SACRAMENTO RACEWAY PARK - JUNE 9, 2007: For the second time in 3 weeks Jim Murphy and the WW2 Racing team ran the table at Sacramento Raceway by topping another stellar field of Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragsters. Despite air temps over 90 degrees and a track reaching 125 degrees Murphy was the only car in the fives and he did it all three runs. During the entertaining nitro show several teams tried to taunt the hot, tricky track with more power than it was willing to absorb at times: i.e., some where successful and some suffered. Murphy's 5.97 at 243 and 5.95 at 238 during qualifying were the benchmarks of the successful side.

Though the program was well balanced with participants from West Coast Top Sportsman, Top Eliminator West, and 7.0 Pro, it was the top fuel dragsters and the exhibition vehicles that took center stage. Not only did the fans get treated to this first class drag racing program, but also got a free seat to an air show that continued throughout the day at adjoining Mather Air Force Base. When the four-wheeled vehicles were not putting on their spectacular show, the jets and other aircraft at Mather substituted with a dazzling aerial circus of their own.

Summer in the Sacramento Valley can be hot and unforgiving, but on this particular weekend the daytime temperatures were balmy in comparison with last year's event. It was quite hot (over 90 degrees for the first two sessions, with a density altitude of near 3000') with track temps over 110. The show also included the AA/Gas Supercharged cars and they created a groove that had a definite left hook to it at about 330'. And, with a thin umbrella of wispy clouds filtering out some of the sun's heat, crew chiefs at the 2007 Nitro Nite of Fire had a little larger window in which to gamble when calculating their tune up.

Ten top fuel dragsters entered the Chicago-style elimination show including Mike O'Brien's Mother's Worry outlaw fuel altered. At promptly 5:30 p.m. qualifying for the opportunity to race in the final got underway.

 

Story by Stephen Justice - Photos by Stephen Justice and Jason Ellis
*Obviously Steve could not shoot both lanes at once so most match ups only have photos of one car but the text has the end results.

John Shoemaker's American Eagle looked real sporty in its new paint job.

In the left lane was the alway tough Rick White.

 

This first pair was a top fuel version of the cha-cha as both cars made furtive attempts to negotiate a hot track without having to lift; Rick White in the less-esteemed left lane had a more difficult time of it and had to relinquish this race to Shoemaker. American Eagle was a tad sluggish out of the hole (1.149 60'), but John stayed with it and squeezed out the win. Shoemaker trailed White all the way to about the 1000' mark, but prevailed when
White had to click it.

 

 

The Birky Bunch have not raced since the March Meet. But, Arnold finally got his sorely needed intake manifold and made the tow to Sacramento Raceway.

 

Pete Kaiser was back in the seat for the Nitro Nite of Fire; Evan Eirich, John's son, had made some impressive licensing runs in this car at the Fremont Reunion Drags.

The return to the track was not a fortuitous one for The Birky Bunch - but, one can always count on Mark to lay down a bodacious burn out.

 

 

 

 

 

Ground Zero was a little soft at the launch but Pete stayed with it until about 1100'; Mark went up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle.

 

L:. Pete Kaiser.........Ground Zero..............6.249..209.02
R:. Mark Malde..........Birky Bunch.............12.067...75.32

 

The third pair was Jack "The Sheriff" Harris in John Rodeck's Paso Posse car and Mike McLennan in Mike Fuller's car.

 

 

 

Both cars backed up.

Both drivers left hard recording the best 60 ft. times of the round (1.042 and 1.046, for Mike and Jack, respectively); but, Jack gave up the chase when the clutch hit too hard causing the car to smoke the tires--Mike Mac drilled the shaky left lane with the quickest pass of the meet up to that point.

 

L:. Mike McLennan.......Mike Fuller..............6.067..236.00
R:. Jack Harris.........Paso Posse...........9.468...90.08

 

 

Jim Murphy in his "WW2 Racing" entry was paired with Jason Richey in Dave Smith's "Nitro Fever".

 

 

Nitro Fever now sports a Max Products riser atop the supercharger.

Murphy's 60' time of 1.054 was slower than both McLennan and Harris, but his 4.003-196.69 to the 1/8 mile were tops for round one. Murphy went to the head of the pack when he recorded the only 5-second run of round 1; Nitro Fever was a little phlegmatic at the start of the run, hazed the tires down track, and Richey made the best of a less than stellar run.

 

L:. Jason Richey........Nitro Fever..............6.325..207.34
R:. Jim Murphy..........WW2......................5.976..243.66

 

The final TF car for the first session was Mendy Fry in the new Botelho & Patterson Racing fueler. Mendy was left to "dancing with myself" (Billy Idol) as the team elected to stay in test mode; basically, a do-si-do down the left lane.

 

This is the first nostalgia top fuel dragster to use the late model hemi engine - a Mike Patterson prepared 413 cid KB.

