#hoosier super tour

[jettastr4]

SCCA Hoosier Super Tour, VIR 2023

[robbodleimages]

SCCA Racing. 

[itsworn]

Homebuilt Pro Street 1968 Camaro

There’s a first time for everything, like riding a bike or diving into the deep end. But just as you might skin a knee from a fall or cough up some pool water, it wasn’t all easy-peasy for Bren Manke working on his ’68 Camaro.

“This was the first car build I had ever done,” he admits. “I built the entire thing, including all the engine assembly, rollcage fabrication, suspension work, wiring, and just about everything else, in my two-car garage.”

Fortunately, Bren is mechanically inclined and had some previous experience working on snowmobiles with his dad, Bill. And he had one big motivation: to build this car with the sole intent of making it go really fast.

That’s a familiar line to Chevy High Performance readers. Making it happen is a whole ’nuther story, though. Fortunately, when he found the car on a Craigslist ad as a rolling chassis, it had very little rust. “But it was pretty much just a shell,” he admits.

While his idea initially was to build a Pro Touring car, his focus shifted after attending the NHRA Sonoma Nationals and watching some cool old drag cars tearing up the track. So he switched horses in midstream and went the Pro Street route instead.

“The only problem was that I had already mini-tubbed the car,” he notes. “So I got the absolute biggest tires I could fit into the wheelwells without doing fullsize tubs.” He also welded in some subframe connectors and bolted on Competition Engineering Slide-A-Link traction bars, secured to a 3.70 Ford 9-inch with Moser 33-spline forged axles. To further minimize axlewrap, Detroit Speed supplied 3-inch drop-leaf springs and shocks.

This setup was for putting some serious power to the pavement—about 750 horses at 15 psi from a 383 small-block topped with a Weiand 6-71 blower. All good in theory, but he encountered a few bumps in the road along the way. The first one happened while testing the engine right after he had gotten the Weiand blower installed.

“I went to my favorite testing spot and floored it,” he relates. “Well, the throttle linkage that hooked to the carburetor wasn’t adjusted right and got stuck against the side of the blower, keeping it at full throttle. I was getting really close to 140 mph when I shut the ignition off.” As a result, the engine backfired super hard, which in turn bent the crankshaft. He was able to limp it home and ended up pulling the engine and installing a new crank.

The next challenge was a more involved technical issue, as the engine ran too hot. After months of fighting overheating issues he determined the problem was caused by the blower being over-driven too much.

“I was achieving the boost levels I wanted, but the extra load during idle and cruising caused it to overheat.” And that was after trying all sorts of fixes, such as installing a huge radiator that barely fit between the framerails, adding water wetter, a high-flow 55-gpm electric water pump, and dual shrouded electric fans, plus adjusting the timing, changing the jetting—everything.

He eventually went with a Whipple W200R twin-screw supercharger instead, which has a bypass valve to bleed off boost at slow speeds. Even so, he replaced the plastic butterfly-style valve with a turbo blow-off unit. Why the switch? “Because of the aesthetics and the fact I can calibrate the amount of vacuum needed to open it by using different tension springs,” Bren explains.

Drawing on his snowmobile experience, he also designed a water-to-air intercooler to adapt it to his existing 6-71 intake. That involved drawing up several designs and fine-tuning through trial and error (just as he did on the rest of the project).

Assembled by Bren, with some help from his father, the innards of the engine provided by CNC Motorsports include Eagle forged rods and a crank with a 3.750-inch stroke in a 0.030-overbore of 4.030 inches, slinging JE forged pistons with an 8.8:1 compression ratio. AFR 220 heads run Scorpion 1.5:1 rockers. Filtering the air into a Pro Systems SV1 carb is a K&N element with a custom scoop.

Downstream from the block are Schoenfeld headers (1 7/8 to 1 3/4-inches), dumping into a 3-inch custom X-pipe and dual mufflers. Backing up the mill is a TCI Auto Turbo 350, actuated by a B&M shifter and fitted with a trans brake.

Another scary surprise came when Bren was trying out a new electric fuel pump. He had it operating for a while without having the car running. So how did things get a little weird?

“Well, unknown to me when I had installed the fittings on the pump, a small metal shaving made its way into the carburetor and kept the needle and seat open, flooding the motor extremely bad (like, hydraulic the motor bad),” he relates. Bren decided to pull the spark plugs and crank the motor to clear the gas out but forgot to unhook the coil.

“When I hit the key something sparked and ignited the gas that came out of the cylinders, and before I knew it I had three-foot flames shooting out of the engine bay,” he recalls with wince. Fortunately, he grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out pretty fast—but not before it burned up the majority of the wiring around the engine.

“We also had a heck of a time getting the matte finish to come out right,” Bren admits. “We ended up spraying, sanding, and respraying the entire car because when the matte finish would begin to dry, random striping would appear, the worst of which were on the flat surfaces such as the roof and decklid.” That’s when he decided to go with the two-tone flat/matte finish.

Despite all the hurdles and hiccups, this build had a good ending, as he and his bride, Aggie, did a smoky burnout at their wedding reception. All told, after three years of overcoming various challenges, “This car was an absolute blast to build and one heck of a learning curve.”

And they lived happily ever after. CHP

Tech Check Owner: Bren Manke, Sparks, Nevada Vehicle: 1968 Camaro

Engine Type: Chevy small-block V-8 Displacement: 383 ci Compression Ratio: 8.8:1 Bore: 4.030 inches Stroke: 3.750 inches Cylinder Heads: Aluminum AFR 220, 65cc combustion chambers, 220cc intake ports, 80cc exhaust ports, 2.10/1.60-inch valves Rotating Assembly: Eagle forged rods and crank, JE forged pistons Valvetrain: Scorpion rocker arms 1.5:1, Isky EZ-Roll solid roller lifters, Comp Cams pushrods Camshaft: Comp Cams solid roller (0.609-inch lift; 256/264-deg. duration) Induction: Whipple W200R supercharger, Pro Systems SV1 carburetor, Weiand intake manifold with custom water-to-air intercooler Ignition: MSD BTM 6 Exhaust: Schoenfeld headers (1 7/8 to 1 3/4 inches), 3-inch custom X-pipe, Super 44 dual mufflers Ancillaries: Painless Performance wiring Output (est.): 750 hp Machine Work: CNC Motorsports (Brookings, SD) Built By: Bren and Bill Manke

Drivetrain Transmission: TCI Auto Turbo 350, B&M shifter, trans brake, custom aluminum driveshaft Rear Axle: Quick Performance Ford 9-inch, 3.70:1 gears, Truetrac differential, Moser 33-spline axles

Chassis Front Suspension: Detroit Speed 3-inch drop coil springs Rear Suspension: Competition Engineering subframe connectors and Slide-A-Link traction bars, Detroit Speed 3-inch drop-leaf springs and shocks Brakes: Classic Performance Products 13-inch rotors, two-piston calipers, front; 12-inch rotors, single-piston calipers, rear

Wheels & Tires Wheels: Racestar 17×4.5 front, Champion Wheels 15×12 rear Tires: MH Racemaster 4.5/26-17 front, Hoosier Quick Time Pro 29/13.50-15 rear

