Hindsight

This weekend's sojourn was a Saturday evening trip to Pageland Dragway, in Pageland, SC. I was skimming the track's message board Friday night, and saw a mention about having to run mufflers. It had been over a year since I had run there on a regular basis, and had forgotten about that deal. I have a set of Dynatech collector inserts that are a very simple bolt-in, so I slid under the trailer when I got to the track, and put them in. As it turns out, the track has decided not to enforce the rule this season, unless the County gives them trouble over the noise, but they will be mandatory in 2010. Most Pageland racers have mufflers or inserts already, anyway.

Pageland has a very loose rollout that I've struggled with. This time out, I bumped up the air pressure in my 30x9 M/T radials to 19psi. I was in the very first pair of cars down the track for the night, and was rewarded with a strong 1.44 60' time (and Pageland's 60' clocks are actually 60'...). These guys know how to prep and maintain the starting line! I was very happy with the string of lights: .022, .022, .021, .024, and .008, and the car ran with .02 all night, but lady luck just wasn't having any of it!

First round, I felt like I hit the tree well, knew I was dialed hard, and whomped it three times at the stripe... I didn't cut him in that tight, but given the "optimistic" dial-in, I wasn't too concerned about it. I stared at the unwavering win light on the guardrail... which never lit. I went through the run in my head again as I came up the return road, and decided that there was no way I could've lost that run! As it turns out, I got worked up over nothing, as I did get the white ticket... the win light bulb was out in the left lane! Relief!

Multi-time track champ Buddy Plyler (pictured) fell in the first round against "Ferndale" Don Anderson on a double-breakout. Both were smokin' late... Buddy had the better light with an .078, but broke out more. He hit the buyback window, and we were paired 2nd round. "You're going to be 'teen' on me, aren't you?" I asked, to which he only laughed. He was .011 and .01-over, making my .024 and dumping .02-over look sick. I made my walk of shame to the buyback window, and mistakenly dialed off of that run, my only slow run of the night. It came right back around 3rd round, and led to a .007 breakout after a .008 light. They're building a new WalMart, right inbetween me and the guy in the T-bird.

Hindsight: Use your information gathered wisely, and don't forget what gameplans you've changed. ...and drive the stripe hard, even if you think you're plenty safe!