Electric Dragracing?

[McRat]

I don't know enough to do all the math and stuff on it, but one thing that still puzzles me about hybrid type things and electricity is the whole conservation of energy law or whatever.

The output can never be the same as the input due to efficiency loss. So they way I think about it, and I could be wrong, is using a fossil fuel to create electricity to run a vehicle is a step backwards. It takes so many units of energy to drive a vehicle so far in a certain amount of time (work) no matter how that's generated. If you add a step, don't you lose something? Now regenerative kinds of things like capturing energy during brakeing make more sense to me.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't make sense to burn coal to charge batteries and claim it's green. Quick search says around 40-60% of power is generated by coal. Wind, hydroelectic, nuclear all have their sticking points too.

So until that all figured out.....it's fill it with diesel or gas for me :rofl:

Edited to add: I also understand if you can significantly cut emissions or greatly increase efficiency from the generation of said power that could be an offset, but I don't know how that works either in practice.

Here's the deal. What does it take to build a 9 second street Fiero? The fact that a guy working in garage can do it with a battery car for about the same cost as a gas buildup is impressive.

In 10 years, it will be the gas cars that are the slugs. It already happened in the R/C airplane and cars, the gas engines are dying.

http://rimac-automobili.com/concept_one/introduction-20

This company is trying to build a serious supercar, to compete with Lambo, Ferrari, Bugatti, etc. Their goal is not to be the best electric car, it's to be the best supercar.

Now electrics don't make rumbling, don't have hood scoops, and if AWD, don't have big tires. A stock looking and quiet street Fiero could make a blown '56 Chevy it's biitch. It would rape a ZR-1 Corvette from a stoplight.

I'm a hotrodder. I can appreciate fast no matter how it's done.

 

[Subman]

I'm a hotrodder. I can appreciate fast no matter how it's done.

When are we going to see your hotrod on the track and/or salt again?

 

[McRat]

When are we going to see your hotrod on the track and/or salt again?

There were so many rule changes for 2012, that I'm not sure it's ever going back to the salt. I spent $4000 getting ready, still hadn't satisfied all the rules, and went, "That's Enough, No More". They want all my windows to be plastic, they want me to redo the cage, inertial fuel kill, redo the window net, put a toe clamp on the pedals, wear a $700 horse collar, etc, etc, etc, etc. Understand that I already have about $20,000 worth of safety gear before 2012. Just my clothes are over $2500. Approved tires were $4000. Dual fire systems, $1,500. Parachute system $1000. The list is endless.

It's not worth it at this point. But they DO allow you to run Vegetable Oil now! WTF???? They are clueless 100%. Cars get 116 octane oxygenated fuel (gasoline? yeah right) and diesels run dirty pump fuel from a 50 year old diesel stop or Crisco.

Casper is ready to go to the drags, but there are no dragstrips open anymore. Go to Vegas or Bakersfield? Too much logistics right now.

Life was fun when I could hop in a car (or truck) with a helmet, and spend the night at the drags. Now it's a freaking Broadway production. For LSR, it requires a minimum of 3 people to drive one car. Screw that. These nuts drag their cars, bikes, and trucks with ropes everywhere because they think it's safer to drag vehicles at 55mph on a rope than to drive them at 10 mph. Seriously.

 

[Subman]

There were so many rule changes for 2012, that I'm not sure it's ever going back to the salt. I spent $4000 getting ready, still hadn't satisfied all the rules, and went, "That's Enough, No More". They want all my windows to be plastic, they want me to redo the cage, inertial fuel kill, redo the window net, put a toe clamp on the pedals, wear a $700 horse collar, etc, etc, etc, etc. Understand that I already have about $20,000 worth of safety gear before 2012. Just my clothes are over $2500. Approved tires were $4000. Dual fire systems, $1,500. Parachute system $1000. The list is endless.

It's not worth it at this point. But they DO allow you to run Vegetable Oil now! WTF???? They are clueless 100%. Cars get 116 octane oxygenated fuel (gasoline? yeah right) and diesels run dirty pump fuel from a 50 year old diesel stop or Crisco.

Casper is ready to go to the drags, but there are no dragstrips open anymore. Go to Vegas or Bakersfield? Too much logistics right now.

