I have a 69 camaro that really isn't fast at all. One 03 mustang has a procharger P1 with 430 hp to the rearwheels with manual tranny on street tires. The other was an 04 cobra putting down 360 to the rear wheels, Manual with nittos.

I won both races. The guy with the street tires could drive, but had no chance of hooking up. The other guy just couldn't drive. I am amazed at all the people with high hp cars that can not drive. What is sad is my car is running 2 tenth slower than normal. ( due to a buttload of changes I have made )I beat both of them with a 8.277 in the 1/8th.

Ran a 70 model chevelle with a 454 with throttle body injection and aluminum GM heads. Beat him too. His car did not run well at all. 8.3's. He should have been in the mid 7's at least. I was worried about him, so I turned the bottle on. :-)

I am amazed at all the people with high hp cars that can not drive.


You ain't kidding. I have seen some absolute boneheads at the strip. I saw one guy in a lightening just roast the tires off and get all squirrely at launch. Thing is, he didn't get off the throttle or hesitate in an effort to allow his tires a chance to gain adhesion, he just kept on it and for a second, we thought he was going to put it on its side. He crossed the center line and was tossed.

I see guys going the whole pass NOT in the groove. I've seen guys set their line locks, hit the throttle and the car starts to drift a bit and they stay on it. The drift to the side starts to increase and they stay on it. As it increases, it exponentially speeds up and a split second later they're sideways.
That is probly inexperience but I don't understand why they feel that it is against their judgement to lift a bit to stay in or regain contol. I saw a rice boy do his pass and then start rally racing on the way back. He was doing 50 mph+. They gave him a warning to slow it down. He ran another pass and tried to do some 'drifting' on the way back. They tossed him.

As far as the guys with too much HP for skill, I figure they must have just bought their hp and its their first fast car. I would have done that same thing had I had the money.
When I was a young man in Sacramento, I had this 69 firebird. I raced it a lot. I put 99% of my paychecks into the car. Bolt ons after bolt ons and pretty soon, it was getting fast. But its power increased gradually with the bolt ons I added so I gradually got faster and didn't even notice that I was building skill.
Not that I'm any good but at least if I break loose, I lift in an effort to gain traction.

I've always been more of a driver/operator than a mechanic. I can't figure out how to do easy stuff to cars but operating things come easy to me. Changing a distributor gives me fits but flying a plane is fun. Heavy equipment, airplanes, hot rods, to me, its all the same.
Landing a small plane on a short strip takes some practice, 3 tiny tires stopping 2600 or so pounds. They are not anti lock brakes either.
On the other hand, several hundred hp in a car going down a similar strip is a different ball of wax. I feel much more comfortable with a wheel or stick in my hand than I do a wrench but I'd trade any day.

^^^^^HERE, HERE! ^^^^^^

Well said.....:thumbsup:

I feel your pain.