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The BME Bulletin
Bill Miller Engineering's Top Fuel Blog #8 Hot Times in Chilly Chicago The Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., was the scene of record-breaking performances. Ideal weather conditions and a state-of-the-art track provided the perfect environment for BME Top Fuel driver Brady Kalivoda to post career-best marks for elapsed time and top speed. Three consecutive 4.6-second e.t.s and three runs at more than 320 mph put the feisty BME team right alongside the big dogs in Top Fuel. Kalivoda qualified the black-and-yellow BME machine 12th at 4.625/325.40 mph as 26 Top Fuel drivers vied for 16 starting positions. Significantly, 10 of the cars ahead of the BME dragster on the qualifying sheet were full-time touring teams - as were several of the teams that didn't make the show, including two-time and defending champion Larry Dixon. Kalivoda maintained his 4.6-second pace on race day, and was first off the starting line by .03 seconds in his first-round match with Doug Herbert. At the finish line stripe, however, he trailed Herbert by three-quarters of a car length. It was little consolation for the BME crew that Herbert went on to win his first national event since 2002. "We always love racing in Chicago because Route 66 Raceway is famous for its excellent racing surface," said Kalivoda. "When you combine a great track with near-perfect weather conditions, you get the outstanding performances we saw from all the professional categories. We were looking forward to racing there, and the event certainly didn't disappoint us." Tensions were high in the BME camp on Saturday morning after Friday's first qualifying run was lost to tire shake and the second was washed away by rain. "We were down to two runs to get into the show," Kalivoda recalled. "There were some big-name cars behind us, so we knew we had to get down the race track. Bill nailed the tune-up and the car hiked up the front wheels just like it should. The run felt terrific in the driver's seat, and I wasn't surprised when it ran 4.63 at 324 mph. "The second qualifying run on Saturday was virtually a repeat of the first, and the car ran 4.625 at 325.30 mph. So in two runs I had two personal-best performances! "Going into race day, our plan was to run what we knew we could do, a low-4.60," Kalivoda continued. "We did exactly that with a 4.64. I never saw Herbert, and I didn't know who won. Then Bill told me on the radio that we had lost to a 4.56. "It's never enjoyable to lose, but at that point you have to tip your hat to the guy in the next lane and say, 'Good job.' That's the way it should be, racing wheel-to-wheel at 320 mph across the finish line." Technology Marches On The life of a Top Fuel car owner is never easy, but several new variables added to the complexity of Miller's tuning decisions at Route 66 Raceway. Goodyear introduced a new Racing Eagle Top Fuel tire (designated "1430"), the crew installed a new four-valve clutch system, and Miller was coming to terms with a sophisticated programmable ignition system. "We learned at the U.S. Nationals that if you have to adjust the clutch 30 seconds before a run, it's easier to change two valves instead of six or eight," Miller explained. "So we replaced the eight-valve clutch control mechanism with a four-valve system. Of course, the four-valve system has different characteristics, and we had a new tire that we'd never run before, so we had to make an educated guess on the settings before the first qualifying run. "We're also using a new MSD Ignition Controller with six programmable ignition maps," he continued. "The spark curve is exceptionally smooth now, and I'm getting comfortable with changing the program on the fly. Before our second qualifying run, I loaded a new spark curve, slowed down the clutch flow, and son of a gun, the car ran a 4.63 e.t. I'd say it all worked pretty well!" The BME crew also unveiled its new "Grip-0-Meter" - an ingenious device designed to measure traction characteristics. The tool consists of a 4-inch diameter polished steel plate that is pressed against the track by a spring-loaded bearing. A sensitive torque wrench measures resistance as the plate is rotated on the track surface. "You see crew chiefs checking traction by scuffing and twisting their shoes on the starting line," Miller explained. "The torque meter does the same thing with better consistency and more accuracy. After a few races we hope to see a pattern in how the torque meter readings correspond to track conditions." Viva Las Vega The BME Top Fuel team's next event is the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 29-31. "We really enjoy racing in Las Vegas for several reasons," said Kalivoda. "First of all, it's Las Vegas, a great venue. Second, it's the team's home track because Bill Miller Engineering is located in Carson City, Nevada. And finally, we have a good handle on the setup; we ran 4.63 to qualify for the Spring race in Las Vegas. "Most importantly, we're going to have an audience there. Bill has invited representatives from Okuma and several other companies we met at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. We'll have a hospitality trailer alongside our transporter, and we're eager to introduce our VIP guests to the incredible sights and sounds of NHRA drag racing." BME Race Results Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Joliet, Ill., Oct. 1-3, 2004 Qualified: No. 12 at 4.625/325.30 mph First Round: Doug Herbert (4.567/325.30) defeated Brady Kalivoda (4.649/321.19).
Next Race ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas, Oct. 29-31,2004 TV Schedule: 10/30/04 Qualifying 5 - 7 p.m. (ET) ESPN2 10/31/04 Eliminations 7 - 10 p.m. (ET) ESPN2 11/3/04 Repeat eliminations 3 - 5 p.m. (ET) ESPN2 11/5/04 Repeat eliminations 3 - 5 p.m. (ET) ESPN2
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