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Testing Continues
Ran at Englishtown Friday night and ran 10.16. Here is a video taken by Arnie of the pass.
Vette Doctors Performance Red Sled Gets New Power for 2010
As you may have noticed I have not been out with my car this year thus far. The reason is the car nearing completion and delivery with its new power plant at The Vette Doctors Performance shop in Amityville, NY. The project has been under wraps for some time as the plan for this year went through several iterations this winter and changes of direction. The range went from selling or parking the entire program and buying a 13.50 convertible to taking of the reigns of the Boweryboy Grocery turbocharged grocery getter. In the end, we decided to stick with the tried and true ride, The Red Sled.There will be new power under the hood of the sled starting with the latest and greatest in GM Performance Parts cylinder heads. The GMPP LSX-LS7 heads were chosen for the project as the key component to ensure that we can run in the 10.50 Index all-year round. These heads have shown 400 CFM potential in several applications. The Vette Doctors chose West Coast Cylinder Heads to perform their magic in porting and finishing the new heads. The heads are matched to a new ported LS7 intake and 90 mm throttle body. To take advantage of the new heads, VDP chose a proven LS7 block to sit them on top of. That is right, the little 402 that could is being replace with LS7 Heaven. The Little 402 is now the Big E 427. The power plant is now completed and installed and being broken in and tuned and we should have it out testing soon.
Along with the new power plant, we put in a DTE Stage 4 Performer Drag Max 4.10 rear and a brand new FTI Competition Converters torque converter replacing the very reliable one that was in there for two years+. Everything else remains the same.
We are looking forward to competing in the Corvette Challenge and its heads-up Pro 10.50 class at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. In addition to that, we are taking on a full season challenge in the NMCA Late Model EFI class which travels to 7 states throughout the year. Select races in the RAM Racing Naturally Aspirated shootout are also on tap for the season.
I would like to thank Carmen Melillo and Dennis Hemmerly at The Vette Doctors Performance, Amityville, NY for their continued support in my racing efforts and in the Corvette Drag racing community.
Red Sled in Fastest Street Car Magazine
And now the hat trick, the triple play, the triple double, is complete with coverage of the 2009 LSX Shootout in the February issue of Fastest Street Car Magazine, (FSC). For Complete Coverage of the triple win for the Red Sled, go LSX Shootout coverage on FSC online.The Red Sled in GM High Tech Performance Magazine
01/29/10 - GM High Tech Performance magazine also covered the 2009 LSX Shootout and you can find me in the March 2010 issue of the magazine. Coverage is also available online in the 2009 LSX Shootout - Memphis Burns article.The Red Sled in Chevy High Performance Magazine
12/20/09 - If you have not seen the latest issue of Chevy High Performance you can now see the LSX Shootout Coverage online. You find some great tuning tips in the article that covers the True Street 11-second index win. Click for Chevy High Performance articleWinning the LSX Shootout Index Showdown Class
The winning pass is on minute marker 1:18 of the embeded video. Thanks LSXTV.com.
Slideshow from MIR World Street Finals
2009 Starting With a Points Lead
03/29/09 - 2009 is starting great. The car is humming running just .02 seconds off its best after getting a new set of tire, MT ET Street Radial 295/50/16. I am running three points series this year, all at Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ, and two have had their first points race on March 21st. In the main series, The East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge, I took a win first round before going red in round two by .003 of a second. In the Cartek Pro 10 Double Index, a qualified heads-up mixed index class, I qualified 4th out of 14 with and won three rounds before losing in the final by .03 seconds. The good news there is I left the race in first place in points despite the runner-up finish as the event winner did incur a penalty that dropped him to second place in points. Read about that race here. This week, I put the Sled on a diet and lost 64 lbs and am looking for a new personal best at the next race. Wish me luck.
Wheels and Brakes
02/22/09 - The 2009 season is about to begin. Raceway Park opens Saturday, February, 28, 2009. I often get asked about my wheels and brakes. The C5 Corvette has few drag wheels setups. Starters can use the stock 17" wheels for the rear with drag radials and stock fronts. I have long since left that combination many years ago. Currently I am running a setup that I was fortunate to pick up second hand but never used from another racer who had changed his mind on the setup. The wheels are Bogart Welded Rat’s. The rear wheels are 16" by 10". The fronts are 15" by 4.5". That is right; 15". In order to get the 15" on there I installed Strange Engineering Pro Drag Brakes part B4178WC. It requires some surgery on the stock caliper mounting brackets and you could never go back. They are not designed for street driving though I have put a few miles on them ;). The tires will vary depending on what I am doing during the season. I will sometimes run Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial II in 315/45/16 size or an MT ET Street 28x11.5x16 or Hoosier Slick 28.0/10.0-16. The fronts will vary as well with either Mickey Thompson Front Runner 26" tall or Moroso DS2 Front in 25" tall configuration.
