I remember the name but didn't know him. We had to test our own fuel for tuning purposes, because higher percentages of nitro run leaner because the nitro liberates oxygen molecules as it heats up. (That's why it's so powerful.) We used a hydrometer to measure specific gravity and then corrected it for temperature by means of a chart that came with the hydrometer. The specific gravity would tell you what percentage nitro the fuel mix was. We mixed the nitromethane with methyl alcohol. Straight up nitro is almost too powerful and supposedly doesn't burn as well as a mix. I never tried it undiluted. In large displacement motors of 484 or 496 cubic inches I ran 86 or 87% nitro. But in small displacement (426 cid) engines, we ran up to 97% nitro. Those little motors sounded great and ran really well at the other end of the track, but they didn't have the grunt of the long stroke versions. Paul On Jan 17, 2008, at 11:43 PM, Stan Halpin wrote:
> How about Art Lynch? He was a "good ol' boy" from small-town Missouri > who loved cars. When I knew him in the '70's, he was working on the > NHRA technical staff (volunteer?) doing fuel testing at Nationals and > maybe some other events as well. He invented a gadget that let him > quickly determine the specific gravity of the fuel, IIRC. I never > totally understood what he was doing and how, but loved to listen to > his stories about the people and cars he came across. Really nice > guy... > > stan > > On Jan 17, 2008, at 9:47 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> Thanks Bill.Don't recall him. I worked on a few short track stock >> cars in the Chicago area-- my boss at Simonsen's was a short track >> stock car racer., But I was a drag racer at heart and didn't pay a >> lot of attention to what the oval racers were doing. Power was what >> intriggued me, and nothing was (or is) as powerful as a drag >> engine. We made around three thousand horsepower in my day. They >> make around seven thousand horsepower today. >> Paul >> -------------- Original message ---------------------- >> From: "William Robb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> Sweet story, sweet car, and a sweet picture of it. >>> You ever run into a guy named Dave MacDonald? He drove Nascar back >>> around >>> the same time, but was a real track monkey also. >>> >>> William Robb >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Paul Stenquist" >>> Subject: PESO: Sort of. My first love. >>> >>> >>>> Thirty-two years ago I packed a negative away in a big cardboard >>>> box >>>> and tried to forget it. It was a picture of my first love: a 235 >>>> mph >>>> monster of a Corvette funny car that was in real danger of >>>> ruining my >>>> marriage and maybe my life. >>>> >>>> In those carefree years between college and responsibility I worked >>>> as a crew chief for a professional drag racing team. I had >>>> grown up >>>> with a wrench in my hand. My grandfather was a mechanic, and I >>>> built >>>> my first race car, a Pontiac-powered '34 Ford when I was fifteen, >>>> followed by a little digger at eighteen. During college I worked >>>> building racing engines at Simonsen's in Chicago. By the time I >>>> graduated, I could build motors in my sleep, and a local racing >>>> team >>>> recruited me to wrench their car. I loved being alone in the shop >>>> with a fresh engine, turning it and listening to the new piston >>>> rings >>>> scrape the freshly honed cylinder walls. Feeling the drag on the >>>> wrench that was locked onto the front pulley. Checking cylinder >>>> leakdown and working hour after hour to get it to three percent. I >>>> fell in love with the smell of nitro and tire smoke, and the thrill >>>> of watching something I put together streak to over 200 mph in >>>> around >>>> six seconds. Burning that motor down, only to build another one for >>>> the next race. It was an incredible rush. In the interim I >>>> discovered >>>> women, fell in love all over again and got married, but the race >>>> car >>>> remained my focus. Seventy hours a week. From Miami to Maine, Texas >>>> to Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Edmonton, Winnipeg and >>>> Toronto. >>>> We toured the continent, made some money and had the time of our >>>> lives. We were on the radio: Sunday, Sunday, Screaming Yellow >>>> Fever, >>>> the world's fastest Corvette. And at 6.35, 237 mph, we were just >>>> that. And my wife was at home. She wanted no part of it, so it just >>>> didn't work. And I gave it up, and put the negative in a box along >>>> with the memories and the addiction. >>>> >>>> Over the years I forgot where that negative was, but today, while >>>> looking for something else, I rdiscovered it. The track >>>> photographer >>>> at US 30 dragstrip in Gary, Indiana shot the pic at a Wednesday >>>> night >>>> event thirty-two and a half years ago. I think he used a C2 Mamiya >>>> TLR. His name was Sundberg. I know because his name is written on >>>> the >>>> envelope that holds the negative. I just now scanned it and made >>>> myself a 13 x 19 print for the wall. I can look at it now without >>>> wishing I was back there. >>>> >>>> It's here: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6849463&size=lg >>>> >>>> Paul >>>> >>>> -- >>>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly >>>> above and >>>> follow the directions. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> [email protected] >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above >>> and follow >>> the directions. >> >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above >> and follow the directions. > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above > and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
