New racer to the site

[madscientist]

hello everyone, I stumbled upon the site while looking for marital advice. I couldn't find any! So I thought this was the perfect site for me! Lord knows I get enough of it in the house! I own a few different vehicles, among them is a 1999 ford ****** zx2 in which the boys and I use in the UNDER GROUND NEUTRAL RACING circuit in our area. I'm currently working on putting an engine into it now.

 

[rpsurfr]

the site may not help with the marital advice- in face it may add to your grief
welcome

 

[jmauld]

I use in the UNDER GROUND NEUTRAL RACING circuit in our area.

What is that???

 

[madscientist]

What is that???

UNDERGROUND NEUTRAL RACING is a mocked up club that my boys and their
friends made up when they first got their driver license. All the kids (about 8
of them) had smaller cars ( escorts, honda, grand am, sunfires....). Well, as young boys with new found freedom, and a natural desire to be Richard Petty, they started racing each other. Now as a father ( who seemed to have to fix these cars alot) would try to explain to these kids that the cars they drove, where not race cars! They were ment to save gas , and get you from point A to point B. They would just laugh at me and say things like, yea
we know dad!
Well after awhile I started to realize that the things I was fixing on these cars, were not broke, but instead they were just worn out from the age and milage ! So, one evening when the boys and their friends were in my garage tinkering around with a radio. (NOTE , these boys have been friends since kindergarden, and have allways been at our house since, so much that we spoke with their parents about claiming them on our TAXES!) I decided that I
owed one of the boys an appoligy, for acussing him of abusing his car. I explained that parts do wear out and his problem was not from racing. All the boys started to laugh at me! This was the night they came clean with me! They told me that they do race, but not how I think! What they do is, find a hill on a road or an overpass, they line up at the top of the hill, put the car in neutral and coast to the bottom were they have a mock finish line! Most of the time they do it at night when there is no traffic.
Now, you can imagine the look on my face! After we all got done laughing
about the whole idea of what they were doing , and being so secretive about it, I made the comment of them being UNDERGROUND NEUTRAL RACERS. Well,
the name stuck! They even went so far as to install lettering on the rear window of their cars that read "UNDERGROUND NEUTRAL RACING" , and had a small cartoon race car sticker underneath the lettering! It looked pretty cool actually. The boys were 16 at the time, they are now 20-21. Like many guys, their racing days are over, but they do have some really offbeat cool stories to tell!

 

[Zeke]

I think you've found the answer to your marital questions. Your wife is jealous (or some other emotion) of the garage and the interest in the cars!!

Sorry to break the trend on no advice.

On a more serious note from a racer, how do econoboxes handle coasting in neutral? One of the great exercises at the race track(in a controlled practice session) is to drive a few laps and not use the brakes going into the corners. It teaches one how to maintain corner speed and inertia.

However, I'd be reluctant to enter a downhill coasting race in any kind of car. I have thought of it in a go kart though, sorta like the skateboard luge guys do.

We need more on this, please! Even though you say "their racing days are over." Once someone races, it's never over.

 

[BL50]

Welcome from a fellow Michigander!

Your "neutral racing" post reminds me of a challenge that I try to take everytime I'm in Las Vegas. I drive out to Mt. Charleston to the lodge and have lunch or dinner. When I leave, I put my rental car in neutral and try to coast back to Highway 95 - some 18 miles away! I've succeeded a few times ... all depends on traffic. There are places where you almost slow to a stop if you don't have enough speed going. I've actually passed cars in front of me doing 80 or 90 mph - in neutral!!

http://www.mtcharlestonlodge.com/contact/index.html

 

[madscientist]

Every time I recall that story, I can't help but laugh! I think their racing days started back in the second grade. A lot of you may recall the PINE BOX DERBY cars. The wife still has their cars in the curio. The boys and their friends were just as competitive back then as they are now. I'm surprised none of them today have suggested putting graffite
instead of grease into the bearings! Graffite sure made those axles spin faster in that block of wood!