Click to see a large pictures to see the wheels
Race report NMCA Late Model Shootout LSX Showdown Win
06-09-08 - Atco, NJ - When the NMCA announced it was coming back to Atco and Kooks Custom Headers would title a mixed index like at Memphis last year...I was driven. The huge disappointing loss I suffered in Memphis last year when gave up the stripe in the first round left me disgusted. I was determined that this race for me would be different.So we start with a three day race wrap up.
Day 1 June 6 Happy Birthday
I took the day off from work. Went out to pick up my car from the Vette Doctors. They freshened my 4L60E on short notice. I even surprised them when I asked for them to wait for the new RevXtreme converter and billet pulleys. I asked them to put in an ATI super damper too. I then topped that off with a request for custom 3 inch exhaust I bought from red98c5 with Spintech mufflers. All that and still I am ready in time to run the full weekend. I hustle the car down to Atco and make two all out, shallow staged test passes in the heat. Spun the tires first one and ran 10.74 at 128.7. DA had to be about 2000. Next pass hooked better and was 10.65 with very small spin. I then parked it and ran to the Stone Pony where my daughter took to see The Spill Canvas. Got home at 1 AM.Day 2 June 7
So the plan is to slow the car to 11.0. Deep staging, fuel and 95 degree heat with high humidity should get me the rest of the way. I make a test pass and decide to implement a shift change I talked over with Carmen the night before. I then run in the true street competition. True Street is a class where all the cars prove street worthiness by going on a 30 mile cruise then come back and make three hot lap passes and your average ET determines the winner. They have an overall winner and a winner for each full second interval so I was honing in on 11.00. I place the car three different places on the starting line to work the average. 11.04, 11.14 and 10.88 for an 11.02 average. All three runs had some spin as the track was 130 degrees and greasy. Came in second....someone went 11.01. The gave us this class for FREE entry. Thank you very much.We then have our one and only qualifier in for the LSX Showdown to place us on a ladder. 23 entries in the LSX class. Nice variety of Vettes, Fbody, GTO’s, and a G8. I place the car on the line and let it rip trying to run the number. I was having trouble hooking so I dropped a click on the front shocks. As Emeril says, BAM!. Car hooks like mad. I knew I had to lift to stay positive and here on the radio..11.01. If this were an NA Shootout race, I would be lucky to be qualified 5th with that so I was hoping for a #1 spot here. Get back home and look at the qualifying and I was 2nd as number 1 went dead-on. I was disappointed at the time but turned that frown upside down later.
Day 3 June 8
Race day and the excitement is flowing. I made sure I stayed hydrated and fed as I almost passed out Saturday in the heat. I put some vinyl on the roof which is transparent to try and hold back the sun. I think I need one of them solid roofs. First round I get Jay McCardle. I went in deep and was able to take the win when Jay was off his index and moved on to round 2. Last night, I brought my partner and nemesis Steve Wells home with me. Fed him his first rice and beans and let shower and sleep at my house so he is fresh for today. We would face each other in round two if we each got past round 1. Well Steve did get past round 1 and we were paired for round 2. A little trash took and then we decided to take it in a different direction. We decided to partner up on the cash winnings that either driver that advances wins. The guy took a day off from work and weekend day off from his family to keep me in the points hunt in the NA Shootout series so I thought it would be a good gesture. It was the least I could do before I put him on the trailer. He is a tough competitor and we were both holding and we both new it. Double breakout would be the only way this would go. We both wanted to go deep. They were not holding the tree. This would be hard to do with a quick tree and it was proven by both having late lights. He led me by a tenth at the tree. Top end; it's a whole different ball game. The Sled had too much power for the Bullet and we both went under. He went 11.9-3 and I went 10.944. at 115. I took the stripe .015 and but he broke to by more. So I went back to his trailer and took all his gas to help add weight to the car…thanks bud. Round three, we thought I had a bye but we did the math wrong and I had to face the G8 raced by a Super Chevy Magazine writer. I went deep and got a tree advantage and carried that to the win with an 11.10 at 126.44 all out with a decent spin where my 60’ was off by over a tenth. Now we were down to three cars and this is where the frown came upside down and the number 2 qualifier helped me out. I got the bye into the final…woohoo! I seemed to have lost the time slip in a sea of slips but thing the single was 11.04. Now to the final against John Mondrous with a 402 Camaro which happens to also be tuned by Carmen at the Vette Doctors. It was a pretty nice deal for the docs to have two cars in the final. He was on the trans brake and I deep staged. He had just gone .002 on the tree. I went deep and cut a .119 John was off his 10.50 index running 10.705. I went 11.038 @ 118.66.
