I was also able to obtain the video shown on KOB TV4 last Saturday night which showed most of my first run and the reason things looked so slippery on the video Joshua took from inside the car.
Here is the first run (14.247 seconds) from inside the car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA9Ye98_ZxM
Here is what the same run looked like from outside the car (video from TV). Love the look of the smoke rolling off the tires but it makes for terrible trap times! (Yes, it was still loosing traction after shifting into second):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luxHLv73cTA
My second run wasn't recorded correctly because I launched so hard Joshua temporarily blacked out
The video started when I was a few 100 feet from the end of the track so I deleted it.
Here is what the third run (13.265 seconds):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPk1PrbJQRc
Here is the fourth run (12.985 second run at 110.695 mph) which was against the guy who beat me the first time out when I smoked the tires....I got my revenge and beat him by 15 mph!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39nlFJU_wtc
Here is the fifth run (12.897 seconds at 111.037 mph). Watch how well my competitor was able to hook up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeI4KIL5xWk
Here is the sixth run (12.951 seconds at 110.820 mph). That was a cool truck!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SS3G722a7Q
Here is the seventh run (12.878 seconds at 111.055 mph). This was the only street car (a Corvette) I raced. He lost by 4 seconds!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eWwGRx3_aU
Here is the eighth run (13.038 seconds at 110.340 mph).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue-B_GSiORY
And the final, fastest run I had that day (12.800 seconds at 111.421 mph)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQ1iaQfRx4
I hope to run again in the next few weeks and have been given some good ideas to decrease my times which I would like to try including launching in second gear, short shifting from first to second, launching slightly to the left or right of the normal racing line to seek more traction. I realize that decreasing tire pressures would aid in launching but as I stated earlier, I want to know what times I can turn with the car as I drive it on the street.
As I stated in my last email, I was running through the traps for the first couple runs at 6000 rpm in third gear. I knew my times were dropping because by the third run I was in fourth gear at somewhere around 5000 rpm.
It may be just my imagination but it sure seems like I launch harder off the line on the street than I do at the track. Having someone next to you on the track at the start line gets your heart racing, blood pumping and makes for a twitchy right foot....making calm starts rather rare for me. If I could settle down and hook up those rear tires, Gary McGlasson's performance calculator shows the Pantera should turn a 11.8 second 1/4 mile at Albuquerque Dragway's elevation of 5300 feet. That's my goal!
Gary's engine in the Pantera acts like it wants to try for that number all day long. The harder you push it the better it runs....you can't beat that feeling.
Hope many more of you can make it out to the track with me when I make those plans!
Best regards,
Jim Demick
Panteras of New Mexico