Interior Upholstery: Bren Manke Material: Vinyl Seats: Kirkey aluminum race buckets, Simpson seat belts Ancillaries: Custom eight-point rollcage installed and built by Bren Manke Steering: Custom with Grant wheel Shifter: B&M Dash: Custom aluminum center console Instrumentation: Dakota Digital VTX Audio: Pioneer HVAC: None

Exterior Bodywork: Bill and Bren Manke Paint By: Bill Manke Paint: Flat and matte black; graphics by Auto Color Studios Hood: Harwood fiberglass Grille: Polished aluminum custom Bumpers: Stock

The post Homebuilt Pro Street 1968 Camaro appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/homebuilt-pro-street-1968-camaro/ via IFTTT

[hopelesromantc23]

As a Hoosier and a straight ally the damage Mike Pence inflicted upon the state and the LGBTQ+ community here is unlikely to be undone any time soon, if ever. The following are only a couple examples, but please continue research yourselves:

For instance, while governor, there was a needle exchange program he refused to implement as it would “encourage” people to do drugs, this exacerbating an outbreak of HIV in Southern Indiana, infecting (if I recall correctly) more than 100 people.

That could’ve been CONTAINED.

He also doesn’t believe in climate change.

Or you may recall his famous signing of RFRA, or the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act”, which not only seriously hurt the economy just as we’re seeing a light at the end of the recession (several companies and touring artists refused to come to Indiana), but gives a shield behind which discriminatory businesses owners can basically refuse services to (particularly) LGBTQ+ customers (or even Muslims) if they feel their religious views are threatened in some way.

Ironically, not just Democrats in Indiana, but Republicans too, were SUPER relieved he was chosen as Trump’s running mate because that meant he couldn’t seek another term as governor. And remember when Hillary was a shoe-in for president? With Pence accession to VP it’s incredibly frightening to the LGBTQ+ community, ESPECIALLY is Trump were to be impeached, because Pence actually HAS POLITICAL EXPERIENCE, and although Trump’s idiocy has done so much damage, PENCE COULD CARRY THINGS OUT AND THINGS WOULD BE WORSE.

Protect your gay and non-Christian and POC brothers and sisters.

My home state is still trying to recover. The only way to help marginalized people is to go out and help. Start small if you must - Gay/Straight Alliance clubs in school, support your local homeless shelters and food banks (so many homeless people are LGBTQ+, especially most homeless teens), donate to programs that help people in the gay community.

This is scary. This is serious. You think Trump is bad, Pence Is Worse.

“The Vice President of America wishes I didn’t have the love with my wife. He wanted to ban that in Indiana. He believes in conversion therapy. He has hurt LGBTQ people so badly as the governor of Indiana. And I think the thing we need to know - and I hope my show Gaycation did this - in terms of connecting the dots in terms of what happened the other day to Jussie…” - Ellen Page on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

[khillmotorsports]

2020 opens with back to back weekends in the Florida Sun.

Homestead-Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway – the best places to spend the first two weeks of the roaring 20’s!   

A long-standing tradition of opening up the season in Florida continued with Dudley Fleck taking to the banks at Homestead in the Guinness – Mazda Swift Atlantic – bringing home double podium finishes, including finishing second, only .09 behind first place. 

Following Homestead, it was on to Sebring for the first Hoosier Super Tour event of the year. K-Hill regular Mike Jacques jumped in his beautiful silver and neon yellow Swift Atlantic, alongside Wisconsin native and newcomer to K-Hill, Rob Radmann in the Napoleon Grills – Mygale Honda Formula F. 

 Friday was go-time, and Mike took his familiar place among the front runners for qualifying, ending Q1 in the top 3.   On the F1600 side, Radmann continued his development with an eye on the ultimate prize this fall, to win the SCCA Runoffs for K-Hill and bring the team a third straight title.  Radmann began the weekend playing catch-up after missing the Thursday test sessions, and practice #1 was plagued with red and black flags – yet in the end was able to come out of Q1 less than a second off the front row. 

 With overcast skies threatening the Saturday morning sessions, Radmann rolled out for his second ever qualifying session on the full course at Sebring in damp, chilly, sketchy condition…  and topped the timesheets in the #08 Napoleon Products – Mygale Honda FF.   

With little time to relish in the results, Radmann took the green flag for the first time in 2020 and immediately jumped up two positions going through turn one.   Working his way up to 3rd by lap 4, Radmann continued to battle lap after lap, continuing to learn the challenging 17 turn race course.   Coming through the famed turn 17 on the final lap, Radmann went a bit wide and ended up with a top-5 finish in his first race at Sebring.  

On the other side of the tent, Mike Jacques chose to sit out Q2, as the damp track would make any effort at improving his times an exercise in futility.    Lining up P3 for the first race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, Mike had a great start headed into turn one vying for second place.   With less than one lap before a safety car was deployed, Mike kept his focus and set his sights on the lead Formula Atlantic, which was in fact an SCCA Pro Racing F3 car!   Mike kept the F3 car in his sights for most of the race, however would never get his shot at the lead as another full course caution would cause the race to end behind the safety car, giving Mike a second-place finish in Race #1.  

Sunday morning was early call for the F1600 field, rolling out for Race 2 of the weekend at 8:30 am.   Fresh morning dew still glistening in the sunlight, the F1600 field took the green flag and once again Radmann was moving forward.   Lap after lap the 5 car train drafted around each other, with all the drivers taking their turn as the lead car.   Side-by-side action and wheels dropping in the dirt has come to epitomize Formula 1600 racing, and Race 2 did not disappoint – with Radmann swapping fast laps all session – and brought the #08 Napoleon Products – Mygale Honda home just .04 from a podium finish. 

 Still finalizing his full 2020 plans, Rob may end up taking the green in some Pro F1600 races this season, but you can definitely find him going for a June Sprints win at Elkhart Lake this summer!   

Having to wait until the penultimate race of the weekend to hit the track for Race #2, Mike Jacques was ready for a second chance to take on the F3 car in his Toyota powered Swift 014.     Taking the green flag under gorgeous sunny skies, Mike took the green and jumped to the lead, never looking back - through two full course cautions and re-starts, Mike kept his head down and brings home a win to kick off 2020!   

CONGRATS MIKE!!

        See all the on-track action this Wednesday – January 15th at 8pm with our full video recap as it premieres on Facebook – or in your inbox if you are on our mailing list.  Not on our list?  Email Dustin@khillracing.net to get signed up and never miss another K-Hill moment.

Are you ready to get behind the wheel?   Whether you are interested in Pro Racing, Club Racing, Vintage Racing, or Track Days – we have multiple ways to get you on track in 2020.

Did you know we have SIX race weekends available at Elkhart Lake’s Road America leading up to the 2020 SCCA Runoffs?   How much time will you test?

Stay up to the minute every weekend

Follow K-Hill on Facebook and Instagram - @Khillmotorsports 

 Join us in just a few weeks for another weekend of SCCA Hoosier Super Tour action from world renowned Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.   Want to join us in Texas?  We still have a few spaces available in our trailers… are you ready?

