Topic: Manufacturer's Cup Dragbike Series Finale. SGMP, Valdosta GA)

[dragracer]

The final event of the Manufacturers Cup Dragbike Series is fast approaching.  It will take place November 21-24 in Valdosta. 

Wilbur is setting in 5th place for street ET and should cap the season off somewhere within the top 5. He's done well this year and i ask you to join me in congratulating him on the progress He's made thus far. He's figured out more about the nuances of bracket racing and has applied that knowledge every round. The bike has become a bit more consistent with the changes He's made this season. A  little more tweaking and his package will be deadly.

I'm sitting way back outside of the top 10 in the 12th spot in street ET. I'm currently 7th in pro ET and not in contention in super comp. Nevertheless,  I'm still loiking forward to this last event to simply have fun and fellowship with my race family.

If anyone is interested in dragracing,  this would be a good event to come out and support your Honda brothern. Dana Delk will be there with his DOHC CB 1100f dragbike trying to set a record in Super Eliminator. It should be interesting to say the least as he tries to break deep into the 7 second zone. I haven't decided fully at this point but I'm working towards a goal of setting a  nitrous record on the mono shock if i can get the clutch slippage probably worked out this week. A full maintenance check over will be in order to ensure i don't encounter problems while spraying the "go juice". A high 9 second pass is the target - -for now.!!!

See you guys there.

[newday777]

Congrats and best to you both on the upcoming events! It would be great to see it happen.

I wonder if Russ Jr will bring his dad's bikes that he's been rebuilding, to display them(I don't know if he has plans to run them down any tracks, if ever?)

[RAFster122s]

Best of luck guys on and off the track. Hope y'all have fun and do well.

[madmtnmotors]

I wonder if Russ Jr will bring his dad's bikes that he's been rebuilding, to display them(I don't know if he has plans to run them down any tracks, if ever?)

I imagine most of the events that these will be displayed at would be West coast events. The triple did make it to Valdosta part way through the build process back in 2019, which by the way was very cool:

[Don R]

 I'd guess there would be no shortage of volunteer help for cackling the RC bikes but maybe a shortage of "nitro qualified" help. 

[dragracer]

One more day before the big event. Unfortunately the weather doesn't exactly look favorable for drag racing.  I'm still leaning heavily towards going but those temperatures surely give me a lot of concern.  Track temperatures will definitely not be idealeven with the sunshine because its accompanied by windy conditions  most of each day. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. This'll end up being a last minute decision no doubt.

[RAFster122s]

Well, that's no fun... Hope the forecast is wrong and conditions are better than expected...
Best and stay safe...
David

[madmtnmotors]

You just gotta be tough! I remember more than one very cool weekends in Valdosta. Afternoon temps look good. One year we were zip tying tarps around the canopy to cut the wind in Bill and Sam's pit.

[Medyo Bastos]

My buddy in lawrenceville was bungeeing everything in sight down last night. Stay safe!


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[Don R]

 We were in the top few in the IHRA 8.90 class once, there was a points race 4 hours away, we stayed home and watched the weather and Sunday evening they got the race in. It was torture, I'd rather have been there in the rain than sitting watching the weather all weekend.

[dragracer]

We were in the top few in the IHRA 8.90 class once, there was a points race 4 hours away, we stayed home and watched the weather and Sunday evening they got the race in. It was torture, I'd rather have been there in the rain than sitting watching the weather all weekend.

I just made the tough decision to bail out. Hotel canceled but now I'm stuck with a reserved parking spot with none refundable payment 🙃.

If rain was in the forecast I'd take a chance. That 30 degree temperature swing from the 30's to the low 60's is simply a bit much for me when you factor in wind chill. Being outside in the cold all morning into the night time is bit bit much at this juncture in my life. Race another day!!!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Frank, that's a shame you can't make it. Understandable especially considering your late-night drives to get there. Plus, the ET classes are always the stepchild as far as the clock goes. I've been there too many times in that late night/early morning cold and wind. It can get miserable. It doesn't do the track surface any favors. I would have loved to go but... I'll stay at home with the new Z plus that weather confirms it. Always a crap shoot.   

[madmtnmotors]

Well, currently in 5th place, I can't NOT go...

[RAFster122s]

Hope you turn that 5th place into a higher standing in challenging conditions. Don't forget the hot coffee and cocoa... Food can help you warm up for a while as you digest the food... Just don't eat so much as to affect your times...

[dragracer]

Well, currently in 5th place, I can't NOT go...

Wilbur,
I know doggone well you'll be there. You're to close to making something positive happen to let it slip away my friend.  Stay focused and make some rounds this weekend. I feel confident you'll end up in the top 3. Keep warm and post updates on how you're doing. Its killing me not to be there but i can't torture myself trying. I've been doing this a long time. I deserve to give myself a break 😪




.  I'm currently in 7th place in pro ET and 12th place in street ET but I've got to sit this race out.  Not only would i be exposing my ild bones to the cold, I'd be putting the wife in the same situation as my pit crew and I'd rather not punish her for my hobby this time🤣😂.

