Pamona 2010 (14 days and counting)

Pamona 2010 Kicks off the Full Throttle NHRA Drag Race Season in 14 days

You know it. The NHRA is back on again in fourteen days and that means that for Team Nitrousfitz and B&D Racing, the season is just a few short weeks away. Right now, the off season was filled with things to do. "It looks like the season will have it's own obstacles too, new and old. The Chevelle project is moving, but appears not to be finished by the time the 2010 drag racing begins for the three drivers and their team at Team Nitrousfitz and B&D Racing. Both dragster came off the end of last year with solid runs. SP4550 is ready right out of the box to win the first race a Houston Raceway Park. The News is big this year and the opportunity is great.

If you didn't know it, the NHRA is introducing Top Sportsman and Top Dragster to the lineup of races at National NHRA drag races. This makes it possible for two out of the three drivers of Team Nitrousfitz to have a showing at a national event this year. The registration procedures are making it hard for us to get in the race, but if this pattern continues, we will surely find our way into all the division 4 national events that feature either the Top Sportsman or Top Dragster classes. "It's what the team was built up to do, to get into the races involves having good results at other divisional events and attendance at more circuit races throughout the year.

We will be watching when we can, and racing when we can, all year. Come and say hello! Give us a shout out on your own blog, or just come back and read what else is going on down here in Texas. We're "Racing for Money" in the NHRA with three different class vehicles, Super Pro 4550, Top Sportsman 46 (2009), and Top Dragster 4200, Team Nitrousfitz.

- R Fitzhenry-Walsh

1st 2009 Nitrousfitz Test and Tune Session 02/28 & 03/01

We took the cars out to Baytown over the weekend for a cold and windy two days of test and tune for the TS46 Corvette and the TD4200 Mullis Dragster. Much of the work came in the form of loading and unloading the two drag vehicles from the trailer.

Track condition included a constant 20MPH head wind with temperatures ranging from 33 to 65 degrees. The hottest the track got was just under 80 degrees and it wasn;t until Sunday afternoon when the whole process of lining up and runing your test run was going along smoothly.

The high point of the weekend was a career best .997 60 foot for the TD4200. While it seemed that the Mullis chassis Top Dragster chassis continues to get better, TS46 couldn't get down the track with two consecutive wheels shakes. Determined to be caused by the stall setting of thetorque converter, the day after the test session we pulled the tranny and will swap the converter for a 4200 stall speed to replace the 4600 stall speed converter that was already included in the drive train.

Bracket racing begins the weekend of March 14th. Look for reports on the first runs of the year for our 468 dragster bracket team meber who continues the 20th year of continuos participation in NHRA Division 4 drag racing from Houston, TX.

The Powerfitz.com Power Letter November 2008

The Powerfitz.com Power Letter November 2008

TEAM NITROUSFITZ NEWS * Release Immediately *

Drag racing is about going to the track for some real competitive horsepower showdowns in the NHRA division 4, South Central regional circuits of the United States. As the curtain closes on the NHRA 2008 season, only a bracket bash event will put the period on the sentence of 2008 drag race season for Team Nitrousfitz and that’s exactly what we plan on doing next weekend at Raceway Park in Baytown Texas.

It’s domestic bliss. Our family of drag racers has been building and tuning competitive power-plants stuffed inside custom tube frames for over 19 years. 2008 marks the 19th invitation to the NHRA bracket finals for division 4. More than a milestone, this year’s race was run by 2nd generation drag racer Robin Fitzhenry, who carried on the tradition of getting off first and ending on time. In only her second year racing in the bracket series from Raceway Park in Baytown Texas, she was able to stay in the top 20 of her track, and completed a first round win at the division 4 bracket finals at the Motorplex in Ennis Texas. The torch has been passed. Now we look forward to next year’s schedule which will be more about ratcheting up the horsepower in the Top Sportsman and Top Dragster classes with customized nitrous oxide multi-staged systems that are computer controlled to bring the team’s engines up to speed.

