UMTR Racer - Greg Changet
2023 SEASON

G Force Performance Products sponsors veteran racer, Greg Changet on the 2023 UMTR Circuit.
Greg describes his car as a 1985 Ford Mustang with a 405 cubic inch small block Ford naturally aspirated engine featuring—
- 14.7:1 compression with Diamond Pistons
- Mid .800” lift Bullet custom grind cam
- GRP aluminum Connecting Rods
- Billet crank and Dart Iron Eagle 9.2 deck block
- Trick Flow 250cc High Port Heads
- T&D shaft 1.8 ratio Rockers
- CHI intake with an 1100 CFM Pro Systems Carb.
- 5R 5 speed clutchless transmission with a McLeod Soft Lok clutch
The rear-end is a Ford 8.8 braced and narrowed with Moser 35 spline axles and 4.88 gears. Additionally, the chassis has been mini tubbed and uses a full UPR front and rear suspension. Also, the factory 4-link has been upgraded with multiple adjustment mounts to move the upper and lower bars to make the suspension work. AFCO rear double adjustable shocks and Strange single adjustable front struts complete the suspension platform.
The car weighs 2,970 pounds at full race weight with the driver. With only eleven passes on the new engine, the best pass early in the season was 9.07 at 147 mph. Greg's team expects the car to run in the low 8.90’s later in the year.
Follow the ups and downs of his season and discover his team reaches their goal. See the full Press Release for more details.
Good Luck, Greg!
Saturday, September 2
Well, not the way I wanted to end the season.
In the first round of eliminations I won due to the other racer red lighting but I broke the 2nd gear faceplate again in the transmission.
I took the lights for round 2 to collect my points and hoped I would get another red light win but not the case.
If all goes well I will meet my goal of the top 10 finish. I’ll keep you updated.

Saturday, August 26
Dragway 42-
Well Saturday wasn’t a good day.
Heading for the 1st time trial I realized I had no 2nd gear.
We took the transmission apart and found the 2nd gear faceplate was broke into 4 pieces.
After a hour of asking around another UMTR racer had one; so the thrash was on.
With 20 minutes left before the call for round 1 of eliminations we got it buttoned up and tested the gears.
Unfortunately, I had no passes on the car so I guessed at a dial.
Nervous that everything was okay I slept on the light and lost. My opponent was on it. He had a .008 light and ran a 9.09 on a 9.08 dial. Hard to beat anyway.
The only good from this is the car is fixed and ready for the next race. I’m still lingering in the top ten in points sitting in 9th. I'm hoping for a really good outing this weekend.

Sunday, July 30
Yesterday was going good, until the rain rolled through. Won first round-- taking down the current points leader.
I’m still sitting 8th in points.
Saturday, July, 15

Monday, July 3
The race was a washout. Cancelled due to rain.
Sunday, June 11
A lot of preparation went into this weekend.
Monday I has the transmission and clutch out of the car and completely apart for maintenance. The last couple races were rough on the clutch.
Friday night we drove down to Mt. Vernon and I should have made a couple test passes as the tree was completely different than what we usually run on. I decided not to test to save passes on the parts. My mistake!
First time trial I was extremely slow on the light but the car left the line the best it has all year. I felt good about it. The second time trial I was even slower on the light. At this point I was confused because normally I’m too fast on the light and tend to red light, but the car was on point.
Round one of eliminations I get a car I could completely cover if I just had to hit the light. Unfortunately I cut a horribly slow light and ended up losing the race. Now after having a horrible weekend, I’m tied for 7th in points.
Next race- Monday, July 3rd.


Sunday, June 4
Magnolia Dragway-
We had another good day going until the call for the 3rd round. I fired the car up to go up to the lanes and once in the lanes I started getting my gear on. Then, I tried to move the car up and it wouldn’t start. The batteries were dead.
I discovered I made a mistake and I didn’t have the battery charger on the right setting and the batteries didn’t get charged in between rounds. We also found that the master disconnect switch was loose which did not help the situation.
Since that happened I am still 2nd in points and I will try again this weekend to pick up some points on the leader.
My goal at the beginning of the year was top ten. I’m looking past that now. I want to win the championship and I will keep pushing hard to do so.
Sunday, May 28
We did it. IT'S A WIN!
The 1st round was a knuckle biter. Very close heads up race that I squeezed out at the end.
Second round I was lucky enough to get the bye.
Third round I raced a really good friend and he was having car problems, but still ended up breaking out giving me the win.
Fourth round I had one of the past champions and I killed him on the tree with a .003 reaction time taking the win pretty easily.
Finals- My main focus was not to red light. I went green and caught him within 400 feet. So I ran the car out to about 1000 ft then pushed in the clutch coasting to the win.
It was a great day and the car ran dead on all day. I ran 9.15 on every pass and with a car like that it makes driving a lot easier.
Thanks again to G Force for the support! I’m tied for 2nd in points, 1 point behind the leader.
Hopefully this coming weekend we get the same result!


