Drag Boat Racing - InCOLEherent 140

This thread is freaking awesome!

 

Like everyone else. Really been enjoying this thread.

 

Updates will slow a bit - race weekend. Current situation

 

The ol train crossing…..
sweet sunset!

 

Out of order post, but too good not to post considering qualifying got blown out after first pass - eliminations tomorrow.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CavieOAJRdC/
3rd slide for the video.

 

After the 2019 campaign, Sam was ready to kick things up and get after bigger and better accomplishments in the drag boat world. First change - fulfill a life long dream of running Blown Gas Flat(BGF). The BGF class is not index racing but rather bring all your money and all your horsepower because the fastest boat wins.

Only restrictions- 1. boat must run on race gas - no alcohol or nitro and 2. must be a flat bottom boat - no hydros. Since these are open boats (no capsule for the driver) they are supposed to stay under 150MPH.

Obviously, making 7 second passes with carbs wouldn’t be competitive so it was time to go fuel injected -






Unfortunately given it was now 2020 and Sam primarily raced near his home in the PNW, the majority of the race season was cancelled. CDBA didn’t hold a single event but Sam found a way to get on the water and cross off another couple bucket list items, racing Blown Gas Flat at an NJBA event at Lake Ming in Bakersfield where his dad raced so many times.

 

Before Ming, Sam, like most of us - was ready to escape the Covid lockdown in search of something fun. He had extra vacation time from work since all the boat races were being cancelled so it was time for his family and the boat to take an AZ road trip. Sam was determined to move back to AZ and wanted to bring his entire family down for a week so they could get a feel of what it’s like to live in the desert.

We had planned to meet at Burnt Corral Campground at Apache lake either the evening of June 7 or the morning of June 8 depending on his drive down. Not wanting to be the last to arrive, we pulled up the afternoon of the 7th to find a spot. As luck would have it, he was making good time and pulled up to Roosevelt Dam within 15 minutes of our arrival - time to have some fun.

















https://www.instagram.com/p/CBRtJbxByQj/

We also spread the ashes of Sam’s dad by letting the exhaust from his drag boat blow them into his favorite lake. Pretty fucking cool.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBR_nWmBwFG/

 

That last part gave me goosebumps, soo epic!

 

It was a little dusty at the ramp.

 

That thing is faster at idle than my boat is at full throttle!

Soooooo freakin cool!

 

29mph. Not exactly no wake speed.

 

So is that part of what the rope is for? How do they not surge forward at the start line?

 

It has an air shifter controlled with a toggle on the steering wheel. It’s in neutral on the line. They click it then punch it. The rope just allows them to line themselves up with the track and keep straight until they are ready to go hands on the wheel.

 

Out of order post -

It’s all good ‘til it’s not - this is what happens when a connecting rod wants to party. Not our boat (thank god) but happened at the end of a pass they were racing us. Picture below.

Didn’t have the heart to snap a pic of all 8qts of oil and piston rings on the floor. Didn’t effect his pass - 6.248 seconds at 138MPH so at least the block died doing what it loved. Amazingly they drove the boat home, put a new motor in it, were back 8 hours later and won their class (Quick Eliminator) the next day.

Our buddy Chris Irick driving Gerry Yerex’s Cole “Almost Normal”

 

After the AZ trip, Sam was thrown a curve ball. You may recall from the first page this mission started with a couple boats on the list to find. The only boat on that list that Sam’s dad actually owned was a Blown Alcohol Flat named Moody Blues. Truth be told, this was the boat Sam wanted most because it is the one his dad owned and spent the most time with.




After 7 years, someone posted on the internet they knew who had Moody Blues but they essentially wanted Sam to pay a ludicrous amount claiming they wanted the boat for themselves. What they underestimated was the man power and technology being utilized to get another boat back in the family. After one of Sam’s friends pressed the guy insinuating he was bluffing and didn’t know where the boat was, the guy made the mistake of sharing the general location of the boat and current owner and the fact that it had been sitting outside for years.

To Google Earth we went. It took nearly a week but one of Sam’s friends saw something - followed up - and found the boat. In less than 48 hours, Sam’s mom was knocking on the door to broker the deal. Another boat was coming home.

 

Out of order - ride along.

 

Awesome thread!

Thanks for sharing @AZBoatHauler

 

I promise I’ll pick this back up when I find some time but meanwhile here is a video Elite Reels put together about Sam and InColeherent 140.

 

And a pic from lighting it off at night just for fun.

 

Is his long sleeve red plaid shirt fireproof? Or just his lucky race shirt? Haha after watching it a second time I noticed he’s wearing a sweet shirt at the lineup!

 

Ha. It is not fireproof but does look great - we were having some wardrobe issues with the race suit that weekend.

 

When in doubt, bust out the pearl snaps!
That’s funny because I love his blue race suit.

also, I heard him mention a different 140 boat, what does 140 signify?

 

Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the naturally aspirated boat racers were all chasing who could be first to hit 140MPH. The team Sam’s dad raced for made it their number in pursuit of that milestone.

Richie broke the world record in 1985 making a pass at 142MPH but lost the race so it wasn’t counted in the record books.

 

That’s so fast on the water!!!!!

 

The top fuel hydro guys go 240mph with 8,000hp. But 150mph is as fast as you’re allowed to go nowadays without being inside a capsule.

 

Didn’t mean to let this thread go so long without an update but sometimes life gets in the way. I will get it caught up sooner or later - but in the meantime check out the spread in the April issue of Speedboat magazine. #justthetip

 

Pre race inspection for Parker, AZ Oct 7-9.

 

I’ve done a terrible job updating this thread but sometimes life gets in the way. Wanted to throw this out to anyone that would like to come hang out and watch some 10,000 hp top fuel boats run 250 mph for the last time ever at Firebird Lake. Team 140 will be in the pits Thursday - Sunday. Send me a PM if you need help locating us in the pits.

For people interested but can’t make it, the entire event will be live streamed on racerh2o.com


@TRDFerguson @FrenchToasty @BiggHertz @Taco-Blender @AT x AT @TundraPHX @AZ Red Nek @KevinK @TucsonTundra1794 @Azblue @e30cabrio

 

I'll be there!