Life was fun when I could hop in a car (or truck) with a helmet, and spend the night at the drags. Now it's a freaking Broadway production. For LSR, it requires a minimum of 3 people to drive one car. Screw that. These nuts drag their cars, bikes, and trucks with ropes everywhere because they think it's safer to drag vehicles at 55mph on a rope than to drive them at 10 mph. Seriously.

Yes I'm familiar with the veggie oil crew, the Green Speed group from Boise
St I believe holds the current record. Donated a generator to them, they said their last one was so loud they almost got tossed off the salt. No more Fontana or Irwindale huh? How often is Pomona open, or is it just for the one or two big events they hold there?

Well next spring you'll have to schedule Phoenix, Redding, Woodburn and maybe one or two others on your schedule if it works. World Finals are alway good. Sounds a lot cheaper then the salt for sure.

 

[LBZ]

There were so many rule changes for 2012, that I'm not sure it's ever going back to the salt. I spent $4000 getting ready, still hadn't satisfied all the rules, and went, "That's Enough, No More". They want all my windows to be plastic, they want me to redo the cage, inertial fuel kill, redo the window net, put a toe clamp on the pedals, wear a $700 horse collar, etc, etc, etc, etc. Understand that I already have about $20,000 worth of safety gear before 2012. Just my clothes are over $2500. Approved tires were $4000. Dual fire systems, $1,500. Parachute system $1000. The list is endless.

It's not worth it at this point. But they DO allow you to run Vegetable Oil now! WTF???? They are clueless 100%. Cars get 116 octane oxygenated fuel (gasoline? yeah right) and diesels run dirty pump fuel from a 50 year old diesel stop or Crisco.

Casper is ready to go to the drags, but there are no dragstrips open anymore. Go to Vegas or Bakersfield? Too much logistics right now.

Life was fun when I could hop in a car (or truck) with a helmet, and spend the night at the drags. Now it's a freaking Broadway production. For LSR, it requires a minimum of 3 people to drive one car. Screw that. These nuts drag their cars, bikes, and trucks with ropes everywhere because they think it's safer to drag vehicles at 55mph on a rope than to drive them at 10 mph. Seriously.

Meh you already got your trophy's and records.
Time to get back to the ashpalt where you belong-much cleaner too!

 

[LBZrcks]

Yes I'm familiar with the veggie oil crew, the Green Speed group from Boise
St I believe holds the current record. Donated a generator to them, they said their last one was so loud they almost got tossed off the salt. No more Fontana or Irwindale huh? How often is Pomona open, or is it just for the one or two big events they hold there?

Well next spring you'll have to schedule Phoenix, Redding, Woodburn and maybe one or two others on your schedule if it works. World Finals are alway good. Sounds a lot cheaper then the salt for sure.

Irwindale is open again every Thursday night and some Saturdays too.

Pomona is only open a few times a year.

 

[McRat]

Yes I'm familiar with the veggie oil crew, the Green Speed group from Boise
St I believe holds the current record. Donated a generator to them, they said their last one was so loud they almost got tossed off the salt. No more Fontana or Irwindale huh? How often is Pomona open, or is it just for the one or two big events they hold there?

Well next spring you'll have to schedule Phoenix, Redding, Woodburn and maybe one or two others on your schedule if it works. World Finals are alway good. Sounds a lot cheaper then the salt for sure.

We used to spend several days a month at the track back in the Good Old Days. First Pomona closed for street cars, then Carlsbad was torn down, then LACR (which ran 3 days a week+), and now California Speedway shut down. Irwindale is 1/8th mile. Bakersfield is the closest 1/4 mile, so that's where we will end up in the near future. The truck is ready, it's a matter of kids and logistics.

 

[wrcknkrw]

Can't wait to see you guys out again. Casper has always been one of the main trucks that got me into this.

 

[McRat]

Can't wait to see you guys out again. Casper has always been one of the main trucks that got me into this.

Casper was conceived 9 years ago. I wanted a Ford Lightning that would seat 5, tow heavy, run 12's in the quarter, and exceed 140mph, while getting 20 mpg highway. A "better" Lightning in all aspects.

Obviously I got carried away. Wendy acts like the "Casper Project".

Casper is not the fastest diesel truck (272mph), nor the quickest (8's?), nor the best sled puller (although it has won against some good competition), nor the best mileage (it has gotten 25mpg though).

