by Tom Carnegie
I have been wracking my brain trying to come up
with ideas for articles for the Montana 500
newsletter. Since there are several winning
drivers in Spokane, I decided to ask them to list
for me the top five "secrets" to a winning car,
(that they would be willing to divulge). Some of
the drivers declined to do so, but of those that did
I have compiled a list with a bit of explanation. I
have ranked and listed the top ten responses.
What I indicated was that I wanted specific
things, not general things like "make your engine
breathe better", or "reduce rolling resistance".
1. Well broken in (minimum 500 miles) and
test driven (at speed and distance) car. It seems
that too many folks show up with an ill prepared
car. The number one most important thing is to
make sure that you have time to break in your car
and work out the bugs.
2. Good coils and timer. A Montana 500 RS
timer is recommended. Coils set up by amateurs
or even professionals that are used to doing the
job for "touring" T's are probably not going to
make it. High speed operation demands incredible
precision in the ignition system.
3. A good fuel system. One that is free of debris
and flows well. That includes the use of a
non-restrictive needle and seat, preferably an original Ford.