Sportsman Class in the Spotlight:
SUPER STREET - SST

In March 2011 Speedgroup acquired the NDRS Dragracing Series and SDL Swedish Dragracing League. NDRS is an international series with events following the FIA/UEM Championship and with additional events also in the calendar.

We will include articles connected with the sportsman racing series continously. And naturally we wish to highlight the classes and teams that run in them.

We start by one of the classic US/NHRA born "super classes" - SUPER STREET.

And we let two successful teams active in the class tell us about what Super Street Racing is about.. Check it out! 

2010 NDRS Super Street Champions

Car: Super Street 1
Drivers: Jennifer Gustafsson & Jessica Gustafsson SWEDEN (interview with Jennifer)

Can You tell us the basic facts about the car?
Jennifer:
Dodge Challenger R/T -70.
10.00 sek / 221 km/h, 758 hk, 8 cylinders

It is a Chrysler 499 cui, 727 Automatic.  dana 60, 4,56. Tyres from Goodyear 14x32/15.

Me and Jessica share the car so I will be driving at NDRS events and Jessica the SDL events

What are the other defining factors of the class?
Jennifer: Super Street racers compete on a fixed 10.90-second index. All vehicles must be full-bodied cars.


Jennifer runs in the NDRS Series and won in 2010..

How has the class evolved in recent years in terms of product, performance, number of teams, etc.?
Jennifer:   The class is developing well with many excellent teams. More and more teams are getting better at adjusting their cars to go 10,90 seconds flat. Since we are racing against a fixed index you don’t have to work on developing more power so much, more on adjusting the performance towards perfection.


What variables are used to tune the car for the track? What aspect is most critical?
Jennifer:   You work a lot with tyre pressure and start RPM. And adjust the throttle stop to match the changes in track and weather so you can repeat the ET in an optimal way.


.. while sister Jessica compete in the all-Swedish SDL-Dragracing League  

Does driving style change according to track condition? In what way?
Jennifer:
of course, all the tracks are different and you have to learn how to adjust both the car and yourself as a driver to different track conditions.

What servicing is normally done between runs during competition?
Jennifer: Refueling and charging the batteries. Checking Tyres and polishing the car of course!

Perishable parts on a Super Street car ?
Jennifer:   Valve springs one set a year, 1 set of tyres, Lifters every 3 years. Everything else is changed when it’s needed

How fast do you think the ¼ mile can be run under optimum conditions and what will it take to achieve that?
Jennifer:   We have made runs at 10,0 seconds and don’t want to go any faster since you have other safety regulations if you run faster then at 10,0.

Favourite track / best racing surface?
Jennifer: We are able to adjust the car to get good traction on most of the tracks, however I prefer quarter mile to eight mile tracks though.

Noticeable:
This car is probably the most successful Super Street car in Sweden and has won many trophies through the years counting in the former owners.

 


Car: Super Street 4 /Chevrolet Camaro 1994
406 cui ca 650 hp from Mike Thompson Racing Engines, FL
 
Driver:
Simon Gustafsson SWEDEN

Can You tell us the basic facts about the car?
Simon: My car goes about 10.5 seconds which is good enough for Super Street. I have not measured the horsepower but would guess about 600 hp.
the fuel I run with are Shell V Power and I have a Chevrolet small block of 406 cui.

What are the other defining factors of the class?
Simon: The characteristics of super street is that the cars are so original like, and it is very tight racing, often it’s just thousand of a second between the cars at the finish line,
 it's a very good class to start in because it’s a fixed dial in and the same conditions for all competitors means that the costs of running the cars don’t go out of hand , everybody can run by their own budgets


Simon Gustafsson

How has the class evolved in recent years in terms of product, performance, number of teams, etc.?
Simon: Product development has definitely moved forward, there is really nice stuff to this type of cars, thinking mainly of throttle stops, and such things, including weather stations that are available for sensible money.

Performancewise, I have not so much experience as it was first season for me in 2010, but I guess there are more cars that are able to run 10.90 or faster. I think Super Street will increase the number of participants looking ahead.

What variables are used to tune the car for the track? What aspect is most critical?
Simon: What is most critical is how the weather is changing, it is super important to keep track of weather since a few hundred foot difference in weather can change hundreds of a second on ET.

You can
not take chances when it is so tight that it is in the super classes. It is also very important to keep an eye on the track conditions and of course the reaction times, one must have good reaction times or you will be smoked!

Does driving style change according to track condition? In what way?
Simon: You change launch RPM regarding to track conditions and of course trottelstop settings.

What servicing is normally done between runs during competition?
Simon: It is not so much. I fill gas charging the battery, cooling the engine and some general service, every night I change sides on rear tires and check valve clearance and valve spring pressure.

Perishable parts on a Super Street car ?
Simon: If nothing happens then I will go through the engine, gearbox and rear end after the season and check that everything is okay, replace it as needed. We change tires after every season.

How fast do you think the ¼ mile can be run under optimum conditions and what will it take to achieve that?
Simon: In Super Street, it is to get right at 10.900 seconds which is the goal, to get where it is required that you are very careful with everything, not leaving anything to chance. So you have to be very lucky to hit the right thousand of a second at 10.900


Favourite track / best racing surface?
Simon: As I have said I have just run one season and thus not having run on so many tracks, but the favorite from last year was Mantorp. I also believe that Tierp will be a really good track.

Now.. we can´t resist telling that Jessica & Jennifer may have a tiny bit of dragracing genes from their father Christer Gustafsson, who to most people is considered to be among the top tuners and crew chiefs in Pro Stock Racing and also have a background as a driver. Today the (four!) car team include a Pro Stock car with Jonas Dantanus behind the wheel, the Gustafsson sisters´ winning Super Street car of course, then Simon Gustafsson´s Super Street car.. Simon doubles as a Pro Stock mechanic for Jonas and last but not least the team also includes a Junior Dragster piloted by Pontus Dantanus. If there is a dragracing family - this is it!


Thank You Simon, Jessica and Jennifer for sharing your expertise! And good luck for the race season 2011!

Read More about the team at 
http://jd-racing.se

The SUPER STREET Class is run in the  NDRS and SDL Series administered by Speedgroup from March 1st 2011


NDRS DRAGRACING SERIES


SDL-SWEDISH DRAGRACING LEAGUE

More information about the series ca be read at: ww.speedgroup.eu/ndrs/index_ndrs.htm



Text by Åsa Kinnemar and NDRS co-ordinator Jonas Staflund 
based on i
nterviews with the drivers

Photos provided by the teams and photographer Lena Perés

This article is part of the Speedgroup Club Europe Newsletter #3/2011
www.speedgroup.eu

Published by Speedgroup www.speedgroup.eu
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