 So ends my season. I've got lots of work ahead over the winter months. All of our bikes need attention. I'll begin the process after the Thanksgiving holidays once i get my overhead heater repaired in the shop. The next 3-4 months will go by faster than you think and it'll be race mode once again. If i can catch a few warm days, i hope to get the F1 out for some passes to check the lockup clutch. If it goes well,  I'll  put a nitrous bottle in it to see if this SOHC Honda can hold up to the extra horsepower.

[dusterdude]

Frank,i know you can get it done.if you need any help a weekend road trip might be good for me.take care brother

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[dragracer]

https://tv.hollywooddragracing.com/

Check out the livestream. Wilbur should be coming up after 4.60 index runs

[dragracer]

Wilbur takes the 1st round win. 2nd round starts in the morning. Thats a great start for the event.

[RAFster122s]

Great 1st day Wilbur, hope you know it out of the park again tomorrow to surge ahead in rankings... Get some good food in ya and some rest...
David

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Put em on the trailer Wilbur!!

Anyone know the start time for SET? I'm glad for the one race format. Having separate races on Saturday and Sunday is brutal. Cold early and cold late waiting with just hoping they can get it in before the evening deadline.

I'm helping my daughter do demo mode on her house they closed on yesterday. Maybe I can watch before I head over in the morning with the 2 hour time difference.

[dragracer]

Here you go Jerry.  They didn't have many v twins so street ET should be up between 9:30 and 9:45am. You'll have plenty of time to catch it before you need to leave for the appointment.  Wilbur will need to get past this round in order for points to kick in. I'm confident that'll happen.  He's learned a lot in the past year and its paying off. He's way more focused and has made some worthwhile changes to his bike to make it more consistent.  His program is a testimonial that you don't have to be the quickest bike out there to turn on a win light in bracket racing.  Just cut a decent light and be consistent from one end of the track to the next. The airshifter and shift light he installed this season were key.

[madmtnmotors]

The bike was not happy with the 40deg temps and consistently bogged off the line. A good reaction time of .007 in round two couldn't overcome bogging off the line putting me .371 off my dial so my day was over early. Made it home before sunset!

More test and tune is in the cards over the winter to see if I can get a better handle on carb tuning, especially for the cooler events. The new heater in the trailer worked flawlessly!

[dragracer]

Wilbur,  you did well this season eventhough this last event ended in struggles with your equipment.  You've learned something about cold weather's impact on performance due to carburetor tuning.  This is the point where an onboard AFR guage with data logging capabilities takes over. Obviously some jetting changes were in order to compensate for your lean condition at your low rpm launch. Larger pilots probably would have gotten the bike off the line without the bog.  Like me, you need to invest in a Wego or Innovate. Otherwise its a guessing game.

Congratulations once again on a strong season 💪.

[Old Scrambler]

Indeed, Wilbur bogged at the light..........my opinion after watching his launches is he should increase his RPMs before the green and slip the clutch another foot or five down the very tacky strip. The bike performs well from very low RPMs and the air-shifter works great. Saturday evening temps were in the forties...........but Sunday was well into the 60s at Wilbur's launch time. The rider standing in #3 position uses the same pump gas as Wilbur and showed a 13.6 AFR on his run...........he also went home in the AM.

I rode my RE Himalayan from Melbourne FL and tented each night. Yeah, it was cold but I was comfy in my 27-degree duck-down bag. Neighbors provided coffee and one offered his roomy trailer, but I declined the dog-hair.

[madmtnmotors]

Bench racing with Dennis in the pits made the trip much more enjoyable. His experience on the salt flats is always welcome. I'll definitely be spending more time at the local track!

[dragracer]

Indeed, Wilbur bogged at the light..........my opinion after watching his launches is he should increase his RPMs before the green and slip the clutch another foot or five down the very tacky strip. The bike performs well from very low RPMs and the air-shifter works great. Saturday evening temps were in the forties...........but Sunday was well into the 60s at Wilbur's launch time. The rider standing in #3 position uses the same pump gas as Wilbur and showed a 13.6 AFR on his run...........he also went home in the AM.

I rode my RE Himalayan from Melbourne FL and tented each night. Yeah, it was cold but I was comfy in my 27-degree duck-down bag. Neighbors provided coffee and one offered his roomy trailer, but I declined the dog-hair.

Dennis, i agree the launch rpm could be bumped up a bit. I think Wilbur has figured out with the short wheelbase he can only tach it up so high before it wheelies. The cooler weather/leaner jetting condition is zapping the horsepower he's used to in warmer temperature, so it bogs now. Increasing the rpms would compensate on one hand but create rideability issues on the other.


