Cruisin Magazine Nostalgias August 2016

Round 2 of the Nostalgia series was held on Sunday 14th at Willowbank, Queensland. After the usual uneventful 10 hour drive up there split up over 2 days, it was time to race. Did I mention the rear door on our recently acquired enclosed trailer coming open while travelling up the highway? Nothing lost out the back luckily as everything was tied in. What about the flat tyre later in the day at the motel. Perished valve stem from old age. Put the spare on, away we go.
Happened to look at the trailer tyres while at the drag strip. The front tyre had a groove of tread missing so I thought the tyre was disintegrating which meant a slow trip back to our accommodation at Warwick, 1 hour 10 minute trip became nearly 2 hours. Spare already on trailer. Told you it was uneventful.
Back to the racing.
Once again only 3 HAMBsters turned up. The same 3 that raced back in February. John was there, with Brendon doing driving duties in the other. John had coolant overflow problems during his first run as he hadn't drained the catch can from the previous race meeting. Brendon ran a 13.2 off the trailer and sounded good. I had the solo and ran 14.4.
Second run I ran against Brendon, did a .02 reaction and stuffed it up by missing second gear. John got the bye run. I pulled up at the end of the return road to make sure John didn't need a tow back to the pits like his previous run and Brendon pulled up, his motor stalled and on restarting had flames out the exhaust and carbies. His day was done with a tooth sheared off the cam drive. Went and got the tow car, back to the pits for him.
Third run was me and John. We both got away good with me slightly in front but then John dropped away. Broken linkage plate which wouldn't let him get third. Get the tow car, back to the pits. He tried to do a hasty repair but when staging for his next run he couldn't get any gears at all. His day was done.
Now here in Australia we have a saying. "He did a Steven Bradbury". Steven was a competitor in the 2002 Winter Olympics Speed skating. He took out the Gold medal because everyone else crashed out. So it was for me. I was the only one left standing. It's not the way I like to win but it happens.

 

I'll put up some videos now including 1 of Nigel's Husky running against a Chev powered Valiant.



I hope OBFB doesn't mind.

 

Excellent event and great to meet you Pete, renewed my enthusiasm for getting stuck into my car, got home to the coast late Sunday night with Rear tub and cowl and managed to sell some of my unwanted parts in the deal!
-Pete.

P.S I have a bit of phone footage of the event if you are interested, only captured one of your runs (I think it was the run where you won with a 14.41(?) at 91 (or similar).

 

Nice vids again. The car sounds great, expect you'll get the launch down before long.

We've had a few meets where only two of us made it for our HAMBie runs, and other than Eagle Field there're usually only three of us all told. So now that I'm the underdog, looks like I'll be getting whipped twice everywhere. Won't stop me having my go though.

 

Thanks Dick. I must admit that I kept the launch revs down a bit this time as in the last couple of runs in Sydney I've broken a diff and a uni joint. I also changed the diff back to the 3.08 ratio from the 3.36 I had in it when I lifted the front wheels so it's a bit tardier off the mark but gets going reasonably well. I can also run more consistent times with that ratio.

 

Pete, it was good to catch up with you too. Try to get it done for the Nostalgias in February next year so I have someone to race besides those unreliable Slant Sixes .

 

Here's another one of me and John before his gearshift woes.


Same run, different cameras.

 

This is how you keep on the good side of the crew chief/wife. Had to stay somewhere in between races up in Queensland. Yes, this is Winter in Australia. Sorry about the crappy sound, bit of breeze on the 15th floor.

 

Looks like a SMALL crowd there, most people think it is a waste of a day. too many other events on

 

Conifers on the beach. Now, I could live there.

Well, gears're what we love. Puts a bit more of the driver back in the racing, fer better're fer werser.

 

I sure enjoy your videos. The car looks and sounds good. Too bad more of your mates don't come out.

 

Yes it is a shame but not everyone can afford to do it. I sold my old car trailer to help fund the trip but then it included a stay in Queensland between the Nostalgias and the Six Bangers in early September.
When it came time for the trophy presentation I was told there was none for HAMBsters because not enough finished the day. The trophy doesn't matter but we didn't even get an acknowledgement of being there.

 

I've just remembered. John had to pull out because his harmonic balancer started to come apart, just to add to his woes.

 

Thanks for the vid Pete. My day didn't go well, darn fuel issues. But hey that's racing.