No, I don't mean Fast and Furious racing from the hotel to the track. Every year, FlamedAbone challenges anyone who drives their car from wherever they live to Joplin to race. He offers to spot them one car length. Driving your hot rod to Joplin, running it hard, and driving home, really separates the men from the boys. (and ladies from the girls?) I think it's time to take it a step further and make it an official title. So who is driving their hot rod to the HAMB Drag Nationals 2009 to give FlamedAbone, Kerry etc. a run for the title of Fastest Car Driven to the HAMB Drags? What are you bringing? How far is your trip? If there is enough interest in this, the Yay-Hoos may have something for the winner. We're in the process of working out the details so we wanted to get a feel for participation. (Ryan has given us the green light)
I'm gonna dissapoint you guys and not drive the coupe to the drags this year. That is as long as I get the digger finished, and I certainly intend to. It'll be the first HAMB drags that the coupe will miss. Heavy sigh. Regardless the guantlet is down fellows. Get after it, put your best tune up on your car and start smack talking!
I'll be following this one closely. Maybe I'll make the winner famous. Would LOVE to contend for this title myself(!), but just can't figure how to finance the trip. Also, I doubt that my 8" 5800 stall converter would be happy on a 1500 mile (1 way) freeway blast... Scotty
God... Depressing... The first two HAMB Drags, I drove my '38 from KC. Not a long drive, but proving... And that car was the fastest in the Gas Coupe class by a pretty good margin. I thought I was pretty hot shit. These days? I don't stand a chance... I mean, my '38 is a good second off the pace now. That's a sign of some really smart folks and determination.
You were pretty motivational for me Ryan. I was struggling in the low to mid 14's that first year. There were a lot more customs than hot rods but your 38 sure stood out as one. I love that car. You gave me a target to start gunning for. ;-) Then there's your Dad's car. That was a dose of reality.
How sad is it when your support vehicle is faster than your purpose built drag sled? Nearly two years ago My friend Chris and I built a sixties styled Triumph drag bike, could not get it to shift under load and was cruising around in the 20s. I am twisting Chris' arm to bring it out again, again in the back of my truck. This would put me into a whole other class, fastest long distance support vehicle!
We drove the 51 Chevy truck last year, stopped at the swapmeet in Srpingfield, loaded it with shit and kept on going to Joplin. We got to the track unloaded it and ran all day. Had a great time. Loaded it back up and drove it home. It is about 300 miles one way. Doing it agian this year... can't wait!
It is hard to belive how much faster everyone is after 6 years. There are guys that have clipped two or three seconds off thier ET. That's what it is all about, I guess...You gotta go faster. The trick is still being able to drive home.... Kerry, I'll miss your little hemi car this year. I REEEALLY wanted to see you in the 11s. Also, I think ElP might have a little something for us this year.... See you in August, -Abone. (11.49@ 121.5mph)
Shoot, Flamedabone I'd really like to see my little 265 in the 11's. The closest I got was 12.10 @109. It never even left the garage last year.
Yes, A clutch with two discs in it! I don't think my Centerforce Dual Friction was up to the task last year.
Yep, I raced Kenny's green '51 truck like 4 times (leaned out @ 100ft and lost every time) and drove back the 300+ miles. Had a good time. Even with more prep time and getting some major problems solved running the times Kerry's car runs would be imposable unless my car lost 1000lbs. and gained about 250-300 hp, that car flies. Marty McF.
The Yay-Hoo Cup is Go!!! If you are driving your car from wherever you live to race at the HAMB Drag Nationals, the Yay-Hoos wanna know about it! Stop by Yay-Hoo-ville at the track on Saturday and let us know where you drove from and what you are racing. We will be keeping a list of all of the hardcore's that drive 'em there to race 'em and drive them home. We'd love to have as big a list as possible for the first year's "Contenders for the Cup". Even if you will be running 19's, or higher all day, if you drove it to race then we want to know! Yay-Hoo-ville will be just past the grandstand on the pit side. Just look for a blue popup, a '58 Panel, green '31 coupe, black '31 coupe, a gray '30 Sedan, and a bunch of Yay-Hoos!
I want to go on record endorsing Buzzard and the Yay-Hoo's for encouraging racers to drive their junk!
'Buzzard', your sweetening the pot, damn you. Does it count towards distance if I hit Lake Michigan first?
Well Abone, wssing out on the digger for this year so I'll drive coupe down again. I'm gonna sorta wuss out on that to and leave the slicks at home too. I'll still run ya though.
That sounds like fun... But I started a New Business and it is taking all my time... doubtful I'll make it this year! Last year I drove 650 miles to Mokan and all I could do was a smokey 12.27 at 117! With slightly better traction at the home track... I was able to muster up a 11.70 at 123 mph...! Was Kerry running street slicks?
I had some nearly worn out radial slicks. Not the street ones. I was fighting an ignition gremlin last year till the water pump shaft broke and it all got shoved through the radiator. :-/ I'm not dragging the slicks down this year. I'm just gonna goof off, make some passes, but not get serious about it. You guys have way more power in lighter cars than mine anyway. Regardless, I can hardly wait!
My support crew (family) comes down in the Blazer and usually brings the slicks. I put the slicks in the cab with me for a trip down to the Day of the Drags a few years ago. It was kinda tough in traffic when I needed to see around them. Two weeks after that DOTD's I had the coupe at the Wichita drag strip and broke the rear u-joint, which broke the yoke, which moved the pinion causing the pinion support in the case to break, etc, etc. I was VERY glad I was only an hourfrom home when it broke instead of down at Temple. Driving and racing is not without it's risks.
You aren't refering to little old me, are you?? By the way, Kerry, don't be a girl. Bolt on the slicks and get that old hemi car in teh 11's. See ya, -Abone.
The Jalopy Journal
