Super Saturday
Since winter seems to have skipped right over us (though it is 40 degrees today), we decided to make the maiden trip to the track in our new for 2012 configuration: Camaro in the trailer, truck following behind. Pretty uneventful trip, which is precisely what we were looking for.
Got 5 runs in with the car, no surprises other than the fact that mineshaft air conditions had it bit lean.
The truck was much the same, little bit of a stumble off the line due to lack of fuel, but only managed to make two passes after discovering a little leak out of the back of the water pump.
It made the 120 mile round trip with hardly even a hiccup, and even managed 12.5 mpg. Oh, and threw down a 7.68 at nearly 90 mph, despite a nasty stumble at the hit of the throttle.
Overall, quite a satisfying Saturday. Now if only I could decide who to root for in this football game everyone’s talking about..
Parts Plus to back Millican for full 2012 NHRA Top Fuel Season
Fantastic news this week as it’s been made official that Parts Plus will again be riding along on Clay Millican’s 300+ mph NHRA Top Fuel dragster for the full 23-race NHRA season. We enjoyed watching the team last year, and are looking forward to seeing things come together with the full calendar this year. Head over to Aftermarket News for the full announcement.
As we predicted when the announcement was made last year, Clay did a spectacular job flying the Parts Plus colors, even on a limited schedule. ESPN’s cameras gravitate toward him, and Clay does an excellent job interacting with fans as only he can, both in the pits and online via Twitter and Facebook.
Good luck to Clay and everyone on the MPE Motorsports Parts Plus Top Fuel team, we can’t wait to see the car at The Motorplex in Ennis this fall!
Haulin’ Hay..and A Few Other Things
One of the things that makes a record-setting, drought-stricken, utterly miserable Texas summer tolerable is the thought that the mild winter to follow will provide the opportunity for activities that our neighbors to the north don’t get to experience. Such as heading to the drag strip a week before Christmas.
We got to enjoy that simple pleasure this year, and get a much-needed first trip with the 63 C10 shop truck in. Conditions were beyond words – density altitude started below 0 and never passed 600 all afternoon. Temps reached the mid-50′s as the day wore on, and as always, the guys at North Star Dragway made sure the cold track was still plenty sticky.
Overall, we were very pleased. Aside from some very unnerving handling characteristics stemming from front-end alignment issues (we eventually likened it to driving a boat through harbor at idle, only at 80+ mph with guardrails mere feet away), the truck did exactly what we were hoping to see, managing a best ET of 7.749, and best MPH of 88 and change. Not too bad for an old farm truck.
Here’s video of the best pass – watch for the wiggle:
Look for the transformation into full-on shop truck mode in the coming weeks – or months, we know how timelines go on these projects.
Christmas comes early
The shop truck finally moves under its own power! For the first time since last November, our 63 Chevy C10 lumbered out of the shop and down the road. Updates we’ve completed at this point:
The basically stock 91 model 350 bid us farewell in favor of an RHS aluminum-headed 406 with a healthy solid roller and just over 11:1 compression. All that new grunt drives through a fully built 700-R4, and exhales out a new exhaust setup consisting of a 3″ Pypes x-pipe and full stainless tubing leading to the Hooker Aerochamber mufflers that were on the previous setup.
On the inside, a B&M Stealth Pro Ratchet shifter steps in for the original B&M Hammer, and the glovebox now conceals the MSD Digital 6+ ignition box. Still on the to-do list is a 9″ Ford rearend, then it will be thrash time.
Here’s a short clip from after the maiden voyage, and a much needed wash in the driveway. There’s a little romp to around 3,000, then 4,500 at the end.
406 Cubic Inches
Little clip of the new engine in the shop truck, running through an open Pypes 3″ X-pipe. Should be good for a few seconds off the average delivery time, I’d think.
45 Degree Turning Hydraulic Cylinders..?
While 45 degree turning hydraulic cylinders look kind of cool, they tend to be a little terrifying when in use.
We’ve got the tools to rebuild leaking, bent and worn out cylinders for a fraction of the cost of new ones. Give us a call or stop by for an estimate.
Parts Plus comes to Top Fuel
Very cool news this week, Parts Plus has signed on with Clay Millican’s NHRA Top Fuel dragster team for 12 races this season. Look for him on ESPN2 starting at the Gatornationals March 10-13th. Millican has been a mainstay in drag racing, both IHRA and NHRA, having won 6 IHRA championships from from 2001 to 2005.
This is a big win for everyone involved, including the stores like ours who fly the Parts Plus colors every day. There have been several great drivers searching for sponsorship the past few years, and Millican is quite possibly the most talented both on and off the track that has been sitting on the sidelines. We can’t wait to see the Parts Plus colors terrorizing Top Fuel on Sundays!
Here is the press release from ClayMillican.com:
Parts Plus to sponsor NHRA Top Fuel driver Clay Millican for 12 races
Press Release 03/04/11
by Joe Sherk
Popular Top Fuel driver Clay Millican, the pride of Drummonds, Tenn., is returning to NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series action with primary sponsorship from Memphis-based Parts Plus.
“For 12 events this season,” Mike Lambert, president of the Automotive Distribution Network, said Friday, “Parts Plus will team with MPE Motorsports as the primary sponsor of Clay Millican. Clay’s racing success is complemented by his appearance as the host of shows on SPEED TV and MTV2, making him one of the most-recognized faces in the sport.
“This targeted exposure for our brand will be amazing as the Parts Plus dragster burns rubber down NHRA drag strips nationwide.”
The team will make its debut at Gainesville, Fla., March 10-13.
“Their willingness to commit to our sport in such a tough economic time,” said Mark Pickens, who owns the team with his wife, Lauren, “showed their visionary insight into the value of the NHRA fan base and the companies that support it.
“We are excited to enter into this partnership, especially when it is with a company from our hometown. We want to build a long and lasting relationship. I think it’s really going to be a great combination.”
Millican, a six-time IHRA Top Fuel champion, was equally as enthusiastic.
“This announcement by Parts Plus is one of the most exciting things we’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “It is awesome that they chose our team to get into drag racing for the first time in their company history . . . and they are a hometown company.
“Our team has been together for a long time, and Mark and Lauren have hung in there with us,” Millican continued. “We only did a couple of races last year, but now we’ve been able sign on with Parts Plus. I am so excited. I look forward to working with them for many years to come
Starting off on the right foot
Saturday was the first bracket race of the year, and it turned out pretty well for us. When all was said and done, we were one of four cars left on the property, and came away with runner up money in No Electronics after 6 rounds of racing. Excellent start to the year, I must say, we’ll see if we can keep the momentum going.
Noise-induced Hearing Loss
“Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an increasingly prevalent disorder that results from exposure to high-intensity sound, especially over a long period of time.”
That’s not a table..
THIS is a table..
Our cylinder repair business has really taken off this year. We’ll soon be even better equipped to work on large diameter and telescopic units thanks to this massive new workbench on steroids.