Auto Club Dragway / Fontana 2014 Schedule Released!

[MrCaliKrome]

[MrCaliKrome]

Do you guys know what the difference is between "Street Legal Drags" and "Open Test and Tune?"

[JeromeMach1]

I have been racking my brain to figure this one out. I am thinking the following:

Street Legal Drags: Competition of bracket racing street legal cars or simply test n tune for street legal cars.
Test n Tune: No competition. Open to street legal and non-street legal cars.

For several years, the Fontana crew did not do a good job handling the TnT weekend events. There were too many cars (get maybe 2-3 runs in over 10hrs) and the prep was terrible. I just stuck with the specialty events there like PSCA. For an event like this the track is prepped very well. I always bog to 1.5x 60 footers with my 17in MT ET Street Radials.

Jerome

[MrCaliKrome]

I have been racking my brain to figure this one out. I am thinking the following:

Street Legal Drags: Competition of bracket racing street legal cars or simply test n tune for street legal cars.
Test n Tune: No competition. Open to street legal and non-street legal cars.

For several years, the Fontana crew did not do a good job handling the TnT weekend events. There were too many cars (get maybe 2-3 runs in over 10hrs) and the prep was terrible. I just stuck with the specialty events there like PSCA. For an event like this the track is prepped very well. I always bog to 1.5x 60 footers with my 17in MT ET Street Radials.

Jerome

Can I run in a PSCA event just for fun to get more passes? Or do I need to join the league and pay fees etc?

[Brakelate]

I believe, to run a PSCA event you do have to join, run a number and maybe even a banner or window sticker of the sponsor for the event. Jerome is the expert here in regards to all of that, so he will provide THE answer, but I thought I would give you a quick reply. In return, you get more crowds, but are all but guaranteed much better prep and a professional run program.

In regards to the Open Test and Tune vs the Street Legal events; My understanding is Street Legal is just that. So, it is more like a "Grudge Night" with various STREET cars running, from 10 sec guys on slicks to 16 second Civics on snow tires. The resulting prep and delays due to first timers driving all over the place, through the timing lights doing burnouts, taking ten times longer to go because they do not have any experience with the two staging beams, etc are to be expected.

The Open Test and Tune is a little better. It could include some of the above mentioned antics, but mixed in (especially on a Friday night or Saturday before a big sanctioned specific event) are the semi pro fast guys. So, it is a crap shoot. Sometimes the prep is better and it is run more smoothly, as a lot of the first time, high school kids in their moms station wagon & tuner types are intimidated and do not come out. Again, on the "up" side, you may get lucky and run behind a big, fat tired, really fast car, and get to line up in his "groove". On the "down" side, said Dragster could pull out, have an entire posse of worker bee ants running around fine tuning the car and getting a guy and his machine dialed in or preparing for a license and it could take forever for them to get out there, do a burnout, get backed up, then only to run 200' and click off or break or just plain dick around because they look good standing around in team shirts on the launch pad. All while you sit there in the staging lanes sweating with your helmet on and your engine temps climbing. Worse yet, you could get lined up beside one of these Chinese Fire Drills and do your burn out, get all mentally set to go, stage and then sit there for minutes (seeming like hours) just to have the guy discover something is dripping and they push them away leaving you sitting there all wound up tight as a rubber band all for nothing.

So, like anything. It's a roll of the dice.

We've all been there. Sad, but true. For some reason, we keep coming back.

[JeromeMach1]

Can I run in a PSCA event just for fun to get more passes? Or do I need to join the league and pay fees etc?

Running at this event will not neccessarily provde more passes then a TnT or private track event. What it will provide are quality passes. Provided you are running at least a drag radial, traction will not be an issue.

The cost to become a member is $40 for the year. You are permitted to participate at one event without joining the membership. However, there will be a $10 "fee" added to your class entry fee. Here is the breakdown:

Tech card $60
Mustange Madness class entry fee $40 if you become a member or $50 if you do not.
Membership $40 (if you choose to)
Total would be $140 to run in Mustang Madness for the weekend and become a member or $110 choosing not to become a member.

You will get 2-3 qualifying passes on Saturday. On Sunday the eliminations start. If you race in one of the bracket classes like B-1 or Street Muscle, you get 2-3 passes on Saturday, 1 pass sunday morning, then start eliminations soon after.

