Event Coverage Meltdown Drags -VINTAGE DRAG Meet- at Byron Dragway-July 31st

Ryan and I have been friend for awhile now and he knows that Ive been around racing, nostalgia racing and hot rods all my life. It every thing to me for the most part its my life. Ive built alot of cars and have a good eye for safty and whats right and wrong. I talked to Ryan tonight and asked if he needed help with this show. He told me he could use a good tech guy to help Ray at the track asked if I was interested. I told Ryan I would do what ever I could to help get the cars down the track. First thing is first PLEASE have up dated belts in your car that is a must! Ill help do what I can to make sure you get to run your car if you bring it. If your car is out date you may have to make 1/8th mile passes. We will determine that on inspection of your car.

 

Awesome, nothing wrong with an 1/8th mile pass....I am hearing there may be 2 wicked fast cars doing 1/8th mile match races anyway.....COOL!!

 

I talked to some of the Blacktop Barons and they're planning on racing

 

Not too long ago I purchased this 61 Corvette. It was built by Larry Teter in the late 60s and according to Larry's daughter was built for Lou Price. Other than that she knows really nothing of the car and she says that her dad built a number of cars. It has a tube chassis with straight axle and Pontiac rear. It ran a big block with a 4 speed and as I understand ran at Byron and then later at Gainesville although I am not sure which class(es) it ran. The rear tires on the car are obviously not correct.

If any of you run across a picture or two of a chopped top 61 Vette that ran at Byron or any other local tracks I would surely appreciate it. If you know of any good sources for Byron photos that would be helpful as well. I am working on another old drag racer with little history and history would sure make these builds a bit more pleasurable.

Hopefully you guys will have a good turnout for your event. I will be looking for your posts-Jim

 

btt

 

Wow that corvette is way cool! It would good next to the Fiat!

 

Confirmation from another 55 gasser for the event....I am thinking there will be 12-20 55- 57 chevy Gassers / Modified Production cars coming

 

Are you guys going to have set times of the day for vintage runs (like we did at the first Heads Up), or will all the vintage car runs be mixed in with whoever shows up?

 

Hellfish, Eric and I are working on fine tuning the agenda. Which each driver will get a copy of at the gate.

We will have a couple guys to help keep staging lanes organized. After a certain time of the day we only want match racing. Test passes will be earlier in the day.

There will be a huge board at the base of the Tower. When a driver makes his test pass, he writes on the board his name, vehicle, and E.T.

Drivers are responsible for matching up their races. They will have to find a drag car on the board that they want to run against that has a close E.T.

There are a lot of guys who already know who they are going to race, But for those that don't know, the board is there.

When a driver finds a match and works it out in the pits, they will need to pull up to the staging lanes together

 

I just hope I don't have to race that crooked cop from Chicago. I think his name is Mike. He has some old junky 56 Chevy. Damn thing is so poorly built that the front wheels won't even stay on the ground.

Scarey guy, scarey car.

 

Bob...LOL again I am actually laughing outloud.

Ryan is correct. We will have 4-5 groups depending on the amount of cars that show.. THe obvious ones are Gassers, Superstocks, Dragsters/Alterds,
And a Hot Rod class, possibly a 2nd street class...depending on how many cars show.

We have it listed on the Agenda 10am -12:30am test & tune....this is a good time for friends of racers to watch the competition and look for an equal race...
( OR the best visual pairs) ex ( 63 biscayne vs 64 Belvidere) The dry erase board can also help....this will be explained at the drivers meeting, we are encouraging guys to meet new people and get to know one another....searching for a good match race is a great way.
We are hoping for about a 1/2 second index for pairs of cars. There may be some way off...becasue just like the heyday of Class racing eventually there were not enough cars for actual classes.

I would suggest if your coming with some friends and several of you are racing, then pair up, or have a backup plan if you cannot find a good match, but I think you will be able to. I have confirmation from racers in Minnesota, Ohio, and Indianna....the only state nearby we have not heard from is Iowa...

So once the event starts you should see several dozen hot rods, then move onto the next class of cars....so there is some visual appeal.

And will make for a cool video to watch this winter!

 

Paul....you got the Fiat tuned...I hear that flathead is making some power and there is a pic of your fiat on the side of it in a circle with a line thru it....

 

Ryan that sounds like a good set up you and Eric are making. I like the races better when they are door handle to door handle.

If you Racers have any Tech questions you can pm me and Ill get you a answer asap.

PLEASE no scary shit with cars I dont want to turn any racers away. We'll do the best we can to lend a hand to racers to keep there cars up and going. If you need a part at the track just let one us know so we can have the tower ask over the pa system for you.

 

James,

Can you specify for everyone on the Belts? At what speeds is it necessary for updated belts? 10.99 ?

 

Also, are helmets really required for slower cars? I hate to ask it, but what about rubber fuel lines? The reason I ask is I have a lot of junctions where I needed to use rubber and it ended up being a lot more than 12". Correctable, but it will take me awhile.