It's claim to fame is that it has done well in all the categories, and has seen a lot of action in 2005-2009. It's time to start running it again, but do some changes. Remote supercharging/turbocharging, hybrid technology, steel pistons, are all on the menu. But I'm not a diesel shop. It's just me and my friends in our spare time. I can't devote the manhours to it like I could in the late 2000's.

I even considered selling it and starting from scratch, but there really is no market for a "Swiss Army Knife" racing truck. People want to win if they are going to race, and Casper is a compromise. Things that help some form of performance hurt others.

Sidebar:

Something LSR people should understand is that minitrucks are legal and take 1/2 the horsepower to go 200 as a 2500HD 4x4. Because some of the long time SCTA staff run minitrucks, they aren't going to disallow it, or make a class for real diesel pickups.

They banned 4x4 drivetrains for most classes because a guy running a 32' Ford? put 4x4 in his car and kicked their asses, so they banned it saying it was "unsafe". TTS Performance validated the 4x4 ban by telling the SCTA staff that he has been personally racing LSR for many years and drag racing, and that 4x4 is extremely dangerous and should be outlawed for diesel trucks. He also pushed to outlaw a class for full sized diesel trucks as well. He's not even a member of the SCTA, much less a drag racer or LSR driver.

 

[Mike L.]

So when are we going Pat?

 

[McRat]

I was SUPPOSED to go 2 weeks ago, then an audit came up, and Tom started back to school.

Soon I hope. Soon. Cage is certified, got fresh DR's, fire stuff is squared away, as is the chute. Just need to get together a crew and a day when Bakersfield is open.

 

[TeaBagger2006]

i say come to vegas. much better track and some badass people live here

 

[McRat]

Kathy would probably like the night life in Vegas more than Bakersfield. Slot machines are more fun than hay bailers anyday ...

I need a source in Las Vegas to repair our 1975 IGT Double Diamond slot machine. I think it qualifies as an antique, but I don't know. If I could find a shop there to fix it, that would really make LVMS the first choice.

 

[adeso]

Casper was conceived 9 years ago. I wanted a Ford Lightning that would seat 5, tow heavy, run 12's in the quarter, and exceed 140mph, while getting 20 mpg highway. A "better" Lightning in all aspects.

Obviously I got carried away. Wendy acts like the "Casper Project".

Casper is not the fastest diesel truck (272mph), nor the quickest (8's?), nor the best sled puller (although it has won against some good competition), nor the best mileage (it has gotten 25mpg though).

It's claim to fame is that it has done well in all the categories, and has seen a lot of action in 2005-2009. It's time to start running it again, but do some changes. Remote supercharging/turbocharging, hybrid technology, steel pistons, are all on the menu. But I'm not a diesel shop. It's just me and my friends in our spare time. I can't devote the manhours to it like I could in the late 2000's.

I even considered selling it and starting from scratch, but there really is no market for a "Swiss Army Knife" racing truck. People want to win if they are going to race, and Casper is a compromise. Things that help some form of performance hurt others.

Sidebar:

Something LSR people should understand is that minitrucks are legal and take 1/2 the horsepower to go 200 as a 2500HD 4x4. Because some of the long time SCTA staff run minitrucks, they aren't going to disallow it, or make a class for real diesel pickups.

They banned 4x4 drivetrains for most classes because a guy running a 32' Ford? put 4x4 in his car and kicked their asses, so they banned it saying it was "unsafe". TTS Performance validated the 4x4 ban by telling the SCTA staff that he has been personally racing LSR for many years and drag racing, and that 4x4 is extremely dangerous and should be outlawed for diesel trucks. He also pushed to outlaw a class for full sized diesel trucks as well. He's not even a member of the SCTA, much less a drag racer or LSR driver.

I love this idea of an all-around truck-what I'm trying to do with mine. A big truck that runs fast, but can still be a DD day in and day out. But I don't have much of a budget and I still have a very busy day job, maybe one day lol. I can't wait to see what your truck can do for the next round

 

[Chevy1925]

Kathy would probably like the night life in Vegas more than Bakersfield. Slot machines are more fun than hay bailers anyday ...

I need a source in Las Vegas to repair our 1975 IGT Double Diamond slot machine. I think it qualifies as an antique, but I don't know. If I could find a shop there to fix it, that would really make LVMS the first choice.

Have you never seen american restorations on history channel?!?! They work in vegas lol

 

[whitetrash21]

x2... theres a couple shops right off 15 too that work on machines as well... not sure about vintage though.