More Pictures From Last Weekend.....

The Best Day Ever...

...is the best way I can describe Sunday, November 14th 2010. The day started with great surprise when Stan (my great friend and transpo man) showed up with his grandson Dylan & my longtime friend Robert Anderson (who also built my engine).....We  ended up with about a dozen friends in our pit. Racing is about people and friends and on this day, I had plenty.....we would need the the combined brainpower right off the bat.

We actually broke the car unloading it off the trailer.A heim joint inside the the shifter body broke. Who would make something like that out of plastic? Oh well...I didnt have a spare in my parts box, so I decided to rob one from the power cut-off.....While Bob, Bruce & Stan worked on the shifter, I stole the clevis from my chute lever to replace the heim on the power cut-off. I then found a throttle cable quick-disconnect to use on the parachute.Once we solved that series of issues we warmed it up. and we were off to the lanes. The car count was low so we were able to pull right in.

Since I hadnt been in the car since 2007 I opted to take it easy on my first run. Good thing too, I had a bit too much air in my slicks and the car bounced thru the first few hundred feet. It settled down and starting moving out. I lifted and coasted thru.

My second lap was gonna be a good one until the the engine quit at half track. I was a tad worried un til we found that the mag hadnt been tightened enough. No Sweat...A quick timing light warm-up and were off to the lanes for run # 3

After a nice burnout, we staged it up and while the launch was soft it really started charging. I hit the shift button and she got a tad crossed up. I peddle it and drove it to about 800 ft.

I know what your'e thinking..."How quick & fast, Dave?"......10.45 @ 119 mph.....Nothing to brag about, I know...But dammit we all had fun. and for me, that is ALL that matters. Yes, we will get quicker, yes the driver will be less shy about driving and tuning it. But I will never forget how much fun we had. Robert Anderson shot over 400 pictures, Jim's son Kyle shot some great videos. and in almost EVERY picture is one of my guys or myself smiling or laughing.......as I said, It WAS the best day I ever had at the races.

My heartfelt thanks to:
Stan Rosier & Dylan
Robert Anderson
Jim Wilkins
Kyle Wilkins
Natalie Wilkins
Bruce Schneider
Bob Kelly ---Who DROVE from Michigan just to be there!!!
Matt
Alex
Tony Morris

Well...Here we are...

In sunny Florida....Had a nice flight in....Picked up my parts and headed to the race shop. We dragged the car out of the mothballs and cleaned it up. Despite being in storage it looked pretty good....even though it's sustained a few dings in the paint.....We went to install the new magneto and discovered that the drive gear was different than the old one...once we got it swapped out and dropped in, she lit off right away....What a relief !....My friend Bob is coming with my new / old trailer on Saturday. While we won't be using it this weekend (wheel bearing issues) it will be repaired and ready to deliver my car to Vegas if and when I decide to. I'm really looking forward to getting out to the track Sunday. Its been almost 4 years since we have done so.

Here We Go Again....

Hiya Kids...Well,here we go again...I'm flying to Florida in November to take another shot at running the car....I'm putting a new Vertex Magneto in (Thank You, Good Vibrations Motorsports...again). This and maybe  a new starter should cure our starting issues that puzzled me last trip.We have lots of new tools and support equipment to play with as well. I'm really excited and hope it all comes together....Meanwhile I'll be at the Las Vegas Nats This weekend..... More Later......

So Close.....

Well, I just returned from a wonderful week in Florida where I spent the whole trip working on the car. We had a few things to do to prep for a planned "Test-N-Tune" on February 21 at Orlando Speedworld.
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Among the things I had to do: Drive to Merrit Island to pick up a set of slicks I purchased, have them mounted & balanced. Then get the car out for maintenance, Oil Change, Clean the Oberg, Set The Valves, clean & repack my front wheel bearings, install a new battery.....etc....

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But the toughest part was getting my trailer from Mt. Dora to the shop....My friend Jim & I managed to get it picked up and once we got it back, we immediatley put the car on it.....Only to discover that no matter which way we put it on or where it sat.....The Trailer was WAY too flexy for the car to ride on it safely. So....I am in the process of selling it and saving my money to get a nice 24 foot enclosed deal.

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We had some trouble getting the car running, but with the help of my resident "Genius on Call" Joe, we managed to do so....But it seems our antique Vertex Magneto is failing us yet again.....I have sunk more money into that darned thing than I should have. So my next move is to either get a newer Mallory Super Mag OR get an MSD.

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While I didn't get a chance to race the car, I did manage to have a great time with my friends, play with the car and get a well deserved break from work. I don't know when I'll be back to try again, but when we do...we'll be ready.

So...Now What?

After I sold my FED to "Big Daddy" I started looking for a new "Pipe Rack" ...Unfortunately I couldn't find an affordable FED replacement. Especially one that would fit my "not so slim & trim schoolgirl figure". I resigned myself to the fact I was going to have my engine behind me. After looking at several unsuitable cars I found one in Orlando, not 20 minutes from the shop. The only thing I hoped was that it wasn't a Suncoast built dragster because I thought they were just flat out ugly.

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When I arrived at the address, I realized it was an old customer of mine...and sure enough, it was a SUNCOAST car!!!... Yet, with the wings it had, the color it was painted I saw a lot of potential in it.

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As I started fitting it together with my Injected BBC, I discovered something. It is one on the nicest, well built and functional race cars I have EVER worked on. I wouldn't trade this car for anyone elses. I even told Richard Earle, the owner of Suncoast Race Cars, about what I felt and then discovered...Good thing the man has a great sense of humor or it would have been embarassing being beaten to a pulp in the middle of his booth at the PRI show....

