Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
I just got settled in back home, so here is the rundown on the event.
We arrived in Memphis the night before the race. Fortunately the car was completely ready to go so everyone was able to get a god night's sleep. We arrived at the Comp Cams facility at about 8:30 A.M. and headed over to get teched in. Before we even got to tech, several guys had already been whining to the tech inspector about us having IRS and that our chassis was not certified. Fortunately the tech inspector was in a position to give us a temporary certification so we were good to go, much to the disappointment to guys that didn't want to race us. It took over eight hours to tech all of the cars in so there was plenty of time to check out all of the other cars. I have to say that the guys at HOT ROD did an excellent job choosing the cars. It was certainly the most impressive gathering of true street cars that I had ever seen.
At about 5:30 P.M. we were finally ready to get on the road. We were among the first cars to leave and after hearing what other had to say about the cruise from last year I was a little nervous. The cruise took a little over an hour in stop and go traffic and 90 degree weather. About five minutes into the cruise cars were already falling by the wayside. To my delight, Chad's car performed phenomenally. The highest engine coolant temperature that was reached was 191 degrees and hovered between 175 and 180 for most of the drive.
Once all of the cars showed up we headed onto the track to do battle. I went up to make my first pass, launched the car and was very pleased that it seemed to be hooking up very well. At about the eighth mile mark I noticed that the car just didn't feel very fast. It was at that point I looked down and realized that I had forgotten to activate the boost controller. That pass netted us a 9.01 @ I don't know what mph. I was so pissed off the I didn't even get the timeslip. I realized that the best thing to do was to calm down and lay down two serious asses on the next runs.
I went up to make the second pass and just before staging the car I tested the trans brake. It didn't seem to be working. I staged the car and used the brake pedal to hold the car in place while holding down the trans brake button so that the two step limiter would work. The tree came down, I let off of the brake pedal and the trans brake button at the same time and again realized that the car wasn't feeling too fast. Well, when the shift light didn't come on until almost the eighth mile, I realized what I had done and why the trans brake wasn't working. I staged Thai car in second gear. The trans brake, as a safety feature will only work in first. At least I remembered to turn the boost controller on that time. This pass netted us a 9.2x.
In preparation for the third pass I knew that it would have to be good to finish in the top ten. I was torn. Should I put it on kill and risk blowing the tires off or should I leave a little on the softer side and be certain to make a clean pass. I opted to leave soft and make a clean pass. I staged Thai car, let it rip, got a 1.49 60 foot time which is very poor for this car and layed down the quickest and fastest pump gas pass that HOT ROD magazine has ever seen. An 8.62 @ 166 mph.
When it was all said and done we ended up in third. Obviously I was less than thrilled with my own performance but was enamored with the performance that the car put on. We received more awards than any car there, even the winner. We were awarded a jacket for finishing in the top ten, a jacket for having the most legitimate eight second street car, a jacket for having made the quickest nd fastest pass of the event and another jacket for having made the quickest and fastest pass on drag radials.
The entire event was run on Mickey Thompson drag radials. These are different than the E.T. Street tires that most Vipers run. These are an actual radial tire like a BFG or Nitto.
By the end of the event we had only used a little more than six gallons of gas which I though was pretty good considering some cars actually ran out of gas.
There is absolutely no question that we did have the car to beat. Unfortunately my errors cost us the win. Hopefully we'll get another shot at it next year. I definitely learned a few things that will help us next year. I would have to attribute some of the errors made to being severely exhausted. In the future I think that the driver of the car should probably not hang out in a 90 degree parking lot talking car for eight hours before a race. By the time most of us got to the track our heads definitely were not all together.
I have to congratulate everyone who finished the entire event. I saw some of the nicest street cars in the world and to make to to the end of the day in one piece was a feat in itself.
Thanks to everyone for standing behind us every step of the way. It is the encouragement that we get from you guys that keeps us going. I would also like to thank Gary Almond of Almond Exotic Transport for getting the car there on time and in one piece, as always. Thanks also go to my wife and daughter for sticking by me through this entire event, Chad for giving us the opportunity to build this incredible car, the guys from the shop who made sure the car was 110% ready, Tony Armour, Joseph Dell, John Smith and friends for coming out to support us in person and the guys at HOT ROD magazine and Comp Cams for giving us the opportunity to participate in this incredible event.
I'm sure there is plenty I forgot to say and am sorry if this post is not exemplary of my usual writing skills but at this point, I'm barely even awake.
Heffner out!
That was a joke.
