We showed up at Bremerton Raceway on a beautiful Saturday morning. In addition to testing the electrical fixes, we had a "new" set of carburetors to try. Mission is a very fast track and we wanted to go one second under our 11.70 index for the first time. Out of the trailer, our first run was terrible because the battery wasn't fully charged and there was only half a gallon of fuel. DUH!

After we gassed and charged the beast, I went back to the starting line and laid down a 10.88 at 118 mph, then backed it up with a 10.91 at 118. The track prep was excellent and the car launched hard with 60-foot times of 1.46, the best they've been in a long time.
I thought the mph was down but the air wasn't great. Since my electrical work seemed to be working, Dr. Big Block got busy swapping the carburetors. He made quick work of the job and we were soon ready for another hit. It sounded a little different and the idle was even crappier than usual but who cares -- it's a race car!
My next run was an unbelievable 10.75 at 123 mph! We shaved over a tenth of a second and gained 5 mph by swapping our brand new over-the-counter Edelbrock 750s for a set of older Carter 750s that our man Dan Dvorak had breathed on. Keep in mind that this is Stock, so no modifications are allowed, only top secret Voodoo.
The junior dragsters came out and we loaded the wagon into the trailer, confident that we were ready to race and maybe even go a second under our index.
The following Thursday night we managed to make it to Mission Raceway, at least most of us did. (The Canadian border can be a difficult hurdle for anyone with legal hassles in their background!) After a surprisingly good night's sleep next to the entrance gate (we were too late to get in) we unloaded the car and got ready to race. The weather conditions were outstanding and the track was prepped by the always-excellent NHRA crew for the first round of qualifying.
I always love being a part of the Stock class. The cars are as beautiful as they are varied. There are so many possible combinations. The only thing I hate about racing Stock is that I don't get to watch it.
I waited my turn to drive into the water next to a jewel-like AA/S '69 Camaro -- a record-capable big block four-speed car. We pulled out of our burnouts and went to the starting line. He dropped the hammer and the front wheels of his car jerked skyward like he was being called to heaven. My wagon didn't get three feet out before it started sputtering. I laid off and idled to the first turn off and back to our pit. We started checking and swapping things out -- carbs, distributor, wires, plugs -- but nothing seemed to help.
Finally we figured it had to be our MSD Digital 7 ignition box. It was giving us a rev limit of 4,000 rpm. We rolled down to the Lordco Auto Parts trailer and made them cut an MSD 6AL box and matching coil from their display and sell it to us for $400. I wired it into position as best I could under the conditions and we had it running properly again for the 3:00 qualifying hit. By this time it was warmer and the "good air" was long gone.

Here I am at 3:45 (left), having a wheelie party with Jim Devine in his '72 340 4 speed Duster. I put down a 10.77 at 122 mph. The car pulled hard all the way through the finish line. Putting the old school MSD 6AL box in place of the fancy pants digital programmable unit solved our problem. Now we were ready to make an assault on our goal of 10.70 or better the next morning.

At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday we were ready to go in the fourth qualifying session. The car sounded great as I pulled in as shallow as I could, just barely flickering the bottom bulb for the maximum "running start" at the line, staging at 2400 rpm for the hardest possible launch. The lights came down and I let her rip. The engine flashed up to 5500 prm and the two-ton wagon pointed up and carried the front wheels for at least twenty feet. It came down and I shifted to second at 6200 then third at 6400 and watched the scenery for the second eighth mile before crossing the finish line at 6800. Everything felt fine and all the gauges looked good. I pulled up to the scales and Dr. Big Block came roaring up with a big smile on his face. A 10.68!

After four years of racing in Stock we finally made it to one second under the index! Stay tuned as we pursue our next goal -- a few wins!