Hot Rod Drag Week 2022

In reply to NickD :

Am I the only one that wonders why Finnegan doesn’t test his E36 M3 before he runs?  I mean I’m a casual follower and his E36 M3 is literally always broken.  I know, clickbait / #drama / y’all tube views. 

Yeah I left Finnegan's video a comment about knowing when enough is enough, taking the time to get it ready for next year instead of rushing.

He said that the engine failed because they didn't have enough gas in the tank to prevent sloshing and it leaning out the engine. Ugh, a baffled pan and/or header tank is one of the fundamental requirements of any car pulling high Gs. How he or someone assumed that it wouldn't be an issue... well, the evidence speaks for itself.

I'm afraid that he's sold his soul to YT like so many have, using contrived drama in the frantic search for clicks and revenue.

I've noticed with him that mechanical empathy does not exist, I hate breaking stuff but it seems that's the fun for him. 

I'm with Ranger and the broken trailer guy per the letter of the Rules, and with Gumby on the spirit.

there's no shame in DNF due to trailer failure.

chandler said:

I've noticed with him that mechanical empathy does not exist, I hate breaking stuff but it seems that's the fun for him. 

Well put. That seems common in YT videos, creators being rewarded with views only when providing automotive blood sport.

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

If you want to know how fairly intent and what the rules say, look no farther than the sealed hood and sealed engine winners.

Sealed hood was won by an 8.8sec gasser where they worked through the fenders and hole in the hood. It meets the intent but clearly skirts the spirit of the rule.

"Sealed" engine was won by Goldstone in the Javelin. Headstratcher here as the valve covers come off for maintenance. Every sealed motor class I've followed, everything from where the air enters to where the exhaust exits the head is considered sealed, that includes valve covers.

kb58 said:

chandler said:

I've noticed with him that mechanical empathy does not exist, I hate breaking stuff but it seems that's the fun for him. 

Well put. That seems common in YT videos, creators being rewarded with views only when providing automotive blood sport.

He admitted he doesn't have the time to make sure everything works the way it should prior. Plus don't forget filming takes multiple times for someone to say it was good enough.

Ranger50 said:

He admitted he doesn't have the time to make sure everything works the way it should prior. Plus don't forget filming takes multiple times for someone to say it was good enough.

But that's just it; he does have the time. He could stop, back off, get his crew on the same page, and take the time to properly prepare the car for next year. He chooses to portray a rushed reality, risking - maybe purposely - disaster, and monetizing the largely self-created dramatics.

From a business standpoint, I wonder if he makes enough to pay for all the destroyed hardware. If so, there is zero reason for him to change anything; blow up a $$$$$ engine? Meh, make a call and order another. Not making enough is about the only thing that'll make him shift gears.

In reply to kb58 :

Not when the week prior was a roadtrip in the hemi gremmie with Freiburger to film a roadkill episode.

Ranger50 said:

In reply to kb58 :

Not when the week prior was a roadtrip in the hemi gremmie with Freiburger to film a roadkill episode.

What about the other 50 weeks?  Hemi Gremmi week and drag week leaves 50 other weeks.

We start bonneville prep for the next year the week the stuff gets back. 

If he was serious about it, he'd make it happen. But this probably pays off way better in the long run. Average person loves the drama...real or make believe. So, from a business perspective he'd be dumb to not tap into that market. Based on his laundry list of toys... its obviously paying and working very well for him. So he has no reason to change. And this right here, is why. People are talking and obviously watching. If he had an uneventful trip, clocked a few clean passes and went on his way with no drama... I hate saying it, but nobody would care.

GaryC83 said:

 

...but this probably pays off way better in the long run. Average person loves the drama...real or make believe. So, from a business perspective he'd be dumb to not tap into that market. Based on his laundry list of toys... its obviously paying and working very well for him. So he has no reason to change. And this right here, is why. People are talking and obviously watching. If he had an uneventful trip, clocked a few clean passes and went on his way with no drama... I hate saying it, but nobody would care.

This is my  current social theory as well, for most YT videos - it's all about the drama.

Yeah, I've got to agree with you there Gary.  I think we're all looking at it from a totally different perspective, in that we want to go to the event, complete it and have fun.  He's looking at it as a business opportunity, hopefully with some fun on the side.  Last year they ran his yellow firebird and it wasn't ready either.  He's destroyed multiple hemi's and transmissions in Blasphemi, mostly due to poor prep and/or lack of attention to detail.  Was that all on purpose?  Maybe not but as you've pointed out, he also hasn't done anything to try and ensure it doesn't continue to happen...

Like I said earlier, this time the lack of prep wasn't entirely his fault. The engine had been stuck at the engine builders for 2 years waiting on parts (pistons, I want to say) that were on intergalactic backorder, and he only just got that back. And the car itself was in paint jail until a couple weeks beforehand too.

That being said, if I were in his shoes and it got down to the wire like that and I didn't have a car or an engine, I would've taken the Rubber Ducky Firebird. Other than breaking a driveshaft on day one, that thing ran like a champ on Rocky Mountain Race Week last year. 

In Finnegans defense, he did win the gasser class in Blasphemi a couple if years back, and he has a rather extreme personal schedule.

But...  He is a hack in many ways.  The Roadkill bullE36 M3 is fine, but his attention to detail and basic understanding of how to make stuff work was abysmal when he started, and it's not yet gotten to anything resembling a professional level.

And Frieburger.  He doesn't know how a Qjet, the single most common carburetor in the world, functions.  Just overnight the latest Holley fuel spitter and bolt it in, then forget to tighten the fuel lines.

Anyway, I need to win the lottery to do it, but there's a bunch of these events I'd sure like to try. 

The conclusion seems to be that success is measured in different ways. Some people measure it by whether they win an event or not. Other people measure it by participating in the same event, posting videos about it, and measure success by how many clicks they get.

In reply to NickD :

I would've been prepping the firebird the entire time blasphemi was in the paint shop.  That way if I didn't have enough time to take it, I'd have the other car ready to go.

In reply to Ranger50 :

Yeah they could seal the hood and tilt nose on my gasser and i could sit on the tire and swap a cylinder head. That's kinda against the spirit, kinda like cheating your budget at the challenge by buying a bunch of stuff and "self trading" for E36 M3 you don't need off the car. Like a 700r4 for an audi 6 speed.