| 09.11.04 - I liked it so
much...
UK super Pro ET racer Derek
Flynn has returned from a very successful and enjoyable
trip to Palm Beach in Florida where he purchased a replacement
race car for the 2005 season. The dragster has been purchased
from US racer Ed Abruscato and Derek saw the car in action
before taking delivery.
"After a great first year in drag racing - on this note I
would like to thank all the other Super Pro ET teams for making
us feel so welcome - we have all very much been bitten and
smitten with the drag racing bug, and we want to go faster",
says Derek. "The car we have purchased is a 245” wheelbase,
2003 Tube Carz Chassis with a blown
509 BBC motor (there you go team, you said you wanted
a blower), dyno’d in excess of 1,500 hp, a Powerglide, and
fully-floating rear end.
"I must thank Ed Abruscato and his family (and friends) who
sold us the car. I was a little apprehensive before the trip,
but I could not have met a nicer family. They were terrific
hosts, picking me up from the airport, putting me up for the
weekend, taking the whole race team set-up to Moroso Park,
and demonstrating the car on what proved to be a very slick
RWYB track.
"We went to the track on Friday evening and when the guys
got the car out the trailer and the setting sun hit it - wow!
Then the warm-up, more wow (can’t really say what I said and
thought as it would be censored)! Suffice to say the hairs
on my arms and the back of my neck just stood up. Ed took
the car to the line and performed the burnout, more expletives
and the hairs up again, the launch was a wheels-up all-out
assault on the track, but the track could not take it and
Ed had to lift to avoid crossing the centre line put down
a disappointing 8.9 at 98 mph.
"Ed was very concerned that I had not seen the car at its
best and agreed to give it another go, this time in the other
lane. He had another dragster go up first and try to lay down
as much rubber as possible. Ed did a burnout to die for, backed
it up and before staging made it bark another two or three
times (hairs again) before going into pre stage, full stage,
up on the converter and pow he was off. 1.072 sixty foot,
4.5/153 at the eighth and 7.06/194...sold! After we advised
Ed of the time we shook hands and agreed the sale, packed
up the car and trailer and took it home. After a weekend spent
on Ed's launch fishing and diving, we took the car to the
docks at Jacksonville, a ten-hour round trip which Ed kindly
agreed to make for the cost of his gas. We now have the nervous
wait for the ship to arrive with our precious cargo, due in
at the end of this month.
"I think the car looks and sounds awesome and we can’t wait
to get it on the track, although we do appreciate this is
a totally different animal and it is going to be another steep
learning curve for yours truly and my team, and I do hope
we have not bitten off more than we can chew. So who knows
with a little luck and some help from our friends, we are
looking forward to some low sevens ourselves next season.
We would absolutely love a six and that magic 200 mph before
the year was out, providing we get our heads around the new
set-up and I am brave/good enough to drive it, we shall see.
"I would like to thank Geoff Martin, Terry Gibbs, Bob Glassup,
J & W Automotive and Charlie Collata for their good advice
and assistance with our new acquisition, and thanks to Andy
Robinson, J & W Automotive, and Geoff and the Tech Team for
their offers of assistance once the car arrives.
"The car’s first official appearance will be at the Xtreme
wheels show, see you there!
"Should anyone be interested in our yellow dragster and its
new trailer, check out our web site at www.goldrvracing.co.uk."
Original article taken from Eurodragster.com.
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