Interest Topic: BFest 2010 Drag Racing: Heads up Quick 16

[KFLO 93 GT]

The idea is simple, heads up racing with the fastest cars that come to BerettaFest Chicago. The way it is shaping up and the way recent trends have gone in the community it looks like we have the potential to have a lot of "fast" Berettas in Chicago. This would not be to replace the entire drag racing at BerettaFest, just as an event that would take place at the same time - and maybe it might draw interest for non-racing Beretta owners to spectate.

However, fully implementing the idea poses many issues and hurdles to clear.
*Getting the track to work with us. This will be the big 1, we'll need to watch schedules and hope a T&T night falls on the weekend we choose. Then we'll need to contact them early. Keeping this in mind might also help us choose a strip that will be more friendly to our group overall.
*Setting a bracket that is fair - do we qualify and then run eliminations. OR do we keep it simple and just try to get 2 staging lanes and just set it up ourselves?
*Do you run half the bracket as power adders and the other half as N/A, effectively giving 2 winners and 1 grand champion - or do we just toss it all in together for 1 winner?

With that in mind I think gathering interest in such an event is the first step. If we can get enough fast cars, 16 would be ideal. But at that point we might be looking at matching up low 15 second cars against 13 second or faster cars - and that defeats the point a bit. Which to me is to have fast and close heads up racing with Berettas. It would pretty much have to be run for trophies and bragging rights, Eric also mentioned that he may be able to provide a special gift for the overall winner.

So we would have to set some entry guidelines:

*Already having a 14.999 second or faster timeslip, or running one at BFest prior to the Quick 16. If we get a lot of fast cars, maybe we should set the bar lower.
*That's about all I've thought of so far

So, first of all we need to gather interest, with maybe a rough idea of what the car will run:
1-Kurt - 14.7ish region just to guesstimate...

[IsaacHayes]

I think a N/A and a power adder (Super/turbo/N2O) categories would be the fair way to go. More competition that way instead of one sided fight...

There should be exceptions though if you don't have a slip but have some nice build you should still qualify... If I show with my motor I won't have a slip but I'd be fast enough to run.........

It all depends though if I get the motor in a car, running, reliably, depending on transmission type, and tuned, and can make the trip. I'd be at least in the 14's, possibly 13's.

[woody90gtz]

If I go to Chicago I'm definitely in for it.

1-Kurt - 14.7ish region just to guesstimate...
2-Woody - 14.5 if I can drive

[3X00-Modified]

I'm be in for it.

1-Kurt - 14.7ish region just to guesstimate...
2-Woody - 14.5 if I can drive
3-Jon -13.5 Last know nitrous time... May be quicker.

[Asylum]

Sixteen 14 second or quicker Berettas?

Not likely. Most 3400's won't run that quick.

Might get 8, and you might find a track that isn't so jammed that getting more than 2 or 3 runs is a possibility.

Mixing the power adder cars with N/A is folly.

Hell if Rodney shows up, just give him the damn trophy and save the fuel. He'll be in the 11's by then. (He already ran 119 mph spinning all the way through first)

So just where do you draw the line?

Stock N/A? Modded N/A? Power-Adder?

Sounds like a nice idea and I support it IF it can be worked out, but those tracks are usually pretty busy.

8 cars requires 3 rounds. 16 cars 4. May be tough getting that many runs.

[KFLO 93 GT]

I agree that 16 is shooting a bit high, but we gotta strive for what we can. I'm hoping it is a forgone conclusion that we have more than 8 14 second or better Beretta that would be interested in this.

We've got 5 in this thread, Barry is interested, I bet godlike Brad would run his Quad... Just getting the word out and getting serious interest drawn will be the big thing. I'm sure as time goes there will be plenty of people who will speak up and not show up.

The idea of 8 might be easier to implement though. Especially if we go down to Byron and have our drag strip night fall on a Test and Tune night. Or the same goes for GLD, I know they can be pretty group friendly.

[1988GTU]

Sounds like fun. I probably will not attend, although I'd like to.

[Asylum]

Here is why this neat idea will and will not work, from a guy who has spent too much of his life at race tracks, dragstrips, tried and done this, and know it's likely doomed.

If we can get the track to work with the premise, that is 50% of the ordeal.

Can people actually show up on time?

Can the format work once everyone clears the air with the BS and excuses?