It sounds like you guys are running the show similar to the way we did it at the first Heads Up. We had to share the track, but ended up dominating it. We had more vintage cars there racing than the other 2 groups that day! I hope you guys have the same experience.

 

this event will be for vintage "race" cars. I expect Eric and Ryan will be pretty selective about what runs. It won't be age only that determines what gets to run. The objective is to recreate a day of racing just like it was back in the day.

That would be a totally different style of event from the Hunnert Car Heads Up.

 

"And will make for a cool video to watch this winter!"

..is anyone (coolstuff?) videoing this event?...I'm sure everyone will want a DVD of this event.

 

I heard that a blown flathead can make almost 350 horse!

 

So it sounds like the modern day bracket racers won't be tuning that day. That's cool.

 

We would like to hope not. But like what has been said above, we were not allowed a closed track for the first year. The Test and Tune is still open for anybody, so who knows what may be running. The Meltdown has its own lanes, so all that other stuff will be separated from our cars. I'm expecting there will be pro street cars and muscle cars that show up to run in our event and when those cars get turned away from our event, they will just run in the Test and Tune lanes.

Here is the bright side. The Byron track is very good about running cars through quickly when they want to. They tend to favor whoever has taken over the track for that day.

So this year we need the support of the hot rod community. If there is a good turn out, we will rule the track. Also, if there is a good turn out, we stand a chance of swinging a closed track for next year to make this event even better. Considering this is the first time Eric and I have ever tried something like this, we aren't totally sure what to expect. We originally were shooting to have 20 good race cars running, but with the way guys have been getting back to us and the way the interest has grown, there could easily be twice that or more.

The numbers of spectators and show cars will most likely determine a lot. For the most part, Byron is a racers track. On very few occasions is it packed with spectators. So if the stands are full, or even moderately full, and there is a field of show cars, then the track owners will finally realize how important an event like this is to a lot of people.

 

Well said Ryan. Yes there will be a dvd later....cannot recall the guys name. I am sure they will sell like hotcakes, there is definately alot of neat stuff coming.......Zettle Bros I for 1 am looking forward to seeing your GTO...I have not seen it in a long time. I mentioned to a few people it was going to make an appearance and they went wild.

As Ryan said...originally we were shooting for 20 cool vintage race cars...well, we surpassed that a long time ago. I am excited to see what shows up...I am sure there will be some surprises.....

E

 

So it's more of a pro race? You should contact the Midwest Gassers. They'll probably show and race, but you'll have to pay them... and they'll only race each other, and probably not at full power... but it will boost your cool car numbers.

 

This isn't a "pro race", rather a "vintage race". If your car mimics a race car from "the day", then be there or be square.

I am a Midwest Gasser. The coordinator has been notified. I think all the guys run at full power when they race. I believe the guys are open to racing anybody of a similar performance level. I don't know why you made those statements. I don't expect too many to show. Some just aren't "vintage" enough and they know it, but won't admit it. Some only want to run when they get paid.

But a few of us love to race and put on a good show whenever we can.

Especially when we are paired up with some old worn out Chevrolet driven by one of Chicago's finest. Think about that...Mike is considered one of the finest!!! What does that make the rest of them?

 

NO..not a pro race. No one said that. What Bob meant was, the groups of cars will be more grouped together. As at all vintage drag meets in the 50's & 60's there was a wide array of cars...from primered roadsters and coupes, to late 40's and early 50's Olds & Pontiacs. Gassers, Modified Production cars, drasters, superstocks, Altereds, and exhibition vehicles. THAT is what we want....a re-creation as close as possible.

If MWG want to come it will be for them to have fun not for $, to have fun and help re-create....but pre-66 period correct cars only.

 

HF.....we all came and supported the Heads Up and loved it....we would appreciate your continued support and you know you have ours... next year... and are telling everyone we know to help support these tyes of events.
If you are unclear of something you can always PM one of us. Without offending anyone.

E

 

Bob....anyone contact Firesuit Phil....? If you PM me his personal info I will call him.

E

 

Indian Uprising is having there All Pontiac drags on the 31st There should be some neat Ponchos, But I know of one Pontiac powered dragster that will be there for the Meltdown.

 

Pete that is great news! I have been waiting a long time to see you make a full pass. And as always, it is good to see your smiling face.

Regarding Firesuit...I don't have his info, but he is a member of the Gasser Geezers, so perhaps he will hear of the event. His info may be on their website. He is from Kenosha.

 

Bob make sure you save me a spot near you

 

If your running 13.99 or faster in a closed cockpit car you must wear a helmet. If you have a open cockpit ride at any speed you must wear a helmet. If you have a open cockpit car a full face helmet is a must. If you do not have a helmet Byron has some they rent out at a cheap price. Rubber fuel line it says 12" max in any one section. If your car is running 10.99 and faster Please have up dated belts.

If you want to race bring your car and we'll see what we can do to help you get through tech. The track wants you to race your car as well as we do.