I typiclly run two classes to get a decent amount of passes on a properly prepped track. So to race in two classes it will cost me $60 (first tech card) + $40 (second tech card) + $40 (MM class entry fee) + $40 (Street Muscle entry fee) + $40 (membership), total $220. For this I will get a minimum of 7 runs. If there is time to get 3 qualifying passes on Saturday I will get a minimum of 9 runs. If I win reounds on Sunday I will get that many more passes, plus the opportunity to win money.

As for stickers, you will need to put event and class sponsor stickers on the sides and lower windshield. They are vinal and are easy to put on and pull off. I do it all year long.

If you are interested in going you can pit with us in Mustang Madness. I will walk you though any questions you have.

Jerome

[MrCaliKrome]

Can I run in a PSCA event just for fun to get more passes? Or do I need to join the league and pay fees etc?

Running at this event will not neccessarily provde more passes then a TnT or private track event. What it will provide are quality passes. Provided you are running at least a drag radial, traction will not be an issue.

The cost to become a member is $40 for the year. You are permitted to participate at one event without joining the membership. However, there will be a $10 "fee" added to your class entry fee. Here is the breakdown:

Tech card $60
Mustange Madness class entry fee $40 if you become a member or $50 if you do not.
Membership $40 (if you choose to)
Total would be $140 to run in Mustang Madness for the weekend and become a member or $110 choosing not to become a member.

You will get 2-3 qualifying passes on Saturday. On Sunday the eliminations start. If you race in one of the bracket classes like B-1 or Street Muscle, you get 2-3 passes on Saturday, 1 pass sunday morning, then start eliminations soon after.

I typiclly run two classes to get a decent amount of passes on a properly prepped track. So to race in two classes it will cost me $60 (first tech card) + $40 (second tech card) + $40 (MM class entry fee) + $40 (Street Muscle entry fee) + $40 (membership), total $220. For this I will get a minimum of 7 runs. If there is time to get 3 qualifying passes on Saturday I will get a minimum of 9 runs. If I win reounds on Sunday I will get that many more passes, plus the opportunity to win money.

As for stickers, you will need to put event and class sponsor stickers on the sides and lower windshield. They are vinal and are easy to put on and pull off. I do it all year long.

If you are interested in going you can pit with us in Mustang Madness. I will walk you though any questions you have.

Jerome

Thanks for the offer. I am interested in checking out the event. Are you planning on running all the events?

[Tetge]

I have decided to skip the Saturday event at Famoso. I just checked the weather at McFarland, and today, at 9:25 am, the just updated real temp was 72*, with the forecast for Saturday being even warmer. It will be 75* by noon Saturday, and in the early afternoon it will get to 80*. So, for a time runner, conditions will not be super. That said, I reviewed the yearly schedule for Famoso, and this Sat., still is the best shot to hit the track this season. And, even though I am not excited about the DA, as I have said, any lightly modded Terminator with a good driver, can get into the 11's, and 11's with a street driven machine on pump gas, still impress me. If I still had my Termi, I definitely would have gone, as there would have been a challenge to hit good 11's, which I know to be possible since I witness Wineoo go 11'5's on MT DR's in all sorts of DA at Famoso, including 2000' +.

So, stay safe, and have fun, and give us reports, those that do make the trek. And, remember to line up and take your first run(s) ASAP to get the benefit of the lowest DA that you will see, which could be ~1000'.

[JeromeMach1]

Thanks for the offer. I am interested in checking out the event. Are you planning on running all the events?

You are welcome. Yes. I will be racing at all of the PSCA and NMCW West events. Plus, I will be racing at all West Coast Hot Rod and Saturday Night Nitro events at Famoso that do not conflict with the events at Fontana.

Jerome

[MrCaliKrome]

Thanks for the offer. I am interested in checking out the event. Are you planning on running all the events?

You are welcome. Yes. I will be racing at all of the PSCA and NMCW West events. Plus, I will be racing at all West Coast Hot Rod and Saturday Night Nitro events at Famoso that do not conflict with the events at Fontana.

Jerome

My car is down for repairs so may not be available for the next few events but I will reach out to you when I may be able to attend one of the dates.