Top Fuel Qualifying Session Two
Two hours behind schedule 1:41 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer 30.14 inches, track temperature 84 degrees. Perfect for blowing up engines!

 

Any doubts that this would not be the best March Meet in ages were totally erased simply by looking at the stands prior to Top Fuel qualifying.

 

Beautiful day for nitro - first pair out was Howard "Howie Fugowie" Haight and double duty (TF and FC) Ron Maroney in the Pontiac fueler from Arizona.

 

 

 

 

Haight left hard while the Poncho had problems from the hit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haight's engine started going away at the 1100 foot mark and he clicked it to a much improved 6.003 at 230.71.

 

 

 

Haight trying to get his oil soaked visor up.

 

 

---

 

Pair two was Rick White and Brendan Murry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murry's shot at improving ended with his burnout.

 

Spewing clutch dust White left like a rocket.

 

 

 

 

White ran it to the speed light and put everyone on notice with a stout 5.837 at 243.96 put him at the time in the # 3 spot.

 

 

 

 

---

 

The every improving Pete Kaiser was paired with Troy Green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green left with the # 1 hole trying to pick up and Kaiser left like a bullet.

 

 

 

 

As it did in the first session Green's engine quit running before half track and he was forced to coast through with a 8.592 at 127.69. This left the car on the outside looking in with just one more chance to qualify.

 

800 feet ahead Kaiser was stopping the clocks with a beautiful (career best) 5.842 at 257.51 to jump into the # 2 spot - for the moment.

 

 

---

 

Pair four found Brad Thomson in the left lane, Jason Richey in the right. It was becoming obvious that the teams were getting more aggressive on the tune-ups and rightly so - the track had teeth and the weather was nearly perfect for big numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

Thompson's car was an animal at the hit and Richey was close behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although not a bad pass, Richey slows down from Friday with a 6.039 at 240.51.

 

 

In the other lane Thompson jumped to the head of the class with a very expensive and quite spectacular career best 5.746 at 247.11.

 

Just before the traps Thompson's engine exploded so violently the concussion could be almost felt on the starting line. Look closely at the blower straps. If Dennis Taylor needs a proof positive ad photo - this is it!

The hi-rez file of this is spectacular - you can see the blower studs in the air!
It is available from Dan Kalpan.

 

 

 

---

 

After a Safety Safari check out of Thompson and track clean up the next pair out was John Shoemaker and Rick Rogers. Both drivers were at the bottom of the field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both cars were a little soft to 60 foot.

 

 

Rogers hurt the engine before the 1100' mark that killed what could have been a nice run and coasted to a 6.122 at 211.46.

 

 

 

Shoemaker didn't appear to be wounded but clicked it way early to a 6.302 at 195.52 leaving him on the bump for the time being.

 

 

---

 

Pair six pitted Rick McGee and Denver Schutz. The Tedford & McGee guys are still trying to improve their 60 foot times while the Cullen car has no such worries.

 

 

 

 

 

Schutz motored right down the groove to a 5.903 at 248.20 while McGee slowed down from session one with a 6.130 at 240.00.

 

 

 

---

 

Next out was Mark Malde and Bill Dunlap.

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing wrong with the leave on either car.

 

 

 

By the 1000 foot mark it was obvious Dunlap would improve.

 

 

Both cars ate up a bunch of aluminum but for Dunlap it was worth it as he got into the show with a 6.029 at 251.46. Malde, still unable to get 1300 feet out of the Birky Chevy didn't improve with a 6.562 at 202.02 and was knocked out of the field.

 

 

 

 

---

 

Both of the cars in the 8th pair were already in the show but Jack Harris needed to improve from #13. Shannon Stewart, who was low on Friday was sitting # 4.

 

Stewart's burnout was short to say the least.

 

 

Both cars responded well at the hit but Stewart pulled away quickly.

 

 

 

 

Once again Stewart was on the chutes early as Harris charged up behind him.

 

 

 

Steward, like a bracket car, ran another 5.841 at a slightly faster 225.22. Harris drove it out the back door and dipped into the fives with a 5.986 at 250.48.

 

 

---

 

The last pair for session two featured two of the young lions in NTF - Brett Harris and Adam Sorokin.

 

 

Both cars had 1.07 60 foot times - great by any standard.

 

 

This was one hell of a drag race for 1000 feet. At half track Sorokin was actually 2 mph faster than Harris (3.910/203.61mph to 3.996/201.47mph).