I like the idea Kurt, but making it work will be difficult at a busy, busy track.

That said, I will build a trophy for the whole thing(s), and will be happy to take part.

There are huge bragging rights on the line here!

But that just jump starts the BS and excuses!

But I'm in if you can make it work, and will provide the trophie(s).

And they will likely both live in Canada 'til 2011 LOL!!

The quickest and fastest N/A and Boosted/Power-adder Berettas are likely sleeping in the same garage this winter.

[IsaacHayes]

Eric, if I can get everything going by the end of summer (hope to be before mid summer at least) you may just loose that category! BTW you are not the fastest N/A... Alxsmt is in the 13's with his hybrid 5/spd.... Depending if I stay auto in this car or put my motor in another car means I might take the fastest N/A auto from you... But you can still have the fastest 3T40 N/A trophy! lol

[Asylum]

I'm not looking for bragging rights.

Lil'Jon was quicker N/A too, but not with a 100% stock engine.

Doesn't matter I suppose. Mine will no longer be stock either, and figure 13.20 or so to be close. (I really would love a 12.999 and drive it to the track!)

If I am going to pull the damn thing apart it's going to get serious. I'm not about to pussy-foot on this stupid thing. It will get the best of everything.

And Billy claims the next 3t40 will be unbreakable (although the last one really didn't break. An axle broke and tore up some stuff.) but alittle more converter.

And with Rodney around and able to tune it, and re-tune it almost weekly?

Chicago 2010 B'Fest? Bring on the competition!!

It's gonna be fun!! And you folks better bring some serious stuff 'cause this may be my last hurrah and it's gonna be FANTASTIC!!

But back to the Topic.

Kurt has a novel idea and if it can be implemeted it would add alot to the experience and excitement of the event. And would make for a great video compilation for the nay-sayers!!

A "gaggle" of Berettas that will smoke the average "muscle car"

[3X00-Modified]

Eric, if I can get everything going by the end of summer (hope to be before mid summer at least) you may just loose that category! BTW you are not the fastest N/A... Alxsmt is in the 13's with his hybrid 5/spd.... Depending if I stay auto in this car or put my motor in another car means I might take the fastest N/A auto from you... But you can still have the fastest 3T40 N/A trophy! lol

I don't know about that... Its quite hard to get that damn 4t60e to move...

I don't know how much more power that motor you have was quoted, but I would love to get mine and yours to a dyno and do a comparison just to see what that combo puts down compared to mine.

[IsaacHayes]

Jon, that would be interesting. The cam I have has duration close to the strip/street cam, and everything else close to the strip/performance cam on WOT. That being said though John said it was a "milder" cam that had a lot of low-mid end grunt and wasn't high RPM only cam. It also has high compression, and fully ported & polished (Upper and lower ported to metal gaskets and tapered down etc) I think it might of even had valve work done, I recall John saying something about that.

[KFLO 93 GT]

The way it sits right now I'm going to push it as 8 cars I guess. Once we get the weekend decided I'll start contacting local tracks to see what their schedules look like and if they would be willing to work with us on this.

If they sound willing I'll go ahead and say that we'll just have sign ups for the Quick 8/16 on Thursday night of BerettaFest, or Friday morning that way we can get some ground rules set out ahead of time - addressing such issues as bracketing and getting everybody to the staging lanes on time.

If we get to Chicago and nobody wants to do it, or the only people interested amount to less than 8 - we'll just call it off and I'll phone the track and let them know. If the track is willing to work with us at all, I think it would be sweet to try to get a couple staging lanes - at least for part of the time. That way we could set up or own runs and stuff at the least and not have to rely on track officials pairing us up. That's usually pretty hit or miss in my experiences.

[wicked-irocz]

well, yes, in the midwest you def have kurt, brad, devon, myself, and eric if he gets it back together. Possibly also kelly, Jon, I still need to talk to you about this.

[3X00-Modified]

I'm definitely in for sure, and I'll be there... Its just a matter of what weekend the event is on and that will determine if I'll be there alone or if Amy can make the trip.

There has been NO discussion since most have brought up the fathers day and school year ending overlaps with the "typical" third weekend of June date.

My setup will probably be run as the power adder section. Now my question is we are going for quickest right? Not bracket style? I can only imagine myself being in the low 13's if not 12's if I hit some magical fixes this winter. I'm already going to N-body brakes and I know for sure that will wake it up a bit again.