Week 6 Recap

This was a good week all things considered, although there was a lot of love/hate going on with the way the night turned out. I won Dial-for-Dollars in the Vega with a dead on 8.053 on a 8.05 dial. I took the cash and opted for the meager cash prize instead of the bye run. I cut a decent light first round and so did the other guy. On the big end, it was close……….and I broke out by .0002 by running an 8.0498 on an 8.05 dial.

My points run for the night was ended by winding up just on the wrong side of a perfect ET. I bought back and although my lights were less than desirable, I was able to muster a runner up finish in the finals. In the Camaro, the car was running great and I was .oo on the tree all though practice. Come first round, the car ran dead on 6.553 on a 6.55 dial, but, even though I added a little time to the delay box in defense of going too soon, I went .0001 red. So a COMBINED, .0003 (three ten thousandths of a second!) ended my points racing for this week. On this particular day, I think this small amount of time meant more to me than NASA!

Week 7 Recap

This weekend I started off with a little Friday night Test’nTune in both cars. I was not happy with my lights in the Vega last week and wanted some shots at the tree. It was a warmer night than last weekend and I was expecting to be running in the low 8.teens, but to my surprise, my first pass netted me a nice 8.04 ET. I immediately had thoughts of “This is the night!”.

I’ve been chasing a 7 second pass ever since I built the car two years ago. I’ve flirted with it a couple times by running an 8.02 at Indy (twice), and running an 8.03 at Bunker Hill, but have been denied both times. After the first pass tonight though, I thought, if it’s going to happen, it will be now. So I let the car get real cool, adjusted my shift light rpm pill to the “sweet spot” for it’s power band, and up to the lanes I went. I knew immediately on the launch, when I felt tire spin, that it wasn’t going to happen on that pass.

The time ticket agreed with me with an 8.04 ET, with the spin costing me .04 in the 60ft.. It was an 8.00 pass without the spin. Sooo close. Not to be denied, I let the car cool off again, took out the floor mats, rear tray, emptied the glovebox, and removed the air breather. I even felt a little cocky and put a 7.99 on the dial board in the window. On this pass there was no spin, and I lit the track boards up with a 7.98 ET! Although it was just T&T and I was dialing just for the fun of it, it’s a weird feeling to put a number on your car that is faster than it’s ever been, and still wind up breaking out!

So finally, I can say the Vega has been in the 7′s. Now when someone asks why it doesn’t always run in the 7′s (it won’t since I short shift it for better accuracy) , I can pull out the ‘ol “Just because it can, doesn’t mean it has to”line .lol The Camaro ran great putting down a 6.54-6.56 spread throughout the night with killer RT’s.

Come Saturday, I missed placing in the Dial-for-Dollars for the first time this year in the CoolRidesOline Vega, by running too quick with an 8.05 on an 8.06 dial. Same story of .01 too fast in the Camaro in S/P DfD’s. First round comes and I cut a .008 light to his .045, which gave me room to lift and cover him on the big end. Second round comes, and we both have decent RT’s with him having a slight advantage. I thought I had him covered and lifted just a little. Well, a little was a lille too much as I ran an 8.08 on an 8.06 dial, letting him back by me by .014 at the stripe. I ended up with 10 points for my effort for the weekend.

The NMC Camaro was a zerox machine this weekend printing off one 6.55 time slip after another. It ran 6.56 during the first two time trials and I put a 6.56 on it for Dial-for-Dollars when it broke out with it’s first 6.55 pass of the day. First round it ran 6.555. Combined with my .008 RT, I left little room for the other guy and took the win. Second round, it ran a dead on 6.553 to the other guy’s dead on 6.127, but with another good light, I turned the win light on again. Come third round, I appearantly forgot to pull the shifter back down into 1st gear after the burnout and when I went to stage and set the transbrake, the car rolled right through the starting beams when I let off the foot brake (the trans brake will only hod the when it’s in low gear). By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late and I was dealt a crushing 3rd round loss. I say crushing because the other guy had an. 07 RT. That was my race to win and more points should have been scored, but, it just leaves me even hungrier for next week!

As of Week 7, the Vega is in a battle in a very strong, veteran populated, Sportsman Class. The cold hard truth is that out of 11 current points racers, 7 very good racers are fighting for only 5 team spots. Right now, the CoolRidesOnline Vega is sitting in 6th place with a mere 2 rounds separating 6th from 2nd. In the Camaro, I made a nice jump from 8th place to 5th place in Super Pro points (20 competitors), and hope to improve on that this coming weekend with less driver error! With all that said, IS IT SATURDAY YET?

When I was young, I fantasized about cars. I collected Hot Wheels. I set up painstakingly complex pathways for them to navigate. I drew sketches of fantastic creations. However, I never chased down this dream. For me, like many of us, it is locked away somewhere, in a toy chest, in a box in the attic or long since lost in a sea of challenges, compromises and choices, just another dream deferred.

Carroll Shelby, however, did chase this dream, and he did it with a fervency that would make him a storied racer, a renowned designer and a man of legend. He didn’t just build cars, he built the fastest cars. He didn’t just design cars, he designed classic cars. He didn’t always win races, but when he did, he did it in style.Today, his life is as inseparable from these machines as the engine, the radiator and the brake pad. Jay Leno called Carroll “the car world’s Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays.” Edsel Ford said he was “one of the most recognized names in performance car history.” Lee Iacocca counted him as a great friend. 

To say he lived a colorful life would be an understatement. The Washington Post noted that “Mr. Shelby made and lost fortunes, trained pilots during World War II, ran a safari business in Africa and was married at least six times.” He was a chicken farmer, he founded the International Chili Society and he is one of the world’s longest-surviving recipients of a heart transplant. The source noted all this, before turning to his “major” accomplishments.

• Carroll Shelby Signature

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  Do you know where I can get a display case this big?

• Shelby on the Factory Floor

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  Don't you love that new car smell?

• Shelby Interior

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  Editorial Credit: Steve Mann / Shutterstock.com

• At the Car Show

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  Editorial Credit: Sean Donohue Photo / Shutterstock.com

Born in Leesburg, Texas, Shelby rose from humble origins, and by all accounts his first interaction with the auto business wasn’t successful. The U.K. news source, The Guardian notes that after World War II “he went on to work in the truck business, before turning his hand to chicken farming, unsuccessfully.”In 1952, life changed course, and Shelby found his calling, his path to success. With a V-8 Ford hot rod, he competed in a quarter-mile drag race. One blogger summed up the event best when he wrote “history doesn’t tell us whether Carroll Shelby actually won that first race, but I’d like to think that he did.” No one would be surprised. 

From what we do know, he won his first road race in an MG-TC. Later the same day, he raced the MG-TC outside of its class against a group of Jaguars. Again, he took first place, all the while wearing the bib overalls he used for chicken farming. The bib and overalls drew jeers. The other racers found it outlandish. The style became his calling card.By 1957, Shelby wasn’t just a chicken farmer. He had been named the magazine’s “driver of year.” Twice. He had won 19 consecutive races. He had appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. 

However, just as quickly as he had found the fast lane, the road turned again. In 1960, the heart murmur he was diagnosed with at age 10 caught up with him. He began feeling chest pains. He retired from racing at a time when his name already would have been enshrined among the greats. Instead of relaxing, Shelby kept on racing, in a way, this time to fulfill his true lifetime goal. 

“I had a lot of fun driving race cars, but it wasn’t my number one priority,” Shelby told The Los Angeles Times in an interview in 2006. “Driving race cars was an avenue for me to learn how to build my own car, and that was my ambition all along.”

Shelby’s bit of inspiration would lead him to a second career, even if it took him awhile to find the track. Iacocca, then the president of Ford, found Shelby with a journalist at a restaurant in Los Angeles, and by fate or coincidence, sat down. The two traded stories, but the meeting may be the most interesting story itself. 

USA Today noted that the conversation quickly turned to business, with Shelby pestering Iacocca persistently for the money he needed to build the original Cobra. In the end, Iacocca said he “finally gave him the money to get him out of [his] office.” It was one of the best investments he’d ever make. 

By 1965, the Shelby Cobra would beat out a Ferrari in the Sports Car Club of America manufacturing championships. The seven-liter engine he used to best the competition was banned in Europe. Ford was so impressed he was called in to help improve one of their models, which was suffering from poor performance. The car he worked on was the Mustang. 

But, even the greatness of the Mustang, a project most car fans would kill to work on, couldn’t hold his attention. He left Ford to pursue other interests. From this point on, his interest in cars waned. He came back, though, periodically. In the 1980s, he helped consult on some car called the Viper. 

In recent years, he turned to philanthropy, inspired by his condition to help the less fortunate. He established the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation, which serves young people who have heart disease but can’t afford treatment. The L.A. Times noted that a portion of the proceeds of Cobra sales goes to the fund. 

On May 10, the man who developed Ford’s first racing car, built the Shelby Cobra and whose creations regularly fetch for outlandish prices, died in Dallas, Texas, in his home state. He was 89 years old. He is survived by perhaps his greatest achievements, his wife Cleo, his daughter Sharon Levine and two sons, Patrick and Michael. 

When I was young, I had a toy race car that would change color in water. I would dip half of the car in and leave half of the car out, it would change blue to orange and back again. To Carroll, the car world functioned much like this, excepted everything his hands touched turned to gold. 

He wasn’t just a racing phenomenon. Carroll Shelby was the most interesting man in the world.

With seven cities in seven days, we kickoff June 2nd in The Motor City and spend the next week driving and bench racing through the Midwest on our way south to Arlington, TX!  The tour dates and stops this year are:

June 2nd – Detroit, MI – GM Proving Grounds, Milford

June 3rd  – Muskegon, MI – Downtown Muskegon

June 4th  – Champaign, IL – Assembly Hall, University of Illinois

June 5th  – Madison, IL – Gateway Motorsports Park

June 6th  – Miami, OK – Buffalo Run Casino June

7th  – Stillwater, OK – Kicker Corporate Complex

June 8th  – Arlington, TX – QuikTrip Park

As is customary, Cool Rides Online and STA-BIL® Fuel Stabilizer have put together an awesome Long Hauler giveaway for all of the great folks that take the 7-day trip with us.
This year’s giveaway will be an 8-piece commemorative magnet.  We will give away the base and the first piece in Detroit for those Long Haulers that visit our booth and a new piece to the puzzle will be given away at each of the next 6 locations.  You can see the completed puzzle in the attached image (The top magnet piece is the base and the bottom will be cut in 7 pieces and will be placed on the base).

IMPORTANT:  These magnets will be a hot item and a great collector’s piece.  We will only bring 1,000 sets so it is first-come-first-serve!  Be sure to find our booth early to make sure you get yours!

So is anyone reading this planning on going to any of the stops or taking the Long Haul?  How do you like this year’s Long Hauler giveaway?

The GDRA over the winter has done it again… We have added a fourth class on a limited basis.  The racers have been begging for it and now they got it, 9.50 index racers… get ready because it’s your turn to race with the GDRA for CASH payouts!!!  Since the GDRA was formed back in 2010, racers have been asking the same thing, “When are you guys going to have a 9 second class?” Well that time is now as the GDRA will include the new 9.50 class in 5 of its 10 races limiting the field to the first 16 entries received.  The 9.50 class will race strictly at Byron Dragway and Cordova Dragway during the 2012 season.  All the same rules apply that have become common across the other 3 classes of racing but the Buy-In will be a reduced level of only $125.00 per race.  We are super excited about this class and its sure to be a hit as drivers have swamped the PO Box with entry forms and racing information requests.  The GDRA will also of course continue with its 8.60, 7.80, and the country’s only 6.90 index class as these classes have had great success and are only receiving more and more interest.  All cars in any of the 4 classes the GDRA has to offers must pass tech and also have an oil retention device. All classes will be limited to a 32 car qualified field with the exception of the 9.50 class (as mentioned earlier), utilize a Pro-tree, and a Pro Qualifying ladder. All classes will remain 100% paid out in cash which will be 100% of the racers money paid in. That’s $4250 to the winner of each class based on a 32 car field payout!!! Detailed payout information can be found on our website and Facebook page.

Over the winter months, the association has had lots of eyes on it and attracted the attention of a lot of people. One of which will be making his return to competitive drag racing this season with the GDRA.  Bill Neri will bring his famous, Prosecutor Nova back to the 2 lane blacktop and compete in the GDRA’s 6.90 class when not match racing his Warren Johnson Pro Stock tribute Camaro across the country.  We are very excited to see Bill back on the track in his beautiful Nova.  Many of you may remember this car from its Pro Mod days back in the 90’s.  Well it’s all ready to set out on another chapter of its life, racing with the GDRA. Bill has many years of experience on the track and is a very well known figure in door slammer racing.  The level of competition in the 6.90 class just got higher and a little tougher for everyone as Bill will prove to be a tough customer during the entire season.  We cannot wait to see this icon back behind the wheel of “The Prosecutor!!!”

We would like to say thank you to the following for their support and belief in the GDRA. Our Official Marketing Partners: Powermaster Performance, ARP Racing Products, CoolRidesOnline.net, Device Tech Inc, Hommer Tree Service, and Valvoline.  Our Associate Marketing Partners: Undercover Innovations, Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers, Automotive Engine Specialties (AES), Harrison Metals, Glasstek Fiberglass, Automatic Transmission Designs (ATD), Midwest Convertors, D. Wells Goodyear, Unlimited Building Services (UBS), Angry Beaver Racing, Legend Racing Enterprises, Biltmore Refrigeration, Outlaw Graphic Designs, MW Marine, Jensen Equipment Company, United Milwaukee Scrap, Suburban Accents, and LedFoot News. In addition media (pictures, video, and website) will be provided by MC Photography, Ores Action Photography, ARS Promotions, 10″ Wide Video, and Servic Network.

Head over to our Gamblers Drag Racing Association fan page on Facebook and be sure to “like” us on to keep up to date with all the happenings and race dates. We look forward to getting back to some good ole fashion drag racing after a long winter and hopefully make a lot of new friends. Come on out to the track and start the year off right and get ready for some bad fast door slammer action for stacks and stacks of cold hard cash. The Gamblers Drag Racing Association… The Original All Cash Payout Association!!!

Instead of returning to the drawing board, Detroit began releasing existing models to the public, which were met with strong sales due to pent up demand. But, slight changes were made. The Chevy Special DeLuxe, for instance, was renamed the Fleetmaster.

However, the car production came at a slow pace. In 1946, only around 160,000 Fleetmasters were produced, with this number rising to more than 250,000 by 1948, the year before many say the first "post-war cars" began to make their way to auto dealerships. (The 1949 models may be the most advanced of the bunch, sporting low-profile hoods, 216ci engines with overhead valves and three-speed manual transmissions.)

So, what's all the hubbub about the Chevy Fleetmaster? For one, the car retains a notable aesthetic that lends itself well to customization. With wide panels, gentle lines and a detailed grille, the car can be painted, modified and upholstered to the point where Hemmings indicates they now sell for more than $100,000.

That means, with the original models retailing for only $1,098 to $1,205, according to How Stuff Works, those who kept these cars, or were lucky enough to obtain one of the few remaining models, found themselves a true steal.

And while these cars may have been a stopgap, helping to get America back to work and into routine daily life, the Fleetmasters serve as a reminder of the period right before Detroit hit its stride, the work in progress that only serves to make the later accomplishments more impressive.

But, while the answer to whether or not Tebow has another comeback in store for football fans lies down the road, one thing's for sure, he's likely to be referenced for years to come. Such is the case with the AMC Rebel Machine – often referred to as simply The Machine – which after a strong marketing campaign, was shelved after one year of production.

Billed as "the car you've always wanted" by Madison Avenue, the 1970 AMC Rebel Machine was the company's first entry into the midsize muscle car field, and one that while often overlooked, was never completely forgotten. Still, its initial reception was lukewarm, with critics deriding it for a lackluster interior, hefty price tag and lagging performance when compared to other muscle cars – though some say this was due to AMC's outsider status in the eyes of reports.

It didn't help that the Rebel was built from the same parts and designs as the AMC Rebel station wagon, the Rebel 770 sedan and other boxy, family cars from the carmaker, and aimed to entice young buyers who wanted to gush about its features and performance more than use them. (In this interesting YouTube Video, AMC takes you through the sales process with an ideal customer named 'David Smiley.')

But, intent aside, the AMC Rebel had a sleek look and unique design, which would help the models garner a bit of lore through the years as they were handed between collectors. Eventually, the same magazines would run stories to a much different tune. Today, The Machine's price tag looks like a bargain considering the car's performance, which has been ranked among the best by the publications that once derided it.

At least the AMC Rebel Machine can give Tim Tebow hope.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a 43 year old family man that works full time with 5 teenagers that keep me busy. My hobby is my escape.

How did you first get interested in this hobby/passion?

I’ve always loved cars. I grew up in a small central Minnesota town with friends that had a junkyard. The first car I built was a 1976 Pontiac Firebird with a Chevy 350. After that I was hooked.

What Rides do you currently own?

I now own a 2005 Cadillac Escalade and a 2007 Infiniti m35x. However, my toy is my 1970 Chevy Nova, Novacaine.

What do you like most about your current rides?

The Escalade and Infiniti are all about comfort and Novacaine is all about pure Horsepower. It is lowered 3 inches, has blacked out bumpers and marker lights with a fire-breathing 383 stroker built by Thunder Valley Automotive. She’s turning 500+hp with a manual valve-body turbo 350 and 4:11 gears. I love driving up to a stop light a watching people turning their heads to see were the rumble is coming from.

What is/are the fondest memories you have while owning your Cool Rides?

One of my fondest memories is coming back to my home town to a car show and not telling anyone I would be there, and then seeing everyone’s looks when they saw it was me. Also, winning outstanding ride in my class. My first show was the best. After that, I won 4 more over the summer. I can’t wait until next year!

What was the first car you ever owned?

My first car was a 1970 Pontiac Firebird

What is/was the BEST car ever made?

The Pontiac GTO, the true muscle car. I had one when I was 20; it was a 1967 with a 400 3 speed. Such a fun car.

What is/was the WORST car ever made?

Tuner cars that think they’re all-that. There’s no replacement for displacement. Detroit Muscle is where it’s at!

How did you first hear about the Cool Rides Online website?

I saw an Ad on Facebook.

Is there anything else you’d like the Cool Rides Online members to know about you?

Look me up on Cool Rides Online! I’ll be on there a lot waiting for the snow to melt.

What follows was derided by critics for years, even to the point where its director was named the worst of all-time. But, despite the negative press, the film has gone on to enjoy a long cult status.

The 1965 Plymouth Belvedere followed the same path.

But, despite the rebukes from critics, like "Plan 9" itself, the Belvedere packed a raw power beneath the surface that helps it retain notoriety even to this day. With a 426 Hemi V-8, the model was a top choice for racers, hitting top speeds of roughly 120 miles per hour and tackling 60 miles per hour in eight seconds.

And while it had all the trappings of a successful entry on the NASCAR circuit, history initially intervened, as the racing league disallowed the model from competition until the later part of the season. Despite its late start, however, the Plymouth model trailed the leading makes by only four wins at the end of the season.

As a result, it is often cited as one of the more underrated speed machines of the era, and a true find for collectors who can apply their imagination to the Belvedere's somewhat lackluster exterior.

In a 2007 issue of Popular Hot Rodding, Stephen Kim, a contributor to the magazine changed his remarks when he saw how the Belvedere was upgraded by Fran Kenstein. It seems the critic finally found a soft spot for the Plymouth when he said that "it's what's underneath the Belvedere's unrefined sheetmetal, cracking paint and rusted hood pins that reveals the true handiwork of a mad scientist."

After all, if a name wasn't a big factor, then car companies wouldn't look to rebrand lagging models. And history is full of times when this approach paid off in just about every industry.

For example, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays didn't have much success until they shortened their name to the Rays. They even made their first playoff appearance in their first year under this moniker. Also, it's not like "Pearl Jam" was selling out stadiums as "Mookie Blaylock," and its hard to imagine that would be the case. 

3. Porsche Carrera (1963 – 2012) – The Carrera is one beautiful car, so good looking in fact that at this year's New York International Auto Show, I noted that Porsche didn't seem to do anything to promote its newest models, eschewing any fancy marketing for just putting the car on the floor. But, it's easy to see why, the Carrera has done quite fine through word-of-mouth marketing on its own.

2. Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud (1955 – 1966) – While Rolls-Royce's Silver Cloud replaced the Silver Dawn and Silver Shadow – both equally excellent names – it wouldn't be an easy feat for a marketing team to dream up a name that's as synonymous with the luxury the company stands for.

1. Ferrari Testarossa (1984 – 1992) – Just saying Testarossa gives you the feeling of something exotic, whether or not you choose to roll the Rs or acknowledge that the word simply translates as "red head." While the car's wind-tunnel-refined look and its inclusion in the beloved TV show "Miami Vice" didn't hurt, the Testarossa oozed cool, and had a name and performance to back it up.

What do you think of Pete's list? Did your favorite car name make the cut? If not, tell us why your favorite car name deserves to be on this list below:

For example, Google has long been at work perfecting these cars, which use a combination of radar sensors, roof-mounted cameras and laser range finders to navigate complex roadways. After keeping the technology under wraps, Google has successfully tested these cars on tricky roadways such as the traffic-packed Golden Gate Bridge and California's notoriously complex Highway 1.

On May 8, the "driverless cars" took a step closer to becoming available to the general marketplace. After Nevada changed its laws to allow autonomous vehicles in March, this week, Google granted what is believed by many to be the first license to test driverless cars.

Google will now be able to test its creations on Nevada's bustling city streets, provided there is someone behind the wheel and at least two people in the vehicle during the testing.

The legislative move received support from legislators such as Senator Alex Padilla, who lauded the company's attempts to make the roadways of the future a safer place for travelers.

"The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error," Padilla said in a statement after introducing the legislation. "Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle is capable of analysing the driving environment more quickly and operating the vehicle more safely."

Other companies that have tested similar technology including Continental Automotive Group, a German company that was also rumored to be competing for a license. In past speeches, representatives from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have suggested that such advances could reduce roadway accidents by as much as 80 percent.

What do you think of Google's driverless car? Would you purchase one? Share your thoughts below: