Anyone interested in watching a '61 break a track record?

[happyandy]

My friend Jim Hutchings from sports car service in Wilmington, DE is planing to take his '61 SAAB to Cecil co. dragway on Friday April 23'rd for friday night street racing. He is hoping to break the track record for a 3 cyl car (17.2 seconds IIRC). He tried a few times last year and came close, and he's hoping some stickier tires will help him into the record books this time around. I'm planning to go down to cheer him on and possibly make a few passes with my c900 head ache, I mean project car too. I know a lot of member of this forum are within shooting range of Cecil co. so maybe we can make a SAAB take over of the track that night. http://www.cecilcountydragway.com

[happyandy]

Update: Jim & his model 96 made to the track that night and his best pass time was 19.4?. Actually He made three nearly identical passes at that ET, and his goal was for 19.0 or better, I don't know where I got the 17.2 from in the last post. He didn't hit the target, but three consistant passes all more than half a second faster than last seasons best ET was still a respectable achievment.
I also made a couple of passes with a best of 15.95 seconds with a trap speed of 88.5 mph, making my skanky c900 the fastest SAAB to run that night.

[Geoff]

I was in a '61 96 a little over a week ago. We had it up to 92mph and it felt like there was still some good power left in it but we ran out of "track".

[Crazyswede]

I was in a '61 96 a little over a week ago. We had it up to 92mph and it felt like there was still some good power left in it but we ran out of "track".

didn't know they had 96's in 61.

[Geoff]

It was the first year. You rode in the car

[Crazyswede]

It was the first year. You rode in the car

I thought that car was a 63 96. I thought 63 was the first year of the 96 and the 93's were up to 62.

[paulh]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_96

wiki says 1960 was the first year probably 61 in the US.

Paul

[Crazyswede]

yeah I researched it right after I posted it and realized my error....then I was unable to get back in and edit my post. Just shows what happens when you start focusing your energy on motorcycles and land rovers.

[SwedeSport]

Drag racing rocks. I planned a 900T purpose built drag car, but the shell I wanted to use was too rusty. One of these days Ill find another shell. There is a vid of my 86 900 8v running 8th mile against an eclipse on You Tube. (search SAAB Maple Grove).

Did anyone get any footage of the stroker?