Saturday, May 20
I only made one time trial run. As I was getting ready for the 2nd run, one of the other racers in our group crashed right in front of me.
It was a really bad accident and the organizers decided to cancel the race due to the track conditions.
Saturday, May 6
We had a weekend filled with good and bad moments.
First, our condolences go out to the family of fellow racer and friend, Ed McConnel, who died suddenly of natural causes.
After careful consideration the organizers decided to continue the race.
After we spent Saturday morning replacing two of the trailer tires I had to abort the first-time trial the run as the transmission would not go into 4th gear.
I discovered that the shifter rod needed adjust so I got that fixed in time for the second time trial. It turned out to be one of the best passes I have made in this car with this combination.
We drew one of the UMTR South division guys and it looked like it was going to be a good heads-up race. Unfortunately, I went red giving Bob the win.
It always stinks to take yourself out of the race by red lighting, but I will say that we made some good changes on the car, and we are looking forward to the next race at Dragway 42.




Saturday, April 15
Moving onto Saturday, I entered the index race in the 6.00 class. This is an 1/8-mile race and I normally run 5.70’s in the 1/8 so I had to find a way to slow the car down, so I didn’t break out. After testing Friday night my best option was just run it through the first three gears then coast and prey, I hit the 6.00 index.
First qualifying run, I went 6.10, second qualifying run was a 6.07 which put us in the middle of the field. Unfortunately, that put me up against the last 3 years in a row champion of the class. Once again, I just entered the race to do some more testing, mainly the starting line trying to get the car to leave better. We were making shock adjustments all day and being successful. So round 1 of eliminations I had ¾ of a car lead until I had to push in the clutch, so I didn’t break out. As I am coasting to the finish line hoping he would mess up he nosed me out at the end. I ran a 6.06 to his 6.01 which ended our day.
Overall, we had a very good weekend, and we are ready for the first UMTR race at Kil-kare Raceway on May 6th in Xenia, Ohio.



Wednesday, April 12
Ready to load up for the first outing of the year this weekend. Hoping to go out this weekend for some preseason testing.
Tuesday, January 10
Here is the tentative schedule for 2023.
I am ready! So, as soon as the tracks open in April I will be out testing.
This is going to be a good year!


2022 SEASON
October 26
Other than going over the entire car checking bolts, we are all set and ready for spring.
The engine is good, and the transmission/clutch are good to go as well.
Looking forward to the 2023 Season!






Friday, October 14
The new wrap is completed, and I am very happy with it. The color is fantastic, and I can’t wait to see it out in the sun.
The last of the changes are in process. I am powder coating the wheels gloss block and the wing will also get re-coated gloss black.
I will be starting the winter maintenance next week which consist of checking valve spring pressures, removing the rocker arms for winter storage and a good deep cleaning/ rebuild on the carburetor.
The oil filter will get removed and inspected to make sure that the engine is still happy and ready for next year. New rear tires will also be mounted once the wheels are coated.
The rear wheels are currently on the way to Mac-Fab performance to get beadlocks installed.





Saturday, September, 17
It’s getting close.
I made some really good progress over the weekend. The bumper proved once again to be challenging with all the different contours and I’m sure the same will be said with the hood.
I am very happy with the outcome so far.



Thursday, September 15
I started on the new wrap last night.
The new color is a satin blue pearl, and it looks nice. While both vinyl wraps I've tried are the same brand, the satin finish seems to allow for more stretch without distorting the color making it a lot easier for me to work with it. The results are looking much, much better than the my last attempt with the gray wrap earlier this year.



Tuesday, September 13
Since my season is over, it is time to start the winter maintenance and prepare for next year. I am not one to wait until the last minute.
The transmission is already apart for inspection, clean up, and maintenance. Since the engine was just freshened up about 20 runs ago, I will just pull the oil filter inspect it and remove the rocker arms off the springs for the winter. New valve springs will be installed in the spring before the first event.
My first attempt at wrapping the car was somewhat successful, but I am picky, and I like my car to look nice. It’s not a show car but I try to get close with it. So, it’s getting a new wrap. The old wrap is already removed, and I will be starting on the new one this weekend.
The color this time will be a satin blue and all the decals will be in black again. I’m undecided, but the wheels may also get black powder coated.
Watch for photos and updates as I continue prepping for next season.