2008 was ultimately a “test and tune” kind of year for Team Nitrousfitz. Though you might not be able to tell by the final point’s standings, what with a division 4 top 10 in Top Sportsman, and an invitation to the bracket finals, all three classes were performing harder and faster than in previous years AND without actually running their engines where they will be next year. Team top speed during 2008 competitions was 197mph for Top Dragster, and 204mph for Top Sportsman. Outside of some minor issues with system performance, the 2008 race season has been damage free, and a winter refresh and testing session will be all that’s needed to get into the 2009 season. Look for the addition of stage three in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster in 2009, the continuing bracket challenges, and by the end of 2009, a Jr. Dragster for 2010. This will be the 3rd generation for Team Nitrousfitz which will carry the progressive championship spirit with it well into the future of division 4 NHRA, sportsman drag racing.

Red River Raceway: Hurricane Ike Race this Weekend

The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series head to Red River Raceway in Gilliam Louisiana for the rescheduled meeting of the Division 4 NHRA South Central Region Sportsman series competition.

Scheduled for the weekend of September 12th, Hurrican Ike prevented the running of this race, and now Team Nitrousfitz will be attending to bring home the Wally for Team Nitrousfitz team leader B. Fitzhenry who currently sits #6 in the Division 4 Top Sportsman competitor list.

Gates at Red River Raceway open at 8 a.m. every day of the raceday. Qualifying and time trials begin on Friday @ 9 a.m. and continue Saturday at 9 a.m. This is going to be an all-out race to the finish of the 2008 Division 4 Top Sportsman and Top Dragster season. Both vehicles pump Nitrous Oxide for better performance. Using only the best equipment and techniques for performance, Team Nitrousfitz look s to improve their record with a big win at Red River.

Team Nitrousfitz wants you to learn more about Nitrous Oxide, and how you can use it to get better performance from your vehicle. Here are some great kits and systems that might work well for you. Start learning now, and find out the best way to get more horsepower from your street or race vehicle with the addition of a quality Nitrous Oxide kit or system here:

HOLLEY® NOS® CHEATER™ KIT Adjust power level from 150 to 250 horsepower in seconds! Designed for use on 350 CID or larger carbureted engines. The NOS® Cheater™ uses large nitrous and fuel solenoids and can be adjusted to any desired power level from 150 to 250 horsepower in a matter of seconds. The Cheater™ system is easy to install and utilizes a 1/2" thick injector plate that fits between the carburetor and intake manifold to provide ample hood clearance. Includes a 10 lbs. nitrous bottle, 4 stages of jets, aircraft quality steel braided line and all necessary electrical and mounting hardware for a complete installation. Each single carburetor Cheater™ system includes jet pack #13725 that allows jetting to 4 different horsepower levels: 150, 180, 210 and 250. IMPORTANT NOTE: To supply the proper amount of fuel to the carburetor and Cheater™ system, a fuel pump must be used that is designed to operate between 5 and 10 PSI with a flow rate of 0.1 gallons per hour/horsepower at 6 PSI. Fuel Pumps sold separately (item # ZX274475 and ZX274476). Safety Switch sold separately (Item # ZX274477). NOTE: SKU numbers ending in F are factory shipped and may take a little longer to reach you.

NOS ® POWERFOGGER ™ "WET" SYSTEM Adjustable for a 30-, 50- or 75-HP increase without engine modification! Cutting-edge single-fogger wet system features an exclusive Soft-Plume nozzle to produce the finest, safest fuel/nitrous mixture possible Thoroughly dyno-tested to ensure safe, dependable results on virtually any 4- or 6-cylinder car you want to "squeeze" Performance gains will vary depending on engine's condition and configuration. This system can be used on an engine with stock rods, pistons and crankshaft, but at power levels of 140 and above, it is recommended that heavy-duty forged components be used. Due to the nature of nitrous oxide injection, some cars "like" a certain nitrous tune-up more than others.

