FFW Houston

[Sixpipes]

http://www.talonclub.com/4images/data/media/8/P5028147r.JPG
Typical Houston weather 90 degrees and 95% humidity. First round of qualifying was yesterday at 4PM. Had some fun at Friday night's T&T. This is a picture of my only run on street tires. Crawford and I had a couple of good runs against each other (each of us winning a race). The Top Truck class is going be be big this weekend. More later. :cool:

[my2002lightning]

SixPipes,

I wish I could've made it to watch all of you run the 1/4s!

Good meeting everyone at Pugley's!

Be sure to take plenty of .jpgs and post.

Later,

Ronald

[Sixpipes]

The heat and humidity continues to be a problem here in Houston. More of the same today. My best qualifying run was a 12.82 so I'll be running against a 12.72 dial tomorrow. Weighed Go_rila today and with slicks and 17 inch fronts, he tipped the scales at 4,574 pounds (no driver). Without the tailgate and topper (tomorrow's race trim) the weight was 4,414 pounds.

Not as many trucks as I was expecting because the minimum ET has been lowered to 14.99 in Top Truck for 2003. Still looked like maybe 28-30 trucks for tomorrow's program.

I ran the Gallop for Gold today just to get another pass. I dialed 12.91 and ran 12.91 with a 4. There were 5 guys (out of a field of about 45) that hit their number. The winning guy hit his number with a 2 so I came 2/1000th of a second from a $450 payday. :(

Jim D made a shakedown pass in JD's truck and ran a 12.4X on street tires. I'm sure JD will bring everyone up to date when he gets back next week. Doug is still at the track with the JDM group and Garrett and Crawford just left to meet JD and his buddies at some bar down the road. I'm the only one behaving. :cool:

[03LightningRocks]

It was a great time fellows. Dennis ain't kidding about the humidity. You could cut it with a knife.

It was cooler today than at the qualifing so alot of us broke out.:mad:

I hope everyone made it home safe.

Rocks:beer:

[Sixpipes]

Well, I got put out in the 1st round after cutting the worst light of the weekend. I ran a 12.73 on a 12.72 dial, but had a .663 light. The NX Express sponsored truck from North Carolina ran a 12.38 on a 12.35 dial with a .583 light.

Also weighed Go_rila in street trim (w/20s) and he tipped the scales at 4,868 (no driver). :eek2:

[Silver_2000]

I made it back in one piece and once I get the grit and sand washed out and my sanity back Ill post some pictures as always.

The Top Truck turnout was disapointing to JDM. He complained repeatedly that the TALON Club and the HALO club the largest lightning groups in the country couldnt get more people to enter the top truck class.

So those of you who went or those of you who didnt please post your reasons, excuses, etc for either going ir NOT going and racing Top Truck or NOT racing Top Truck.

Thanks
Doug

[J.D. Blackwell]

It was nice to get to see you guys this weekend. Didn't get to hang out with you guys very much, except late at night with Garett & Sam. I was busy and pissed on working on my truck this weekend, so I apoligize.

Jim did get to make 2 passes with the 20's and full weight w/ driver (5,000#) and came up with a best 12.46 and a slipping belt from he** & a rich program. I spent the rest of the afternoon pulling the spare tire, reciever hitch, tailgate, front sway bar, pass. seat, swapped the front 20's w/ 18's, and Jim borrowed some slicks for it. I managed to shave over 300 lbs. off. He made another pass Sunday morning and only managed a 12.05. He was pissed cause he couldn't find a brush to put VHT on the belt. He said on that run it boosted up to 18# for a moment til about 2nd gear and then fell to 14# the rest of the way. Oh well, that is my luck for you, but I am pretty happy with the times. I know it can be way better. The slipping belt I believe was from the upper pulley. I locked up my blower Thursday night and I had borrowed Paul's for the weekend. He had a custom machined 3# upper on it. I used the same belt and it was quite a bit looser with it. I know that was a major role in the slipping belt.