Saturday, September 3
Well didn’t go as planned due to the weather, but we did get the UMTR race in on Saturday.
Friday nignot the case on Saturday. The track was good and hooking hard.
Which was okay because that means I could throw more power at it. This is when we found out that the tires are just worn out.
Although the indicators on the tires still show plenty of tread life left— these stick shift cars beat up the sidewalls and the 60ft times suffer. We went out to test and play with the
suspension to try and get the car to 60ft better. With a couple of
adjustments to the shocks we found our setting but discovered that the
tires are just worn out.
However, we did get the car to consistently run a 9.17 and 9.16 which is what really matters.
Since
the track was not that good Friday night, Saturday morning I decided to
take a little bit of clutch out of the car . Well, that was .
No matter what we did the car would not improve. It was once again very consistent. The one issue I had was the transmission would not go into 5th gear consistently and I was fighting it.
I’m assuming, since I have not torn it apart yet, that the slider for 5th gear is worn and needs to be replaced. I battled the tree and 5th gear all day. We did make it to the 3rd round, but I lost due to a red light.
In our series we only have 5 rounds per race so overall it was a good day! It's always a good race day when you win your entry fees back and you load up a car running under its own power with nothing broken.
Unfortunately, that was my last race for the season. Due to some breakage and missing some events, I will finish the season out of the top 10, which was a goal this year.
We will try again next year. As with every winter I am always looking for ways to improve my car and I will keep you updated with and changes I make.
As of now the list starts with fresh tires and possibly redoing the wrap.
Look for more details in the coming weeks.



Sunday, August 14
Race cancelled due to rain that never came.
Next race coming up this weekend at Quaker Motorsports Park.

Saturday, August 6
It was another hot miserable day with crummy air, but we were making it work and the car was consistent. In the first round I won due to the opponent red lighting.
The second round I beat the opponent with an issue and on to the 3rd round we went. All was good and it was a rematch from the last outing with my friend Tim. We had the car all set or so we thought. I pulled it down into the lanes waiting for our turn to race. After 20 minutes of waiting, it was time to go.
Tim started his car, and I went to start mine and the batteries were to low to fire the ignition. Since I could not make the call, I had to forfeit the race.
Not the way I wanted the day to end as I believe we had the car to beat for sure.
After getting home and the car in the garage on Sunday I began looking for the issue. Were the batteries too old, too small, or was there another issue? It was the latter.
I found that one of the negative cables had shaken just loose enough that the batteries would not take a good charge in between the rounds. I fixed that problem, so it doesn’t happen again.
We will see what I can do this coming weekend at Magnolia Dragway. If I can keep doing my job as the drive, I feel that I have a car that is hard to beat!

Saturday, July 23

Saturday, July 16


Thursday, July 7
Fired up and almost race ready!
Tuesday, July 5

Thursday, June 30
Going back together and we will be race ready for the July 16th race at Dragway 42!

Thursday, June 2





Wednesday, June 1


Memorial Day Weekend 2022


Sunday, May 15
Sunday, April 22

Wednesday, March 16





Thursday, March 3
The race care is almost done and ready for the season. There are a few small things to finish but it’s close!

Saturday, January 29





2021 Season
Saturday, December 11




Saturday, November 20





Friday, November 12





Saturday, November 6
It was a great finish to the season at Dragway 42 with our best time of the year—8.87 at 149.6 mph!


Saturday, October 23
Race day at Dragway 42 in West Salem.
The first race of the year with Q16 fuel.
We have a winner! The first 8 second pass of the season.
See below for priming the oil pump, warming up, and winning!


Wednesday, October 20
Cooler weather is here!
It's time to switch from C12 to Q16 fuel for increased horsepower. This change requires replacing the size 100 jets to 106 to accomodate for the differences in the fuel and the cooler temperatures.




Sunday, September 19
We decided to hit the local track (Magnolia) for a nice Sunday. The car probably ran the best it has all year, but the driver sucked - LOL!
I red lit the first round and went home disappointed again. Sooner or later I will get my head straight and go some rounds
Looking forward to the next race in a couple of weeks.

Saturday, September 4
Looked good at the Sept 4 - UMTR Fall Nationals at Quaker City Motorsports Park. We worked really hard on finding the happy place for the clutch. The data logger showed we needed less clutch and more RPMs. We're really close to dead on now. The goal is to make the car as quick as possible, yet consistent.
We red lighted in the 2nd round to end our day, but we made great progress - 9.14 @ 145MPH. We're happy with our tweaks.

Sunday, August 8
It was a great weekend at Tad and Jims Dragway.

Saturday, July 31
Despite a little mishap we ran our best 60ft time ever in this car.


Sunday, July 18
Unloading for the race at Magnolia.
Sunday was not a good day. During the burnout for the first time trial something happened in the transmission where I lost reverse. In order not to risk major damage to the transmission I ended my day early.
This is the life racing a stick car. You get good at removing transmissions, fixing, and installing.






Saturday, June 19
Looks like the rain is going to hold off. Found and fixed the cause of the bad vibration.

Sunday, May 30
Race ready!
May 13
G Force Sponsorship and logo in place!

Sunday, April 25
Loading car for first race of the season at Dragway 42.

April 22
Doing some testing in prep for the season.

April 7
Ready to go racing. This is going to be a good season!


March 20
Spring is finally here and it's time to get the car ready for the season!