Team Nitrousfitz loaded their vehicles Sunday, September 28th. Three members of the team will be attending the race. While running two racers in two two different classes can be a difficult task for the best trained competitors, Team Nitrousfitz has been sending this trio of Nitrousfitz pros out to all the tracks around Texas, and they've brought home some great wins in many of the events. They look to get an early start on the weekend, so that they get the best opportunity to win this year's points race in the Top Sportsman class of drag race.

Bound for Gilliam from Houston, the team will depart Thurday Morning, October 2nd 4:00AM, and expect to arrive by 10:00AM the same morning. Parking and unloading will happen upon arrival and test and tune will begin that afternoon. Getting the best opportunity to win big races means getting a head start on each and every round of racing. Visit with Team Nitrousfitz and show your support of the 3rd Generation NHRA Drag Race family.

VENOM COMPUTERIZED NITROUS SYSTEM Advanced dual-processor management module plus Venom nitrous metering valve (patent pending) make this system this the best you can buy! You can custom program performance gains from 10 to 175 HP! No need for jets, pills...no need to raise fuel pressure Automatically stops nitrous flow if air/fuel mixture becomes too lean, minimizing risk of engine damage Optimizes air/fuel ratio at ANY bottle pressure. The most advanced system available! The secret is in the nitrous management module that YOU can program using the software included. YOU choose the amount of nitrous injected with the click of mouse-see the 3 program modes above. Module ensures optimum air fuel ratio mixture by using existing fuel injectors and oxygen sensor. No damage to engine. No extra pressure to the regulator as with conventional systems. No too-rich mixtures resulting in fouled plugs and oil saturation. Backlit LCD driver information display constantly informs you of critical engine data: RPM, injector pulse width, throttle angle, exhaust status (rich/lean), operating mode and system status. Includes: nitrous management module, LCD display, valve and solenoid assembly with fuse, wiring harness, nitrous bottle, nitrous braided hose, mounting brackets, software, PC download cable, switch and tuning guide, installation manual. Requirements: Windows(r) 95, 98 or NT system. CUSTOM PROGRAM 3 OPERATIONAL MODES! Easy to use! Simply plug the management module into the service port of your PC. Then, using the software included, you can "custom tailor" the nitrous to operate in any one of 3 different ways. 1. Drag mode. Same mode as current nitrous systems. You program the amount of nitrous to be delivered to the engine at wide-open throttle 2. Linear mode. You program at what throttle angle nitrous should be introduced. The management module then adds a proportionate amount of nitrous in relation to the throttle angle. The higher the angle, the greater the nitrous flow (up to a maximum amount programmed by you). It feels like a turbo! 3. Timed mode. You program at what throttle angle nitrous should be introduced and the percentage that should be added. You also program length of time nitrous will be injected. Ideal for turbocharged engines.

Houston Raceway Park in Baytown TX 09/06-08/08

Up-coming bracket racing includes the double points competition that will be help in Baytown this weekend. Team Nitrousfitz has been hard at wrk getting everything in order for the up-coming two weeks of events. First up is the double points bracket competition where R. Walsh will run her Super Comp dragster in the event in hopes of getting invited to the bracket finals in October.

The next trip will be to Shreveport for a Divisional race with the Sportsman members B. & D. Fitzhenry will compete in the Top Dragster and Top Spotsman races during that event. B. Fitzhenry has a shot at top 5 for the Top Sportsman class, and is hoping to take home a Wally a the up-coming event in Shreveport.

Come back for the latest report on who did what and where from our team headquarters in Tomball TX. Team Nitrousfitz is a Powerfitz.com powerhouse drag team who works with the best Nitrous Oxide equipment to produce the best power bands on the Sportsman class circuit.

NHRA Division 4 Bracket and Sportsman classes dominate weekends here at Powerfitz.

Ask the head of household what they want most this weekend, and you'll be told that they want nice weather even under the threat of Gustav, and that double points would really help them get the the bracket finals.