I have to say, this is the biggest win I have ever had since I started racing some seven years ago. National stage, big prize money and making up for going out first round in Memphis last year. Won the big cash prize, split with my partner and won an LSX Block and Jacket and plaque. Most of all, some coverage for the Corvette and Corvette Challenge.
I went on to the king of the hill with the Mopar and the Ford. The Ford got the bye and I race the Hemi. The dials were set right on the boards and he was to leave with 1.5 ahead of me with a 12.50 dial. We both went deep then I watched for him to leave. My yellows flashed and he was not gone. I was puzzled and figure I better go. I go and as soon as I go I see red. There is no way that can be right. Turns out my time slip says I was .604 on the tree but lost going red. George from Kooks was on it immediately and Steve went up see what happened. Turns out crosstalk was not on the yellows did not account for the indexes. Rerun I got my lucky break of he day. I was late but closer on the index and took the win by .04 with an 11.061 with a little tap. I then go for the supercharger against the nicest Mod motor guy. I noticed a large amount of win stickers on the back of the glass so I knew this was no rook. He was better on the tree, I was exhausted by then and my bad tree kept getting worse. I went .130 to his .068. We get to the finish side by side in another close race and I see his light go one. On the radio I hear he went under by .020 and I go under by .023. Great race. Great Day. I am happy.
Big thanks to Carmen and Dennis, The Vette Doctors.
Thanks go to all that have contributed to this project.
RevXtreme, Blue and Green, American Racing Headers, Corvette Major, Boweryboy, East Coast Supercharging, Rolling Thunderz, Insanity Racing, Mr. Silver Bullet.
Click for magazine coverage in Fastest Street Car Magazine
Finished The Season with a Best of 10.10 and 134.94
11/24/07 - Wow, I cannot believe I have not updated this page at all since March. It was a really busy racing season and we had many accomplishments along the way. The Sled was entered in many classes and managed a win in the E-town 11.0 Index class this summer. We attended the LSX Shootout in Memphis, 5 Naturally Aspirated Shootout races and of course the Corvette Challenge series at Raceway Park. Along the way we had new best of 10.51 (video) at E-town and then 10.37 at Memphis, (video). That was topped by a 10.106 one Friday night at E-town and on the MPH side, we clipped 134.94 on a Saturday afternoon.
It has been a great season and we learned a lot and we hope to launch an assault on the Cartek Racing Pro 10.0 and E-town 10.0 Index class in 2008. Additionally, look for us to race the QTP Quick Time 8 heads-up classes at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (www.racewaypark.com).
Initial Testing Underway
03/09/07 - Just a quick update, we will be at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (www.racewaypark.com) tomorrow doing some additional testing. Initial test saw us run 10.54 at MIR and 10.53 at Richmond Dragway for the 2007 National Corvette Challenge. We reached 130 MPH on one pass. With some additional tweaks put in by The Vette Doctors over the past two weeks we will be looking better both those numbers in the Corvette Challenge Warm-up tomorrow.
The Sled is Alive Again
02/05/07 - Feel the new heartbeat of the Red Sled!!!. A GM LS2 motor stroked to 402ci or naturally aspirated power built Vette Doctors Tough! The mill is in and ready to get its break in miles before the Dyno thrashing begins. Check out the video2007 Schedule Is Shaping Up
12/26/06 - I know I have been late with an update.....sorry. I have been hard at work planning for 2007. In addition to running in the Corvette Challenge and Pro 10.0 Index at Englishtown, I will also be running the new Englishtown Index series open to all cars with heads-up indexes for 10.0, 11.0 and 12.00. I will be running and partial NSCA schedule. Also new for 2007 will is the Ram Racing Naturally Aspirated series in the All Motor Index which covers tracks in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.One Lucky Winner To Win American Muscle Payout for Martin, MI Race
08/31/06 - Here is your chance to help the Red Sled Racing team and get paid to do it. Become a Race SponsorI would like to give you all of my cash payout for the American Muscle Class in exchange for your support*. I will give one lucky Race Sponsor all of the payout earned in American Muscle. All you need to do to be a Race Sponsor is send the Red Sled Racing team a $75 for a one-race sponsorship for the Martin, MI race September 9-10, 2006.
This offer is made only for cash payout for any cash earned in the NSCA American Muscle Eliminator class. The cash payout to win is $750, which will be 10 times your investment. While there is a fair amount of risk in this investment, the possibility of 10 times the return on your investment in one weekend with little effort on your part is great. And, we don't event have to win to get a return at all. Payouts are earned in the class for runner-up ($350), semi-finalist ($125), quarter finalist ($75). So basically if we make it to the round of 8, someone will at least get their money back.
Your name or company name will be written on the car's glass to show your support at the track. See purse on NSCA website.
