First of all, im sure my blog has taken a different perspective as i seldom post any genuine self-take pictures anymore and instead just posted small individual post about certain pictures on the web or video, im deeply sorry as i have had zero free time, most of the time when im home i just can't be bothered as the fatigue and tiredness just sinks down into my heart everytime i have a chance to relax, how ever, i attended the Spring Horse Power Challenge which is a yearly national drag meeting held on Calder Park here in Melbourne with NX Generation. Its a big major event that has the top cars of the ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association) Pro Series having one of their races. This comprises of the Pro Stock and Top Doorslammer class, which i will cover later. As well as a whole shootout for other smaller classes.
But first of all, NX Generation has 3 cars on the list of the smaller classes on this day, Ali Sead's Ford Capri on the Modified Street class, Vic Paplos's Holden Torana LJ in the Nostalgia class which i was the unofficial solo pit crew T.T... and Kaz's KAZMAN Holden Commodore VL turbo in the Super Eliminator class. But nonetheless, let me walk you through it....
This was Vic's Torana the day before it leaves the workshop
Mind u this is a really spot on street car, with just the bonnet and extra large tires in the back, this car doesn't have any other 'race' purpose on the exterior....that is, just the exterior though. I was 'paired' with Vic as he fetch me from the workshop and we go there together. He was put through hell lot of trouble, due to poor organizing and bad luck, but no such problems existed for the car, until when he got knock out at the 3rd elimination round, after get the car back to the garage, only then he's fuel pump stops working. Talk bout timing...
Anyway, some pictures from Calder, sorry for the lack of pictures, as i was very busy with Vic and Pro Stock and Doorslammer teams aren't so happy with people taking picture of them working...understandable though~ over here, i spotted a mint old Merc SL that is all purpose built for one thing~ drag
Crowds were crazy!!! This is approx 5 times more then the Mean Machine show in Penang if local viewers from Malaysia are seeing this....imagine this little group on the hill, expanding the whole 500 meter onwards...
This is what a LJ Torana, same car that Vic runs, looks like, although without those nicely done up wheel arches.
Anddd a rocket-equipped FD3S.....there's a few cars that have jet engines or rocket or i-dunno-wat-to-call-them thing on their back, they are merely for exhibition runs and the sound and sensation of feeling the shock wave from the engine is just breathtaking. They aren't specializes in accelerating, but seeing their acceleration from half track is just incredible.....though not as incredible...as those Doorslammer.....
Going onto a drag race can be exciting, as you can feel and see all type of cars launching all out to the 400 meters, but at times it can be boring as well, but not bored out of the action, bored out of waiting! As we're needed to done a qualifying run, and then to the 1st and following elimination runs. Problem is, from qualifying, to 1st elimination, took 3 hours! And then another 3 to the 2nd elimination, all the Nostalgia class participants were furious and unsatisfied.
During a shootout, in which u race against someone in your class, it isn't straight forward as to the fastest will win. NO. In a shoot out, you do a qualifying run, sometimes 3 or 4 qualifying, and u get your time, in our instances, 10.60second. So our time for 400meter is 10.60sec. During the 1st elimination, you have to run AS CLOSEST to 10.60sec, who ever runs as close to their qualifying secs wins~
Example, we run a 10.60sec on qualifying. Opponent run a 10.20sec on qualifying. During shootout, we ran a 10.69sec, so a 0.09sec difference. While opponent run a 11.30sec, so 1.30sec difference, therefore we won as we have the smallest difference and was deemed closer to our qualifying number. Thn same for 2nd elimination, 3rd elimination and so on. Untill, the last 2. At that point, results will be counted, as the fastest guy wins.
At the end, Kaz's VL lose out too, so it was down to Ali in his class only. On the other hand, I was going onto the other side of Calder Park to have a peek at the 'big boys' in the scene, the Pro Stock and Doorslammer, there are at a shear level of difference compare to the smaller class. They come prepare with huge utility trucks, proper caravan, support crew, and straightaway you can tell this guys mean business. I have the option of seeing with my bare eyes of them performing a whole tear down of the engine, from valve cover, till the pistons. And you can see everyone is performing some activity somewhere, no one is doing nothing. Doorslammer are on a level higher then Pro Stock, while Pro Stock are 5sec cars, Doorslamers are 4sec cars. They utilizes EFI and Engine management while Pro Stock still uses dual carb.