The year is getting close to the apex for both sportsman and bracket competitors. Over-all the weather has been good for all the races, minus one or two rainy days. As the points become tighter in the race for bracket finals, R. Fitzhenry wants to get the races going to see if she has made her spot in thisyear's bracket finale. Team Nitrousfitz includes members who have been invited to the bracket finals from Baytown, TX for over 20 years. The hopes of the team as past competitors rise up from the bracket race circut, and devote more race time to the new Sportsman class Top Dragster, and Top Sportsman. With every point that can be garnished on race day, the newest team member looks like she'll be that much closer to her goal.

Upcoming trips to Baytown and Shreveport will take up the next two weekends. Hope the track is good, and the competitors late.

Powerfitz is a Houston Nitrous Oxide dealer and distributor. Find the nitrous kit you want from one of the great manufacturer's Powerfitz offers.

Tech Tips for Nitrous. The questions we all have. #1

Nitrous Knowledge: Presented by Nitrous Supply
Tech Tips from the Innovator of Nitrous Oxide Injection


Written by Mike Thermos
Making More Power with Water?




"How compatible are nitrous oxide and water injection?" That is currently the most asked question on the Nitrous Supply tech line. Because of that, I'm dedicating this month's entire column to nitrous and water injection.

For starters, nitrous oxide injection and water injection are very compatible because one enhances and complements the other. In fact, the addition of water injection to your nitrous setup is currently the most logical, most efficient, most economical solution to improved nitrous efficiencies, eventually leading to increased power.

Based on my more than 25 years of experience in researching, developing and perfecting nitrous oxide injection it is a proven fact that only "things" that burn can produce horsepower - "things" that don't burn do not make horsepower. So, the obvious question here is, "How can adding a water-injection system to my nitrous setup make any additional horsepower as water does not burn?" Very true! But, a water injection unit does create improved efficiencies that, ultimately, help your nitrous system produce additional power. Basically, here is the way it works: To make more horsepower we know we have to burn more fuel, so we introduce more fuel into the engine. But, to burn the additional fuel you need to bring in more nitrous. More nitrous comes from the simple installation of bigger jets. But, by burning more fuel, cylinder pressure increases dramatically, while also creating much more heat. With more heat in the cylinder the need arises to get rid of it before it starts to cause detonation of the fuel and/or before it soaks into all of the major components, like the heads, the block and the pistons. An engine gets rid of its heat by transferring heat through the heads, block and pistons into the water jackets and, ultimately, into the radiator. However, most of the heat is dispersed through the exhaust. Consequently, it makes logical sense to introduce something into the engine that will become part of the exhaust process and dissipate heat quickly. That "something" is water injected into an engine by an efficient water-injection unit.

For more on water injection and its compatibility with nitrous oxide, I've enlisted the expertise of Matt Snow of Snow Performance. Snow Performance is currently recognized as the leader in water-injection technology and specializes in producing high quality, power efficient, water-methanol injection systems. According to Matt Snow, the biggest benefit of combining water-methanol injection with nitrous oxide is you can run full timing with increased amounts of nitrous and not have to worry about "hot pockets" or detonation. Water-methanol injection can also increase engine efficiencies in terms of miles per gallon, in addition to producing more power. According to Matt, water-methanol injection and nitrous oxide are the perfect 1-2 combination for producing additional, efficient horsepower. When water-methanol injection is combined with nitrous oxide more fuel can be burned, more nitrous can be used, and more power is created. While detonation is minimized, timing does not have to be retarded, combustion is slowed down (similar to the effect of using high-octane fuel) and cylinder pressure and heat are controlled. Basically, with a Snow water-methanol injection system your nitrous setup will become much more efficient, while ultimately, producing much more power.

So, the answer is, yes, water injection is very compatible with nitrous oxide and should be combined with any/all nitrous setups for the ultimate in efficient power gains.

For more information on nitrous and water injection, call the NS Tech Line at (714) 373-1986, visit www.nitroussupply.com, or call Snow Performance at (719) 633-3811, and check out www.snowperformance.net. DR