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HOW ABOUT TRYING DRAG BOATS, RON

Jok,

Before painting your wheels I'd suggest checking the nose height of your car. If it is slightly low and the lights at the line are slightly high you will experience exactly the scenario you describe. If the lamps are truly infrared (if you can see them they are not unless your ancestors came from another planet) it is almost impossible for the sensors to read reflections since they are supposed to be frequency matched to the emitter.

I have seen this happen a few times. Most times it is on dragsters whose nose is too low. They trip the beams with some part of the nose and when they leave the nose lifts slightly and they timers start causing a red light by about the same amount the 60 ft time slows down. Four link cars are slightly more susceptible to this since the rear end can sink not only on the tires but on the suspension. The other thing I have seen is front wheels with spokes where the beam is broken by the alignment of a left and right wheel spoke. This used to be common with wire wheels. People used to put circular pieces of something in the wheels so this wouldn't happen.

In any event if you are the only one this is happening to it's your car for one reason or another. If not the track has a sensor problem.

Don't feel bad about your racing this year. At least you are racing. Around here it has rained every day/night I was planning to race since April. My golf game has really improved since if it is going to rain in the afternoon or night I can usually get in 18 holes before the downpour.

Ron Burke

ANOTHER BLEACHER MEMORY

I read Chris Martin's "Bleacher Creatures" article, and it reminded me of a night at Lions Drag Strip. Evil Kneivel was there to do a motorcycle jump, and this was being filmed as part of a movie on Evil's life. I think this was around 1971 or so. Anyhoo, there were about 6 gazillion fans to see Evil, and when it came time for him to make the jump, one guy started yelling to his friends, and a bunch of people poured out onto the edge of the track. Management was having a cow, but finally got the crowd to sit down. Evil made the jump, and the crowd went back to their seats. Another "sour deal" was at the Last Drag Race at Lions, in Dec 1972. Fans had been told that they could take home souvenirs of the track after the race was over. However, a few zealous souls (I didn't want to say idiots) decided to start taking apart the steel guardrails at the top end. This had to be stopped so the race could finish. ARGHHHHHH

Anyway, just thought I'd write about a few crazy memories.

Cliff Morgan

BORING BRACKETS. . .

Everyone has an opinion and, of course, so do I. I bracket raced for 20+ years. Yup, it is boring for spectators. About the only thing worse would be "super classes." Cars that jump off the line and then shut down at varying points on the track for varying numbers of seconds are ridiculous and not entertaining. Comp eliminator has some appeal but not many would run weekly nor would they draw enough crowd to pay for themselves. Those folks who go to the local stock car track see head to head racing with lots of action

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regardless of class. There is none of the breakout/handicap nonsense visible to the spectator. Weekly programs at drag strips have evolved to where they have to be. The program has to pretty much support itself with entry fees and payouts balancing each other and spectators providing a bonus.

I can no longer keep up with the motor home/enclosed trailer/tube chassis/electronics crowd who want to go Friday night and stay 'til Sunday night (here in our little corner of Atlantic Canada). They have some strong numbers and more power to them. I'd like to go have some fun for a few hours and get use out of a car. I'd like to see some local street legal drags. Have a safe secure facility where real street driven cars can come out and try for supremacy over their perceived competition. If the cost of entry and spectator admission were reasonable, I think spectators as well as "racers" would show up in good numbers. It used to be that people would show up to see if the Chevelle, Road Runner or Mustang was the hot car. The same would happen with the Acuras, Hondas, etc. today. The guys with the American muscle could show up as well, whether it is an old version or a new one. I'd be there to run my Camaro for sure. (No prize money or trophies required.) Wait a minute, isn't that the way all this got started?

Don Seamans

'PINK' SEEING RED

RE: Mark Thomas

This really sux. Mark is such a great guy and for this to happen to such a nice guy pisses me off too. There are jealous people in the world and this is what jealous people do.

In Memphis one year, some jerk pitched a rock down my hood scoop and wouldn't ya know it, it got hung between the valve and then shattered on top of the piston. Memphis has video coverage of the staging lanes and the tape was rolling when the pitching took place. But guess what...the tape got erased by accident. I had NO idea what the three guys that walked up after my crew went to the line was doing. They knew what they where doing though. Too bad I didn't pay closer attention. I do now !!!!

Sorry for your troubles, Mark. Just think about who is the most jealous and you will find your problem.

~Pink~
(Annette Summer)