[usastatefair]

Indiana State Fair 2019 Schedule

The 2019 Indiana State Fair will salute our Heroes in the Heartland, including Hoosier farmers, first responder, educators, members of the armed forces, and many others who keep us safe and make us proud. Join in celebrating the heroism of Hoosiers whose exceptional commitment and caring enrich our lives!

And now, fair goers can visit a NEW experience, the Super City: Where Heroes Unite! exhibit, open daily, to hang out with their favorite MARVEL and DC Comics Super Heroes. Guests can meet and get a photo with their favorite Super Hero at noon, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm daily throughout the fair. Super Hero “Meet & Greets” are free and will last 90 minutes. Scheduled appearances are as follows:

8/2 – Spider-Man

8/3 – Black Panther

8/4 – Iron Man

8/5 – Captain America

8/6 – Star Lord

8/7 – HULK

8/8 – Thor

8/9 – Ant Man

8/10 – Spider-Man

8/11 – Black Panther

8/12 – Superman

8/13 – The Flash

8/14 – Wonder Woman

8/15 – Wonder Woman

8/16 – Batman

8/17 – Green Lantern

8/18 – Batman

The Indiana State Fair is held for 17 days each summer, yet it lives for generations in the memories of families who experience it together. Over 750,000 people visit the Indiana State Fair each year for family fun, rides and games, barnyard animals, fabulous fair food (new this year: Indiana pork BBQ split, cookie ice cream sandwich, bison hush puppies, Hawaiian haminator, buffaloaded fries, Monroe’s midwest hero, American hero, caramel coffee milkshake, rollin’ mac daddy egg roll, bourbon chicken, poutine with bacon, relleno de Papa, shepherd’s pie, duck fries, Hoosier hometown hash, angry pretzel poppers with mad ranch sauce, the trifecta hero, superhero USA all the way pancake, poutine, blue raspberry lemon twister, lamb taco, and cajun queen), and the Indiana Beer Wine & Spirits expo.

Special Events:

8/2 – Ace Frehley

8/4 – Chase Rice

8/5 – Air Supply

8/6 – Indiana Wind Symphony

8/7 – Switchfoot

8/8 – KC & the Sunshine Band

8/9 – Pop 2000 Tour

8/10 – David Nail

8/11 – Francesca Battistelli and Matthew West

8/12 – Happy Together Tour

8/13 – Sixteen Candles

8/14 – Boyz II Men

8/15 – Melissa Etheridge

8/16 – Everclear

8/17 – The Guess Who

8/18 – Gospel Music Festival Headlined by Mary Mary

Tickets: $8 and up, general admission.

[wwlcnetwork]

Reposted from @sccaofficial - The Hoosier Super Tour at @hallettracing is just over a month away. Be a part of some of the best wheel-to-wheel racing March 30-31! #FunWithCars #SCCA75th #SCCARoadRacing #SCCASuperTour #SCCA #roadracing #becauseracecar #oklahoma @hoosiertire @summitracing #hallettmotorracingcircuit - #regrann https://www.instagram.com/p/BuUw8B_nck-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11vqm5dp2p5dm

[stevecanmakeanythingnerdy]

Battle #17

Polysics: Karate House (Side 1)

Vs.

The Slugs: Non-Stop Holiday (Side 1)

Polysics: Karate House (Side 1)

POLYSICS are a Japanese new wave and rock band from Tokyo, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". Polysics was formed in 1997 by then Japanese high-school student Hiroyuki Hayashi. After watching some live footage of Devo and becoming inspired by new wave music of the West, Hayashi quit his soccer team and formed a band to expand on the cartoonish image and musical ideas of the zany art-punk icons he had seen on TV. He was joined by drummer Junichi Sugai and Sako (aka Poly 2). Another member named Kaneko joined within the early years of the band, but he left and was soon replaced by Kayo. Kayo's mechanical stage presence provided an asymmetrical dynamic to the frenetic antics of the other three members. The name of the band derives from the first synthesizer owned by Hayashi, the Korg Polysix. They are certainly a band that wears their heart on their sleeve. Influences range from a diverse multitude of bands such as : Neu!, Brian Eno, XTC, Talking Heads, The B-52's, King Crimson, and Kraftwerk. Even some more obtuse reference like Nirvana, Man or Astroman, David Bowie,and Plastics. The most obvious though is undoubtedly DEVO. Both in sound and image. Even re-interpreting lyrics, ideas and imagery of the band that borders on obsession and plagiarism. So naturally, I LOVE THEM. I have only ever seen live footage, but they certainly bring their “A Game” and full on Japanese quirky experience with them. It was difficult to find any release info on this particular version of this album. It appears to be a double LP packaging of their two albums We ate the Machine and Karate House on MySpace records ( no, really...THAT MySpace.) I am never sure about anything with this band as unique is an understatement. So many things about the time period this was released in still cause me befuddlement. First of all, MySpace had a record label?!??!!?! Wasn’t it pretty much already defunct in 2009? I think the band became popular among Myspace users as a sort of internet phenomenon... I could be totally wrong about that though. Anyhow, Karate House is the LP that came up randomly and side B of said album, so let’s dive into “My Girl’s a Cyborg”. It’s psycho new wave punk from Japan. 100%. Imagine Missing Persons and Devo forming a supergroup and doing crack on stage. Yeah, that. Frantic and mechanical discordant madness! “Akai Master “ follows and circles around a pop keyboard riff. It’s about as calm and mainstream accessible as this band gets. Would you like to be inside a cool computer that writes music for video games? Then you might really enjoy “Dream Programmed”-because it’s essentially your soundtrack. Top it off with male/female vocals and viola! “Professional Tennis “ has timing and frantic randomness to offer. This is actually a very good example of what the band does. Genre mixing and talent levels are on super excite! Mimicking the back and forth of a tennis match. “Always Happiness” is climbing the stairs of insanity. It’s very difficult to tell, as sometimes the band will literally sing in gibberish, but it could be native Japanese also. I am not versed in the language. A bit more melodic on this one, but undoubtedly Hiroyuki shows his penchant for musical intimacy and vocal harmony. Also vocal harmonies! “Shizuka is a Machine” is a very robotic, herky jerky tune. Seems to make sense considering the title. “You-You-You” is very keyboardist focused, mellow and relaxed. It almost feels like someone lip synced to a Rentals album. The final cut is somewhat of a repeated theme (not unlike DEVO’s “Jocko Homo”) called “Polysics or Die!” In fact it’s a direct homage of the parenthetical reference. Basically this is an amalgamation of electronics, surf, indie, new wave, ska, noise, punk and neon. EXACTLY what you would expect from Japan. The only way it could be MORE perfect is if you bought it from a vending machine and it came with Pocky.

