RACE
REPORTS:
Lexus Real Deal Toyota Genuine Parts Hot Rod- WILLOWBANK RACEWAY
Saturday 4th February 2006
Sat our career best MPH and ET with a stunning 7.894 second pass at a great 169.689 MPH!
Well, what a surprising change to have a story without a trailer incident, well maybe one little trailer incident. We headed off Thursday night with a new crewman Dan the man from Biloela and after finally getting the truck back from the auto electricians, Special thanks to Peter & Raylene & Chris Thompson-Thompson's Auto Electrics who always manage to save our Auto Electrical Bacon. We did not leave Rockhampton until 9.00 p.m. We arrived at Maryborough at good old Uncle Neil's and had a couple of beers at two o'clock in the morning. Back on the road Friday moring after a wonderful breakfast from the best brother in law and sister in law you could ever hope for, who just happen to be conveniently located half way to Brisbane enabling us to leave after work Thursdays.
We rocked into Alan Ebdon's place at Caboolture to check on his progress and rehabilitation, shouted him a pie and then ventured down to the service division of Sci-fleet Toyota and Lexus at Kedron. David Durston has always been helpful in arranging for a loan Lexus or Toyota vehicle and this time it was one of the new SR5 Hilux dual cabs - quite an impressive vehicle and probably well suited for our use at the drags as it enables us to put the air tank and other crew members in the back. Just a great tow vehicle and our thanks once again to the Sci-fleet family for their continued support of the Lexus Real Deal Toyota Genuine Parts hot rod.
When we rocked up we had a bit of time up our sleeves so we decided to pull the race car out of the trailer, whack it up on the stands, put the oil heater on and as it was race ready we did a fire up for the complete service team members of the Kedron facility. The most enjoyable part was just to see the sheer look of amazement on the faces of all the apprentices, mechanics and personell. When I told them that that was the slowest it could run and it was idling, there was mobile phone camera's and video's going off everywhere. We blipped it to 5000 and another one to 7000 which bought the now PSI equipped hot rod to life. Well worth the effort and we hope to put on a similar display at the Lexus of Indooroopilly show room when we head down for the Tin Tops on Friday the 7th April.
After picking up our loan vehicle and reloading the trailer we had a nice cappuccino in the comfortable guest customer lounge before we headed off to Alan Woods Rebound Metal Products to check on the progress of the new trailer which has now grown in height to be 4 metres from the ground. We then took the transporter and race car out to Willowbank then we went back to the Archerfield Brisbane International Speedway and watched the first night of the Australian Sprint Car Titles.
Saturday we were a bit apprehensive at the first run with the PSI on board, left at an idle, clicked it off at the 1000 foot and we were absolutely delighted with an 8.29 pass at 155.289 MPH with a 60 foot time of 1.21 seconds. against our fellow team capricorn supercharged outlaws member Russell Mackay with his 63 split window corvette for the first time with a whipple supercharger on board the Sainty.
After that run with the data off the MPE computer and some educated guessing of plugs, we changed five jets and at 12.45 p.m. on Saturday we run our career best MPH and ET with a stunning 7.894 second pass at a great 169.689 MPH. The 60 foot had improved to a 1.185 and the 660 foot improved to a 5.047 against the previous runs 5.237. We were ecstatic to say the least.
In our next run the air had got even worst and we run an 8.02 second pass. We elected not to run the test session because the track temperature was so hot and the air was so lousy we just did not think it was worth while.
Our first round was against Daniel Reid - reigning track champion.Both cars left pretty well the same with a .509 for Daniel and a .531 for Nathan. The car was quicker at 60 foot and 330 on this run but according to the computer the fuel pressure dropped savagely which leaned the motor out and banged the blower. We broke all 8 studs but the puzzling part is it did not break either of the two burst panels. It stretched the Aerospec blower bag but everyone of the safety provisions that are incorporated in drag racing worked and no parts escaped. There was a small fire on board which was put out by the firies and all racers and spectators should remember that those volunteers are out there and they must absolutely cook in the sun trying to keep the place safe for the racers.
On that subject, drag racing has to be an entertainment spectacular and part of that comes back to presentation of your race car, your transporter and your pit area. We are there to put on a show for the paying public as well as some fun and part of this meeting involved Zachary lettering a couple of bright orange safety helmets with the first names of starter and assistant starter - Royce and Ralph. These two safety hats were presented to them prior to the first run and Royce's explanation was "what about some ballistic body armour as the hard hat would only protect them if the shrapnel falls down on top of their head".
We would like to thank all those people that helped us out on the weekend, especially to Dan and a special thanks to Vic Donis from Western Australia who is a tower of strength and a big help to us.
It appears at this stage that we have had a fuel pump malfunction as the computer tells us that the fuel pressure dropped dramatically which we would have expected to blow the burst panels before it lifted the supercharger but hind site is a wonderful thing.
Special thanks must also go to the supreme machinist Andrew Mueller who made the blower manifold. Thanks once again Andrew, we had an enjoyable breakfast with Christeen, Harrison and Sebastian. We headed off back to Rockhampton, stopping at Maryborough to unload the body where it has to be repaired and repainted from the Palmyra trailer crash.
Our next meeting (if everything turns out all right) will be at the Westernationals at Kwinana in Western Australia and we will have a new body and new paint scheme on board publicising the Real Deal Motor Sports Insurance Plan.
Regards
PETER PEIRANO
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