Big talker pays up....modded LS1 vs MODDED LT1

[silver_pilate]

Well, here's a story a good friend of mine was telling me the other day....

At the track in Idalou, they open up at 10:00 pm for a street-racing style grudge match. No tree, no times...just basically turn on the lights, collect three bucks, make you sign a waver, and run what you brung.

Anyway, someone rigged up a home made tree so that we don't have to have a flagman.

I didn't make it to the track that Saturday, but John was telling me about the action. There were a ton of people and cars there. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of red necks that clog up the staging lines with their look-at-me-I-can-spin-one-wheel-and-go-faster-than-you-bacause-my-tailgate-is-down trucks, but there are some pretty fast street cars showing up from Lubbock and surrounding areas as well.

One of the faster guys running there in a street driver is a guy named Manuel. He's got a 30th anniversary T/A automatic with some decent work done to it including stall, programmer, and a little blue bottle. He runs MT Sportsmans and still has traction problems while running mid 12 second times (at 3400 feet, mind you).

That night the track was packed. There was this little rich kid who shows up with his builder and their recently finished LT1....only it is now a 383 stroker with a huffer and the squeeze. The builder is talking all kinds of trash to everybody there about how "his" car will take Manuel's car, no problem. Well, John's not sure, but he thinks the kid is running street meats on that beast....no way he's gonna be able to put the power to the ground. John walks over to the pair to shoot the breeze.

"Nice looking car you've got there."

--"Yeah, thanks."

blah blah blah...small talk

"So what tires are you running."

--"Who the hell are you, the tech inspector?"

Well, that last little statement pisses John off who is being friendly with this loud mouth. John says, "No, I'm not the tech inspector, and that is a nice car you've got, but I don't think you've got enough tire to hold it to the road."

I guess that wounded the builder's pride, so he starts talking more trash and says the kid will race Manuel.

They line 'em up and the builder puts a little cash on the line with one of the guys who knows Manuel. The light turns, and the kid is sleeping at the light. He must have been there a full second before he takes off. Meanwhile, Manuel is gone. John is waiting at the finish line with three other guys, and Manuel wins by like three-four cars.

The builder pays up, grumbling the whole time about how the car is faster than Manuel and how the kid was sleeping. He tells the kid to get out of his own car, that he is going to run him. Well, a little more substantial cash is laid down this time, and they line 'em up to go.

This time, they both hit the lights hard. Manuel, just skipping his sportsmans on the edge of losing traction, shoots out of the hole. The builder, meanwhile, is spinning like crazy, just like they figured he would. Manuel crosses the line first, and the builder pays up and shuts up. Although he claims that he was pulling hard on Manuel at the line, John and the other guys were at the finish and Manuel took him by two cars, and all of them swear he was holding his ground.

Anyway, the guy's suppose to be back today with some sticky tires, and they will probably run again. I have no doubt that the LT1 is fast, but we'll see who can drive 'em. It should be a busy night.

--nathan