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Good job Jason. We landed home at 4am after dropping off JD and Barry......if it makes you feel better, I think it's the worst landing I have ever made. (note to self....4am is to late/early to be flying) Anyway...I have video of all three passes from the top of the tower. When I get a chance I will get the 8.62 pass uploaded so everyone can see it. Congrats.
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Congrats! That car obviously makes huge power and is dialed in. No question Jason Heffner is the man, even when sleep deprived. I think he may even be better than LPE, especially after the passing of John. I really thought after last year that most everyone would be in the 8's. It just goes to show you difficult it is. I am just amazed at what Mr. Heffner has been able to accomplish with that car. I agree that most of those cars are not real street cars at all in comparison to Chad's car. When do I get my invitation to the Playboy Mansion to celebrate?
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Jason,
You do not have to finish fist to win. Look at what you have done over the last five years! You are just at the tip of the iceberg of your accomplishments.
Great job Jason,
Mark
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Congratulations Jason!
It sounds like you gained the respect of some new friends down there.
Unfortunately the whining has already started. Some guys just cant just cant ween themselves off their mommies tits. See below:
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
It was a great (and exhausting day)! Jason not only built the baddest Viper (and street car) on the planet, he drove it in style! Despite the miscues in the first two rounds, he still had the presence of mind and skills to lay down an awesome run in the third round. I only wish that I had talent like this to do as well as he did.
The judges loved this car and I'm sure we'll see more Heffner extreme machines in these competitions in the future. Maybe Dodge will step up with some sponsorship when they see that the Viper is still a car to be reckoned with at almost any level of competition and that the general public is still in love with Vipers. No matter where we went with that car, it drew large crowds.
I also would like to thank Tony, John, Joseph, and friends for coming to the race and showing your support. It was great to see you guys again!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Jason, you have taken the Viper to levels never imagined by any of us.
I remember when I used to think Vipers had big truck motors that only revved to 5.5k and needed over 1000 rwhp to trap 140s...
When I saw Sal's car at Bradenton 2 years ago, I became a believer. What you have done with Chad's car is just unreal, 166 mph on pump gas......AMAZING!!!
Congrats!, a very well deserved recognition.
You makes us all proud, specially those that have had your magic touch on our Vipers.
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
WOW! Congrats! :thumb: 166 MPH with a race weight of 3900 pounds is almost 1400 HP at the crank, on freaking PUMP gas!
Congrats once again.
Now I just need to rob a bank so I can send my car to Heffner
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heffner Performance
I just got settled in back home, so here is the rundown on the event.
We arrived in Memphis the night before the race. Fortunately the car was completely ready to go so everyone was able to get a god night's sleep. We arrived at the Comp Cams facility at about 8:30 A.M. and headed over to get teched in. Before we even got to tech, several guys had already been whining to the tech inspector about us having IRS and that our chassis was not certified. Fortunately the tech inspector was in a position to give us a temporary certification so we were good to go, much to the disappointment to guys that didn't want to race us. It took over eight hours to tech all of the cars in so there was plenty of time to check out all of the other cars. I have to say that the guys at HOT ROD did an excellent job choosing the cars. It was certainly the most impressive gathering of true street cars that I had ever seen.
At about 5:30 P.M. we were finally ready to get on the road. We were among the first cars to leave and after hearing what other had to say about the cruise from last year I was a little nervous. The cruise took a little over an hour in stop and go traffic and 90 degree weather. About five minutes into the cruise cars were already falling by the wayside. To my delight, Chad's car performed phenomenally. The highest engine coolant temperature that was reached was 191 degrees and hovered between 175 and 180 for most of the drive.
Once all of the cars showed up we headed onto the track to do battle. I went up to make my first pass, launched the car and was very pleased that it seemed to be hooking up very well. At about the eighth mile mark I noticed that the car just didn't feel very fast. It was at that point I looked down and realized that I had forgotten to activate the boost controller. That pass netted us a 9.01 @ I don't know what mph. I was so pissed off the I didn't even get the timeslip. I realized that the best thing to do was to calm down and lay down two serious asses on the next runs.
I went up to make the second pass and just before staging the car I tested the trans brake. It didn't seem to be working. I staged the car and used the brake pedal to hold the car in place while holding down the trans brake button so that the two step limiter would work. The tree came down, I let off of the brake pedal and the trans brake button at the same time and again realized that the car wasn't feeling too fast. Well, when the shift light didn't come on until almost the eighth mile, I realized what I had done and why the trans brake wasn't working. I staged Thai car in second gear. The trans brake, as a safety feature will only work in first. At least I remembered to turn the boost controller on that time. This pass netted us a 9.2x.