 Given a need for more launch consistency, I'm hoping Wilbur will find time in the off season to install the longer aluminum arm i gave him a few years ago. A few inches increase in wheelbase can make a big difference.

[madmtnmotors]

I think Wilbur has figured out with the short wheelbase he can only tach it up so high before it wheelies.

Exactly. Pointing the front wheel at the sky is a little unnerving!   

[dragracer]

I think Wilbur has figured out with the short wheelbase he can only tach it up so high before it wheelies.

Exactly. Pointing the front wheel at the sky is a little unnerving!   

Your life on the dragstrip will be much more pleasant with the longer swingarm. You aren't trying to turn the world upside down with this modification. You just want to keep the front end on the ground so your launches are more consistent in all conditions. You're on the minimum edge rpm wise now before a bog happens. Consequently,  the longer arm with slightly higher rpms alleviates the mental stress so you can concentrate on cutting a better light and as a bonus, you might have a quicker pass.

[dragracer]

As a reminder, i started drag racing an SOHC Honda 750 using the same platform.  The struggle is real on a short wheelbase 750. Even after lowering the bike, adding the sidewinder,  cutting the seat and installing dragbars it was still a handful. And now you know why my F model was built.

[Don R]

 I've been riding the Rat Race with a 2 or 3" longer stock type swingarm. Honestly, it handles and turns like what I am used to. I have twin cam Honda shocks laid down on the stock mounts. It needs new primary chains so I've been unwilling to really get into it. This winter I plan to split the cases to replace the chains primary tensioner and 836 kit.

[madmtnmotors]

As a reminder, i started drag racing an SOHC Honda 750 using the same platform.  The struggle is real on a short wheelbase 750. Even after lowering the bike, adding the sidewinder,  cutting the seat and installing dragbars it was still a handful. And now you know why my F model was built.

And if all I had to do was work on the bike it would already be done! I did mange to get the air shifter installed and working well, the bike is lowered front and rear with piston stop spacers up front, a 79' swingarm in the rear that adds about an 1-1/2" in length as well as lowering the rear since the lower shock mounts on the 79' arm are further back. Other chores this season (other than working full time plus as much OT as I can handle) included:

>Rack and pinion replaced in the Mustang
>AC replaced in the Mustang
>Front suspension and steering components on the Suburban
>New axle bearings in the suburban
>New driver's door and fender on the Camry
>New drum rollers on the clothes dryer
>Two hurricanes, one of which passed directly over the house
>Sticking brake calipers on the Mustang

Life keeps getting in the way of my leisure pursuits!


Current to-do list:
>Add O2 bungs to the exhaust for AFR carb tuning
>Mount sidewinder exhaust
>Longer rear swingarm
>Undercut trans
>Mike Reick stage 2.5 cylinder head with Weisco 10.5:1 836 slugs
>Complete assembly of a couple other bikes for re-sale
>Straighten up the garage. This particular item will likely carry over into retirement!

[madmtnmotors]

I did manage to finish sixth!

https://www.racemancup.com/points (Street ET)

[RAFster122s]

I did manage to finish sixth!

https://www.racemancup.com/points (Street ET)

Congratulations Wilbur!
David

[dragracer]

Congratulations Wilbur. You dedicated yourself to the series this year and did very well. 

Now get busy on the drag bike list. The new season will be here before you think.

[dragracer]

Looks like i was able to stay in the top 10 in pro ET in spite of missing a few races. I locked down the #9 spot. I did finish 18th in street ET,  my worst showing in years for that class.

Lots of maintenance to do to get our bikes ready for 2025. I'm already in the shop working when time allows.

[madmtnmotors]

Oh yeah:

>The Suburban needs rear suspension bushings
>Race trailer needs a new fender
>Race trailer needs a new torsion axle. There's not much torsion left in the current axle which I believe contributed to at least one of the trailer flats on the trip back from Darlington last month. The construction on I-95 South though South Carolina gave the trailer (and my kidneys) a real beating.

Non-stop party! 

[Medyo Bastos]

Great job fellas! You guys rock!


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[dragracer]

Oh yeah:

>The Suburban needs rear suspension bushings
>Race trailer needs a new fender
>Race trailer needs a new torsion axle. There's not much torsion left in the current axle which I believe contributed to at least one of the trailer flats on the trip back from Darlington last month. The construction on I-95 South though South Carolina gave the trailer (and my kidneys) a real beating.

Non-stop party! 

The average person doesn't realize the extra preparation we go through just to race.  Not only does the race bike need attention but our tow equipment must be properly maintained as well.  If we can't get there,  we can't compete. And no one wants to leave their entire race operation broken down on the side of the road. Now thats a helpless feeling to say the least. We definitely don't do this because of the money. Its a passion bordering on addiction  that most non-racers will never understand.  Problem is there is no rehab for dragracing.  Its like a gang, once you're in, you die trying to get out. 😅😅😂

[Medyo Bastos]

Blood in blood out!


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