bracket racing a FED

[wideopen231]

 Yea I know you can't win bracket racing a FED, only heard it few thousand times. Why not? If any car runs the number and the driver hits tree it can win a bracket racing.Is that not the whole basis of bracket racing? (this can work for you, under estimated)

Ok disclaimer done.  Lets talk bracket racing with a fed.
One thing obvious or should be. The view of the race is totally different than in door car or RED. If you can't see the opponent he is way back. Seeing wheel to wheel is harder because they are way out there. Only way I see is a spot on there car when staged and use it.

 Pedaling a fed especailly with zoomies represnt different deals. One if you run Zoomies I promise you they will know if you are pedaling. That can work two ways.It can hurt you and it can help if using it to your advantage. Second Feds have more tendency to get bouncy if whomp whomping it. IMO brake is best way and then it probably needs to be soft.The reason I am adding a drag brake using brake handle and small caliper.

  The number one reason I was told will not work. Consistency. Feds are notorist for making a stupid run  more times than most. Mainly based on older cars with motor bolted to reand(slight exaggeration) and most the weight on rearend meaning very little on front wheels. I think key here is balance of weight and maybe softer leaves than would be for maximum performance. Was told buy a know it all in Kansas that 300 lb
minimum on the front end is required for good driveability. Who am I to question the man?

Running a fed by yourself present lots of things that you will need to be ready for. Buckling up is harder,then so is just getting into the seat.LOL Loading and unloading is a job.Same for all cars but more so with FED.

So guys who mainly bracket race a fed lets here your thoughts, strategy and or experiences.

[lake_harley]

I very much look forward to the replies since I plan to bracket race the FED I'm building now.

Partially because I'm just getting into drag racing after years of other car related stuff, and partially because I'm a tight wad, I plan to keep the engine build really mild. Seems to me a thoroughbred of a race engine would be more difficult to reign-in to run consistently. Same with converter and gears. Why make the car faster for the purpose of being faster when it's all about repeatability? Maybe I'm just hopeful and naive but it would seem to me a wild a$$ car would be more difficult to run consistent than a mild, pedal-to-the-metal car. My hope is for a 7-ish second 1/8th mile car....and to enjoy doing it.

Lynn

[wideopen231]

Hey I kept it mild only about 960 to 1000 hp and no blower on it. LOL  Now as for running some nitro at times, that is different story. Hey nitro is very consistent. Runs at better AFR.  Less effected by weather. Consistently cost more. LOL

[Supercat]

I soften the max tune and run 7.80 to 7.81 at 179 -181.
Car has run a best NA 7.21 at 192mph.
462 iron Buick block with aluminium head set up by Al Dixon injected alky. 1.01 60 ft
I have won and run as runner up many times I even went to the finals in an open class 10.99 and quicker 11 rounds to get to the finals.  It is possible very possible you just need to know your car.

[Curly1]

You can Bracket race a FED and they can be consistent in fact I set up my FED so I could bracket race if I wanted to. I have a good cooling system with fans and good transmission coolers. Still the FED is not as easy to load, unload, drive around the pits, get in and out of, get suited up and in the end it is rather a pain to bracket race. That takes a lot of fun out of it. Also some tracks will not let you burn out past the line in a bracket race and that is rather a pain to get a good burn out and get lined up right. That to can be done but just another little inconvenience.

For weight on the front end my car was pulling to the left and scrubbing rubber on right side of tires. Added some weight on the nose and it goes nice and straight. There probably was not 10 Lbs of weight on the nose when it was full throttle before. With a FED it is a balance deal and also if your reaction times ever seem out of line add a bunch of weight up front. They are bad about popping front tires out of beams, setting down then the front tires may come up slowly and set down soft. It is that quick pop up the ruins your reaction times.

As for not being able to turn around to see your opponent behind you, who cares? You are going to be faster car 99% of the time any way. You will be chasing them. I think in the last 10 years and hundreds of passes only 2 times I remember other car was faster and it was like .02 which is basically heads up.

I do think you need to get a bunch of passes on the car to work out the issues and if that is bracket racing go do it. It is a FED you WILL have issues to deal with.

[wideopen231]

When I scaled my car, mostly because I am weight nut. It was 1740 with 328 on front/Front left was 6 lbs heavier than right.Might be the front canard that has weight in it.LOL Yea canards are not needed,but they look cool. I am hoping having the engine 50" out helps with front end lifting out of lights. I do Have a slip joint about 2' behind axle that if loosened should help here also, will see if needed. So far I do not seem to have issue here,probaly will now that I said that. LOL 
 Cooling system for engi ne just going to have to work with what I have and that is forced air in pits. Air forced thru engine on left VC and out right VC ,while also pushing air around TQ converter thru secondary pipe. Running full belly pan instead of diaper to help. Hard to pump anything thru a solid block. I do have systedm that richens motor some and with alky that will keep temp down. Plus have 4 wheeler that is setup with pushbar for to and from trips if need,then that means a helper would be mandatory. I am adding a run around cooler to trans. I do have a pump assisted oil draining system for quick oil change. Have drained and filled in less than 4 minutes in testing.

 Getting in and out of car? I have not come up with easy way for old guy with bad riught hip and numb feet to do that one. One of those WTH was i thinking things.  Looking at pull handle deal for the out part, Buckling up? The pull up belts with hoop and a hook helps,still easier if someone to do the pulling. Removable wheel did help the in mode. Ten years ago body would be the biggest help.LMAO there.