Here a team principal is being interview by the media.
A typical Top Doorslammer car
And the tear down of it...notice custom tubular frames.
This one was factory backed by Holden, and not just this car, but all the Top Doorslammer team have this thing when they work on the cars, notice the front part of the car?? Thats a special tool being use to store special tool or parts. Instead of putting everything on the table spread out, they have special self-made bracket to hold bolts, nuts, plugs, and on this case, valve covers.....talk about efficiency...
This is a Pro Stock car, notice the more simple front end compare to the Doorslammer?
This particular car belongs to would-be-winner of Pro Stock class Lee Bektash, who is a friend of Ali and drives for Mopar.
Tri bike capable of heavy wheel spin
And since the big boys are coming down, there couldn't be short of some big boy's toys. Here, is a nice, 73 Corvette Stingray coupe.....man, i would just love this, with side large Caterham-like exhaust, and a blower or Dominic-Toretto-style-Supercharger on top, and on plain WHITE, is that perfect OR WAT ?!
A C63 AMG Wagon....u dun see this quite alot....
There is another big boys toys, but it prove to be soooo extreme, i'm opening up a new post just for it...
And here..is the beast...this here, is a Top Fuel car.
Top Fuel car is the highest level or class in any Drag Scene, they are the penultimate level that you can reach when it comes to quarter mile....10000hp (yup, 10 thousand, its not a typo) nitromethane sucking monster. Fastest record? 3.8sec down quarter mile....i was in awe watching the people performing the final check up on this thing, it is MASSIVE, the rear wing will probably give u a good idea on how big it is...it was here on a exhibition run, and as soon as it did the burn out....we all noe, this level of sound and massiveness, is on 5 or 6 times to that of the Doorslammer...Ali went to me: "Close your ear Han, this is going to be loud", when Ali Sead (or my boss haha) speaks to you like a teacher, and when he say close your ear, and you can see he's closing he's as well, YOU CLOSE IT ~ I didn't listen, and was just merely puting my finger on my ear, the moment it goes back to line, the lights drop, with no sound or whatsoever, and then suddenly a hugeeee roar 3 times as much as when the car is doing the burn out just roars out, a shear sharp pain hit my ear and before i noe it, waves and waves of trembling shock wave travel through my body as the car launches almost wheel spin-less , i can feel it everywhere! The ground, my toes, my hands, my lungs, my hair, i can feel it directly, and before u noe it, it hit a 4.3sec down the quarter mile.....crowds cheered and went nuts! I didn't realize it, but i was 40-50 meters away, and yet i can still feel the pain and shock wave, imagine the driver! Before i noe it....I have just experience, the fastest and heaviest launch of a quarter mile in the world......
A typical Top Fuel car..
And back to the normal cars, this is also a purpose built, privateer 8sec 13B rotary-equipped FD3S RX-7.
the sound of rotaries can be heard one 5-6 cars among the day, however they all reside in older chassis such as RX-4, RX-3....but when they start it you can instantly recognize it, while V8's sounds crispy and sounds like they come in big punches, the rotaries can be heard as a loud but quick small pulses, picture a small displacement bike engine on straight pipe and your on the right track.
Wrong shirt on the wrong day on the wrong place on the wrong crowd...i wonder if he's on a Japanese drag meeting will he be hunt down by Bozosoku ???
Now a van with custom wheel arches.......
And a MoTeC M48 and MSD ignition controller...............ok~while we're planning and contemplating on a setup like this on a proper car, some crazy guy have done it on a van....T.T....notice the side exhaust...
For me, its been one of the best days i have had in my life. I experience alot, learn alot, and have certainly seen alot.....but before i close up this post, i would like to congratulate ALI SEAD on being the 2010 STREET MODIFIED BLOWN/UNBLOWN CLASS CHAMPION of AUSTRALIA! We've beaten cars such as a purpose built Mustang with twin turbo pumping 1600hp with a Capri that have only one single carby, aspirated, and 1380hp. At the end, its all about power and drivability~
