Event Coverage Official 2016 Meltdown Drags Thread - What are you doing to get ready?

My friggin' brother's wife grew up in BYRON! What are the odds? Looks like I'm staying at the old family farm house just north of town. If someone is looking for a room in Oregon, I have a 2 bed room booked at the Paddle Wheel Inn (3 nights, Thursday, Friday, Saturday). I will most likely be canceling the reservation in about 2 weeks??? PM me if interested. We could plan your call to the hotel, moments after mine. It was going to cost me $350 - massages cost extra, and they don't take Canadian money.

 

Just wanted to thank the guys from the Meltdown Drags that were at Rock Falls Raceway yesterday. You put on a great show and impressed a lot of fans and racers. Hope you can get this way again.

 

You might have to leave that with Marc & I!

 

I was thinkin' that!!!

 

Scott, worked on 55' after work the last 2 days. Got some HOT tuning tips from Jon Tomkins! So far so good, did my first dry pavement burnout tonight with the Weiand Tunnel Ram & MSD setup! Had to pinch myself, I'm so use to it falling on its face & bogging! I was like what the hell just happened! LMAO! Jon wants me to make some carb changes next, then go back in the distributor & make a change!
Had the drunk neighbor across the street tell me I'm freaking her out! The cars too loud & why do I have to rev it...! I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT THEN...!

 

Had a Great time, Saturday was Hot ( Just like the Meltdown last year ) perfect day for a Meltdown test & tune
Later did good in the King of the Hill, bracket trophy race.

Every one at the track treated us very well,and were very friendly.

Ill Be Back

Sunday did 4 rounds with the Meltdown guys, Rude Stude kicked my Ass

 

Here is a sneak peek of the ol digger should have it rolling by next Monday maybe sooner if all goes well meltdown here I come

 

Boy and I went to the nostalgia Nats in Eddyville IA last weekend. Little shit was the rock star of the track. By in large the youngest driver there. And all tho a bit biased had the coolest car too. Well we did have a good number of folks stop and talk about it!! His first time ever making passes on a drag strip. He did very good. Got better with each one. He squeezed out a 9:46et 1/8mile once. That was the quickest it's ever gone. He really worked hard on staging and getting a good light. Put him in the trophy class and he came home in the runner up spot.
He and the other much older driver in a 29 ford with a bbc and a blower agreed best 2 out of three. Wyatt had him beat in the first one. But went .001 to fast. 9.49 on a 9.50. Other guy went 7.01 on a 7.00. Shit..... Second round poor kid got a bit riled and red lit...... Not by much but went red.
The fun we had and all that he learned last weekend will last a lifetime. Look out meltdown!!!!! We can't wait to see all you kats it's going to be super bad ass!!!! My dad is coming along. That's 3 generations of Gammz. And my best friend and his brother too!!! It's going to be the best thing ever...... Next to women that put out anyways....... Wyatt said he's going to let grandpa give her a rip down the track. He's never been down a drag strip before. Of course he said I'm going with him!! See ya all in a month or so!!!
Until then how much Hamms do you think we should bring??

 

Small tire test did't go to well, made 2 runs Saturday then put big slicks back on.
The 60 ft time increased to 2.200s ( 2nd run spun about 100 ft out )

Ric , your right the motor did't like more r.p.m.s, the m.p.h. went down
( Lucky I did not change gears when rear end was out )

Put a white dot on each slick ( at the stem to see if they move with out screws )
They both moved ( tubeless ) both held air pressure lol

This is the worst one
Norb

 

Our slicks did the same thing at the Meltdown in 2014. We spent Saturday morning drilling through our magnesium 5 spokes so we could screw them to the slicks. I'm not gonna lie, that was a little painful.

 

They all do that. They turn a ways then usually stop. Depends on how much soap you had on the beads when u mounted them. My current combo I don't use screws. Others I have. It doesn't really hurt anything if they turn a little on the wheels. If it was a problem the tire and/or wheel mfg would be insisting you screwed them down. As far as I know I have never seen a warning label saying it needs to be done.

 

Instead of drilling and using screws alot of guys are using permatex high tack and gluing the tire to the wheel. Might be worth a try before you get your drill bits out. Just brush a nice coat on the wheel and limit how much lube you out on to mount the tire to not interfere.

Mine are glued with bead sealer for the main fact they are older steel wheels and trying to prevent leaks.

 

While you are talking slick's. Do I need a different style valve stem? I wasn't planning on tubes. Getting ready to mount mine on slots.

 

NHRA tracks require metal valve stems. Not sure if Byron is NHRA.

 

Thanks O'Reilly had them

 

Do I need to balance slick's?

 

Yes

 

Ya, but we run tubes, so tire movement and is a big no no for us!

 

Ahhh.. yes. Tubes are a different story. I should have been more clear. Tubeless is not necessary to screw them down. Tubes will turn with the tire and rip the valve stem out of the tube. Very bad.

 

If you don't Glue them or Screw them, I would wait and run them ( see if they shake )
let them take a set.

My balance job went out the window, when they moved.

 

That's a good point Norb.I hadn't even thought of that.
Most of my buddies swear by balancing them,but I've got one buddy who refuses to.

 

I do a crude bubble balance just to get them in the ballpark but honestly whether they are screwed or tubeless or whatever, the balance job is gone after the first burnout.

 

I haven't ever balanced my slicks and my car rides perfect at 140+. haven't had a shake ever and it's went 146mph in the quarter.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I was kind of worried about the weights flying off. I mounted and glued my slicks last night. Now to figure out my lean issue,and I think it should be ready.

 

Here is a newbie to the sport question...should we be doing a burn out? We are running regular street tires on Carly's car and I am not sure if it is nessesary. When we were at the hunnert car we did NOT do burn outs.

 

I wouldn't...Byron is usually sticky anyway.

 

Too late now but was going to say putting a few coats of dawn dish soap on the inside really slowed down the leaks on my slicks, no tubes.

Came out to the car one day and had a soap bubble on the sidewall where it seeped thru lol.

 

I should try the dish soap that's the biggest trouble with my mickey Thompson slicks they go flat all the time. The Hoosiers I bought for my ford never go flat so I think the next set I buy for my coupe will be Hoosiers also.

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Greg Porter went 8.94 @ 151 mph at Bowling Green today.., I'm speechless, and that's saying something! Pretty bad ass!

 

That is serious steam considering the tire he is running and the car aero similar to a concrete block.