Anyways, I had a good time and hopefully I can have this truck running real soon. I am missing a piece to the blower. The plastic spacer that goes on the inside of the snout. Hopefully I can make a few more passes this next weekend if I can find one. I have a match up with a '03 Cobra (Madness):tu:

[wesman]

Originally posted by Silver_2000_;)!
I made it back in one piece and once I get the grit and sand washed out and my sanity back Ill post some pictures as always.

The Top Truck turnout was disapointing to JDM. He complained repeatedly that the TALON Club and the HALO club the largest lightning groups in the country couldnt get more people to enter the top truck class.

So those of you who went or those of you who didnt please post your reasons, excuses, etc for either going ir NOT going and racing Top Truck or NOT racing Top Truck.

Thanks
Doug


My tranny is very much fried....it still drives but just makes a lot of noise up until and sometimes past redline at WOT in first gear.

--wes

[dboat]

Originally posted by Silver_2000_;)!
I made it back in one piece and once I get the grit and sand washed out and my sanity back Ill post some pictures as always.

The Top Truck turnout was disapointing to JDM. He complained repeatedly that the TALON Club and the HALO club the largest lightning groups in the country couldnt get more people to enter the top truck class.

So those of you who went or those of you who didnt please post your reasons, excuses, etc for either going ir NOT going and racing Top Truck or NOT racing Top Truck.

Thanks
Doug

Well I dont really plan on racing my truck. It is my sole source of transportation and have kept it pretty much stock except for the air filter, throttle body and the (soon to be tried) microtuner. I intend to keep it and probably get the extended warranty. I dont even know what the Top Truck class is and what it takes to be in it. I admire the rest of you that go and race your trucks though. I am sure it is fun. However, the L was exactly what I wanted in a vehicle when I bought it and remains that way.
Also, dont have the money for the trip right now as I am unemployed.
Dana

[Mark #2]

I wasn't there because I couldn't get my sister to change her wedding day. Truck and I were ready to go.

[99WhiteBeast]

FFW Houston fell on my kid/dad weekend and financially not able to afford the weekend to Houston.

I plan to be in Ennis at FFW in the fall

[blueoval01]

Originally posted by dboat
Well I dont really plan on racing my truck. It is my sole source of transportation and have kept it pretty much stock except for the air filter, throttle body and the (soon to be tried) microtuner. I intend to keep it and probably get the extended warranty. I dont even know what the Top Truck class is and what it takes to be in it. I admire the rest of you that go and race your trucks though. I am sure it is fun. However, the L was exactly what I wanted in a vehicle when I bought it and remains that way.
Also, dont have the money for the trip right now as I am unemployed.
Dana

Ditto ........:o

[Moonshine]

Originally posted by Silver_2000_;)!

So those of you who went or those of you who didnt please post your reasons, excuses, etc for either going ir NOT going and racing Top Truck or NOT racing Top Truck.

Thanks
Doug

Prior work committment all day Saturday. :(

Besides, I've been to Houston in May. :vomit:

[98Cobra]

Originally posted by Silver_2000_;)!
I made it back in one piece and once I get the grit and sand washed out and my sanity back Ill post some pictures as always.

The Top Truck turnout was disapointing to JDM. He complained repeatedly that the TALON Club and the HALO club the largest lightning groups in the country couldnt get more people to enter the top truck class.

So those of you who went or those of you who didnt please post your reasons, excuses, etc for either going ir NOT going and racing Top Truck or NOT racing Top Truck.

Thanks
Doug

I am unable to do it financially. I just bought $1000 worth of tires recently, it kind of keeps you from spending money on mods. Also, I can't mod my truck much because it is my daily driver, and I pull a boat with it all summer. And I don't give two squirts if I am disappointing anybody - I go there to have a good time, period, and I accomplished that. :D

[1BADTK]

Well all HALO could muster up was 12 of the 33 total entries. We had five more that had to bow out. See you guys in Ennis in August.

[Crawford]

I went and had a good time which was the point of the trip for me. I don't go to the FFW events just to enter TT. I dont think that Jim should expect TALON there (Houston) in huge numbers. A full weekend road trip is unrealistic for a lot of people. Ennis is more realistic as far as getting our group out but from what I hear its even more expensive to run at Ennis and I hear they raised the prices this year. They also dont have any test and tune sessions for people who dont enter into any of the brackets which sucks.

