Took the '57 out Friday for the first time this season. Had done porting work on heads, intake, & headers, and had new Drag Radials (DOT-required class on Friday).

For first runs of the season, wasn't terribly bad, but I let these lights get into my head. Time trial RT's were .109 & .019. First round, .122 to the other guy's .016 - but, he stayed in it and took two lengths' worth of stripe, broke out. I figured I had to do something to improve my RT next round, so I let it roll a little after the staged light came on. Result? A minus .008.

Went out again Sunday. Told myself I was just going to do things like I used to. This was a slicks-allowed class, so I put on the ET Drags.

Time trials were .008 and .005. 1st round was against a friend (we just happened to roll down together, and had to run each other). Pulled a .043 to his .128. Okay, lets keep going.

Next round, get the win light, get the time slip and see .001. Yipes! As I head back down the return road, I hear over the PA, "Henry Helming just cut a .000 light!" I know Henry, too.

3rd round, they ladder us. Guess who I get? Henry, of course. He does a -.025 to my .027.

Next two rounds were .004 and .002. Redlight and back-off wins, respectively.

In the semi, I'm against a 10.76 dial-in '70 Nova. I take the stripe, he gets the win light. Timeslip shows my .066 to his .062, but he runs a 10.761 and I, of course, broke out.

I'm not known as a lumber jack - I don't think I've ever had a day with no redlights or no .1's (used to be .6's). But I think I can live with these types of numbers.

 

If our track gets the LED lights this year it won't be until late in the season.

Only the National event tracks get the lights first.

 

The way Bandimere explained it, they weren't "given" the lights, but they were required to use them for national events. Rather than trying to use them for the first time at the Mile High Nationals, they decided to get them up and running for the opening of the season.

I believe Pueblo has them, too, and they (as far as I know) don't host any national events.

 

Yes and no. Jay the chairmen/slow shop owner/Azz hole/wanna be pushed for them. They just finished upgrading the track in hopes of getting some national events although they do run alot of westrern state classes.

 

Well I guess you can call them national events just ones no one cares about. http://www.pueblomotorsportspark.com/PMI.html

 

At least your track is on top of things by getting them, this way you'll get all the needed practice possible before you go to nationals. Our track is IHRA, but the other track we run is NHRA, so hopefully they'll have the new LED's also as it sounds like fun.

 

The best part seems to be that they don't appear different between daylight & dark. At least here, the sun goes behind the hills before the racing day is over, and the Friday races span daylight to dark. So, they really are better.

I'm having more trouble getting used to the ".000" vs. the old ".500" perfect light.

 

Well I don't think I have to worry about Savannah Dragaway getting LED lights, they don't even have lights in the traps, so they have to call out the time and tell you which lane won if they get around to it, and on test-n-tune nights they always decide to call out the time just as the next car is doing a burnout so you can't hear it. That and near everyone that's a serious racer has "NT" on the window so they don't give out their time either.

On the other hand, they don't tech you so there is that advantage!

Eric