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Most embarrassing track moment?

Cojohnso1

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I've had my share of bone head moments. My latest was 2 years ago. I worked my butt off to get my bracket 10 sec car to the line to get at least one qualifying run. I threw on my jacket but was still in shorts. I tried to sneak to the line, but car killed. I got it started just in time for the starter to open my door to see if I am ready to make an attempt. Needless to say? He was not happy seeing me in shorts. I had to turn around and missed my qualifying run. Thus had to guess a time for the bracket. I was eliminated first run. I guessed wrong!
 
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Funny, I made a TnT pass one time in shorts but nobody saw it.
 
I once exited the road course at Miller Motorsports Parkway one exit too soon. Got a nice tour of a long line of concrete barriers to nowhere...
 
I've seen a guy dragging his battery charger up too the staging lanes.
 
My very first drag race attempt at a track. Brought my 66 GTO street rod up to see if I can get it in the 12s. I put a small set of slicks to help the effort. On first attempt the stock clutch shattered. A piece through the splash pan. Hit the track and bounced up bunched hole in oil pan. I moved about 10' and sat there bleeding oil all over the starting line. Track was mad at me. For not pulling over. But couldn't move. Damage was not as sever to repair. But experience was horrible for a 17 year old.
 
Blew out a freeze plug,,,,slid sideways and when I went to rotate it back from sliding sideways over the stripe I tagged the wall.
Still went 10.80 @ 85mph..........
 
My very first pass in my 65 Fury was embarrassing. The car rang great on the street, 383 4 bbl carter avs, automatic. I was right there, first time run, nailed the throttle and it moved about 10 feet then one BIG cough and it stalled. I coasted to the side and it refused to start. Just as the starter guy was headed over to me, it finally caught and pealed out in a spray of gravel and smoke.
No one was very happy about that as they had to sweep the track. My next time run, they pulled me aside and asked me NOT to do that again.
Oh, to be young and stupid.
 
I was going to make a few passes at an all Mopar race/show/swap in Sacramento. I tuned the car up, new plugs, distributor cap and rotor, etc. The car would sometimes knock at full throttle so I dumped in some 110 leaded gas at the track.
First run, it popped and stumbled at WOT, no knocks but it ran like **** to a pathetic 14.60. It ran fine at part throttle. No water in the gas so I checked the plug wire routing, the cap fitment....Nothing seemed out of order.
Second run, same result....popping and sputtering. I was so pissed, I didn't even take the time slip.
At home, I pulled the plugs to find I had them gapped to .045. I pulled the cap and rotor to find the electronic pickup air gap had slipped from the .008 to around .020. It had done that before, the setting randomly slipping open. It would run fine at idle and light throttle but crack up at anything over 1/2 throttle. I closed the plug gap to .035 and the distributor gap to spec and the car ran great.
 
Early Seventies took my 750 Honda to the strip with some friends. Lights came down and
I left hard. Too hard! Bike went straight up and I went straight down on my ***. GULP!
Got up on my feet with everyone looking at me saying, What's your next trick?
 
Early Seventies took my 750 Honda to the strip with some friends. Lights came down and
I left hard. Too hard! Bike went straight up and I went straight down on my ***. GULP!
Got up on my feet with everyone looking at me saying, What's your next trick?
I'm guessing your bike didn't just glide to a stop putting it's kick stand down and waited patently for you?
 
meeting a friend at the bar we were both stopped by a light with a 69 Nova in the third lane. Our grins showed we were all three up for it as we waited for the green. I knew the rpm I wanted for concrete and my buddy and I were finally going to find out whose car was faster. We waited, I had my rpm's, the light turned green, I dumped the clutch and watched my buddy and the Nova speed away. I was all set, but I was not in gear.
My buddy still laughs about how much faster his car was and dismisses my excuse.
 
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I once brought the car up knowing the motor was getting a little tired. I got a bye in the first round. The 2nd round my opponent red lit. But noticed the car fell off a couple 10ths and popping in the higher Rs. The 3rd round I definitely heard some stumbling. But my opponent left before I even staged. in the quarter finals I left well. But car really started falling off. I knew it was coming undone. (Cam was chewing down.) But my opponent had his own problems and left over 2 seconds late. And was not able to catch me coasting at finish line. In the semi finals I staged car. No burn out. And no opponent. So putted car to the win. Car would not start for finals. That 2nd place was my best finish.
 
I made a full pass without my helmet once. I made it past the staging lane guy, the guy that motions you toward the water box, the guy that gets you in the water box and the starter. About the time I was thinking how great the car sounded I realized it sounded great because I forgot to put my helmet on. Opps!!!!
 
I made a full pass without my helmet once. I made it past the staging lane guy, the guy that motions you toward the water box, the guy that gets you in the water box and the starter. About the time I was thinking how great the car sounded I realized it sounded great because I forgot to put my helmet on. Opps!!!!
Oops. Surprised they didn't see that.
 
Way back in the 70's we did dry hops before going to the beams. Did my burn out,then as I was doing the dry hop the steering wheel came off in my hand.Dumb *** me didn't put the nut on the steering shaft !
Oh and I started off the line in second once.
 
Way back in the 70's we did dry hops before going to the beams. Did my burn out,then as I was doing the dry hop the steering wheel came off in my hand.Dumb *** me didn't put the nut on the steering shaft !
Oh and I started off the line in second once.
I have done dry hop to make sure it was in 1st. Reverse valvebody tranny is easier to start off in 2nd. My pit crew guy would start off in 2nd. I couldn't figure out why. Until I asked if his hand was in the shifter when he released the line lock? Sure enough. The launch would move him back and he was immediately shifting into 2nd. Kids?
 
Most embarrassing? Almost getting beat by my buddy's Honda Civic (in a Ford, not my Mopar). Put a shift kit in the car by the end of the week and a nitrous system by the next weekend.....I ain't going out like that.
 
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The first time I went down the track ever in my 68 Chevelle .
I left the line with a 1 second reaction time ran a 13:40 when I got to the time booth at the end the old guy gave me my slip and said were you sleeping when it turned green .
 
First time out just got the SRT charger so I pulled up to the lanes and went around the water box, reversed into the water, burned out let off the brake and started going backwards. Never took it out of reverse, embarrassing.
 
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