great first race day !!

Traction bars on a SS spring car????? I would clamp the front segment of the leaf springs and let the SS spring do what they were designed to do. Plant the tires evenly, Aka Hook.

If you let the traction bars create the hook, you will not have as even of traction as if you let the SS Spring do there job.

I understand that you don't have a pinion snubber, and that stick shifts can have vary violent starts. The traction bars will lengthen the life of the SS spring........................