Push bar versus tow strap.

[Sumner]

Is it common to PUSH the race vehicle back to the pits / to the start line, and all other places it would need to go?...

Hooley pushed me from the pits to the starting line just so I could get some seat time in the car.  I didn't like it as I'm sitting much lower in the car and it has limited visibility so it is hard to tell where you are going.  I almost went past the fuel truck and when we got down to the course lanes it was very hard to tell where I was going getting over to the #3 course.

Towing a car and sitting up higher in the tow/push vehicle you have a much better/safer view of what is going on.  Put on a tow bar and you will be much happier  .

Towing with a strap requires a good team (tow'er/tow'ee) and sooner or later the team you have might not be a good combination.  There again the visibility out of a lot of these race cars is not good and there is a lot of traffic at times between your pit and the starting line and then back to the pit.  Being pushed or towed in these situations can get old after a while,

Sum

[Tman]

We use walkie talkies between the pull truck and race truck. That way you can warn the driver of bumps, traffic, abrupt changes from yahoos w/o an orange pit sticker on the return road etc................

[SteveM]

I bought an adjustable tow-bar setup from Harbor Freight that I'm going to adapt.  (I know, I know, cheap Chinese crap). 

There's not a whole lotta structure to the Rapage bumpers, but if you look carefully, you can find the strong areas.

I think I'm going to be able to bolt the HF mounts through the headlight "recess" area of the front fascia.  Directly behind/underneath this area are the 2 main steel bumper brackets which extend back into the frame horns.

It should be solid, and if I can ever find a set of the OEM headlight covers, these mounts would be hidden behind the covers (P4286820 and/or P4286821 for those of you who might have a stash of mid-80's Mopar Performance headlight covers).

I have been looking for a set of these covers for almost 2 years, and have not found a single set.  It's not that I'm not willing to pay someone's price, it's that I haven't even seen 1 pair available for sale.

Steve.

[wheelrdealer]

Steve:

You will be happy towing the vehicle from a tow bar.

BR

[Stan Back]

When we built the wood-inserted push bar for the front of the truck, I was concerned that "double-hitting" (?) would set off the air bags in the truck.  A well-informed service manager said if we re-hit the race car hard enuf to set off the air bags, we'd be glad it did.

[Tman]

When we built the wood-inserted push bar for the front of the truck, I was concerned that "double-hitting" (?) would set off the air bags in the truck.  A well-informed service manager said if we re-hit the race car hard enuf to set off the air bags, we'd be glad it did.

I double tapped Tim a few times this year Some times it just happens!

[Stan Back]

Gotta get me in the first 10 feet -- or I'm gone.  If I can't out-accelerate the truck, I need a new sport.  'course the highest gear we've ever run was a 3.00.