to such a rough start but well worth the beating.)
Carl Rodekamp (local track guy who spends hours, after hours in test and tune on MY equipment.
Carl is the one that when you feel defeated and are ready to quit won't let you until you get it right or at
least learn what you came to learn.I think he want me to succeed more than I do. )
Last on the list is Shirley Muldowney. In a chance meeting after here horrific crash in 84 we met at
Bonneville Raceway. She was sitting on the tailgate of her pickup with those awful rods sticking out
her leg. She offered me a spot on that tailgate and over the next hour or so explained to me what it
was like to swim against the current...the work that was involved and the disappointments one would
face. More importantly, how to handle them. I have no idea why she felt compelled to spend that much
time with a stranger but I am eternally grateful.
that and the fact I had no idea what I was doing. The development cost of the current Neo Lexan car
has been a bit steep but I've just considered it the cost of my education. Sort of like paying for college.
While the cost of the program to date has been about the cost of a couple of sets of G-7 magnets, I
now have a recipe that I can duplicate much more economically. That is of course if I don't count the
cost of some of the equipment like the dyno and the lab grade magnet meter.
A bit of history may be amusing to you guys. I got out of the hobby August 1991 and re-entered it March
9, 2008. 17 years left a huge hole in my program. Tech had passed me by. My equipment was old. I
had aged and my skills diminished. When I left I had exactly one car that would run sub 1.** and just
barely. I had seen but one strap powered car make exactly one pass. It was awesome and it hooked
me. I broke out my one remaining car, knocked the dust of it and made a pass. 2.331 seconds at
25.06 mph. I could almost walk the track quicker. Fresh tires and a few tweaks and managed a 1.424
at 35.76 MPH....then crashed totaling the car. Bought an Edge and out of the box is was quicker...1.4
at 38 MPH. Took me until May 31, 2008 to break the second barrier and several cars and motors to do
it. That car carried my first 30 turn six mag motor. Same one that would eventually run a best of .752 a
year later. I had much to learn about chassis, tire, track prep and gearing, much less the effect of
weight and aero packages. You just couldn't go faster by simply throwing more horsepower at it.
By late July, and having settled on a dragster platform we were down in the mid 8's at 70 mph. It took
until August and five different chassis to get to break into the 7's and break 85 MPH. February 2009
we maxed out the package at .752 with the 30/26 motor at Marion Indiana. In April, at the same track
and with a new armature, 30/25 and a better set of tires we made it to .715 at 92 MPH. The car was
then retired and a new dragster built which to this day has not seen a pass on the quarter some 15
months later. The new Neo Lexan car is my fist trek into the 6's and I've learned ALLOT!!! .680 @ 81
MPH.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I'VE LEARNED HASN'T ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH MOTORS,
CHASSIS OR TIRE SCIENCE. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS...THE ONES YOU BUILD
ALONG YOUR JOURNEY. NOT A STITCH OF MY PROGRESS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE
WITHOUT THE PEOPLE I'VE MET, THE THINGS THEY'VE SHARED AND AT TIMES, SAD TO SAY, THE
ARGUMENTS WE'VE HAD. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, THANKS TOO:
Rodger and Laura Schmitt, Mid-America Raceway, Downers Grove, Illinois (Race place, chassis
building skills)
Larry Reaver and Mike Dennis, Penrose Raceway, Sterling Illinois (Race place, chassis set up)
Dallas and Carol Booth, SlotWorld, Marion Indiana (Awesome race place, track prep and major
encouragement, theory)
Monty Ohren, Bill, Best O' the West (The very hart of my S16D/C program)
Dan Debella and Joe Chiechi III, ProSlot (Joe always knew when to tell me NO and when to say yes to
the next motor step, Dyno operations and interpretation)
Stuart Koford, Koford Engineering ( Engineering mentor, magnets and equipment)
Paul, Alpha (armature reworK and refinement, special operations, hard to find parts, top notch
equipment)
Denny Kershner (Tires, hubs and guidance)
Joe Cardoza, JDS (need I say more, chassis man deluxe)
George Greeby (this guy sent the program into orbit at a whole different level, chassis design and
aero packages, crew chief)
Fred Barthelemy (explained what George was trying to teach me LOL)
Bill Duelly, BAD Racing (one off tooling)
Dave Mountz (Chassis Jigs and set up)
Dave Phaff (Intro. to Neo motor building and basics of the class, answers with a phone call or an
email)
Chris Banks (Got me started again)
WillyG, Gary Lum, Steve B (Tune ups and assorted refinements, hours on the phone spent sorting
details)
Robert K (Donated strap parts to give me ideas and insights and actually made the early steps
affordable by steering me clear of bad ideas. The thunder from down under)
Dave D. Club 400 ( This is the guy that keeps it all in perspective by challenging your ideas and
making you aware that to get better you have to be better than the advice you get and the experience
you have. Sort of the glue that holds all of the above together. Has a special knack for getting you
un-stuck when your just so absolutely sure of yourself....and you aren't...my get over yourself, admit
your wrong and move on guy. Sorry we got off to such a rough start but well worth the beating.)
Carl Rodekamp (local track guy who spends hours, after hours in test and tune on MY equipment.
Carl is the one that when you feel defeated and are ready to quit won't let you until you get it right or at
least learn what you came to learn.I think he want me to succeed more than I do. )
Last on the list is Shirley Muldowney. In a chance meeting after here horrific crash in 84 we met at
Bonneville Raceway. She was sitting on the tailgate of her pickup with those awful rods sticking out
her leg. She offered me a spot on that tailgate and over the next hour or so explained to me what it
was like to swim against the current...the work that was involved and the disappointments one would
face. More importantly, how to handle them. I have no idea why she felt compelled to spend that much
time with a stranger but I am eternally grateful.
A break to give a word of thanks to all who have helped
get us where we are. Regular readers on Bracket 500 have
already seen this but not all our readers visit that site.
get us where we are. Regular readers on Bracket 500 have
already seen this but not all our readers visit that site.