Sneaking in without a roll cage

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GoldSwinger71

GoldSwinger71

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For those that have seen my build - it's centered around being a sleeper first and foremost. But since I now I have 600+ HP at the crank it's gonna throw down some decent times at the strip. I REALLY REALLY don't want to put a cage in it, but I'd like to see what it could do on a prepared surface.

Help a guy out who doesn't know the rulebook - am I just going to have to lift every time and keep it over 11.50 (?). I also have a battery relocation to the trunk, but no external cutoff switch.

These are all NHRA rules, but are there tracks that are more loose with the rules?

Thanks!

-Daniel
 
You shouldn't get in. If you go for a test and tune, you will make 1 run and they will (should) be all over your case for running too fast without the proper safety equipment. THey will kick you out and should. Be safe, not stupid. Your first pass could be your last.
 
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GoldSwinger71 said:
For those that have seen my build - it's centered around being a sleeper first and foremost. But since I now I have 600+ HP at the crank it's gonna throw down some decent times at the strip. I REALLY REALLY don't want to put a cage in it, but I'd like to see what it could do on a prepared surface.

Help a guy out who doesn't know the rulebook - am I just going to have to lift every time and keep it over 11.50 (?). I also have a battery relocation to the trunk, but no external cutoff switch.

These are all NHRA rules, but are there tracks that are more loose with the rules?

Thanks!

-Daniel
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Best to just do it right, safety kinda matters.
I absolutely believe in over building a car.
Or put some skinny tires on it and don't get traction
 
toolmanmike said:
You shouldn't get in. If you do for a test snd tune, you will make 1 run and they will (should) be all over your case for running too fast without the proper safety equipment. Be safe, not stupid. Your first pass could be your last.
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Boy, I couldn't have said that any better at all.
 
Depends on the track and the day of the week. I have a buddy who had a 600 hp big block in his street Duster. It would run 10.90 at the track on street tires with a full interior and full exhaust system. He was able to race most of the summer until a guy he beat in a grudge match complained to the tower. But he was running at the Weds night street drags with a bunch of Honda fart pipe cars. I wouldn't try it at a NHRA divisional race. He was able to make about 40 passes in the car before he was kicked out. He had a thick stack of time slips in the glove box. The car didn't look fast which also helped. Black primer, flat hood, 15x8 wheels in the back with street tires, mufflers, etc.
 
A few years back I drove to Nostalgia day at N.E. Dragway. Just drove there and put in line. No cage, did have Batt. switch. 1st pass I went light just to see if it would launch straight. 2nd pass I ran an 11.7 which surprised me with a 323 gear. They came and warned me not to go faster or I'd be banned until I got a cage. 11.5 requires it.

Nostalgia Day
 
Depends on the track and how well or if they actually do tech. A roll bar is required at 11.49 1/4 mile, a roll cage isn't required until 10.99 or 9.99 if your floor and such isn't all cut up. I wouldn't run a car without proper safety equipment, but most tracks if it's your first time there and they don't know your car you can usually get 1 full pass and if it's too fast they will tell you to go home. You could always lift at the 1/8th mile on the 1st run to see how fast you maybe, or even if you're as fast as you think you should be. I've seen a few "600" HP cars not need a roll bar.
 
Just go to a No Time/No E.T./No Prep event. Absolutely, no tech inspections.
 
6PKRTSE said:
Just go to a No Time/No E.T./No Prep event. Absolutely, no tech inspections.
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And I'm sure the track has you sign a disclaimer that they aren't liable if you wad you car up and kill yourself.
 
They won’t know how fast your car is, and neither do you, until you run it. So, you’ll be able to run until you pass 11.50

EXCEPT for the kill switch thing.

It’ll take some passes/seat time before you get your car set up and are hitting shifts consistently to use all your new found power.