In preparation for the third pass I knew that it would have to be good to finish in the top ten. I was torn. Should I put it on kill and risk blowing the tires off or should I leave a little on the softer side and be certain to make a clean pass. I opted to leave soft and make a clean pass. I staged Thai car, let it rip, got a 1.49 60 foot time which is very poor for this car and layed down the quickest and fastest pump gas pass that HOT ROD magazine has ever seen. An 8.62 @ 166 mph.
When it was all said and done we ended up in third. Obviously I was less than thrilled with my own performance but was enamored with the performance that the car put on. We received more awards than any car there, even the winner. We were awarded a jacket for finishing in the top ten, a jacket for having the most legitimate eight second street car, a jacket for having made the quickest nd fastest pass of the event and another jacket for having made the quickest and fastest pass on drag radials.
The entire event was run on Mickey Thompson drag radials. These are different than the E.T. Street tires that most Vipers run. These are an actual radial tire like a BFG or Nitto.
By the end of the event we had only used a little more than six gallons of gas which I though was pretty good considering some cars actually ran out of gas.
There is absolutely no question that we did have the car to beat. Unfortunately my errors cost us the win. Hopefully we'll get another shot at it next year. I definitely learned a few things that will help us next year. I would have to attribute some of the errors made to being severely exhausted. In the future I think that the driver of the car should probably not hang out in a 90 degree parking lot talking car for eight hours before a race. By the time most of us got to the track our heads definitely were not all together.
I have to congratulate everyone who finished the entire event. I saw some of the nicest street cars in the world and to make to to the end of the day in one piece was a feat in itself.
Thanks to everyone for standing behind us every step of the way. It is the encouragement that we get from you guys that keeps us going. I would also like to thank Gary Almond of Almond Exotic Transport for getting the car there on time and in one piece, as always. Thanks also go to my wife and daughter for sticking by me through this entire event, Chad for giving us the opportunity to build this incredible car, the guys from the shop who made sure the car was 110% ready, Tony Armour, Joseph Dell, John Smith and friends for coming out to support us in person and the guys at HOT ROD magazine and Comp Cams for giving us the opportunity to participate in this incredible event.
I'm sure there is plenty I forgot to say and am sorry if this post is not exemplary of my usual writing skills but at this point, I'm barely even awake.
Heffner out!
That was a joke.
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Jason - Awesome showing and congrats on the Low ET / High MPH! It takes effort, skills and balls to push that hard on 93 octane. A real testament to a great build by Heffner and a great tune by Job Spetter. You've certainly earned the respect of some serious racers by letting the numbers do the talking.
I've always been impressed with Chad's car but to keep laying down the numbers while proving itself reliable is truly the hallmark of quality work.
Now keep it up for 25 years and I'll call you the next LPE.
Great work and I'll be looking forward to the next race.
Scott
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Thanks again for the encouragement guys. It's funny to see the difference in demeanor from one competitor to the next. I had a great time on Friday just looking at all of the different combinations that people had put together. The craftsmanship on some of these cars was unbelievable. I tried to meet as many people as possible and talk to them about their cars. Some people on the other hand snuck around the parking lot all day looking at the cars trying to figure out what they could complain about or how they could get them disqualified. A few of the others wouldn't even talk to me, I guess because they felt threatened. Most of the guys that I met however were first class people and it was a privilege to have raced with them.
Big Gun, I personally don't think that there is a man alive that can compare to the late John Lingenfelter. He was a legend in his own time and his genius is unmatched. I'll hold you to your word. I'll talk to you in 25 years and you can let me know how I measure up.
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Great job Heffner Performance.
I was just reading over on the Hot Rod forum and you're right, some people will just keep searching for stuff to complain about. I won't even waste your time with examples of it.
I want to say it is really amazing running that time and speed on pump gas but it still blows me away that the car has a full interior and all that stereo stuff in it and still runs those times.
And after watching the video, you really babied it off the line (which you said yourself). It's sick to think about the potential that car has.
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Re: Thanks to everyone for your encouragement for the PGD\'s!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian E
Congratulations Jason!
It sounds like you gained the respect of some new friends down there.
Unfortunately the whining has already started. Some guys just cant just cant ween themselves off their mommies tits. See below:
:thumb: And all that done on pump gas and street tire!
:thumb: 166 MPH with a race weight of 3900 pounds is almost 1400 HP at the crank, on freaking PUMP gas! 