 

 

 

 

The car sounded and left good but got loose early and Fry clicked it.

Mike O'Brien in Mother's Worry. All the testing this Spring is starting to pay off for the Yerington, Nevada based team.

Mike's '48 Fiat bodied outlaw fuel altered started exploring all of the right lane at about 300', and when things got just a bit too wild, he clicked it.

Though the cloud formations were not massive, they repelled enough of the sun to keep conditions temperate for all in attendance; check out our Stars and Stripes-could have used a little breeze (though).

Sacramento Raceway's starting line crew prepping the track prior to the start of round two of qualifying.

 

 

The evening part of the program lead off with a pair of jet exhibitions. Both of these jet dragsters utilize J-60 engines for power and burn #2 diesel (agricultural or off-road diesel) for fuel. Tony Franco piloting (aiming) Terminal Velocity had the edge in the first match; Doug Gonzales evened the score by out running Tony in the second contest.

 

Hard to believe but these guys get off the line just as quick as a top fuel dragster (Tony had a 1.016 60' time in the first round); couple that to his .011 reaction time in round two and a jet vs. dragster race could have been a little warm for the fueler.

 

At the conclusion of round one Murphy and McLennan were at the top of the leader board, and the remaining eight players would have to find a way to at least run quicker than Mike's 6.067. Round two would prove to be a nail biter for the teams and a riveting and exciting session for the fans.

 

Top Fuel Session 2

 

In the first pair Pete Kaiser temporarily put John Eirich's Ground Zero into one of the two coveted spots for the final; his incrementals at 60', 300', and 660' surpassed even those that Murphy recorded in round one.

L:. John Shoemaker......American Eagle...........6.454..198.18
R:. Pete Kaiser.........Ground Zero..............6.008..243.07

 

 

Pair two was Mike McClennan and Jim Murphy.

 

What Mike Dunn would have called "just a good old drag race"; but that was little consolation to Mike Fuller and his team as they just missed out on a chance to race in the final round. Murphy, totally unfettered by having to run in the left lane, unleashed a 1.006 60' time and the car remained glued to the ground. So much for the theory that the left lane cannot deliver some good times for the top fuel dragsters; King James was looking good for the final.

L:. Jim Murphy..........WW2......................5.951..238.09
R:. Mike McLennan.......Mike Fuller..............6.049..245.58

 

Rick White and Mark Malde.

White backs up.

Chuck Neal looks over to Arnold Birky before staging White.

John Eirich must have had a heart attack when he saw Rick's number glow up on the board. Actually, a consolation race between Kaiser and McLennan would have been a terrific deal - maybe next year.

Jason Richey and Jack Harris.

Jack was on a blast (1.011 60'/ 2.690 300'), but tire smoke at half track derailed his effort; Richey was done way earlier. White had to have breathed a big sigh of relief.

L:. Jack Harris ........ Rodeck and Harris ...........7.633..111.53
R:. Jason Richey ........Nitro Fever .............10.426...84.20

According to Mike Patterson, Mendy Fry's new ride is the old Sterling car that Lee Jennings Sr. crashed at Fallon in 2001. It now sports a 413 cid KB with a points magneto. Even at that it makes a ton of power. On this last pass (6.337-185.71!!), Eric Arnett said it was on a 5.

 

Final Order (Chicago Style - Top 2 return for Final)

1. Jim Murphy..........WW2......................5.951..238.09
2. Rick White..........Neil and White...........6.004..242.11
3. Pete Kaiser.........Ground Zero..............6.008..243.07
4. Mike McLennan.......Mike Fuller..............6.049..245.58
5. Jason Richey........Nitro Fever..............6.325..207.37
6. Mendy Fry...........Bill Bothelo Racing......6.337..185.71
7. John Shoemaker......American Eagle...........6.454..198.18
8. Jack Harris.........Rodeck & Harris...........7.633..111.53
9. Mark Malde..........Birky Bunch.............10.426...84.20

 

By the time the final ran Saturday night the air and track had cooled to a tolerable level. Murphy was paired with Rick White from San Diego who had previously run 6.00 at 242 and was not to be taken lightly. Jim and crew chief, Tim Beebe got the tune-up right on and White was never a factor as the green car ran a sterling 5.866 at 249.91 (low ET and top speed of the meet). The icing on the cake was their 60' time - a best ever 1.000. Murphy owes that in part to the new M&H tires which he "likes a lot".

Murphy had lane choice and of course he took the right.

What a day for WW2 Racing: top time, low e.t. (including the three quickest times), and top eliminator. Jim Murphy and WW2 Racing is on a roll (should have won the March Meet) and definitely should be the favorite going into Boise.

W: Murphy..............0.108.....5.866....249.91
L: White...............0.104.....6.132....234.15