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7-Second E.T.'s on Street Radials! June 18, 2003 Dwayne "Big Daddy" Gutridge thinks he'll bust into the 7s this year on world record-setting BFGoodrich® Drag Radials® Dwayne "Big Daddy" Gutridge can do a trick in his drag racing Mustang that thrills fans. His black 1989 Mustang LX puts the power down — all 986 horses at the rear wheels — so efficiently that he can get all four wheels off the pavement — running momentarily on the rear bumper. But there's nothing tricky about his quarter mile times. His best so far is an 8.47 sec at 167.20 MPH at Englishtown that makes his car the fastest Mustang on street radials in drag racing. The car is street legal, too. And Gutridge likes the BFGoodrich® T/A® Drag Radials so much that he wouldn't run slicks even if the class allowed them. By switching to taller BFGoodrich Drag Radials later this season (P315/60R15s with a two-inch bigger outside diameter than the P325/50R15s he's running now), Gutridge expects to dip into the low 8s, if not the high 7s — faster than factory Pro Stockers used to run on monster slicks not too many years ago. 
"With a bigger tire, I'm certain we can consistently run 8.20 second runs," says Gutridge, of Toms River, New Jersey. "And I'm planning to break into the sevens this year." Gutridge has plenty to back up his claim — including 36 race wins. What's his secret? Setup, testing, tuning, and more testing. "I've got one of the best chassis guys in the country — Job Spetter Jr. — and one of the best tuning teams — David Wolf and Joey Gambino," Gutridge says. "We data-record every pass at every track and we've got the thing so well dialed-in that we adjust settings for each track. We use different tire pressure on different tracks, and we leave at a different RPM and do different burnouts, depending on the traction at the track." He enjoys the tension and close competition of the Drag Radial class. "It's a very unpredictable class. You have to factor every aspect of what you're doing. It becomes a matter of intense concentration on every round. That makes it very satisfying to compete in." 
Gutridge has been racing on BFGoodrich® tires since 1992 and he is sold on street radials for the drag strip."I just love the tire," says Gutridge. "I raced slicks for years, but the BFG Drag Radials make the car more stable going down the track. It doesn't have the sway that you get with slicks. The BFGoodrich Drag Radials really open up the eyes of a lot of people who use them. Once they've driven them, they don't want to go back to a slick." One thing Gutridge is sure of. "I plan to be the first driver to break into the sevens on street tires. It's going to be this year." Photos courtesy Dwayne Gutridge. |
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