So, What Tire

[OldSchool+]

They were them big 'ol racing tires, as I recollect.

Dave was baaaaaaaaaaaad fast.

And bad fast in the feature(s) after the burnout thing.

His cars generally looked like a piece of tinfoil that you scrunched together and then straightened out, and the other racers were rough trying to hold him back, but he won almost invariably.

But, as we all know, motor, driver, setup, whatever might have been illegal...any or all may have contributed (and maybe in spite of the tire thing, not because of it).

I am not even certain that the same tires were on the car in the race.

And I agree with Scott's assessment, that is why I mentioned it. It doesn't make sense to me, was wondering if anyone knew first hand what was up with that deal.

[Don Nerone]

They were them big 'ol racing tires, as I recollect.

Dave was baaaaaaaaaaaad fast.

And bad fast in the feature(s) after the burnout thing.

His cars generally looked like a piece of tinfoil that you scrunched together and then straightened out, and the other racers were rough trying to hold him back, but he won almost invariably.

But, as we all know, motor, driver, setup, whatever might have been illegal...any or all may have contributed (and maybe in spite of the tire thing, not because of it).

I am not even certain that the same tires were on the car in the race.

And I agree with Scott's assessment, that is why I mentioned it. It doesn't make sense to me, was wondering if anyone knew first hand what was up with that deal.

Won of our well known racers from the south would go to NY and put some odd tire with the stager chalk ware everyone could see it. Then every one would try to do it because he won every big race up there.
5 min before the feature he would change them and put new ones on.
He did it with shocks and spring also.
If you payed any mind to Will Cagles car you were screwed.
all the great racers would do the same thing.
Dick would work weeks testing on 4 tires that were the same size. On race day he would go to the tire room when everyone was bitching about the tire sizes and tell the tire man ...Give me 4 the same size.
The mind game goes on and on. mike Cope is the best at I ever saw..
Ask him about the orange tape...LOL
Some of you are over thinking and will never catch up with the masters.
Don't worry about what they are doing worry about what ur doing.
I have asked all the old greats if you could have one thing to win what would it be.

Gary Bleau Bigger motor
Jimmy Cope more left side
Dick Anderson Better tires
Dick Trickel More luck


done with old story tale


don62

[Don Nerone]

A different time and place for sure, but in my world that's a bad move on a few different levels. First, you want equal heat in all four tires. Hot rears and cold fronts would make you push at the green. On new tires, depending on the compound, you could definitely kill the good out of the tire. If it's a sticker tire you are going to "shock" the tire. Tire companies recommend scuffing in a tire generally by running a few easy laps, a few hard laps and then a few more easy laps. If it's an old tire all you would be doing is ensuring the tire goes away that much quicker. The older and more used up a tire is, the quicker it will go away. Maybe back in the day they were on a rock hard street tire and this worked to get heat in the rears, but I'm thinking he was using a drag racers burnout mentality on this gimmick.

I those daye the cars needed all the rear % you could get. We would run at 56%. rear tures were everything. As time went on the cars rear desine inproved so that we only had to run 49% rear. The cars hooked the rear better and the front became the deal.
Penske started a new world with shocks. bound and rebound ajustables.
About this time I got last with bump stops and will never get it.
As far as heating tires if there wasent a rule all the cars would have heat blankets on there tires before time triles.
been aroung the block a few laps.


don62

[scottgarrity07]

Good story, Don.

I'm with Trickle. MORE LUCK!

[scottgarrity07]

I those daye the cars needed all the rear % you could get. We would run at 56%. rear tures were everything. As time went on the cars rear desine inproved so that we only had to run 49% rear. The cars hooked the rear better and the front became the deal.
Penske started a new world with shocks. bound and rebound ajustables.
About this time I got last with bump stops and will never get it.
As far as heating tires if there wasent a rule all the cars would have heat blankets on there tires before time triles.
been aroung the block a few laps.


don62

That makes sense then. If you needed that much rear % the rear design made the car real loose to begin with. Were they leaf rears? Baking the tires would then tighten the car up to start, at least. Or maybe it WAS a psyche job. Those fast crafty old racers knew how to get in their competitors heads. Same stuff still goes on. I like the story about when Big E and Martin were neck and neck for the title going into Atlanta (the finale then). Big E and Childress put softer left side tires around the whole car, went out for one practice, laid down a killer lap then parked it for the weekend until the race on Sunday. Psyched Roush all out. They dialed and dialed on the car and ultimately lost the championship.

[Lurkin]

Gary Bleau - He needed the money. OH!

[OldSchool+]

Sorry for again moving the thread, but I have a similar story.

My Dad, now 89 and still wheeling a black ram air trans-am (!!), has told this one along the way.

About 1950 he was on a Harley about 2-3 years old and was racing a guy on a new one. At that time, the Harley boys (and probably everyone else) raced "top end". Either you were fastest or you weren't.

They topped out and were dead even. Aero was pretty much unknown at the time, but Dad had been to Embry Riddle aircraft school and had an idea.

He turned sideways and faced the guy and waved, effectively cutting his drag. He held the posture and motored off.

Those guys were not lacking for brass in the shorts, that is for sure.