Bob; I was just reading Horsepower Heaven and looking through all the pics (from Mission Raceway's FMDRS race), came to the end of Sunday's pics and.... oh my!

Larry sez: "Then there are the 'amateur' photogs who go out and make like they should be there, (and get so "upset" when they are asked to leave that I nearly barf in disgust), who do nothing more than get in the way in often very dangerous positions. Or the one's who basically do it for a hobby, (and with a PRESS pass mind you), give away, or sell very cheap, pictures that do nothing more than help put people like me out of business. I have no trouble mentioning (again) that Mission is still the worst track in the Division for this. New rules I experienced at Firebird this April are easily the best, and should be followed by all drag strips. Sorry, but when I try to do my business and get screwed, I have to vent. LP"

Who do ya think he means??

Hi Bob. How are you doing over there? HOW IS THE FUEL CAR COMING ALONG? Well, you know the Winternationals were cancelled due to the weather. They have rescheduled it in October, I think. Drop me a line and tell me how everything is going. Talk to you soon.

Bob; you know I have to respond to this (from your Sunday report):

If my memory serves me correctly, that used to be my car (the Arctic Traveller), which ran 5.87 at Mission and 5.88 at Seattle on a very limited budget. It is as good as any car out there, provided the gearing and fuel system are set up properly. As with any high-powered alky dragster, the trans ratio shouldn't be over 1.80, and you need to have enough barrel valve so all eight cylinders aren't on kill when you dump the clutch.

NOTE: This is NOT the Drag Racing Story of the Day

A young woman in New York was so depressed that she decided to end her life by throwing herself into the ocean. She went down to the docks and was about to leap into the frigid water when a handsome young sailor saw her tottering on the edge of the pier, crying.

He took pity on her and said, "Look, you've got a lot to live for. I'm off to Europe in the morning, and if you like, I can stow you away on my ship. I'll take good care of you and bring you food every day." Moving closer, he slipped his arm around her shoulder and added, "I'll keep you happy, and you'll keep me happy."

The girl nodded yes. After all, what did she have to lose? Maybe a fresh start in Europe would give her life new meaning. That night, the sailor brought her aboard and hid her in a lifeboat. From then on, every night he brought her three sandwiches and a piece of fruit, and they made passionate love until dawn.

Three weeks later, during a routine inspection, she was discovered by the captain. "What are you doing here?" the captain asked. "I have an agreement with one of the sailors," she explained. "I get food and a trip to Europe, and he's screwing me."

"He sure is, lady," the captain said. "This is the Staten Island Ferry."

Four times Australian Top Doorslammer Drag Racing Champion Victor was named "Outstanding Motorsports Person of the Year" at the prestigious Queensland Times Motorsports Awards Dinner in Ipswich last night. Bray had earlier beaten fellow finalists, Top Fuel Bike standout Jeff Smith, and four times Willowbank Track Champion Russell Schaefer, to be named Drag Racer of the Year.

He claimed the supreme award ahead of Karting Champion Russell Vellacott and Queensland Off Road Champion Grant White. It is the second such victory for Bray, having previously taken out the double in 1997.

"It's good to be back," said Bray. "I really want these awards. They are fantastic. I love them. It's great to be able to take them home."

Bray received the honour in recognition of his past year in which he won a fourth consecutive Australian Championship and re-set the outright world speed record for drag racing sedans no less than three times. His immediate goal is to win a fifth Australian title when the final round of the series is run at the rain delayed Konica Winternationals in October. He will feature in a three way battle for the Championship with series leader Dave Koop of Adelaide and the in-form Robin Judd of Perth.

After top qualifying with a world record 6.17 second run in the first session, Judd looked set to defeat Bray at the Konica Winternationals before rain forced the event to be rescheduled to October.

"I have to be honest and say I was happy to see it twinkling down with rain," Bray admitted. "I know it wasn't good for the raceway and everybody else, but it has given me the chance to do a lot more work between now and the event to get my Castrol Chevy right. He (Judd) has been sneaking up all year and getting better and better all the time. I've got a few test days coming up and I'm confident we'll be ready for a heck of a race in October."

Beyond a fifth championship win, Bray's ultimate aim is to reclaim his world elapsed time record, held jointly at the moment by American Jim Oddy and Perth's Robin Judd at 6.179 seconds.

So how were the races? I bet you wish you were running there! Sorry I missed you this weekend, but I was too busy with the sponsorship stuff to go to the races. Talk to you soon.

Just been reading your event report from Mission last weekend and I must say that I noticed a distinct difference in coverage for the Top Alcohol Dragster guys. Especially that blown B-1 thing. Any reason for that? Actually I enjoyed it a lot. Good job.

I've got a couple of things I wouldn't mind listing on your classified (Parts for Sale) page. Should I just send you an email with the items? It's just a couple of gear sets.

Made our first trip to the track with the car this past weekend, and after getting the fuel system sorted out, we fired the car on nitro for the first time. Somehow, during that 40 second warm-up, my mind has seemed to misplace all of the trouble and heartache of the past couple of years in getting this all together. Funny how that happens.

We even made a 'planned' 60-foot shut-off pass. I wound up shutting down at about the 40-foot marker (clutch was WAY out), and I can proudly say that my first pass in a fuel car was 22.62 at 25 mph. I know you'll understand this though Bob, it was awesome. I'll keep you posted, all the best.

Raising Hell '48 Fiat

You are cordially invited to a record release party on July 3rd, 8-11 PM, to celebrate the unveiling of Nitronic Research's new drag racing sound f/x compact disc, the BIG SOUNDS OF THE DRAGS 2001, to be held at the Bigfoot Lodge in Los Angeles.

Nitromaniacs get in free, so be sure to be seen with famous drag racers, new wave surf musicians, as well as television and radio personalities. Nitronic Reserach is giving away free CD's to the first 50 attendees. We might even light off a front-motored Top Fuel car on Los Feliz Blvd., a mere block or two from the Tam O' Shanter where (legend has it) the NHRA was chartered not quite 50 years ago.

For more info on the Big Sounds of the Drags 2001, point your browser to: Big Sounds 2001.

I'm glad everyone there had a good time at the points race; we weren't so lucky here. It has been raining two or three times a day here for the last couple of weeks, and that trend continued this weekend. We did manage to slip in one run on Saturday, but Sunday's eliminations ended up being cancelled.

It's easy to criticize or second guess the decisions that track management has to make; but I know that there are a lot of factors to consider. If it rains early in the day, and there are no spectators in the stands, you know they aren't going to want to bend over backwards to complete the show, especially if there is a $20+ thousand payout for the feature cars.

Also, if the intermittent rain keeps cooling the track down to unacceptable levels, there are safety concerns. In this type of situation, phone calls are often made to the airport for an up to date weather forecast, to see if there is any blue sky behind all those black clouds. Perhaps the news on this day was not good, so that's why they pulled the plug.

As often happens after the cancellation, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and it was a very nice afternoon and evening. If we could have waited out this one last shower, the race cars could have been on the track by 4:00 and the alcohol cars could have fired up at 5:00. A decent crowd was on hand, and likely would have been satisfied with either a shortened program, or a complete one that would have been finished by 8:00 or 9:00.

As far as track conditions go, I know that all of the alky racers were willing to give it our best, and most of us would still make very competitive runs, regardless of track temperature. This was the second rainout in two weeks for most of us, and we all are very anxious to get down the race track.

I don't know if there is any blame to be taken from all of this, but as a racer, it is very frustrating to sit there all weekend waiting, and then to let opportunity to slip away like that. I don't know if the track management knows this, but all of us are just as concerned about putting on a show for the fans as we are about running our car and getting paid to keep the operation viable.

We hear a lot of comments from fans as they were leaving, and a lot of it has not been good lately. We worry that these fans are going to get stung once too often, and they won't come back. The racers need the track to be viable, and vice-versa, so at times like this we all become very concerned.

"The Goat" climbs to the top of the List;
Deposes WW2 and the Chryslers

With the thumping tenacity of a braying, randy mountain capricorn, Larry Gotelli, Jr., commandeered the Gotelli Speed Shop Chevrolet-powered fuel dragster across the continental United States to make emphatic statements in subsequent weekends about just who is King of the Hill, be it in Indianapolis, Indiana or the Golden State of California -- or anywhere where front-motored fuel dragsters graze and roam.

By locking horns and ultimately vanquishing the competition in both aforementioned localities, "the Goat" was able to elevate his team to the #1 spot on the Nitronic Research AA/Fuel Dragster List, subjugating and deposing the former honoree, the seemingly-invincible Jim "Holy Smokes" Murphy and his WW2 entry -- a team that had heretofore dominated the List since its inception at the beginning of the year -- to the #2 spot.

The List rewards participation as well as performance, but there will not be an asterisk next to the Gotelli bunch's claiming of the Ultimate Position on the List as the Goat's domination knew no boundaries during the month of June. At Indy on the 11th, the San Francisco-based Gotelli entry claimed Top Fuel Eliminator at the Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals by taking on and trailering three badass Chrysler-enabled teams of nitromaniacs, all of whom hailed from points east of the Continental Divide.

First, "Troy Wonder" Green from Norman, Oklahoma; second, the 5-second entry of Suhr & Lechtenberg out of Waterloo, Iowa; and finally, in one of the finest drag races this journalist has seen contested east of the Mississippi River, Jack "the Sheriff" Harris and his "Nitro Thunder" machine out of Kaysville, Utah.

In this blistering final round, both machines recorded elapsed times of 6.01, but Gotelli shaved Harris out of the hole and never saw him again until after they both dumped the laundry at the culmination of tremendous 240-plus mph trap speeds.

After hightailing back to the Left Coast the next weekend, Gotelli and his crew, spearheaded by the father and son tuning dyanmo of Pete and Re-Pete Kaiser, vanquished the creme de la creme of California-based fueler guys at the Night of Fire/Jim Herbert Memorial at Sacramento. Their first round opponent was Murphy himself, and as both drivers struggled to overcome insufficient traction, Gotelli was able to recover sooner and motor on to victory in what was a pivotal heat as far as List standings are concerned.

Gotelli then finished off the field, first by claiming Low ET of the Meet while wheeling past the Birky Bunch, 6.30 to a 6.36; and ultimately by zipping past the traction-starved Smith & McLennan entry in 6.45 seconds and with a top end speed of 229 mph, numbers which prevailed for Top Speed of the Meet as well as sewing up a trifecta of sorts for the Goat at Sacto: Top Fuel winner, Low ET of the Meet and Top Speed of the Meet, all of which were factors in his advancement to the #1 spot on the Nitronic Research AA/FD List.

Other notable facets of June activities as it relates to the List: Roger "Radar" Lechtenberg joined Paul Romine, Gary Ritter, Bill "The Heartbreaker" Dunlap and Sammy "the Crank" Hale in the Nitronic Research 5-second club at Indy by posting a 5.98 in the first round of eliminations against "Techno" Tim Gibson and the Mastercam AA/FD. Lechtenberg hoped to set an official VRA record against Gotelli in the next round, and after Gotelli ostensibly fouled off his chances of victory by leaving before the lights turned green, Lechtenberg was on "a gimme".

No matter, as Lechtenberg fought for traction and began yawing across the bottom end of the drag strip, clipping a timing reflector cone and disqualifying himself via the time-honored "first or worst" rule that governs dual rules violations. Regardless of the disqualification, by virtue of the Low ET clocking of 5.98, Lechtenberg's Iowa-based "Orange Crate" once again proved to the visiting California teams that there is serious competition out there in what the California racers consider the hinterlands of America.

Also noteworthy was the performance of Jack Harris and his "Utah Posse"; their clocking of 244 mph whilst in pursuit of Gotelli earned them Top Speed marks at Indy, a distinction that will catapult them onto the List at the #9 position. Butch Blair's "Fugowie" machines is now #10 and Smith and McLennan are o-u-t in the cold.

So, after two rounds in June, here's how they stack up:

The next AA/FD race that will count towards placement and position on the Nitronic Research AA/FD List will be the 5th West Coast Hot Rod Happening at the Pomona Fairplex, July 29-30. Also on the calendar is the Slingshot Nationals II, hosted by the Front Engine Dragsters of America, July 1st and 2nd at Cordova Dragway, Cordova, Illinois.

The List cannot reward performance at this event because its Top Fuel show does not conform to the original NDRA specs (12" slicks, 3.90 rear gear, 6-71 blower, spec fuel pump) that govern other series (Goodguys, VRA, Pro Nitro, WCTA, ANRA, HHRR). With that being said, the entire AA/FD scene is rather non-conformist by nature and on the most basic level, nitro is nitro; ergo, we encourage "your" participation at FEDA's showcase event as it promises to deliver some outtasite drag strip action, regardless of its razor-thin rulebook. 'Nuff said.

For more information on the Slingshot Nationals II, visit their website.

Wells loses close one in the semifinals

Defending Division Five Federal-Mogul Dragster Champion David Wells lost to this year's Summit Racing.com Nationals winner Darren Nicholson in the semifinals of the third stop on the Division Five Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series tour at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colorado. Nicholson edged Wells' Blue Bunny Ice Cream / "Plain Vanilla" entry in a close one, running a 5.79 - 242 mph to Wells' hard charging 5.84 - 245.

The Lemars, Iowa native, Wells, qualified #1 with a great 5.730 - 249.30, and defeated #8 qualifier Brent Ducray in the first round with a 5.74 - 249, but problems ensued after the run.

"After I pulled the chutes in the first round, it kicked the blower off of it, and sheared off all of the blower studs," explained Wells. "After the round, we got the studs changed, and the blower back on it with no problems. Everything looked fine, but after we put the blower on, and went to roll the motor over, it was locked up. A broken stud had gone down into the head. We pulled the head off, got the stud out, and luckily it hadn't hurt anything.

"But that had put us so far behind that we were running out of time, and didn't have time to change the settings on the clutch. We figured it should go out there and run the same number with the same settings. It went out and quivered the tires a little at the top of low, then broke them loose when I punched second. That is what lost the race right there, we lost about a tenth of a second when the tires broke loose."

The next stop for the Plain Vanilla team will be during the fourth race in the Division Five tour, at Douglas International Raceway, in Douglas, Wyoming, where Wells will try to catch points leader Billy Bybee, who went on to the win in Denver.

G'Day Bob. Good to see you're busy as ever at Mission. Seems to have had a very good turnout with full fields. In funny car qualifying is that THE Larry Miner from the late '80s who ran the two car Miller Lite team in the Top Fuel ranks?

Litton drops tough first round match to Vandergriff

Bruce Litton remains confident that his first round win will come soon in NHRA Winston competition. His latest disappointment came during this weekend's Sears Craftsman Nationals hosted by Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois. However, Litton isn't terribly disappointed with the outcome. The driver of the WIX Filters presented by Top Dragster Driving Experience Top Fueler, contends that he may have lost in the opening round, but his team gained valuable data from previous runs.

"We knew that going into this event that testing data was going to be our most valuable asset that we would leave with," explained Litton, who competes on both the NHRA and IHRA circuits simultaneously. "We've had better showings than the one we experienced here in Madison, but we'll accept this and move on and hopefully the next outing will provide better results."

Because Litton was hoping to gain data on a particular combination, he was running his entry on a 25% overdrive maximum (the IHRA limit), which placed him at a disadvantage against the regular NHRA competition. NHRA rules have no overdrive percentage limitation.

Litton smoked the tires and coasted to a 6.388 - 135.52 and dropped the match to Bob Vandergriff, Jr. For the latest in Bruce Litton news, visit his website at: www.brucelitton.com.

Litton improves after Day Two;
Scheduled to face Bob Vandergriff, Jr., in the first round

There's nothing like being on the bump spot to motivate a man, especially when it comes to the final session. Such was the case for veteran Top Fuel driver Bruce Litton, who pilots the WIX Filters presented by Top Dragster Driving Experience Top Fueler. He was in the 17th spot and responded on the final attempt with a 4.789 - 300.20, which was enough to catapult him into the 12th position.

Of special note, Litton made his run with a 25% supercharger overdrive intact per requirements of the IHRA program. The NHRA has no formal supercharger overdrive limitations. Litton is very much aware that this makes him an underdog in the first round of eliminations against Bob Vandergriff, Jr.

"As much as we'd like to turn this thing wide-open, I have to work on perfecting this particular combination," explained Litton, who has qualified at every outing thus far in 2000. "This car runs good, it just that sometimes it strays off of the beaten path and we have to steer it back on the road. I think we'll do fine. Our objective is to make good, hard and clean runs. If we win along the way, that'll be great as well."

Litton failed to improve on his first run during Friday's qualifications as he managed only a 5.401 - 197.73, when the tires began smoking at mid-track. The team knew exactly where to go for the final session and Litton delivered with a much-needed improvement.

Final eliminations for the Sears Craftsman Nationals hosted by Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, are slated to begin today at 4:00 PM.

Bob, love your site! It has not only helped us make contact with others, but also helped inspire us to prepare our own car. We won the 1999/2000 season points championship for Top Doorslammer in New Zealand. Our best time to date is a wheel-spinning 6.793, off the trailer.

Unfortunately, we are organizing an engine rebuild after a rod decided to let go and come out of the block on a "fun" day at the end of the season. Hope you like the photo and we will keep you posted when our website is up and running.

Hi Bob. Good job on your website. I have a question that you can perhaps answer. Is there any value to 1600/2002 BMW engines or parts to people racing the darned things, and where would you steer me to contact a local group? Thanks for your help if you find the time to respond.

