Fuzzy Dice

Top o' the mornin' everyone...I got back from this event this morning at 3AM...what a week, to say the least!...always seems to be drama with my racing program...sheesh...I towed over to Bradenton Motorsports Park last Tuesday morning arriving at 8:30AM after a 3.5 hour tow...I got a great pit spot thanks to a buddy who works there...unloaded the race car and got set up...unhooked the Denali and went to lunch and hotel check in afterwards...all good so far but wait, there's more...lol...found a great German restaurant for dinner and went to bed...

Back to the track Wed. morning for the "Warm Up" race paying $15K to win...I was excited since I have been driving real well the past couple of events...these SFG deals allow you just one time shot on the first day and that is it for the week...not good for a pump gas guy but more on that later...I take my one time shot at 10AM and go 6.60 @ 101.91 mph with a 22 light...not great but an OK start...this was supposed to be a capped field of 400, 200 door cars and 200 dragsters...last I heard there was near 500 in the field...oh well...

They finally call me up for first round at 1:40PM...I line up with a friend from Palm Beach in his 41 chevy gasser...he dials 6.49 and I put 6.62 on mine since the DA went up 200 points to +1575...I guess I am antsy and trip the red eye a -.005...oh well, buy back window for me...I fork over my hundred and am back in for the re-run round...sigh...as it turns out, I never got another pass this day... they could only finish the first round since a giant storm came through about 5PM including thunder, lightning and tornadoes...great guggemuga!, it was nasty with heavy rain...I took off and found a very nice italian restaurant for supper...

Back at it on Thursday morning...no time shot of course and they called me up at 10:40 AM for my first round in the $25K to win race...I get a 70's Barracuda dialed 6.05...I am thinking he might be on the stop since he has the window nets, parachutes, 10 point cage, and full fire suit...anyway, the DA has dropped like crazy after that front came roaring through...it is +345 which is mineshaft air for down our way...I have no info to dial the car...btw, the temp is 52* at this point...brrrrrrrrr....I take a WAG and put 6.58 on my car...we both leave green ...I get near the stripe and he isn't going to reach...I whomp her real good three times and lead him through...dadgumit! ...his win light comes on...I had him on the tree with my .003 to his .028 but I broke out going 6.55 @ 103.37 mph...the car is flying in the cold air...another walk of shame for me and my wallet is $150 lighter this time...two for two on buybacks which is no bueno...

At 2:45PM I get called up for the re-run round in the 25K race...4 hours since my last run...they are going to go back to the 15K race after this one, they say...I catch a lady in a newer Challenger dialed 6.47...based on the DA and my 6.58 pass I drop down to a 6.56 dial...she leaves a bit before me so what is wrong with that picture?...lol...I let go trying to be .000 since I know she is red...then it happens...most of last year I fought a hesitation in my trans brake which we never found the cause of...it went away by itself...I know, I know...the black cloud showed up and when I let go the car jumped maybe a couple of inches and then stopped...all of a sudden it took off all by itself...same problem as most of last year...gave me a .331 tree and I went 6.79 out the back door but I won the round...good grief!...she was .083 red...better to be lucky than good they say...

So I am back in the race and they call me up for round two at 4:40PM...lots of waiting...I get a good friend driving an S Dime dialed 6.46...my last run was a nightmare so I dial off of the DA of +370 as best I can... I put 6.57 on mine and off we go...both green but he is not going to get there...he is pushing me real good though so I cannot whomp or tighten up the stripe any more...at the last possible second he drops me on my head perfectly...it is a double break out with him getting the nod by .005...dirty rats a frats!...I can't get it done...frustrating...btw, I crushed him on the tree with a .010 light to his 31...jeez louise...oh yeah, I ran 6.55 to go 2 under and so did he...fooey!...it is now 4:48PM and they say they will do the re-run rounds for the 15K warm up after this race...I know full well it will be 11PM or midnight and cold as a witches booby at that point...I go to the cashier and pull out of that race getting my hunnert back...btw, I watched from my hotel and they ran my class at 11:45PM at 49* temp...big mistake as a lady in her dragster put it in the wall and then went on her lid totaling the car...track obviously went away...hate to see that...

My car is making good steam running over 103 mph in this good air...a couple of friends are coming to the track today, ZR1John and Glensgauges...I get to the track at 9AM, Friday, and it is 46*...I am freezing my butt off...go ahead and laugh but we are not used to this stuff down her in Florida...they can't start since the VHT will not set up in this cold...I finally am called to the lanes for the first round of the $50K to win race...it is 11:20AM and the DA is -650...it was -900 earlier...wow!...wth do I dial this pump gas monster at?...another WAG and I put 6.51 on her...I line up with a nice camaro dialed 6.25...we both leave green and I get him on the tree with a .032 light to his .048...at the stripe I tighten it up and take him through by .007 ftw...my car went a 53 on the whomp and still made 104.14mph...it loves that cold air!...on to round next...