The reasons I didn't enter are:

Costs too much money to enter (around $100) :roll

I don't have slicks or a driveshaft loop to make my 60 ft times consistent enough to be competitive.

Its all about the money. If racing in TT was more affordable I might be able to borrow some slicks and throw a DS loop on and win some races. :roll

[Sixpipes]

Originally posted by Silver_2000_;)!
I made it back in one piece and once I get the grit and sand washed out and my sanity back Ill post some pictures as always.

The Top Truck turnout was disapointing to JDM. He complained repeatedly that the TALON Club and the HALO club the largest lightning groups in the country couldnt get more people to enter the top truck class.

So those of you who went or those of you who didnt please post your reasons, excuses, etc for either going ir NOT going and racing Top Truck or NOT racing Top Truck.

Thanks
Doug
I've run in the Top Truck class since my first FFW event in 2000. Back then, the class was running a Pro Tree and the purpose built "race" (read non-streetable) trucks had a big advantage. In 2002, the change was made to a Sportsman's tree and allowed street trucks to become competitive. Many of you remember Paul Gamino going to Orlando and running a 19-second rental Ranger against a 12-second Lightning and advancing to the second round which was run in Atlanta the next month. He then drove a 17-second F150 from Houston to Atlanta and won the first FFW event in that truck. Kevin Todd was the champ last year in his 17-second "Trash Truck".

FFW Top Truck then added the 14.99 second ET limit to the class for 2003. Draw your own conclusions. They also raised the entry fee to $75 for T/T plus an increase to $35 for annual membership. In all fairness, FFW is giving away an F-150 to this year's points leader, plus a 2-year lease to the second place finisher. It should be noted that this only comes in to play if you are able to attend most of the 10 events.

I run Top Truck because it is a featured (showdown) class. If you want the best bang for your buck, you should race Q/F or S/F. T/T gets you three qualifying runs and one guaranteed run on Sunday. Until this year, T/T could not run test and tune before the Saturday & Sunday programs. Prize money is $500 for first and $100 for runner up. $50 if you get to the semis. Even if you come in second, you're still down $10 (if you are a local guy and paid your $35 FFW membership fee to race T/T in Houston).

S/F allows you to run test and tune before the events and race for trophies on completely seperate race programs (Saturday & Sunday). All this for $75.

Q/F allows you to run the same schedule as S/F, but you have a chance to win cash on Saturday & Sunday. It should be noted that Q/F & S/F are dominated by cars and the classes are usually huge.

All this to say, I will continue to run T/T to support the class. I don't do this enough to win consistantly or even make a respectable finish in the points (although I did finish tenth in 2002 after attending four events). But, I also will not be judgemental of those that decide to enjoy the event from the stands or race in other classes.

T/T had ~36 entries in Houston. At $25/truck (entry fee for the weekend is $50), that is $900. $500+$100+$50+$50 payout = $700. FFW took in $50/truck plus a $25 class fee which comes out to $2,700 (not to mention the local guys shelling out a required $35 membership fee).

By comparison, I know the Focus class did not even cover the entry fees because of the generous payout schedule.

Top/Truck has come a long way, but it has the poorest payout on the FFW racing program. I don't blame folks for putting their money in another class. :cool:

[03LightningRocks]

Two of the Halo members I talked to while in Houston raced in the orher classes with their L's. One of them told me he could only do one and the TT class was the least bang for the buck class.

I am new to all this but from reading your post Dennis, I think i see what he was talking about.

IMHO...If they want more entries in TT they should up the prize money. I don't go for the explanation from them about pay out money being related to total entries. They make a bloody killing from us and those that attend with us, even with no entry fee figured in. For me and my one man pit crew, I was out 140 bucks just to get in the gate for 3 days. Then I got hit for more fees every time I went another step towards entry. FFW charging 2 bucks a letter for the numbers to stick on your truck is just one of the many nickle and dime ways they bleed us from the moment we walk in the gate.

That being said, I plan to keep going anyway. But if a fellow was on a tight budget, this would be one, very tough to justify, expense.
Thank goodness I am single. A wife would step all over my head for all the money I am dumping in my race hobby.


Rocks:cool: