Edwards & Young Racing – Seattle & Kent, WA.

This was the last points race at Pacific Raceways that would set their team for the upcoming Division 6 E.T. Finals on Labor Day weekend.

Paul entered this race in a very respectable 4th place in the Sportsman standings and Chris was in 17th place in the very tough Super Pro bracket. An important evening for Chris as the top 16 from Super Pro make the team and the top 10 from Sportsman, and a vital points race for Paul to have a shot at defending his Pacific Raceways 2011 Sportsman Track Championship and to qualify for the Race of Champions at the E.T. Finals.  Both entered this race very much in control of their own destiny.

The WCSA quickest doorslammers here in the Northwest were also running their Bad Dog Shootout at Pacific this weekend. In a Friday night qualifying session, Joe Loch ran the left lane after an oil down and the track somehow forgot to pick up some cones at approximately the 1,000-foot mark causing damage to the nose of his car. Saturday morning Barry Hobson & Chris were hard at  work to make emergency repairs so Joe could run eliminations.

Repairing the nose on Joe Loch’s Cavalier – Paul Young photo

More updates as the evening unfolds! – Roger

6:51 pm update:

The 60′ times are off tonight in the heat of the day. Paul reports because of the low car count the track has decided to give everyone two qualifying hits. Track conditions should improve as the sun begins to set behind the trees.

1st Round: 

First up is Pro bracket, then Super Pro followed by Sportsman, then Motorcycle.

Chris won the 1st round in Super Pro with a 10.487 on a 10.48 dial to defeat Steve Beggerly. Steve was in 12th place in the points going into this race and with this win Chris just went around Steve in the standings.  

Paul won his 1st round in Sportsman running a 12.66 on a 12.60 dial. The guys are off to a great start this evening. 

2nd Round:

Chris won this round running a 10.464 on a 10.46. That’s 31 very valuable points in his column so far tonight.

Paul lost in the 2nd round with a – .001 red light! He ran it thru running a 12.589 on a 12.61 dial. We’ll need to wait and see where he stands in the Sportsman points when they are posted next week but he should certainly make the team. We’re hoping he has earned enough points to make the Race of Champions.

3rd Round:

Chris lost in this round when he broke out running a 10.409 on 10.45. Like Paul, we’ll need to wait for the points update to see where he stands.

Once again our thanks to Justin Jung for all his help this evening!  We appreciate the assistance!

I will update this post when Pacific Raceways updates the points. – Roger

UPDATE AUGUST 14th 2012:

Edwards & Young has TWO cars in the E.T. Finals!

Chris is currently tied for 11th place in Super Pro with 200 points and made the Pacific Raceways team for the E.T. Finals.

Paul is currently in 4th place in Sportsman and eligible for the Race of Champions at the E.T. Finals. This will be the 2nd consecutive year Paul has qualified for the Race of Champions.

GREAT JOB GUYS!! – Dad

After the last race, we heard a “clicking” sound in the motor when cranking that was in rhythm with the valve train. To be safe we decided to pull the old motor and take a look.

Thanks to Chris & Paul, today we got the 331 out of the ’57 and torn completely down. We found a bad lifter bore in the front of the engine that was damaged since the motor was put together 12 runs back. We have three lifter bores that need to be bushed and we’ll get the engine back together to race again in 2013!

My profound thanks to my sons & Pam for all your very hard work today on a HOT day! – Roger

Update: September 26th 2012

Thanks to DG Machine, we have the lifter bores repaired and the engine back together!  We removed the restrictors to the lifter galleys and increased the oil pressure slightly. Hopefully the problem is resolved.

We are also replacing our old Moroso stud girdle with the stronger Shafiroff double-bar stud girdle that we have been using on the 406. – Roger

Rolling ‘EZ’ with ISKY Cams – Drag Racing Online – Posted September 27, 2012

331 back together, September 2012

Old Moroso single-bar stud girdle (top)
New Shafiroff double-bar girdle (bottom)

Update: October 21, 2012

Chris, Pam and I got the engine back in the ’57 on Saturday. Chris also got the transmission and driveline back in the car. On Sunday Chris repaired the cracked 3-4 shifter rod and we got the shifter installed and adjusted. Don’t ask me how you fracture a 7/16″ heat-treated shifter rod but it was.

Earlier in the week I reinstalled our MSD Timing Control which will give us more flexibility for the starting line conditions we face. We can also advance the timing in high humidity conditions to help compensate for the loss in horsepower.  

Now we’re basically down to installing the carbs, headers, radiator and the engine will be ready to fire. – Roger

LONG 5-speed shifter

Update: October 25, 2012

We now have the headers, and radiator installed. I had to replace the primary fuel bowl in the front carburetor due to the threads pulling on the banjo fitting which is not uncommon. Just add some fuel, coolant & connect the battery and it is ready to fire and set the timing!

New 660 primary fuel bowl with old float, baffle, needle & seat, bounce spring & accelerator pump installed.

Update – October 27, 2012:

Today we fired the ’57 and set the ignition timing. All systems look good!  We’ll pull the rockers off while it sits during the winter. New shoulder harness in the early Spring and we should be good for 2013!

On Friday the 27th, we took the Chevelle to the Goodguys race at Pacific Raceways. Big crowds and exciting racing for all involved with many great vintage cars putting on a great show. Without a doubt, the old cars bring out the fans!

Chris’ wagon was running in “Comp” along with many other local cars from Super Pro. We got unceremoniously dumped in the first round when we broke-out running a 10.439 on a 10.44 dial !

Here’s a few pictures we took:

2012 Summer Olympics underway:

NBC is providing the coverage for the 2012 Olympic games. Keep up with all the events here!

Saturday Bracket Race: Pacific Raceways

Tonight Chris is running in Super Pro and Paul in Torri’s Tempest in Sportsman down to the next of the last race to make the team at Pacific Raceways.  Paul was in 3rd place in the Sportsman standings going into this race making this a very important race.  – Roger

1st qualifying hit:

Chris: 10.44 @ 126 mph — Paul: 12.567 @ 106 mph 

2nd qualifying hit: 

Chris: 10.451 @ 126.22 mph  — Paul: 12.553 @ 105.96 mph 

Chris leaving the starting line on July 28th 2012. Jim Doyle photo

The PR crew is now dragging and prepping the starting line for the 1st round of eliminations.

1st round of eliminations: 

Chris defeated Dale Green running a 10.436 on a 10.43 dial and also beat Dale on the tree. This is a big win for Chris as Dale is an outstanding racer!

Paul lost to Jason Biscay running a 12.527 on 12.52. Biscay cut an outstanding .003 light. However, there are two more points races remaining for Paul to successfully defend his 2011 Pacific Raceways Sportsman Track Championship.  But at this point he is well in the hunt to make the team finals and likely to have another opportunity to race in the Race of Champions. The next race on August 11th will tell the story regarding the E.T. Finals, but the race on August 25th will count for the Track Championships!!

Paul just reported there is a huge oil down at the moment at 9:57 pm.  Track curfew is 11:00. No chance of getting this complete race in the books.

2nd round of eliminations:

Chris is paired against Dave Wakefield, the battle of the blue Chevelle’s! 

Chris just defeated Dave running a 10.405 on a 10.39 dial.

3rd round of eliminations:

Chris just won the 3rd round running a 10.41 on a 10.39  good for the win!!!!! That will be all for this race, the curfew has hit and Chris was driving very well this evening. And our thanks to Justin Jung for his help at the track tonight!!

Commentary: I do have to wonder when Pacific Raceways will ever move up the opening time for their evening drag racing events. Too few races this year have been completed which is unfair to the drag racers participating there.

UPDATE: More day races at Pacific Raceways in 2013! – July 30th 2012

On Sunday I sent an e-mail to Tracie Brandenburg, General Manager at Pacific Raceways voicing our concerns regarding there have been far too many incomplete races this season.

This afternoon Tracie gave me a call and the track is listening! They are planning to hold more day races in 2013 to resolve the issue and asked that we help spread the word! – Roger

PDF: Copy of my e-mail to Pacific Raceways dated July 29, 2012

Next weekend, August 3-5th, the big boys come to Pacific Raceways for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 25th Annual NHRA Northwest Nationals as part of the Western Swing.

The last bracket points race is slated for the following Saturday, August 11th which will decide the team for Pacific Raceways at the Division 6 Team Finals on Labor Day weekend. – Roger

Chris was running in Super Pro today, Torri running her ’66 Tempest in Sportsman and Paul his Dodge Dakota truck also in Sportsman hoping to gather some more valuable points!

Paul was in 2nd place in Sportsman going into this race behind longtime Division 6 Pontiac racer Don “The Worm” Elgin. Paul is currently defending his 2011 Sportsman Track Championship at Pacific Raceways.

This was also the National Dragster Challenge. Up for grabs were Wally trophies for winners in Super Pro, Pro, Motorcycle and Sportsman. 

Torri recording her data on 7/21/2012. Kelly Miller photo.

1st Round: 

Chris won his first round in Super Pro running a 10.433 on a 10.42 dial.  Next up were Torri & Paul in Sportsman where Torri got the win light in her Tempest & sadly, Paul lost in a double breakout run. For Paul the good news was that the Sportsman points leader, Don Elgin, wasn’t at this race.

2nd Round:

Chris lost in this round running a 10.422 on a 10.42 dial but was beaten in another extremely tight race against Jason Beggerly by a holeshot.

Torri also lost in the 2nd round when the Tempest slowed down, ending our team effort this weekend.   

These are basics stats since I’m posting this from home as the race is underway. – Roger

This was my first time out in 2 years and had a great time driving our ’57 in Pro bracket. The weather was hot and muggy which makes traction a challenge, but we got by Jeff Denton’s ’55 in the 1st round with a .016 light running a 10.909 on a 10.88. In the 2nd round I cut a solid .035 but the car slowed to a 10.939 on a 10.89 as the humidity climbed to 71% and the car hooked better in this round pulling the small motor down with our reduced launch RPM. Congratulations to Makayla Quam who put me on the trailer with her Valiant, she drove well.

But I had a great time and my thanks to Pam, my very able crew chief Chris & Paul for all their help & support! The car with the retarded cam timing is running strong in high gear but we’re giving up 2 mph to the 1/8th. We’ll loosen the front shocks and advance the cam before the ’57 sees the track again!

Paul won his 1st round in Sportsman also and we were off to a good start. Unfortunately Paul left just a tad early in the 2nd round and our night was finished.

I also want to thank the crew at Pacific Raceways for all their hard work in the heat and humidity. Good job ladies & gents!

Video below which also includes the 1st round win of Jeff Warnke in his hard chargin’ Nova! – Roger

httpvh://youtu.be/UYSHp2TGvhI

Battle of the Shoeboxes in the 1st round! Roger Young (left lane) vs Jeff Denton in his beautiful ’55. Jeff was in 5th place in Pro Bracket going into this round. Photo credit: Kelly Miller

Battle of the Shoeboxes – Photo credit: Jim Doyle