Paul and the Cuda Beast will be at home this weekend, as team personnel are still trying to get on the mend from health issues. Paul says the news from that front is encouraging for Gregg Cash and engine computer guru Keith Dockery, who is feeliing better, and will start cancer treatments soon.
After forgoing the PDRA race in Louisiana, Paul had penciled in a race at Ohio Valley, near Louisville, Ky., this weekend, but various factors, including the availability of crew members, nixed it. Ohio Valley would have been a new track for Paul, and an interesting race. Though open to screw blower cars, the field might have been a tad more accessible with a big event at Huntsville this weekend expected to draw a lot of the South's heavy hitters. Hard to say what the purse difference might make -- $5k vs. $3k at Huntsville to win. Huntsville is a Southern Shootout event for points, so participants in that series will likely take the longer view of things.
Activity at the shop has been busy, despite the lack of racing. To try to make the starting line routine more efficient and more self-sufficient, Paul is installing a rear-view camera in the Beast, which should let him back up correctly after a burnout without needing someone to guide him back. It's a slick, hi-def setup that comes in at 10 pounds, Paul said. It points at the wheelie bar and can see 35 feet back. It would be great if it has any recording capability.
Also new will be a self-primer for the motor, so the car can be started without needing anyone to squirt stuff into the injector. With these additions, the only thing that an extra person will have to do is remove the throttle stop after the burnout. For safety and performance, the Beast is also getting a carbon-fiber driveshaft..
The other parts of the Beast convoy have also been getting attention. The fan clutch on the Dodge dually needed replacing, as did the six sets of brakes on the 50-foot trailer that hauls the Beast. You definitely want to keep that under control.
The next race on the schedule is the PDRA in St. Louis at the end of the month. See you back here then.
