If you guys don't think deep pockets don't have any thing to do with records from certain cars you live in LALA land.
There is a big difference in teams that build there own engines, cars and have UNPAID crew members and Daddy big bucks that has every thing build for him, pays the crew and all expences, including rip off hotel prices at Bendover and gets in and drives.
Blow a motor? have the paid crew put another one in, blow a trans put another one in.
Spin and flatspot tires no problem.
Dieselgeek...what was the cost of the build of the Daytona ''Twilight zone''?
Jon... A lot of ''unpaid'' crew members and owners use Bville as their vacation time and can't go to the salt for every meet.
Get Real...JL222
JL, relax. I didn't say "money has nothing to do with it"
I used GH's car as an example that you can do well with low bucks just as much as the big dollar teams do. He holds the AA/BGALT record, one that I am sure you guys will likely take in the near future.
I'm guessing you think the #97 car was a Buy it and Drive it deal, but that couldn't be further from the truth. You'd be surprised at the corners we cut just to make it to the show this year! It was going to show up in primer but Randy, the crew chief and painter, worked around the clock to make it look half decent (notice the paint color mismatch on the fenders and nose? ha). We couldn't have made the 2012 event if we'd have run the high dollar EFI and datalogging similar to what you guys run. I made that EFI system from radioshack and DigiKey parts on the kitchen table with my own hands *because I can*, same for the datalogging (it's even FARTHER out there! totally home made). there's maybe 5K in our ignition, EFI, and logging which includes suspension travel, wheel speed, GPS speed, all fluids temps and pressure, etc. Price that out, it's nearly $40K in electronics if you're doing it with commercially available systems...
We farmed out the motor work because none of us have the assembly skills you and Troy have (LOVE following your build, been reading it for years now). But, saving $35K on the electronics balanced that choice out. (And NO, I would NOT recommend for most people here to try and home-make their own electronics when there are plenty of vendors out there who have already sorted out the bugs and pitfalls for you!!)
At bonneville, you do what you can with what you have. Money doesn't guarantee a record, and being low budget doesn't rule you out of taking one either.
Also, B-ville was my vacation. I don't have any hours left otherwise you'd see me there in October!! So I know where you are coming from. Don't let shiny paint and good fab work fool you, we struggle just like everyone else.