The last month has been…interesting to say the least. A little bit of bad and good news. Not so much as bad, more along the lines of unexpected and unplanned. What do I mean? Well, I will tell ya.
Words By: AJ Hunsinger | Images By: AJ Hunsinger
There are a few key things. Two of which I mentioned in my last project log update. The first, is the NEPA Drag Day thing. The sweet ass street racing event that was supposed to be held on September 2nd. Unfortunately, that event is cancelled.
Apparently they need permits to put on their next event. Why it is all of a sudden an issue is beyond me. From the sounds of it, they never needed permits before or they simply won’t be getting the permits in time. This is pretty shitty on a couple of different levels.
Aside from just being stoked about the event, I also made the decision when this whole thing came about to skip the DSM Shootout this year so I could spent more time and money getting the car ready for the NEPA Drag Day event.
The next unexpected thing that happened since my last update is that Poison Ivy fell short of Stephens quick 280Z at Skyview Drags. Poison Ivy and I will be back to the track at least once or twice more before the end of the year. I expected to lay down some much better passes than I did, but that’s racing.
Since Ivy last made a pass at the track last year, she has gone through many many changes. Between last years first pass and the 12th pass, the ET’s changed significantly. One of the first couple of passes was low 9’s, high 8’s. Most of the last several passes at the end of the year was 8.1. A lot of adjustments were made in the process and the ET dropped.
This was my first time at the track this year with the car. I ended up only making 4 passes the night I went, and I didn’t get to the track until late. The first two passes, my antilag wasn’t working. I finally got it fixed. The 3rd pass sucked, my launch specifically. The 4th pass would have been a great pass, but the car rolled forward slightly before launching and I tripped the sensor, thus the time began several seconds before I launched.
My best ET was only 7.9 seconds. The 280z’s best pass was a shocking 7.6 seconds. If I had to guess, the last pass I made probably would have been somewhere around 7.7 seconds. Maybe a little quicker, but I doubt it.
That’s not all that has happened this month though. Something BIG happened. I used to drive truck until I had my car accident. A week or two after my accident, my DOT Physical expired. At the time, it was the least of my concerns as I wouldn’t have passed any type of physical for several months because I couldn’t even walk there for awhile with my broken leg. When your physical expires, you cannot legally drive a commercial vehicle.
I called the Department of Motor Vehicles once I felt I was ready for a physical and asked them what needed to be done in order to retain my CDL. They told me that I had to completely start my CDL over. So over the last year and a half, getting my CDL was almost not an option, so I worked at regular jobs since.
Well, a few weeks ago, one of my old bosses from my most recent truck driving job called me up. He said he left the company we worked at and started his own company. He wanted me to work for him, would pay me very well, and was willing to help me get my CDL back.
That week, I drove straight to the DMV to find out what my first step was. Well, long story short, they told me all I needed to do was fill out two pieces of paper, get my physical, and return to the DMV with everything. Exactly a week later, I did just that and I walked out of there with my CDL. That next Monday, I shipped out to Ohio where my job is based.
I will be in Ohio working for about two weeks at a time, then I return home every other weekend when I get my daughter. This was my first week and so far, my check is up to over $1600 in just 6 days. Very very soon, I will have a ton of money to blow on Poison Ivy.
My first plan is to buy an HX35 or HX40, whichever I find first, get a manifold to go with it, an external WG, and tune the bastard on SD. I am literally going to take the car somewhere to get dyno tuned, probably on E85. I am looking to make a ton of power in a very short period of time. Once it is done, I will return to the track and hope like hell the drivetrain holds up.
I am going to crank out as much power as I can with the engine and drivetrain I have. Over the course of the rest of the year, I am going to finally build my spare 6 bolt that has been sitting on an engine stand in my living room as well as buy a built transmission. I am finally back in a truck and making damn good money, so now I can really start having some fun.
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