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Well I had a 3
pull weekend lined up but only went to two of them. I passed on the Friday
night pull and geared up for Saturday and Sunday..
Saturday Night Pull ... Denmark WI .. One of the best tracks here in the
Northeast WI.. We had Scattered Thunder storms all day Saturday .. But the
track workers where on top there game .. They had the track all worked up
on Thursday and then covered it up with plastic sheets and waited for show
time to uncover it .... Have you ever seen Clay that you feet stick to it
.. Not it sticks too your feet... You couldn't even try to drag your
feet.. it was that sticky...
OK I had a game plan all figured out for ShaZam and then the eliminator
showed up, the one I thought was going to be there wasn't this one.. It
was one I never pulled against, and I couldn't get a good read from anyone
that had pulled it before... All they said was ya it pulls easy but they
made changes on it over the winter..
So I picked a Safe gear for ShaZam and stood pat..
Oh ya and Saturday I got to Run my buddies Truck Bad to the Bone also ..
He had to go camping with the wife..
He put his gear in before He left on Friday and told me to Roll it out
about 5 feet then matte it and hang on till it stops..
So I went too sign in and drew 13 for Bad to the Bone and 20 for ShaZam
..Which worked out too 11 and 17 on the Order sheet ..
So when it was time I pulled Bad to the Bone on too the track and backed
up too the sled and as I pulled up the slack in the chain. What Bruce told
me kept repeating in my head.
" Roll it out about 5 feet then matte it and hang on till it stops..
Roll it out about 5 feet then matte it and hang on till it stops.."
Well Bad to the Bone has a Crower Glider clutch, which means you don't
have too use the clutch peddle .. But all thur the pits and in staging I
had to rev the motor too 3500 Rpm's to get it too move ..
Well as soon as I hooked to the sled it was a different story it seemed .
So I'm hooked to the sled took up the slack and Put in neutral to clean
the motor some ..Slipped it back in to forward and started to bring the
R's up ...
Well Bad to the Bone is starting to leave the line at 2800 Rpm's, So I
rolled it out 5' and Matted it ....
And it didn't come up like it should have. Booowwwwaaa
At the 150' it was turning 4500 and working it way up and then at the 200'
mark it finally took off and hit 6800 and held there to the 306.5' mark
where 310' was a full pull mark and the first place Truck was @ 308.5' at
that time.
Bad to the bone was 2nd coming off the track with 9 trucks And ShaZam to
go.
So I took some time to get my thoughts together after the pulling Bad to
the Bone .. I have too tall of a gear in ShaZam I'm thinking to myself,
But I did this before and kicked my self for changing it at Gillett.. So
Nope I leaving it alone.. Then Running in the Red came up to the line, As
he was leaving it stumbled a little and then it was like he kick it in the
A$$ and pulled it out the end too 316.1' mark.. So OK Bad to the Bone is
now 3rd And then 2 trucks later Coyote Cool goes 307.10' and now Bad to
the Bone is 4th...
As I pulled ShaZam on to the track All I knew was I had to get on it quick
and hope to ride it out past 310' mark to get into a pull off..
As I Pulled up the slack in the chain I Bumped it into neutral Cleared the
motor a little and Slid my C6 into go then into go fast and finally into
go really fast gear.
Step on the go fast peddle and off the line she came a lot easier then
before and I watched the tach go up and up By the 150' mark I was turning
6900 and it held there the rest of the way down the track and ShaZam
stopped at the 306.3' mark. Bummer Well OK I'm sitting in 5th 2"
behind Bad to the Bone.... And 3 trucks left to pull ....
When it was all over I finished 4th and 5th for the night out of 21 trucks
and felt I did really good.. I've only pulled on this track twice before
and broke both times... Videos
too follow Soon ...
Sunday Shakey Lakes Aka the Sand Pit...
Oh how I dread pulling there ... Last 6 years I either finished last,
broke or blew up at this pull... My wife says I should skip this one.. But
I'm sitting 3rd in points in both classes and It's really hard to make up
the 30 points for not going..
So I'm sitting there with the 950 gear still in ShaZam from Denmark.. I
was talking with my Dad and said maybe I'll just leave it in there and
play with the gas pedal to maintain Rpm's...
But I was watching the classes before mine and the track was really
responding well to wheel speed today.. So I went to my logbook too see
what gear I ran At the Woody National
I ran the 1200 gear there .. So in went the 1200 gear .. Now @ 8000 Rpm's
I'll have a wheel speed of 41.287 Mph.
I was the 3rd puller out of 8 trucks in Super Stock
As I was leaving the line I eased it out too the first set of cones, then
put the go fast peddle to the floor and we where off too the races, And
ShaZam came to a Stop Throwing 40' Sand Rooster with a distance of 249.5'
on a 250' track sitting in first place with 5 trucks to go. When the class
was over ShaZam was still in 1St place. Hot Dame Where doing good today ..
So changed over to the Mod tires for the next class and put ShaZam in
line... I was the last puller in this class, So I had to sit and watch
everyone go down the track which is a good and bad thing....
I'm seeing where they all go down the track And it's getting to be a one
rut track, And it's getting worse as the pull goes on with these bar tires
really digging the ruts.
So now the set up of this story..
My other buddy Dean Wagner how drives Burnin Desirer was the 3rd puller in
this class and was still sitting in 1st place. When he stooped at the end
of the track the last set of cones on the track where in the middle of his
door..
So that was my target, Nothing else matter.
So it's finally my turn and as I pull onto the track the eliminator got
pulled back funny .. it was all the way to one side of the track ... Them
boys thought they where doing me a favor by giving me a clear track to run
on instead of the ruts that where there..
But I knew the traction was where the ruts where cause the sand was wetter
there, And one thing I did learn this year was Wet Sandy tracks make more
grip..
So I eased it off the line and really babied it past the first set of
cones trying to get into the ruts.. And just as the tires fell into the
ruts I nailed it to the floor And the roosters where flying again.
Mean while my buddy Dean is standing on the side of the track thinking I
waited too long to get on it and there was no way I could get him...
Well as I was picking up speed the flag man dame near fell when he tripped
over the double cones on the end of the track, but I watch those two cones
as they went by my drivers door and then to the back of the cab ... Far
enough and down too the hubs I went throwing at least 50' Rooster this
time.
Those tires hooked so hard when I dropped into the ruts the sled operator
told me afterwards he dame near got thrown off the sled.. He said thanks
for the hell ride man ...
So ShaZam finished 1st in Mod with a 260.7' Run...
After 7 years of Pulling ShaZam is starting to come into her own..
Oh and for those wondering just how the 1200 gear worked for the day .
Super Stock 35" tires 7800/8000 Rpm's = 41.287 Mph.
Modified 34" tires 7500/7700 Rpm's = 38.608 Mph.
ShaZam
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