I was at VIR for an American Iron race when it all went bad on the first lap, here some pics:

 

What happened? piston to valve contact, or spin it to high, or was it some freak failure

 

haha, I overrevved the snot out of it. It was the last race for the east coast champ. and I was in 3rd needed to win both days so I went a little too crazy and also I had to take the 6400 rpm chip out cause VIR has a 5000 ft. back stretch. I was really moving down the back stretch, turing about 6700 in 4th gear w/ 3.27 gears, I guess about 160mph.

I have an old set of Manley ultra lite pistons that I bought around '93 or '94, but the same thing happend and I am short one piston, if anyone knows of or has a set of these pistons, let me know I am searching for a set. Manley stoped making them a few years back. I'm willing to buy one, a few or a whole used set if I could find them.

 

what kind of vlaves were/are those, stockers?

 

Damn! Nice carnage picture man.

You just needed bigger valve reliefs and it wouldn't have happened

 

those are the Manley race-flo valves, they are good valves, I just need to keep the RPM's down and not not get crazy at the start of a race

 

That is so easy to say... but after sitting in the pits all day..... Well.... that is hard to do!!! I can only tell you how many times I said I was going to take it easy on the first few laps....

Great pictures.... Thanks for sharing!!