I get called up again at 5:45PM...I catch another S-10 dialed 6.25...the DA is -330 so I put 6.54 on mine...we leave green and I have him kllled...I beat him by 50, yup, 50 numbers on the tree...I start whomping repeatedly at 500' and actually coast through the traps...my buddy was at the finish line and said he thought I was going to stop at one point...lol...anyway, his win light comes on...what!...turns out I break out, AGAIN, going 6.533 on my 6.54 dial...looking at the slip I was heading for a 6.50 before I pulled all my antics...tough deal when you are holding 4 and don't know it...pump gas blues, my friends...

They quit racing at 10PM not taking any chances after last night...good call since it is in the 40's...crapola!...they do run the golf cart race...an 18 year old kid won it...oh yeah, it paid $5025.00 for a fifty buck entry...sweet!...I was not in due to my pit vehicle being wrong for racing...

Saturday and the last race of the event, a 25 grander...I finally get up to the lanes for round one at 3:10PM...yipers...I get a young lady in a 72 Nova dialed 7.04...bumblebee car...she trips a red light at -.006...I am snoozing and late with a .044...then it happens...I rattle my tires like crazy for a hundred feet making me run a 6.78...darn it, no info for me to use...that was my own fault...when they finally called us up I was napping in my car...I jumped up and raced to the lanes completely forgetting to check my tires...I do so in the lanes and they are down a full pound to 10 psi...I run the that way since I had no choice and that is what happened...sigh...

On they go with a gazillion cars so I wait to race again...I do so at 10:40PM...at this point I am dead tired..it has been a long week and I really thought they would stop and continue on Sunday but, no, off I went for round one...I catch a guy I had already raced in his S-10...he dials 6.24...I am not gonna lie, I fell asleep for a bit in the staging lanes...not good folks...I put 6.53 on my board...the numbers said I would run around a 54 but I was tired of braking out so I arbitrarily dropped another number...it did not matter...he was 27 on the tree and I completely missed it with a 75...I ran 6.55 out the back door, btw...I loaded up and left...

One of the rounds I won when my opponent red lit my car stumbled and missed like crazy...smoke started coming into the cockpit at 100feet...I shut it down and idled off the track...we checked the lifters and springs, the gap and the plugs...I tested it and it was fine all of a sudden...the next pass the car ran fine...go figure...

Well, that's the whole story...sorry for the length but it was a long week...big thanks to ZR1John and Glens for their help...next up is the New Years Nationals on December 30th at Palm Beach...I love this event...it will be streamed on Motormaniatv as well...

mackeyred96

Dan, I really enjoy your enthusiasm at your advanced age 🤣🤣🤣.
Hand in there have fun and be safe!

BKbroiler

Thanks for another great write up. I wish you had gone more rounds, for your benefit, and also to make the story even longer.
I didn't think you guys ever see negative DA numbers in FL.
Good luck at the next race.

Fuzzy Dice

Thanks John and BK...I really enjoy drag racing and feel blessed to be able to continue doing it...yes, BK, it is a very rare occasion that we get to negative DA numbers...obviously I have a terrible time dialing my car in that mineshaft air...I had a ball anyway, like always...stay warm and safe up your way guys...it's been a minute since we tried to figure out that roll out at carolina dragway huh, John?...I still recall taking three bumps to get a 40 tree in my vette...I think Ralph was in the middle of that as well...good times, my friend...

That was the time I made a wrong turn and ended up in the middle of the savannah u.s. government atomic research facility...I noticed cameras on the trees and wondered what the heck is going on...at a crossroads, two humvees race up and cut me off and out piles a bunch of soldiers with their live M-16's pointed at me...I had a bunch of red dots on my chest...my butt was so tight you couldn't get a one penny nail in there with a 5 pound ballpeen...let's just say I was where I was not supposed to be...this was after 911 so things were a bit tense...I was still shakin' when I got to the track...lmao...

mackeyred96

Ya Dan, I go 1 bump with the last combination with the trans brake on a protree and I'd go red! Crazy!

Turbo Bob

Love to read your write ups Dan. Your love and enthusiasm for drag racing is unprecedented. Now that we own a home here in South Florida, I may be joining you in the very near future.

Fuzzy Dice

That's great Bob...c'mon out and have some fun...look forward to seeing you again, my friend...