 

But right at the 1000 foot mark Sorokin encountered tire spin and got out of the grove making an evil move to the right guardwall. He wisely shut off and reeled it in to a 6.220 at 175.78 which did not improve his position.

 

 

 

 

 

Harris stayed right on track to a 5.911 at 256.04 (top speed to this point).

 

 

---

 

Once again Jim Murphy was the last car in the session and had the track to himself.

 

 

At the hit Murphy's car was a tad fat and sluggish.

 

 

Nipping a couple of pistons, Murphy slowed from Friday with a 5.920 at 241.09.

 

 

 

Top Fuel Qualifying Session Three
Running 2 hours behind schedule, the final session got underway at 5:46 PM. Both the air and track were cooler than the previous sessions. Several cars chose to sit this session out.

 

With the sun setting in the West and the track cooling off Troy Green was paired with Brendan Murry for this do or die effort... the High Speed Motorsports car was not in the show.

 

 

 

 

Green, who had experienced fuel-shut off valve problems that the first two sessions, left hard with Murry right beside him.

 

 

 

 

There was a collective sigh of relief from the High Speed camp when the car made past half track under power. They knew the problem was cured and that Green would make the show.

 

 

 

Sacrificing some pistons Green did make the show all the way to the top half with a nice 5.927 at 244.10 which would land him in the # 8 spot for Sunday's eliminations. Murry carded a 6.180 at 231.66 that left him in the # 16 hole.

 

 

---

 

Next out was John Shoemaker who, at #18, was down to his last shot and Adam Sorokin who was #13 and looking to move up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both cars left good but a full pass by either was not to be.

 

 

 

 

Shoemaker shook the tires loose about 100ft out and went into heavy tire smoke. His weekend was done.

 

Sorokin got out of the groove again at half track and this time headed for the left guardwall. He did a masterful pedal job then wisely clicked it. His 6.730 at 154.95 was no help.

 

---

 

Pair three was Rick White and Pete Kaiser. Sitting #2 and #4 respectively this had the makings of a good drag race.

 

 

 

 

 

White at the hit. Both cars left hard and clean.

 

 

 

 

 

Heading for the traps the cars were welded together and in the traps the pair lived up to their billing - an awesome race. How about White with a 5.822 at 250.69 and get this, Pete Kaiser became the 4th member of the 260 MPH Club with a very strong 5.843 at 260.41.

 

 

 

 

---

 

Pair four was Jack Harris and Jim Murphy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harris had a problem early. The spark plug gap in #4 cylinder closed up and the cylinder started spraying raw fuel out on the ground in front of the right tire. At the hit the car move two feet and blazed the tires.

 

Murphy stayed consistent with a 5.880 at 244.16. He would stay # 5.

 

 

---

 

Out next were two cars that were brutal on parts in the previous session, Bill Dunlap and poll sitter Brad Thompson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thompson once again left like a rocket with Dunlap a click behind.

 

 

 

 

Thompson clicked this one at about 900 feet after he carded a half track speed of 205.71. Dunlap had problems early and didn't even try for a number.

 

 

 

---

 

The final car in the last session was Brett Harris. To set this up, M&H was on hand to oversee the tire problems and to do some testing on a brand new design that hopefully would eliminate the "chunking" problem encountered on previous tires. As has been the case in the past, Harris was asked to do the test and chose to do so on on this run. He was basically taking one for the cause as whatever the time netted on this pass would not count for qualifying. Harris would be # 7 regardless.

 

 

Being the final car in the session and doing a tire test, Harris had the track all to himself and was allowed to run in the left lane.

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, there were a lot of eyes on this pass - especially from those in the Top Fuel pits.

 

The leave was hard and clean.

 

 

It's important to note how nicely rounded the tires are at speed... a stark contrast to previous models.

 

Although Harris did spin the tires on the top and and shut off to a 6.002 at 242.19 the test was deemed a success. Jack Harris would test them again on Sunday.

 

 

DNQ

17. Mark Malde  -  6.136 @ 239.55 18. John Shoemaker  -  6.283 @ 207.80 19. Ron Maroney  -  8.367 @ 130.05

 

Pits N' People Page Coming Soon

Session One - Friday

All Winners

Eliminations - Round One Sunday

Eliminations Rounds Two, Three & Finals