Heading south
from Oregon on I-5 we got a visual heads-up as to what kind of
weather to expect.
For those of
you familiar with Lake Shasta, this is the fullest I've seen
it in many years. Good news for all who rely on its water.
Calm
before the storm....
The trip
home didn't look any different.
1st
Qualifying Session
Friday, 2:07
p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative
humidity 17 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude
2,778 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.
Rick White wasted
no time getting the Neal & White car on what they deemed
an excellent track. In the other lane was Brad Thompson in the
High Speed Motorsports fueler.
White
left like a rocket (60' .996) and just kept on truckin'.
Right off the
bat White set the bar high with a 5.664 at 5251.53. Thompson's
engine gives up near the lights and slowed to a 6.417 at 160.06.
The High Speed team would be one of several that used up some
serious parts.
White's incremental
times: 60ft-0.996 sec., 330ft-2.570, 660ft-3.778/206.64 mph,
1,000ft-4.793.
The second pair
out was the Iowa based "Orange Crate" of Dale and Kat
Surh piloted by the very capable vet, Roger "Radar"
Lechtenberg and Denver "The Shooter" Schutz in the
Cullen & Schutz entry.
Meanwhile, based
on White's numbers sent many crew chiefs scurrying in the lanes
to altar their tune-ups.
Lechtenberg's
engine started dropping cylinders down the track and then both
cars' engines left a trail of smoke in the lights. Schutz clocked
a fine 5.747 at 240.34 while Radar carded a slowing 5.983 at
222.11.
Lechtenberg's
incremental times: 60ft-1.062 sec., 330ft-2.713, 660ft-3.965/199.52
mph, 1,000ft-5.031.
Schutz's incremental
times: 60ft-1.038 sec., 330ft-2.623, 660ft-3.837/206.48 mph,
1,000ft-4.854.
The next pair
featured Big Show Alcohol Funny Car racer Tony Bartone and Mike
McClennan in Mike Fuller's "Forever Young".
Bartone, a NTF
rookie, looked like an old pro with a stout 5.788 at 233.03 while
McClennan trailed with an engine blowing 5.976 at 222.11.
The next pair
out were two proven winners that would make a marquee final round
at any event. Brett Harris in the Utah based Jack Harris Racing
"Nitro Thunder" and Jim Murphy in his WW2 Racing entry.
Both
cars left left together and carded great bottom end numbers.
As advertised
this was a dandy. From start to finish both cars were glued together
with Harris carding a 5.740 at 258.07 and Murphy a mirror 5.743
at 251.81. Both agreed it was a FUN deal.
Murphy's incremental
times: 60ft-1.016 sec., 330ft-2.605, 660ft 3.828/203.77 mph,
1,000ft-4.861.
Harris' incremental
times: 60ft-1.035 sec., 330ft-2.633, 660ft-3.856/204.79 mph,
1,000ft-4.876.
By now there
was no doubt in anybody's mind the track was the best most had
ever seen. The next pair to take a bite of The Patch (pun intended)
were Bill Dunlap in Bob Richardson's "Circuit Breaker"
and local favorite, Rick McGee in the Tedford & McGee "Overtime
Special".
Dunlap is away
first and they card identical sixty foot numbers, but McGee has
the power to get to the finish line first.
McGee got to
the other end first with a 5.835 at 229.94 while Dunlap carded
a slowing 5.963 at 217.67.
Out next was
Terry Cox in the Cheetah IV and the East Coast based "Mr.
Boston" shoed by the versatile Howard Haight. BTW, this
is an 11 year old Tuttle car that was built for Rod Hynes who
never completed it. The Mr. Boston guys bought it a couple of
years ago and up until this weekend the car had never run better
than a 6.20.
Haight motored
away to a 5.907 at 223.65 (which was by far the quickest the
car had ever run) while Cox continued to struggle in the performance
department carding a 6.693 at 146.26 which was the slowest run
of the session.
The final pair
of Q1 was Adam Sorokin in Bob McClennan's "Champion Speed
Shop" hemi and Brendan Murry in his "Running Wild Racing"
Chevy car.
Both
cars were lazy at the hit with the Champion car using up a lot
of clutch.
At this
point Murry had already drifted over the centerline and was oiled
in.
With
timing blocks flying Murry fought to find his lane.
Murry ran 6.147
at 187.31 but was disqualified for crossing the center line while
Sorokin carded a sub-par 6.220 at 219.86.
To wrap it up
Larry Gotelli Jr. had a single driving the unique Generation
II canopied Champion Speed Shop small block Chevy dragster that
sat idle in 2010.
A good strong
leave and the little Chevy powered on down the track until the
engine became unhappy just before the 1000 when Gotelli clicked
it to a 6.413 at 158.63.
And so ended
the first session that yielded some great numbers. At this point
there were only 14 cars qualified. |