Loading and un loading? I built a set of ramps that sit behing front wheels in trailer.They ride up,straight for 6' and then slowly back to floor.Only 6 inches higher but they help quite a bit. Steering lockout keeps wheels straight and that helped some.

Crew member thing. Most know getting one who will be there every race  difficult to say least. Dad tries ,but at 77 his health slows him and after the accident few years ago(fell 16' out of tree and craked 6 ribs in 10 plqces) his mind is just noit what it was. Lil Brother has his own deal and we both have the TA/D deal to work on and that takes few weekends out of picture. Young guys interested enough to be there week after week almost non existent..

  far from solving all issues and sure some I have not encountered or thought of. Reason for thread is looking for things I have not thought have and maybe get head start of working around.

[Supercat]

Thankfully my wife is my #1 crew and co crew chief.  She is the fuel person and sets final tune on the car. She is always there. Only one time she wasn't (business in another state) I almost crashed the car due to tire shake at a test and tune event. I wanted to try something with the fuel issue we had been dealing with. I dropped 0.1 in the 60ft to a new 1.01 60ft. Glad I'm able to do my belts as that is how I was able to maintain control.  The number 1 reason for most FED teams to be a 2 person minimum is the belts/safety......

[wideopen231]

I will be surprised if my wife makes 4 or 5 races. Her family is all non car people.   One time of it being a fun ride, you know moving around and getting folks attention, that will be her last race. Yea I know straight is fast. The fastest runs you make will seem slow because there is little to know driving involved. 

 If I take the insert out of seat I can tighten belts lot easier. Kind of counter productive.Tighter belts safer, also safer with insert , which is why I have 300 bucks in it. Ok I decided just don't wreck it and all will be good,going with that plan.LOL

[spookie]

I have been bracket racing 20 years in my FED. Runs 5.60s 1/8 mile Bottom bulb with delay box,electric shift. Not the fastest racer,But have won my fair share!! It is tough to win with poor track prep. Only adjustment is tire pressure and stall rpm. Just keep temps under control and watch the weather. I also have wife with me to help get ready for next round [love that]. GOOD LUCK!

[lake_harley]

Once again I'm trying to think ahead on my FED build that will be for bracket racing. Engine will likely be a mild carbureted 305 Chevy on gas and I'd like to make it user friendly so want to run some sort of small radiator (mounted flat), electric water pump and switched, electric cooling fan on the radiator. Thought is to only switch on the fan when needed, maybe return after a run, and also use it and the electric water pump to cool the engine between runs.

I'm a self-admitted tight-wad and wondered about the possibly using a Ebay-sourced (read that as "cheap") Honda Goldwing radiator from either a GL1100 or GL1200? I'm aware of the "Scirocco" drag race radiators but hope to find something that would work that's a bit smaller. Anyone have any experience with a Goldwing radiator?

Lynn

[tcoupekyle]

Once again I'm trying to think ahead on my FED build that will be for bracket racing. Engine will likely be a mild carbureted 305 Chevy on gas and I'd like to make it user friendly so want to run some sort of small radiator (mounted flat), electric water pump and switched, electric cooling fan on the radiator. Thought is to only switch on the fan when needed, maybe return after a run, and also use it and the electric water pump to cool the engine between runs.

I'm a self-admitted tight-wad and wondered about the possibly using a Ebay-sourced (read that as "cheap") Honda Goldwing radiator from either a GL1100 or GL1200? I'm aware of the "Scirocco" drag race radiators but hope to find something that would work that's a bit smaller. Anyone have any experience with a Goldwing radiator?

I know a guy who used a small transmission cooler. But he ran alky

Lynn

[225digger]

look on ebay for a honda civic aluminum radiator, you can get them for under 100.00 with fan, new.... they are small enough to fit between the rails but not to small.  i have no experience in actual use, but its what i have for my dragster project.

[lake_harley]

Thanks for the replies.

225DIGGER....do you happen to know the dimensions of the Civic radiators? More often than not, parts on Ebay don't have a great deal of info like dimensions, and I can understand that wouldn't be important if I were looking for a radiator for a Civic. $100 with a fan would be sweet!

Lynn

[wideopen231]

So how many of you who bracket race think you get underestimated or should I say car does?  I have had few tell me there will be fist fights with those wanting easy first round win. Figurative speaking of coarse

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

I don't normally drive a FED but some guys think that running against my six cylinder altered would be an easy time. So there is that similarity.
Let 'em.
I don't care who I race - anybody can beat anybody. Hero-to-Zero in nuttin' flat.
Just get your car consistent if you want to bracket race. Even if you have to sacrifice some e.t. to do it. If you want to set a personal best e.t. every time you suit up don't expect to excel at bracket racing. Consistency wins. I want to race a competitor who would refuse to lift because he might be on a personal best [breakout?] pass.

Having said that, there ARE certain types of cars I WANT to race. For example, on a hot sunny day give me the guy in a black driving suit with a flat black helmet driving a doorslammer painted black. Hopefully he's strapped in there with a crew member opening and closing the door like a Geisha Girl waving a fan in an effort to keep air circulated to keep him from baking. And if he's a really fast car even the better. I feel that guy sub-consciously can't wait to get out of that car and I will be happy to oblige him. There are other examples too.

Win or lose be cordial to everybody. I try to. But on the starting line if I'm lined up next to my Mother I want to trounce her!