The Slugs: Non-Stop Holiday (Side 1)

The Slugs are an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Starting in 1983, the band plays power pop heavily influenced by bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Kinks. From their wiki “The Slugs grew out of basement jam sessions by brothers guitarist Dag and bassist Gregg and guitarist Al Paulson in Paulson’s Park Ridge, Illinois home. All three were co-workers at SportsVision (later renamed SportsChannel and FoxSports Chicago). By the early eighties, anxious to become a real band, the trio put out an ad for a drummer that was answered by Chicago native Mike Halston. The Slugs were officially formed on March 6, 1983.” This is their third recording, but first full length album. I’m uncertain if Pravda Records is a personal label of one of the members, but it seems to be the home of the majority of their catalog. In 1988, while still just a trio, the Slugs put out their first full length. The record sleeve for Non-Stop Holiday displayed a photograph of an adolescent Mike Halston. The band toured extensively throughout the Midwest in support of it, gaining a cult following but little notice from record companies.

For a first true album, this has some good structure and cohesion. The examples are spread throughout. “Clock that won’t Stop”is a super popper pop trip down Smithereens lane. Very catchy and jangle jam. You might think you were watching an episode of Friends. “Romeo Sings a Song” continues down jangle street, but with a more mod ala The Jam feel. Maybe even Plimsouls too. A good pedigree! “My Street Your Street” has some surf injected riffs and is a beefier stock. “Indiana Hardcore “follows and is no doubt some sort of geographical joke. Harmony suffers a little (intentionally??) but almost like it’s a guest or different singer. I am almost certain it’s to poke fun at Hoosier punx. Maybe not. Still a good tune. Not as good as “Wasted Bullets”though. Very hook laden with a decent energy and focus. The melody and riffs are present and wrapped up in a neat little package. The hits keep coming though with “Beat City” next on the docket. Gruff and more anthemetic this go around. One might even say punk, really. “Everything is Go” finds the band really hitting its stride. More catchy hooks, not unlike contemporaries such as Material Issue or The Records. The final number doesn’t let up either.

“Five O’ Clock” is calling all mod cons (#seewhatididthere)! Jam-a-lam! It’s a leaving work tune that we can all relate to. Some other key elements you should be plugged into are the fact this little gem was produced by Phil Bonet (Smoking Popes) and it has the Chicago pedigree. There’s just something about that city that produces good music! All of the previously mentioned artists from The Jam, to The Records, to Material Issue, Plimsouls and The Smithereens are well represented here. If you are fans of any of those bands, do yourself a flavor and check out this treat, too! The one party fail is that they sure get their song titles across...so repetitive with the titles...to the point if you didn’t know what the song was called, you could easily guess it.

The Slugs: “Wasted Bullets” is the song I wanted to post but literally couldn’t find much of anything by the band out there except this live clip on WGN news from 2000. MUCH LATER in their career so not as representative of this earlier poppier stuff.

https://youtu.be/SWaJAPZ-6_I

#Randomrecordworkoutseasonsix

#Randomrecordworkout

[jettastr4]

SCCA Hoosier Super Tour, VIR 2023

[concerthopperblog]

The Acacia Strain with Rotting Out, Creeping Death, Chamber, and Fuming Mouth

The Acacia Strain recently made a stop at The Masquerade in Atlanta and they brought a few friends for this sold-out party. Along for the tour were Rotting Out, Creeping Death, Chamber and Fuming Mouth. ConcertHopper nestled in amongst the packed crowd to bring you our thoughts as well as photos from what was an incredibly fun evening. We hope that you enjoy.

First to take the stage were Fuming Mouth, hailing from Massachusetts. Fuming Mouth has carved their own path in the world of heavy music, blending together death metal and thrash inspirations to create their own unique sound. The band garnered critical acclaim from the metal press as well as fans with their inaugural release, The Grand Descent last year. It wasn’t log before they were gathering the claim from those in attendance at The Masquerade either as they started the show off right and inciting plenty of moshing along the way.

Next up were Nashville natives, Chamber. Having also released their first album last year, Ripping/Pulling/Tearing, the band immediately drew comparisons to other metal and hardcore heavyweights like Knocked Loose and Spite. Despite these comparisons, the band manages to inject their own fusion and uniqueness to the genre. For our money, those who had never heard most of the bands were surprised the most by Chamber who, with no frills, simply set out to melt everyone’s faces. Judging by the circle pits that ensued, we would say they succeeded.

Next up were Creeping Death who are among an onslaught of heavy bands finding their footing in their home state of Texas before unleashing their brand of metal destruction on the masses. Having previously toured with High on Fire and Power Trip, they are a versatile act, capable of blurring the lines between hardcore/post-hardcore music and more traditional metal. The band has released two albums and two singles, the latest coming last September in the form of their album Wretched Illusions. All of this gives them a larger stable of songs to play for the masses and they tore through them with vigor and energy that was infectious.

Los Angeles hardcore band Rotting Out were next to take on the stage. Immediately the band cuts an intimidating posture as the giant looming figure of frontman Walter Delgado takes to the stage, LA Dodgers hat pulled low over his eyes. Certainly, being on tour again has to feel like a second chance at life for everyone involved but perhaps none more than Delgado. It had been announced they had broken up in 2015 and the next year Delgado was arrested and served 18 months in prison (a fact which he interviewed with Kerrang about.) All of this led to what, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be a band thankful to be on the stage. And very happy to pour out their energy while on stage and to address issues in everyone’s daily lives while promoting a message of positivity. All of this was well received by the crowd who responded in-kind with perhaps the most aggressive and fierce moshing of the night.

Then it was time for the headliners, The Acacia Strain, to crush a home run from the tee ball all the other bands had set up for them. If there’s nothing else to be said about The Acacia Strain, they set up incredibly diverse tours when they headline affording a chance for the fans to experience new music. This tour was no exception and it seemed that the gloves were off as frontman Vincent Bennett posted on Instagram that fans were welcome to come on stage, grab the mic, scream along and to find their new favorite band, the only rule was that there were no rules. This seemed to be heard loud and clear by those in attendance as numerous times fans were on stage, quickly making their way airborne back into the crowd or leaning for an outstretched microphone from Bennett. When fans weren’t taking part in the mayhem in this fashion, they were getting blasted by Bennett’s trademark water blasts as he used water bottles from on stage like Super Soakers. In the midst of all of this, the band still managed to slam out their brutal music covering their catalog and including songs from their new album and new LP (It Comes in Waves and D respectively.) Amidst all of this Bennett implored with the crowd to push any negativity out of their lives, embrace the good and reminded everyone that they were all one big family.

The future of the tour currently hangs in the balance like so many others during this time with the Coronavirus pandemic putting much on hold. We recommend keeping an eye on The Acacia Strain’s Instagram for updates. Tickets for the shows still planned can be purchased at https://www.ticketmaster.com/the-acacia-strain-tickets/artist/1023801.