Are you a gambler? Take a chance on Red Sled Racing. We have won three different events thus far this year and sit in 4th place of the NSCA American Muscle standings. The round of 8 usually requires only 1 round win.
*Official Rules
- $75 Race Sponsor fee must be paid to collect winnings
- A minimum of three Race Sponsors must exist for the contest to take place
- One winner will be drawn from all entries and the winner will receive any cash payout received for the NSCA American Muscle Class at Martin, MI Sep 9-10, 2006
- Multiple Race Sponsor sponsorships can be purchased
- Must enter before Saturday Qualifying start
- Will draw the lucky Race Sponsor before Saturday Qualifying starts
- Contingency excluded
The Red Sled Wins at Cecil!
05/22/06 - Our first National race in the National Street Car Association (NSCA), was held at Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, MD www.cecilcountydragway.com over the May 20 and 21 weekend. The "Sled" was entered in two classes as we will be the entire season. We entered the American Super Car Challenge Genuine Street Class which is a heads-up class on an 11.50 index (not allowed to run quicker than 11.50). (video) Eight Vettes and Vipers were entered in the class. We qualified number 1 running 11.506 @ 119.69 on the 11.50 index (video). In Round 1 of the 3 round race, our opponent did not make the call so we received a competition single. We used it to run 11.477 @ 122.13 and ready for second round. In round 2 we paired with Jerry Muniz, The Boogieman, and the 2005 Champion in the Original Street class in 2005. Muniz stepped up a class this year and was running nitrous against the naturally aspirated "Red Sled". We took the advantage at the starting line and ran together the length of the track with Muniz taking the stripe but not the win as he had to hold his nitrous button too long to stay ahead of the "Sled". Jerry had, as they say, the quicker but losing ET and I was on the way to the final against last year's Genuine Street Champion, Eddie Plybon. We had a great competition last year though the "Sled" was underpowered in 2005, but this year would be different. With a new heads and cam package put together by The Vette Doctors featuring Dart 225 head's polished by Rolling Thunderz and a custom ground Comp cam for the "Sled", we were packing a lot me heat than last year. Both cars staged deep for the final and Plybon got the starting line advantage, or so I thought. I tried to reel him in and we were side-by-side and fender-to-fender when I looked up to judge the stripe and saw my win light had already been turned on before we hit the finish line. Plybon had gone red by five thousandths of a second! It was a close finish and a sweet one for REDGAR Racing.
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| Steve, Edgar Perez, Rose (ASC) and The Red Sled | Sled Launch 1 | Sled Launch 2 |
In the NSCA American Muscle class, we put the sled in the 11.25 index (with the full tree, the sled is shallow staged thus quicker than the Pro Tree in ASC). The American Muscle class is a little more like a bracket race but indexes must be pre-selected and we try to place the on the index. First attempt at qualifying found us under the index at 11.332 at 121.06. On the second qualifying pass, however, we came within 2 hundredths of the 11.25 index running 11.278 at 115.87 (video). That pass held for the number 4 qualifying position in a class that had 21 racers. Race day for this class was Sunday. Paired with Cliff Sebring Jr. who had a 14.00 indexed car, we were to wait almost three seconds after he was gone. As we completed our burnout, which was filmed by Joe Elmore and crew for the Horsepower TV show, the starters stopped us because the car before me had dropped some fluid on the line. They wiped it off and I tried to complete a second burnout but I was rushed to the line without it. Crew chief Steve ensured I did not line up the car in the wet spots. After Sebring was gone and we waited for what appeared to be an eternity, we jumped on the third yellow and lit the red light putting "The Red Sled" on the trailer. I ran the Sled out the back door to see what it had this morning in a 2500 feet of air (density altitude) and was very happy with the run as the slip showed the best ET of the weekend at 11.079 @ 123.89 mph for the 3380 lb car and driver combination.
So after the first event of the year was rained out at Atco Raceway, the season is off to a good start as we walk away with the points lead in American Super Car Challenge and middle of the pack in American Muscle (qualifying points for 4th qualifying position is as good as a round win).
I'd like to thank all the folks that help Red Sled Racing run its quest for a National Championship.
- First and foremost, The Vette Doctors, Amityville, NY who put the sled together an keep it running
www.thevettedoctors.com - RevXtreme, Tampa FL
www.revxtreme.com - Dart Machinery www.dartheads.com
- Rolling Thunderz, Canada www.rollingthunderz.com
- Red & White Racing
- Blue and Green Racing
- Silly Goose Racing Stables
Lastly, thanks to Steve who made the trip with me and hung out the whole weekend expressly for the purpose of making sure I line up and launch correctly and consistently.
Next National Race will be in Cleves, OH near Cincinnati on June 24 and 25, 2006
For Race info click here or you can view the full schedule
Red Sled Racing (aka REDGAR Racing)
Click for Photo Gallery