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Due to budget constraints....It took me almost 3 years to complete the car as it is now...I've only had a out a few times with 5 burnouts, 3 half track passes and 1 pass with no steering after 400 feet, resulting in a up close and personal meeting with the wall. Seems my steering "anti pullback" sleeve wasn't replaced when I had the car updated. I should have seen it, but I didnt. I blame no-one but me.

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3 weeks after that outing I moved to Las Vegas. I wasn't sure how long things were going to last in"Sin City", so I opted to leave the car in Florida. It has taken me 3 years to get everything fixed and back together. I haven't decided whether or not to relocate my car here, or relocate me back there. One thing I do know, I miss my friends & my race car.

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That brings us up to date.....It's February 2010 and it looks like we're going to be running the car very soon (February 21st) The boss gave me (agreed very reluctanctly) a weeks vacation..I'll post the results if we do......Thanks for looking in on us, See you at the races !

dave

Forward Into The Past...

After "Parenthood" I went into the movie making biz pretty much full time. I worked a lot during the 90's on films like "Days Of Thunder", Lethal Weapon 3" and numerous TV shows...I also got the acting bug and pursued that with some success.

In the early 90's I met and became engaged to a wonderful lady, Kyle Anne Collins who was a truly an amazing person, mainly because she could put up with me. That alone should have qualified her for sainthood. Heck, I even got her to go to the Gatornationals a couple of times.....I rarely even went to the races because I was so busy with the other stuff going on.

But, in early 1996, Kyle passed away from Pneumonia and a few weeks after that my Mom also passed. It was a real difficult time as one can imagine. I soon found myself hiding in my racing magazines.

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Drag Racing for me, was always a more than a passing diversion...It was a friend. One that was always there for me. And as fulfilling as my work could be, there was always something missing. Especially then....I took a generous inheritance from my moms estate and paid off all my bills, started a printing business and had a few bucks left over for a project....

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I found the Gary Cochran "Mr. C" AA/FD in an ad in National Dragster on (October 4th, 1996) and started on restoring it..The car was in amazing shape. I got the ID confirmed and even bought a 392 long block. It was a great project for me. I reconnected with old friends, made a lot of new friends and got a great education along the way.

While the car was coming along nicely, once again I found myself over in my head...Those 392's and all the necessary accessories are EXPENSIVE!!! It forced me to really take a look at my budget, my abilities and my goals.

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Since I knew the car had a pedigree and I couldnt bear wrecking it, I decided to sell it. I was very picky about selling it. I wasn't about to sell it to someone who would end up butchering it up to be a bracket car or anyone I didn't think was capable of restoring it properly.

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I dealt with a buyer from Washington who was the biggest asshole I have ever spoken to, I dealt with a drunk from Michigan who never sober enough to have a coherent conversation with. In 2003, we struck a deal with Don Garlits who has the car restored in his museum. While I dont think the restoration is perfect, I know it's safe and will be appreciated. It is where it belongs. Thank You "Big Daddy"!!

Motorsports Or Movies?

In the fall of 1988, My friend John Wiser asked me to help locate a couple of dragsters for a movie being shot in Orlando. Long story short, it was the Ron Howard directed film "Parenthood" While my partcipation was limited to helping find the cars and watching over them at the track while filming, it was great fun to be involved in such a project. In fact, it changed my life and my life's direction.

We needed 2 cars for the film, 1 to use as a "picture car" or "hero car" and the other to crash. We even got Keanu Reeves, who played the driver of the car, to the dragstrip and let him make a lap in another racers S/C dragster. We pointed him down the track and basically told him..."Go that way...really fast. Having never driven a dragster before , we figured he would limp it through....He limped to a low 8 second 170 mph pass.....The cars owner (who shall remain nameless) damn near soiled his Simpson SFI 5's watching his car go as quick as it ever had gone....It was pretty funny actually.

Anyhoo....we got the 2 cars together and naturally, we needed to test them. I got to make a few easy laps on them. High 9's were about all these crate motored hot rods would do. It was lotsa fun, but it would be almost 20 years before I got to do that again.

Next Chapter: "Forward Into The Past" *

* All due apologies to The Firesign Theater

My Racing History: Part 2

In late summer 1980 we ended up trading our car (less motor) to a local racer who in turn gave us a really sweet turnkey 1969 Don Long FED. It was a neat car that ran low 9's with its small block Chevy. While I really liked driving the car, Bob was a much better racer than I was. I just like going to the races and running the car up & down the track. Bob wanted to RACE.

Shortly after vacating the seat I moved to Florida. Skip ahead a few years and while working at a speed shop, I met a guy who built cars for movies. He asked me to help find a couple of dragsters for an upcoming film. While I thought it would be a great way to be around racing again, I fell in love with film making instead. Go figure.

Welcome To The ItsJustDave Racing Website

First off, here's a little bit about me and how I ended up here.

Like many, I kind of grew up at the dragstrip. In my case it was Martin US 131 Dragway in Michigan. I also spent time at Central Michigan Dragway & Onondaga Dragway. I attended my first race in 1972...and was never the same after watching the Nitro cars run.

I was lucky enought to have an opportunity to help a local guy with his Chevy powered TF car in 1975 & 76. We ran at Onondaga and never really got it down the track very well. It was a great learning experience. Not so much for HOW to race as it was how NOT to race and treat people.

In 1979, My friend Bobby Kelly & I decided to build our own TF car. We purhased a roller from Dick LaHaie in early 1979 & later a complete 426 steel motor from him. We got the car 90% percent done we we ran out of money. Not to mention we were really in over our heads talent wise. It was a another one of those "Character Building, Learning Experiences" that Dad always lectured me about.