March 15 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ 1720 * (Canceled due to Corona Virus.) March 16 – Berkeley, Calif. @ Cornerstone * (Canceled due to Corona Virus.) March 17 – Portland, Ore. @ The Hawthorne Theatre * (Canceled due to Corona Virus.) March 18 – Seattle, Wash. @ El Corazon * March 20 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Greek Station March 21 – Denver, Colo. @ Marquis Theater March 22 – Lawrence, Kan. @ The Bottleneck March 24 – St Paul, Minn. @ Amsterdam Bar March 25 – Chicago, Ill. @ Subterranean March 26 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Hoosier Dome March 27 – Columbus, Ohio @ Skully's Music Diner March 28 – Detroit, Mich. @ The Sanctuary March 29 – Toronto, Ontario @ Hard Luck Bar March 31 – Ottawa, Ontario @ The Brass Monkey April 1 – Montreal, Quebec @ Bar Le Ritz April 2 – Syracuse, N.Y. @ Lost Horizon April 3 – Worcester, Mass. @ Palladium April 4 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ The Kingsland April 5 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Underground Arts

*No Creeping Death As always, please feel free to browse around ConcertHopper’s website further and to check out our articles covering a wide variety of topics. Please also check us out on social media on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Life is a beautiful thing and music only adds to that beauty, make some time to get out and celebrate beauty and life with a community of like-minded individuals at a concert soon, it’s always worth the price of admission.

[reflektormag]

Dream Chief’s Luke Tuttle talks tour with The Band Perry, modern influences and Indianapolis

Michael Cottone

November 14, 2018

Indianapolis based electro-pop duo Dream Chief - consisting of cousins John and Luke Tuttle - have become one of the city’s most intriguing up and coming acts in recent years. Dream Chief have released a handful of singles since their origin, displaying introspective lyrics and catchy rhythms. Their most recent single “Can’t Get Enough” released in late October mixes elements of dance and confessing lyrics. While it’s a formula used often in music today, Dream Chief achieve the sound in a way that sounds fresh.

I got a chance to sit down with Luke and discuss different topics related to Dream Chief, including their recent tour with The Band Perry, lyrical and modern inspirations, and the city of Indianapolis.

Michael Cottone: So to start off I thought it’d be appropriate to ask how you and your cousin John brought Dream Chief to fruition and what inspired it to come about?

Luke Tuttle: Well John and I have been super into music since we were little kids, it was always a big part of our dad’s lives. We grew up playing together, he played guitar and I would play piano. At first my Grandma would have us play stuff at Christmas, fun stuff like that, but as we got older we continued to play shows together at the Hoosier Dome under the name “John & Luke,” it was hilarious. That was like sophomore year of high school, but when we got to college ages we were like “let’s do this for real and make what we want to make,” so three years ago was about the time Dream Chief became a thing.

MC: Your music’s themes often hone in on certain emotions and states of mind, but what would you say inspires you lyrically?

LT: So I can be very like, neurotic sometimes, and it can be very frustrating. Sometimes you can’t stop thinking about something, so John and I’s writing styles are different because mine is kind of just to let it all out, let your feelings dominate the music. When I write something, it comes from past relationships, or I’ll describe thoughts about my general state of mind at a certain time. Looking back on the song “Payphone” I think to myself “would I write that again?” and I really wouldn’t, but when I wrote that I had a whole setting in my mind and everything. I didn’t know if it would make sense to people, but I just wrote it because my mind chose words that described the feeling.

MC: So you just let it flow out.

LT: Exactly.

MC: So right now your guys’ discography is very spread out having single after single come out periodically. Is there a strategy you guys have to what song gets released when or have a certain time in mind?

LT: Well as you know, it’s a singles market out there right now because of streaming, but I think our next move is to put out an EP probably. We’re going to get a lot of weight behind “Can’t Get Enough,” and push that hard. We have a video for that one done that’s being edited, once that’s out the push will start. But to answer your question, it has being single after single because after “Can’t Shake U” came out we got mixed up in some talks with a label. So we were making a lot of songs on the DL, and we would show them these songs we would make and that’s why there was a gap between “Can’t Shake U” and “Novacaine.” Right now we’re just releasing stuff when we can, but our next effort is an EP.

MC: That’ll be exciting!

LT: Yeah, and we’ve got a lot of songs that are ready to go. Owen Thomas (manager) told us that we should take time to release songs and choose what we really want. Like if we’re about to release a song and something better gets written, and you want to release that instead, ya know? You got to account for things like that. John and I also watched this interview with Diplo I think where in essence he says that he had written 500 songs or some ridiculous number, and he had released them and he doesn’t look back or question it. Because if you sit on something for a long time you don’t get as stoked about it anymore, ya know?

MC: Yeah, like if you keep looking at something new it just loses its excitement.

LT: Exactly, and you’re in a different state of mind and are on to new ideas.

MC: So what artists inspire you two collectively?

LT: I would say Empire of the Sun is a huge one for both of us. I know for me I think Travis Scott and Vince Staples are the two hardest rappers in the game right now. A lot of oldies inspire us too though, like America, ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), Supertramp inspired my keyboard play a lot, Disclosure’s up there too.

MC: I hear a lot of Disclosure in your guys’ stuff.

LT: Right on, that’s actually sick. There are a lot of players in that house, underground area.

MC: The electro-pop scene.

LT: Yep, exactly.

MC: So what do you think being from the city of Indianapolis has done for you guys as artists?

LT: I feel like we’ve had a lot of support from the Fountain Square community, especially the Hi-Fi. The guys at the Hi-Fi really got behind our stuff and started graciously letting us open up shows for certain artists that we would fit with. That was really cool because those shows got us really good exposure and have gotten us lots of new fans.

MC: So is Fountain Square the spot local bands should be looking toward for opportunities? LT: Oh, absolutely. That’s where it’s at right now. There are other random joints in the city that support music and put on shows that are really cool. But that whole MOKB community is really prominent now. I’m not really sure what the Hoosier Dome is up to these days, is it still metal shows mostly? MC: I believe so, ahahah.

LT: Yeah, that was kind of the culture when we first played there.

MC: So how was your guys’ opportunity to tour with The Band Perry a few weeks back?

LT: It was an absolute blast. That was our first, like, actual tour. We had booked shows regionally and locally but that was the most extensive it’s been for us. They were really nice to us and it was very new for me and John.

MC: How did it come about? Did they come to you or did you go to them?

LT: Owen Thomas does creative direction for the Perry’s for a good while now with Absorb. And about a year ago I went to visit my sister in LA and they invited me over. They had this place in A Thousand Oaks right outside Malibu, and I went over and hung out, got to see some of the stuff they’ve put out. Owen introduced me and showed them our music, and they had already been talking about doing a little tour, 16, 17 dates, something like that. They had to ease back into the scene since they had been out of it for a little while, and they’re like a whole new band now. Seeing them live was awesome, but there were always these very country fans that got confused at the shows. I thought it was cool because they weren’t afraid to switch genres, because there is a lot of hate that comes with it. But at the same time, do you want to make music you hate just to satisfy the masses?

MC: Exactly, you got to keep it authentic and true to yourself.

The road ahead for the Dream Chief boys is certainly bright. You can stream their new single, along with the rest of their discography here.

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[investmart007]

INDIANAPOLIS | Fate of FEMA leader in doubt as Florence cleanup continues

New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/indianapolis-fate-of-fema-leader-in-doubt-as-florence-cleanup-continues/172252/

INDIANAPOLIS | Fate of FEMA leader in doubt as Florence cleanup continues

INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Braun, the Republican candidate for a crucial Senate seat in Indiana, often refers to his rival, Sen. Joe Donnelly, as “Sleepin’ Joe” and has vowed to wake the vulnerable Democrat from his “siesta” on Election Day.

