I almost didn't even take my truck since the tranny wouldn't do a 3-4 WOT upshift (I run out of RPM in 3rd so I need 4th/overdrive to get thru the traps), and had some other little problems, but boy am I glad I did!!

Loaded up the truck bed Thursday and drove down to Kansas City (10 hrs @ 79 MPH) for the 2006 Syclone/Typhoon Nationals. Had a great time!! This is my 5th consecutive Nationals but the most fun I've had yet! The highlight was a Syclone owner from Sweden who spent about $10k shipping his 8.9 @ 155 mph Syclone (still AWD V6 single turbo GT45 88mm/108mm) over on a slow boat, just to race at this event and prove his truck is as fast in the US as it is in Sweden! He ran 9.06 @ 154 with a 1.38 60' and what an awesome machine. Very clean under the hood and inspected & street legal in Sweden (and the US!) He drove it (legally) back to the hotel on the highway after the races.

I ran in Super Stock which had the most competition (this is a pretty small event overall, about 110 people registered and about 40 trucks). I found that if I let off the gas at the top of 3rd briefly, it would go into 4th and I could get back on it 100% and make it through the traps. THe track was pretty slippery with all street tires and no slicks. (Private rental at Kansas City International Raceway). It was also relatively warm and humid out.

I made it to the finals but the guy I was lined up against was 2 tenths faster than me and a better racer (and a real gentleman, to boot). I had been having great (for me) reaction times all day, .600, .500, .300, .200, .300. Well I gave it my all and when the lights came down I noticed him drop back out of the corner of my eye!!! I held on tightly and did the 3-4 shift quickly as possible and as I gripped the steering wheel I looked out my passenger window to see him gaining ground and closing the gap!! His front bumper was up to my door and I looked up and the ET boards were close enough........ FOR THE WIN!!! Here's what the time looked like:

SUPER STOCK
*Winner Josh S. Milwaukee WI Sy
R/T .272
60' 1.81
1/8 7.74
1/8 mph 90.37
1/4 12.16
1/4 mph 110.06

*2nd Place Troy C. B-ville OK Sy
R/T .509
60' 1.74
1/8 7.58
1/8 mph 90.96
1/4 11.95
1/4 mph 111.60

Man what a great race, and that's what racing is all about!! Down to the wire. My margin of victory at the finish line was 0.02!!

I won this cool trophy, mug, and $150 cash!



All in all I made 10 passes. I only managed to make one run in the 11s due to weather and operating condition of my truck. Most people left after the races but since it was a private rental, we had a lot of time left for time runs.

I decided to offer my girlfriend a chance to take my truck down the track because she has handled it well on the street in the past and never had a chance to run on a drag strip. She was really excited and I was really nervous. I explained how to find the Pre Stage and Stage lights, and how to shift at 4500 RPM in 3rd, let off until the tach drops, then hammer it through the lights. Well she came up to the tree with the turbo spooling and came screaming out of the hole!!! I listened to the exhaust and she even did the 3-4 shift right!

Can you beleive she ran a 12.39 @ 109 MPH with a .509 reaction??? I let her keep the timeslip.