Author Topic: Plan B  (Read 5083 times)

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Plan B

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Plan B
« on: August 27, 2010, 01:57:36 PM »
....... because Plan A never works!

I'm Don, 63 years old, and it seems as if my life has been a series of plan Bs, always working out well in the end. I've teamed with Dave, 50 years old, and he felt pretty much the same about plans A&B, so we, along with my son Jason are 'Plan B Racing'.

We've been to USFRA World of Speed the last three years, this will be our fourth. Started out with my own street truck on the 130 course. Since then we've driven a borrowed '26 T coupe, a borrowed Corvette and a borrowed HAMB-style dragster. Wound up buying the dragster, making some modifications and using it for the 150 Club last year, where we experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in less than 24 hours. Fried the transmission on day two, and have yet to join the 130 or the 150 Clubs. It's not as easy as it looks!

As we pondered all this after last year's event, we reached the following conclusions;
a) We are now inexorably involved with Land Speed Racing, and,
b) The racing world was in desperate need of one more small-block powered Camaro!
What to do? ...... Let's build an '81 Camaro for /CPRO. What could be easier ....... what could possibly go wrong? Does running out of time and money count?

Our high-tech offering to the Gods of Speed and Salt will be cutting-edge data aquisition consisting of a reading of the plugs, results from the butt-dyno all carefully compared with timeslips. I doubt there will be a need for extra red hats.

Dave has raced modified on dirt for a long time and I've always drag raced. We're both burned out with the "professional" racing circuses, complete with barkers, hucksters, trained animals, cartoon characters and an unlimited supply of clowns. LSR is refreshingly pure and simple.

The deeper we get into this, the more we get it. We're understanding the procedures and protocalls and want to be able to say we GET it!

Students of everything .... experts of nothing,
'Plan B Racing'  
« Last Edit: August 27, 2010, 04:28:36 PM by Plan B »

Offline Glen

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2010, 02:49:43 PM »
Welcome to salt fever Don. BTW. Plan "B" lasts forever and requires a yearly fix. You can't stay away without getting hives and shingles, a case of the shakes and total boredom waiting for something to read on the web site. Your hooked pal. enjoy the trip.
 :cheers:
Glen
Crew on Turbinator II

South West, Utah

Offline Steve Walters

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2010, 05:02:08 PM »
Glen nobody can put Salt Fever into words better than you.  Looking forward to seeing you at WOS.

Steve
WOS Tech
Wa's Bad Banana
B/CGALT
I've been from Bone to Blackfoot, but still just a Newbie here.

Wa's Bad Banana
B/CGALT

Plan B

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2010, 05:04:39 PM »
Thank you Glen.

We're pretty well aware that we're in LSR quicksand .... and it feels sooooo gooood! Resistance is futile.

My son and I drove out to SpeedWeek in '92. We were pleased to meet the Danny Boy streamliner team, Al Teague, the Endeavour crew and got to lend a hand moving the Stringfellow car in the staging lanes. That pretty well pushed us over, but normal(?) life needed to be attended to in the mean time. Now that I'm retired, the good stuff comes easier.

Since finding this website a couple of years ago we've all learned so much. The build diaries are are great sources of knowlege (Treit's liner, Milwaukee Midget, all of Sumner's stuff, Getting ready for Bonneville, Cajun Kid and several others but Austrailian Belly Tank should be a must read for all. Doc and the Rev have a way of telling their story that's second to none. I've re-read most of it several times. Good stuff.

We're approaching this the best way we know how which is straightforward but carefully.

Plan B

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2010, 08:07:09 PM »
Plan B? :?

You're going at this with a plan? :-o

Here's the conclusions I've come to.  You design, you make drawings, you make lists, you seek advice, you fabricate, you get lucky, you screw up, you drop enough money to buy a really nice boat, and you just keep doing it.

To plan is a fool's errand. :-D

See you in a few weeks.

(At least, that's the plan!)

Chris
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Plan B

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2010, 09:30:12 PM »
Yeah ........ to call it a plan is a misnomer.

It's the default that results when you realize your designed, drawn, listed, advised and fabricated thingie will never work and you say 'aw s**t'. That would be 'you screw up' in your list. Getting lucky never entered into it.

We will continue to unplan and react to what is laid in our laps by default.

Looking forward to seeing you on the Salt. You'll be easier to find than us .... we'll look for you

D&D 

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2010, 12:35:23 AM »
Don, its nice to read that you'all are like most everyone else.  Have a good time.  Yes, the world does need another Camaro.

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2010, 05:51:38 PM »
Yes, the world does need another Camaro.

Especially on the salt, where they seem to be outnumbered by Studebakers.

Go figure . . .
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Plan B

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2010, 06:44:23 PM »
Brand X outnumbers the ubiquitous Camaro ... what a place!
 

Offline Glen

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2010, 06:59:05 PM »
So do roadsters. lol
Glen
Crew on Turbinator II

South West, Utah

Offline oldracer19

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2010, 07:09:50 PM »
As the other half of Plan B racing, I've come to a few conclusions:
1) we might have stopped to early in the alphabet, we may be closer to Plan Z
2) we should have requested car# 500 , as it seems everything the car needed, was another $500
3)I think my modified, had FEWER modified parts!!!
4) I can't wait to get back on the salt!
"because plan A never works"

Offline Nortonist 592

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2010, 07:24:12 PM »
How did you come up with a Plan A nevermind Plan B???  We went to SpeedWeek with nothing more than a vague hope.  The salt gods smiled on us and we came away with two records and a personal best top speed.  I got an email from my "crew chief" a couple of days ago asking me what the plan is for next year.  I emailed him back telling him to stick his plan where the monkey stuck the nut.  No more plans.  Just show up and throw yourself on the mercy of the salt gods.
Get off the stove Grandad.  You're too old to be riding the range.

Plan B

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Re: Plan B
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2010, 10:05:07 PM »
RE; post #5