I haven’t seen your build, what’s the rest of your car combo? Mainly weight, converter, gears, tire diameter, and suspension upgrades. As previously noted, 600 hp isn’t a free pass to fast. Not trying to be insulting, just needing to know if everything behind and around the power is set up to use it is all.
 
Should be about 3400 or so weight wise, it’s got a 2800 stall converter , Dana 60- 3:55 gears with true trac, Cal Tracs bars,subframe ties, 235 60r15 et streets. I’m working on rolling the fenders first for some more meat.
 
GoldSwinger71 said:
Should be about 3400 or so weight wise, it’s got a 2800 stall converter , Dana 60- 3:55 gears with true trac, Cal Tracs bars,subframe ties, 235 60r15 et streets. I’m working on rolling the fenders first for some more meat.
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Sounds like a solid street/strip machine that’ll pull harder on the big end than down low. My conservative guess is 1.7X 60’ and high elevens or low twelves for the first outing. I think that once you get a kill switch (and other safety things that the inspector may identify on your first trip) you’ll be track legal to make some passes. More gear and converter will get you closer to, and eventually into cage territory. But, it’ll certainly shift more to track purpose. I bet it can beat up on quite a few of the local streeters!
 
With a battery in the trunk, and no shut off, you won't (or, at least at my track) get past tech. Any new car that tech hasn't seen gets the belts and helmet looked at, and the shut off checked, at a minimum.
However, if you DO get past tech, run a 1/4 mile track, and shut it down at 1000 feet. Don't make it obvious and get on the brakes and run 59 mph. There are lots of conversions from 1/8 to 1/4.
If you only have an 1/8 track, run hard to 330, and back off a bit. 330 can give an accurate assessment for 1/8 and 1/4 too.
If you flagrantly throw "too fast!" in their face, they WILL bounce you. One of the local tuner shops brought out a standard cab Silverado 4x4 to run at our track. Turns out it had a twin turbo 427 LS. (How it got past tech in the first place is a mystery) .No cage. No bar. No belts, other than stock 3 point.

Ran 5.70 something, 125mph eighth.
They got bounced before they got a timeslip, before they got off the return road, told don't EVER bring that thing back without every piece of safety equipment in the catalog.
 
Kendog 170 said:
A few years back I drove to Nostalgia day at N.E. Dragway. Just drove there and put in line. No cage, did have Batt. switch. 1st pass I went light just to see if it would launch straight. 2nd pass I ran an 11.7 which surprised me with a 323 gear. They came and warned me not to go faster or I'd be banned until I got a cage. 11.5 requires it.

Nostalgia Day
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Actually, only a bar at 11.50 . With a stock floor under the driver, and stock firewall, a bar is good to 10.00.
Messed- with floor or firewall, you are right, you will need a cage.


Unless of course, you have a modern musclecar with airbags. Then nhra says you don't need nuthin.
 
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6PKRTSE said:
Just go to a No Time/No E.T./No Prep event. Absolutely, no tech inspections.
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Every no prep race I have been to had classes and therefore, a tech inspection. I think anyone grossly violating protocol gets tapped on the shoulder for a private discussion.
 
GoldSwinger71 said:
Should be about 3400 or so weight wise, it’s got a 2800 stall converter , Dana 60- 3:55 gears with true trac, Cal Tracs bars,subframe ties, 235 60r15 et streets. I’m working on rolling the fenders first for some more meat.
Click to expand...

If you plan on racing it and any future performance upgrades (you mentioned a bigger rear tire ) you might as well stuff a 6 or 8 point bar in it. I would get a S&W kit good for 10.0 and go have fun.
 
The sheets

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Using Wallace calculators, with a 3400 lb car, 200 lb driver, and 600 hp, mid tens are possible. But I think that's with optimum gear and converter. With your soft gear, and tight converter, a decent 60 ft on fairly small tires could be difficult. And the first 60 is where e.t. is made.
I think I would expect low 11s first time out, somewhere around 7flat eighth.
I could easily be very wrong..... in either direction, lol.
 
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