After a less-than-stellar start to the 2024 PDRA Racing season—aside from a strong performance at the season opener at GALOT—the Ensslin Racing team and DRAG357 knew it was time for a change. With the summer break upon us, we decided to make a significant shift from carburetors to fuel injection, a move that would define the second half of our season.
Unfortunately, due to various factors, we missed out on some crucial testing opportunities and couldn't make it to the Michigan event that marked the start of the season's second leg. So, we brought our new setup to Bristol—untested but ready to prove its worth.
Our strategy at Bristol was straightforward: take baby steps down the track to avoid any costly mistakes. In the first test session, we aimed to reach only the 1-2 shift, allowing us to gather data and ensure everything was running smoothly. The transition to fuel injection made burnouts an interesting challenge, as the RPMs shot up quickly once the tires began to spin. Thankfully, FuelTech's 3-step burnout mode was there to prevent over-revving—a safety net for drivers like me!
Test sessions two and three saw us pushing the car further, reaching the 2-3 shift and running out the back door, just to validate that the engine was happy with its new diet of fuel injection. After reviewing the data, we decided to swap out the transmission for qualifying.
However, the 3-step burnout mode proved to be both a help and a hindrance in Q1. After completing my burnout, I forgot to disable the burnout mode, which meant launching without nitrous—resulting in a wasted run. Q2 showed some improvement, but we still encountered a few issues. By Q3, it was clear that a starter change in the transmission was necessary.
Heading into eliminations, we faced off against Walter Lannigan and the Pirate Racing team. The transmission change provided a noticeable boost, but it wasn't quite enough. Despite getting the jump on Lannigan, he managed to chase me down, though I did post my best time of the weekend: a 4.360 at 163.95 MPH.
Overall, the new fuel injection setup shows tremendous potential. With a few weeks off before the next race at GALOT (Oct 3-5), we'll have time to fine-tune and test, ensuring we're fully prepared to make our mark.
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