But as Donnelly barnstorms the state in a used RV, it is Braun’s own sleepy campaign that’s leaving Republicans underwhelmed — and worried.

Groups that typically back GOP candidates, such as the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, are sitting on the sidelines. Braun’s recent three-stop “solutions” tour — spread out across three days — was ridiculed by Democrats, who pointed to Donnelly’s seven-day, 40-stop trek in August.

And while Braun, a multimillionaire businessman, took out $6.4 million in loans to fund his primary campaign, he also publicly groused about the cost. Now, with less than two months until the election, he has yet to purchase air time for October, while Donnelly has outspent him by almost double on TV and radio since June, records show.

That’s cause for concern, according to a half-dozen GOP officials, operatives and commentators familiar with the race, most of whom spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to offer candid assessments of the contest. They say Braun appears to be coasting at a time when he ought to be investing more of his own money and rallying the base.

Conservative talk radio host Rob Kendall summed up the GOP’s worries by pointing to Braun’s recent appearance with President Donald Trump at a rally in Evansville.

“He’s in front of (thousands of) people at the Ford Center and it sounds like you’re at a funeral,” said Kendall, who is a producer and has a show on Indianapolis-based WIBC radio. “I would have been like James Brown and the Blues Brothers shouting out ‘Do You See the Light’ to the congregation. And this guy, you have to check him for a pulse.”

Republicans have viewed Donnelly’s seat as a prime pickup opportunity in a state Trump won by nearly 20 points in 2016. The criticism of Braun’s performance reflects a sudden sense among the GOP that Senate contests in several states Trump carried may be tougher than expected and that control of the Republican-led chamber could be at stake — a prospect that was unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

Braun’s campaign dismissed the criticism and insisted he’s winning despite recent polling that suggests a neck-and-neck battle.

“Mike gets things done, and Donnelly is the least effective Democrat in the Senate,” Braun spokesman Josh Kelley said in a statement. He noted that Braun “has held 80 grassroots events since the primary — including two packed rallies with President Trump — reminding Hoosiers of Donnelly’s liberal record of voting for Obamacare and against tax cuts.”

The race was thrown into further chaos this week after an allegation of decades-old sexual misconduct surfaced against Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. The development could cut both ways in the race, potentially hurting Braun — who has said he supports Kavanaugh — with suburban women. But the turmoil surrounding the nomination could also sting Donnelly if Democrats are seen as politicizing the allegation. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.

For years, Republicans have insisted Donnelly’s 2012 victory was a fluke caused by GOP nominee Richard Mourdock’s incendiary comments about abortion and rape. Many now concede they underestimated Donnelly, who portrays himself as a conservative Democrat and often touts his votes for Trump’s priorities.

While commuting back-and-forth between Indiana and Washington, Donnelly has held more than 190 campaign events since May — more than double the number attended by Braun, who resigned from his seat in the Indiana Legislature to focus on campaigning.

Bob Grand, a GOP fundraiser and Indiana powerbroker, said Donnelly has done a “phenomenal job” campaigning, but doubted it will be enough to win in an overwhelmingly Republican state. “He’s even featuring Donald Trump in his ads. What does that tell you?” Grand said.

Still, groups that have enthusiastically supported GOP nominees in the past are uncharacteristically absent.

In addition to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, which opted against issuing an endorsement, the U.S. Chamber was mum over whether it will get involved. In 2016, the group spent at least $3.7 million backing GOP Sen. Todd Young in his race against Democrat Evan Bayh, a popular former Indiana governor and senator who previously worked for them.

Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, interviewed Braun but decided not to directly support him. Two years ago, they launched a door-knocking and phone-bank operation that helped Young win.

On paper, Braun has everything the GOP wants: He built a national auto parts distribution company from the ground up, speaks with a subtle southern Indiana twang and is a virtual outsider to politics, despite his brief stint in the Legislature.

He also has the ability to self-fund.

During the GOP primary, Braun used his wealth, worth somewhere between $37 million and $95 million, to bury U.S. Reps. Todd Rokita and Luke Messer with more than $6.2 million worth of radio and TV spots, Federal Election Commission records show.

But Braun — whose wife once described him to The Indianapolis Star as the “tightest guy I know” — said after his May 8 victory that he wasn’t looking to do the same in the general election.

With November looming, his campaign has yet to ramp up TV and radio spending, records show. Meanwhile, Democratic groups and super PACs are set to spend $22 million, much of it ruthlessly attacking Braun’s business record.

They’ve seized on stories by the AP that revealed his companies racked up safety violations and were sued by employees for unfair treatment, including a worker kicked off health insurance days after he suffered a heart attack .

Democrats also labeled Braun a hypocrite for attacking Donnelly’s family business for outsourcing jobs to Mexico while using Chinese goods for his own brand of auto accessories.

Republican outside groups, including a super PAC linked to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have picked up the slack. They’re on pace to pour at least $19 million into advertising. They’ve attacked Donnelly for being weak on immigration, voting against the Republican tax cut and being indecisive about whether he will support Kavanaugh.

But that may not matter if Braun doesn’t campaign to win. “I think Braun has a good narrative and a great story,” said Kendall, the radio producer. “But he needs to be out there telling it.”

By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press

[simonothen-blog]

Wealthy donors spend millions to boost top super PAC supporting Senate Democrats, filings show

Wealthy donors spend millions to boost top super PAC supporting Senate Democrats, filings show

U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) takes questions from the media after speaking Aug. 21, 2017, at the UAW in Anderson, Ind., as part of his “Hoosier Highways” RV tour to launch his reelection campaign.  (Don Knight/Anderson Herald Bulletin via Associated Press) Wealthy Democratic donors are showing their muscle, as their seven-figure checks helped the top Senate Democratic super PAC post its best…

[khillmotorsports]

Champions abound in the 2019 K-Hill Pro Racing lineup

The highly coveted K-Hill race seats in F1600 and Atlantic have been finalized for the 2019 Formula Race Promotions Pro Racing season and K-Hill brings an extremely talented team of drivers to defend our championships in both classes.

First let’s take a look at the Atlantic Championship Series.  

Fresh off his 2018 F1600 championship, Dario Cangialosi will be behind the wheel of the #22 VSG Holdings / Hoosier Tire / Mazda Motorsports Swift.  Dario has been working hard in the preseason – winning multiple SCCA club racing events in preparation for his attack on the Atlantic Championship Series. Follow Dario all season on Facebook and Instagram - @DarioCangialosiRacing

Dario Cangialosi - #22 VSG Holdings / Hoosier Tire / Mazda 

Teaming up with Dario will be another champion – the 2018 FE2 SCCA National Champion – Flinn Lazier will be in the #9 Iowa Institute for Vision Research / Hoosier Tire / Mazda Motorsports / Swift.  Flinn took to the Atlantic for the first time at Circuit of the Americas in February – winning back to back in the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour.  Follow Flinn all season on Facebook and Instagram - @FlinnLazier

Flinn Lazier - #9 Iowa Institute for Vision Research / Hoosier Tire / Mazda

Joining Dario and Flinn is Dudley Fleck taking to the # 74 Iowa Beverage / Mazda Motorsports / Swift.  Dudley enters pro racing with a long pedigree of wins and with two championship teammates – look out for Dudley to take to the podium in 2019.  

