Head to the starting line with that plan in mind. Launches surprisingly well for a completely different technique than I've ever tried. Rowing gears down the track. The shifter feels a little funny on the 2-3 shift. Still try the 3-4 and the whole handle breaks clean off. Yet another ruined pass. I can't buy a 10 second pass at Bristol.
https://i.imgur.com/F91dXI5h.jpg

I had some tools in the Jeep and was able to pull the shifter boot at the end of the track and jimmy it into 3rd gear to limp back to the pits. One of our competitors had a spare handle in his Drag Week trailer and let us borrow it. Put the shift knob in the way, way wrong location but it was better than nothing. Got back in line for pass #4.
https://i.imgur.com/BBcjWvfh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bWODcmvh.jpg

Everything goes off without a hitch this pass finally and all the frustration of the day pays off with a 10.74 @ 127. Because of the poor conditions a lot of our competitors ran slower that day and we actually moved up to #29 without improving our average.
https://i.imgur.com/ri4VE75h.jpg

Another awesome competitor welded up our broken shifter handle.
https://i.imgur.com/RphXVnOh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/W2myimGh.jpg

Longer day than we had planned and well past ready for sleep. But the hood's still sealed, we still have a good average, and we're ready to hit the road.
https://i.imgur.com/w27GvaBh.jpg

First check point.
https://i.imgur.com/UjYRuhFh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XpSwaRPh.jpg

Second check point.
https://i.imgur.com/1tLZRZCh.jpg

Last fuel stop before Atlanta Dragway!
https://i.imgur.com/dTQNDELh.jpg

Finally at the hotel, thoroughly exhausted. Went to sleep immediately.
https://i.imgur.com/sKxIjeuh.jpg

Day 5: Friday Sept 14

All the way back to Atlanta where we started. Got pitted between my Turbo Mopar friends and Tracy's Olds. What a sweet spot.
https://i.imgur.com/udRzHq5h.jpg

Friday had a different run order, they ran the top 40 of our class first so that they could set the run order for later in the day.
https://i.imgur.com/bzX4Bgch.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NmFTerVh.jpg

First pass in the morning was great! 10.61 @ 129, reset the Jeep record. Wanted to make a pass in the other lane to make sure there was no funny business like the day before. Clicked it off at the 60' because there was no need to make another full pass.
https://i.imgur.com/EQm4JHih.jpg

First sign-up on the stick shift list!
https://i.imgur.com/04MstL6h.jpg

Turning in final time slips.
https://i.imgur.com/VRZrdaph.jpg

It's official, final average 10.707, a Jeep record for Drag Week
https://i.imgur.com/uylpNBfh.jpg

Waiting for eliminations and staying out of the sun. For reference, we turned in our final time slip around 9am and didn't make our first elimination pass until almost 3pm.
https://i.imgur.com/0BXZmt0h.jpg

Out for a cruise with Tracy looking for some air to refill the tank.
https://i.imgur.com/bRV9HyMh.jpg

Got word that the top 32 had been compiled. We had bumped all the way up to #26. An all 10-second field!
https://i.imgur.com/JJ4nU06h.jpg

One of the fast guys needed a welder so we finally got to break out the super booger welder. He was in impound so I couldn't do it for him.
https://i.imgur.com/vrqrJvnh.jpg

Since the welder was out, it was a good time to weld up some other stuff that we were waiting until it was convenient to do.
https://i.imgur.com/mbgPjEoh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aJyyZnjh.jpg

Finally get called up for eliminations. They're running the 32 of SME and the stick shift shootout at the same time. Crazy. I wasn't too bummed when I lost first round to a local friend.
https://i.imgur.com/MbK0F36h.jpg

Now onto the good part, the stick shift shootout! No bracket racing, heads-up, only rule is gotta have a clutch pedal.
https://i.imgur.com/tcKEccJh.jpg

First pass we had to line up with one of our Turbo Mopar buddies in his Shelby Daytona. That car was no slouch, had a 10.88 @ 136 average! He ended up having problems during the pass and I took the win. The timing system was having issues and said that I ran a 6.971 quarter mile. After my pass they shortened all racing to 1/8 mile because of the faulty electronics.

Second round I got paired up with a super clean Coyote swapped Fairmont. He had run in the high 11s during the week which is close enough that if I missed a gear or flubbed the launch I could lose, especially since it was shortened to 1/8 mile. Luckily I had an uneventful pass and took the win.

Third round I drew Freddy Cougar, a very consistent 12.3x car. Took the win again and moved on to the semifinals.

Semifinals I got matched up with a mid 9 second fox body. My intercooler was so heat soaked from the multiple back to back hotlap passes and it laid over off the line so I let off and coasted. He laid down a great pass so it didn't matter anyhow. Losing was almost a relief, finally time to pack up and wind down.
https://i.imgur.com/z2rkMFHh.jpg

Went to the awards ceremony. They weren't posting results for the sealed hood cars all week and none of us really knew who was leading. My 10.707 was good enough for second place behind Don and Kathy Hoover's 10.704 2018 Demon. Was a good day for Gen3 hemi powered cars! Also was surprised to receive the quickest AMC award!
https://i.imgur.com/GRgHoeih.jpg

Post-race moonshine.
https://i.imgur.com/4odHM2lh.jpg

Got our post race celebration done before the rains rolled in.
https://i.imgur.com/tZv6Wuzh.jpg

Following the racing on Friday we were going to get some good food but it was rainy, every place was packed, and we were tired so we settled for fast food and called it an early night. Slept in and then hit the road for home.

Ran across this cool J10 and had to take a picture.
https://i.imgur.com/w0pWEbBh.jpg

Just cruising through the night at 80 mph in an old Jeep, nothing else like it.
https://i.imgur.com/3MX8Xk9h.jpg

How you know you're in Indiana - pulling tractors.
https://i.imgur.com/RbA5uk1h.jpg

Finally back home at 2:09am Sunday morning. 2805 miles total, 13 passes, and 9 states. Burned 29.44 gallons of 87 octane, 99.46 gallons on 93 octane, and 52.76 gallons of e85. Total average mileage of 15.4 mpg and had a couple 21 mpg tanks on gasoline.
https://i.imgur.com/stG82lgh.jpg

We did pretty alright with achieving goals on the week, got very lucky.

1. Finish the week (so I can enter the stick shift shootout) Check
2. Make the quick 32 Street Machine Eliminator field Check
3. Run 10s at every track Check
4. One pass and hit the road every day Fail
5. Beat the previous Jeep single pass record of 10.68 Check 10.61
6. Beat the previous Jeep record average of 10.96 Check 10.70
7. Maintain a sealed hood for the whole week Check

Huge thanks to the people who helped get this Jeep together in the first place and those that helped get it ready for Drag week. And especially the best copilot in the game Mike.

I think we outdid 2016 Drag Week, time to retire that hat to the trophy shelf.
https://i.imgur.com/wtNKZUch.jpg

And the full length version with all the video clips and pictures.

Aftermath of Drag Week wasn't too bad. Lots of bugs and some rubber.
https://i.imgur.com/Mskjp8yh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LbHyxmkh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/r1PODpWh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yHh2Zhbh.jpg

Quick wash job and she was good enough to drive into town without being too unsightly.
https://i.imgur.com/5htE22uh.jpg

A week after getting back from Drag Week I finally was able to get the new Jeep out on the autocross course.

Safe to say the Cherokee was the largest vehicle on course (except the new Challenger).
https://i.imgur.com/llWvoFih.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IR8Yzwah.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/G50vPJCh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/A9Mc9OTh.jpg

The parking lot was pretty old and deteriorated, not a lot of traction with all the marbles that kept getting knocked loose. And one big hole that kept getting bigger.
https://i.imgur.com/9kI1J0eh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pwBsIJzh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CAy8cXxh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/g0g6EJ4h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cOo3J8Eh.jpg

The width definitely hurt on this course and the low traction in the more open areas didn't let me carry speed where I could've made up some time. Still managed to get 27th out of 67 cars. I was pretty happy with that for the first time out.



Benefit of having a Cherokee - ideal course takedown vehicle.
https://i.imgur.com/QxrMAFCh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Lw2a79Rh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/u6o42oBh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j5EDEXPh.jpg

At the end of September, I ran across a pair of my dream cars at a local cruise-in. Two Panteras in the same place is a great photo-op in of itself but I got to drive the yellow one! The hook is set, I have to have one. Someday...
https://i.imgur.com/i2JsX7ih.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LQ23pr0h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WDv59j7h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yqc55fLh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XDzCe9xh.jpg

So low compared to what I'm used to.
https://i.imgur.com/74m6u5Bh.jpg

A bunch of my friends were going to the track on October 13 so I tagged along and ran. It became apparent that the clutch was starting to go, it wouldn't hit the tire off the line like I wanted it to. Still managed to run a new best of 10.38 @ 132.6 on a soft launch. All of the three passes I made were within a tenth and were quicker than my previous best time. Super happy with the results.



https://i.imgur.com/nXN2MJth.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XWIrnr4h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sUfkuh4h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MjC3tFUh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VdEhX0Bh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Cjoiur9h.jpg

After 3 weeks of rainy weekends, we finally had a nice (but cold) Saturday on the last day of the season at our local track. Was planning on just watching because of the soft clutch but peer pressured myself into running. I was already set up for the autocross the next day and decided to just run it that way on the street tires. First pass on a super soft launch went 11.74 @ 129 which was within a couple tenths of my best on those tires. Second pass I left in second gear, slipped the clutch out, rolled on the power and it actually gripped. Had to pedal in 3rd but pretty uneventful after that, including the 4-5 shift. Figured it was a mid 11 second pass at best, was definitely surprised to see it was a 10.91 @ 130!!!! Went right back out and backed it up with a 10.90 @ 129.5, nearly identical numbers on the whole slip. Keep in mind that this is all on a 275/40zr17 Continental street tire stretched on an 11" wide wheel in a stick shift car. Unbelievable.



https://i.imgur.com/apSqTPCh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Je9Xv4Hh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ElNq1d3h.jpg

On my way back from the track I stopped for fuel in the tiny town of Middleville and ran across this 5.3 swapped turbo Marauder. The odds of two turbocharged modern engine swapped boats rolling into that small town gas station has to be waaay up there.
https://i.imgur.com/WEaIbJEh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3s297Guh.jpg