Dudley Fleck - #74 Iowa Beverage / Mazda 

Also Joining K-Hill in Atlantic for opening weekend and selected events throughout the season will be Kirk Kindsfatter in the #32 Orthopedic Centers of the Rockies / Hoosier Tire / Mazda Motorsports / Swift.  Kirk, like Dudley is an accomplished racer across multiple platforms. 

Kirk Kindsfater - #32 Orthopedic Centers of Rockies / Hoosier Tire / Mazda 

Under the other K-Hill tent – the F1600 Championship team will look to defend their 2018 domination – 1,2,3 in the F1600 Championship Series.   Let’s meet the drivers who will take on to the track with the K-Hill advantage.

 Fresh out of winning karting championships – Bryce Aron jumped in the #81 Imperial Motors Jaguar / Hoosier Tire / Honda / Mygale for winter testing and was fast from day one.   Sitting on pole and taking multiple podiums in SCCA Club Racing competition throughout the spring has Bryce hungry to earn a pro racing win.  Follow Bryce all season on Facebook and Instagram - @BryceAronRacing

Bryce Aron - #81 Imperial Motors Jaguar / Hoosier Tire / Honda / Mygale

Joining Bryce in the #18 KnackerPower / Honda / Mygale – is 2018 SCCA FF National Champion – and member of Team USA - Jonathan Kotyk.   Jonathan has been a dominant force in F1600 competition for a few years and is sure to make more than a few appearances on the FRP podium in 2019. Follow Jonathan on Facebook and Instagram - @JonathanKotyk

Johnathan Kotyk - #18 KnackerPower / Hoosier Tire / Honda / Mygale 

A third car has been prepped, tested, and ready and awaiting a third driver to team up with Bryce and Jonathan.  Multiple drivers are scheduled to test the #8 Hoosier Tire / Honda / Mygale over the next 2 weeks.   Who will be chosen to fill the final seat at K-Hill?   Stay tuned for testing results and our official announcement coming soon.

Don’t miss all the K-Hill Pro Racing drivers opening weekend – April 18-20 at Road Atlanta.  

Stay up to the minute every weekend with all K-Hill events – follow on Facebook and Instagram - @KhillMotorsports

Catch up with K-Hill following every event with the weekend recap – every Wednesday at 8pm at K-HillMotorsports.com and the K-Hill Facebook page. 

[itsworn]

Randi Lyn Shipp is Fearless in Her Wheel-standing 1967 Firebird!

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more deeply immersed in the sport of drag racing than Indiana’s Randi Lyn Shipp. “Rocket” Shipp, as she’s known, has been strapping herself to racecars since the age of 8, and since then her entire life has revolved around the straight-line sport. Her father Randy, brother Joey, and sister Kristi all race—as does her fiancée—the reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion, Bo Butner. Even her mom Jackie is a huge supporter.

In more than two decades of competition, Randi Lyn has wheeled cars in Jr. Dragster, local Brackets, along with NHRA Super Comp and Super Street. These days, the Hoosier is a regular on the NHRA Mello Yello national event tour, where she’s scored four event victories in Stock Eliminator. By day, Randi Lyn works at the family business, Jim Butner Auto Sales, but at the track she’s focused on running her Stocker, serving as a crew member on the Pro Stock team, and growing their apparel company, Nitro Fish Racing.

“My dad was always into cars and drag racing,” she told us. “He’s friends with Pro Mod racer Billy Glidden, and many years ago he went with Billy’s father, legendary racer Bob Glidden, to Gainesville Raceway for the Gatornationals. That was all it took for him to get heavily involved in drag racing,” she explained. “We’re from a small town outside of Indianapolis, and every car guy knows each other. I was like 7 at the time and there was a raffle for a Jr. Dragster. The guy who won didn’t have kids so my dad bought it from him. He didn’t expect me to do well with it, but I won my third race. After that my dad was thinking ‘she could really be good’ and it turned into a whole childhood of racing.

“When I turned 16 I got a Super Comp dragster and I won a national open at Indy, which is my home track, but my dad was more into full-bodied door cars, so he bought a 1969 Camaro for us to race. We brought it home in boxes and built it for NHRA Super Street, which is on a 10.90 index. At the time my dad and brother raced in Super Street so that made it a lot of fun.”

The ’69 Camaro brought Randi Lyn a win at Summit Motorsports Park in 2009, but what made that race extra special was her final-round opponent. “That weekend I ended up racing my brother for the trophy,” she said. “It was really exciting and kind of careless since we were both in the final. It was as far as you can go, so we were both cheering for each other. If he beat me I would have been just as excited for him.”

Looking to move from Super Street to Stock Eliminator, Randi Lyn and Bo found a clean ’67 Firebird that was already in race trim. “I was 21 when we bought it and I was not at all about the Firebird,” she admitted. “I was a ’69 Camaro girl, but now I’m a certified Pontiac maniac,” she said with her trademark smile. “Bo knew I’d love my Pontiac even before I did. He is supportive and keeps my car going week after week. I couldn’t own and race a car like this without him. People love the car and fans always come up and share Firebird history with me. It’s really special because it took me to my first national event win.”

The Bird was purchased from fellow racer Tony DeFrank, but before hitting the track it went through an extensive restoration and rebuild. John Howard handled the rust and metal repair and he sprayed the Pontiac in Axalta Herr’s Potato Chip White. And since the F-Body was originally equipped with a 285 horsepower 326 H.O. engine, they kept the factory H.O. stripe.

Underneath, the front subframe was cleaned, painted, and reinstalled with a complete quarter-mile suspension consisting of Santhuff springs and shocks. The rear consists of Calvert Racing Suspension CalTracs and Santhuff shocks. With the ’bird rolling, all new wiring was laid in along with the 400-cube Poncho mill, GM Metric automatic, and a 12-bolt rear. Inside, Randi Lyn set up her office with a Sparco wheel, Turbo Action shifter, a VDO tach, and she added a cup holder because, as she stated, “the new Cobra Jet Mustangs have a cup holder and I was jealous.

“Once I got it repainted it looked so good that I left the stickers off the car. It stings when you win without the stickers because you miss out on contingency money, but I’ve come to terms with it because it looks so good. I love muscle cars and the factory look,” she added.

Stock Eliminator is one of the longest-standing classes in the sport and winning is ultra tough. Success requires a car that runs well under the Class index, and drivers must be prepared for both bracket and heads-up competition.

With four NHRA national event wins, Randi Lyn has proven herself as a driver, and her team, including fiancée Bo, Darrel Herron, Greg Esarey, and her entire family have made the Firebird a real flyer. Running at 3,210 lbs. (with driver) in D/SA (11.55 index), the Pontiac has run 10.40 at 124 mph. And when set up lighter for C/SA, it’s run a best of 10.31 at over 125 mph.

Randi Lyn told us she loves every part of the sport including the car prep, the racing, and most importantly the people. In addition to competing in Stock and Pro Stock, they’ve ventured into the world of No Prep outlaw style racing along with NMRA and NMCA action.

But for Randi Lyn, nothing compares to going wheels-up in the Firebird. On a typical pass, she does a burnout, stages, and brings the engine to 3,600 rpm before cutting it loose. The F-body leaves like a “rocket” hiking the hoops sky high en route to 1.28 60-foot times. Amazingly, the Poncho sings to 6,800 before she clicks the gears, and it buzzes across the stripe where no Pontiac should go—revving to 7,800-8,000 rpm! “It’s a lot,” she says, “but it stays together and it’s so much fun to drive.” And by the looks of those monster wheelies, we’d agree. Randi Lyn’s Pontiac chariot is mighty quick and one she’ll ride to victory many more times.

Tech Notes:

Who: Randi Lyn Shipp

Where: Floyds Knobs, IN, but she can be found wherever there’s an NHRA national event

What: 1967 Pontiac Firebird

Engine: Randi Lyn’s Bird was originally equipped with a 326 H.O. engine developing 285 hp, but these days it makes much more power. To fit in D/SA, Randi Lyn chose the 400-cube engine combination, rated by Pontiac at 325 hp and factored to 338 hp by NHRA. It’s meticulously prepared to take full advantage of the Stock Eliminator guidelines and produces north of 500 hp.

Stock rules require the factory carburetor, intake manifold and cylinder heads (with correct casting numbers and no porting), along with stock valves and combustion chamber sizes. Her short-block consists of a factory block and crank with a 4.125×3.750-inch bore and stroke along with Crower rods, CP pistons with Total-Seal rings, a Melling oil pump, and a pan from Stef’s Fabrication.

The D-Port heads feature 65cc closed chambers fitted with 2.11-/1.77-inch valves that are activated by a 0.424-inch lift camshaft. There are no rules dictating duration or overlap, so special attention was paid to the cam to maximize breathing at high rpm. The 400 also uses PSI valve springs, Cometic head gaskets; fire in the hole comes from a MSD Digital 7 ignition with Denso plugs.

A Weldon pump feeds a strict diet of high-octane race fuel to the 750 Q-Jet that was set up by Jason Line and Danny Ashley. Expelling the burnt gasses are stainless headers, bent and TIG welded by Mark Lelchook of Performance Welding. Other essentials are the Butler Performance valve covers, Meziere water pump, and C&R Racing radiator and electric fan.

Transmission/Rearend: The torquey mill sends its power through a Coan Engineering converter and a GM Metric 200 three-speed automatic prepared by ReMax Transmissions. A Turbo 400 would be stronger, but the Metric is lighter and quicker on track. Converter stall is roughly 3,500 rpm.

Chassis/Suspension: Stock Eliminator rules are very specific about what’s legal and what’s not. Bolt-in aftermarket suspension is okay, as long as it mounts in the stock location. The Firebird has a roll bar and frame connectors for safety and chassis stiffening. Its suspension consists of CalTracs leaf springs and traction bars from Calvert Racing Suspensions and adjustable Santhuff shocks for control. Up front you’ll find Santhuff springs and shocks that allow the nose to snap into action.

Brakes: Lightweight Lamb 11-inch manual disc brakes are used to reduce parasitic drag and haul the Poncho from buck-and-a-quarter speeds. The team has employed a dual caliper setup on the rear to more solidly hold the car when she “torque brakes” on the starting line.

Wheels/Tires: Traction and reduced weight is the name of the game for drag racing. Randi Lyn fitted her Bird with lightweight Pro 5 wheels from Mickey Thompson (15×4- and 15-10-inch), along with 9×30-inch radial slicks and short 25-inch tall skinnies from M/T. The short front tires are used to help dial in her reaction time.

Interior: The classic look of the ’67 Firebird interior has been retained, save for the necessary racing items. There’s a roll bar and harness for safety, and Dick Jones from KB Racing wired the F-body, adding a switch panel to simplify the electrical system. Randi Lyn relies on a Turbo Action Cheetah shifter that she clicks when the VDO tach reaches 6,800 rpm. Those rectangular black panels you see are used to “block” the first two amber lights on the tree. That allows Randi Lyn to focus 100-percent on the last amber, without distraction from the tree coming down. This is done to prevent her from anticipating the last amber. You’ll also note the Sparco wheel, Auto-Meter gauges on the cowl, and that blue cup holder.

Multimedia: Randi Lyn spends her time at Jim Butner Auto Sales (jimbutnerauto.com) and Nitro Fish Racing (nitrofish.com). You can follow Randi Lyn on Instagram at @rockitt_shipp and her YouTube channel is “Randi Shipp.”

The post Randi Lyn Shipp is Fearless in Her Wheel-standing 1967 Firebird! appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/randi-lyn-shipp-fearless-wheel-standing-1967-firebird/ via IFTTT

[artistsunderground-blog1]

Can’t Swim Releases New Single/Video

Can’t Swim has shared a brand new single, called “In Between,” with us all today. The band is also heading out on a huge North American and European tour this spring. You can check out the video and tour dates below. Be sure to purchase tickets here.

w/Movements, Gleemer & Super Whatevr Mar 2 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone Mar 3 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver Mar 5 - Seattle, WA - Vera Project Mar 6 - Portland, OR - Analog Theater Mar 8 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court Mar 9 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge Mar 10 - Kansas City, MO - Davey’s Uptown Mar 11 - Burnsville, MN - The Garage Mar 13 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar Mar 14 - Nashville, TN - The End Mar 15 - Columbus, OH - Woodlands Tavern Mar 16 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean Mar 17 - Detroit, MI - The Shelter Mar 18 - Toronto, ON - The Hard Luck Mar 19 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place Mar 21 - Hamden, CT - The Ballroom @ The Outer Space Mar 22 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory Mar 23 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery Mar 24 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry Mar 25 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall Mar 27 - Richmond, VA - The Camel Mar 28 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Mar 29 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar Mar 30 - Orlando, FL - The Abbey Mar 31 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade Apr 2 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall Apr 3 - Dallas, TX - The Dirty 30 Apr 4 - Austin, TX - Barracuda Apr 6 - Mesa, AZ - The Underground @ The Nile Apr 7 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House

w/Chase Huglin & Choir Vandals Apr 10 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street OKC Apr 11 - Springfield, MO - Outland Ballroom Apr 12 - Indianapolis, IN - Hoosier Dome Apr 13 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache Apr 14 - Lakewood, OH - The Foundry Apr 15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Cattivo

w/State Champs, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, Trash Boat, Broadside, Woes May 17 - Zurich, Switzerland - Galaxy Camp Festival May 18 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Galaxy Camp Festival May 19 - Cologne, Germany - Galaxy Camp Festival May 20 - Leipzig, Germany - Galaxy Camp Festival