Litton goes back to the drawing board at Madison with return to NHRA circuit; Qualified ninth after first day

When a Top Fuel racer wins a race and leaves with less points than the guy he beat in the final round, it could mean one of two things. Either the rules need to change or the driver need to go back to work on his combination. Bruce Litton chooses to believe the latter. The veteran Top Fuel driver of the WIX Filters presented by Top Dragster Driving Experience car, has decided to use the NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals, hosted by Gateway International Raceway, in Fairmont City, Illinois, to get back into his groove. After the first day of qualifications, he stands in the ninth position with a 5.088 - 217.74 after one run to his credit.

Litton won an IHRA event the week prior to the event in Madison, but the end result was costly as he wasted two engines, lost 30 total points, had a run thrown out (due to an oil-down) and had to forfeit $500 (in fines). In most every problem, the dark clouds have a silver lining. He won the event.

"I am happy to be back on the NHRA tour," explained Litton, whose business is located across the street from Indianpolis Raceway Park. "We were doing well at the first part of the season, but when business obligations forced us to have to sit out a few events, it really hit our combination. Maybe this weekend, we can get it all back on track."

Litton missed the first session, but came out in the second and delivered a run that was good enough to land him into the ninth spot after the first day of qualifications. The veteran driver clicked it early with a 5.088 - 217.74. He will be afforded two more laps to improve his position in the sixteen-car field. Final eliminations are slated for Saturday.

Bob, I thought I would try and see if you knew anyone in Australia who might have McGee engine parts. We (Don Reed Top Fuel team) are trying to run the McGee engine in IHRA, but the McGee brothers are not responsive to our requests for parts. In fact, phone calls are not even returned, in spite of past verbal promises to make available "all the parts needed." We want to purchase anything that might be available.

Hi Bob, sorry I haven't got back to you sooner. Here is the update. I have one in studio interview with Northwest Cable News TV station, with video of the car; four newspaper feature/illustrated articles, including ON THE RUN in National Dragster; two potential other big northwest TV news station features, one radio interview (almost 100%), and I'm working on nine other radio stations and 13 other newspapers.

The ones that I've got, I plan on plugging your website with the Brazil site link. So make sure that Northern Thunder is the site that they go to find Brazil Racing.

What is your postal address? I can't find the card. I'll find it as soon as I don't need it. (Murphy's Law).

Oh by the way, do you mind if I plug your website? It could be a great opportunity for you and your race team also. Gotta go. I'll be in touch with you this weekend. Are you going to Mission? Which day? I might go on Saturday.

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Here's the new batch of stories at The Drag List.

June 21 -- Pro Mods at Emerald Coast Dragway: Danny White and Darren Woodruff team up again to bring you more Southern doorslammer action.

June 20 -- IHRA Cordova Final Results and NHRA Columbus Final Results: All the action from this weekend's battles in the Midwest.

June 19 -- Tommy Joe and The Straight and Narrow: You asked for it and you got it! Ralph "Gonzo" Crosby has provided us with another hilarious tale of the adventures of Tommy Joe Cauldwell and the gang.

June 18 -- Charleston, Rhode Island Reunion, Day Two: Bill Ott wraps up the happenings at Day Two of the Charlestown Dragway Reunion.

June 17 -- A List of Great Drag Racing Photographers: By one of the great ones himself, Tom West.

June 16 -- Nostalgia Funny Cars in 2000 - A Reality: Funny Car veteran David Ray was at the Indy Goodguys meet to witness the latest twist in the nostalgia drag racing craze: Funny Cars! Words, pics, and much props to Bob Gibson, who put it all together.

June 15 -- Jet Dragster Q & A: Jet veteran Dennis Roslansky answers Larry Heath's questions and provides a wealth of knowledge on the state of jet drag racing today.

June 14 -- Charleston, Rhode Island Reunion, Day One: Bill Ott takes us to Day One of the Charlestown Dragway Reunion. Look for Day Two coming up.

Meyer's Runner-up in All-Star race;
unable to compete in Pontiac Excitement Nationals

Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot Jay Meyer had a very up and down weekend during this past weekend's Federal-Mogul All-Star race, held in conjunction with the Pontiac Excitement Nationals, presented by Summit at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. Meyer went to the finals of the All-Star race, where he was defeated by points leader Rick Santos, 5.444 - 251.86 to Meyer's 5.563 - 231.56. Meyer slowed due to an exploded engine, his second of the weekend.

Meyer defeated last year's All-Star winner Bill Reichert in the first round, where he exploded his first engine, and defeated Division Three Champion Shawn Bowen in the semifinals. Meyer's second exploded engine in the finals was his last motor, causing him not to compete in the Pontiac Excitement Nationals on Sunday, for which he was qualified fifth with a 5.598 at 253.28 mph.

Meyer said, "We had gone along all year and had a pretty good "good air" tune-up, but didn't really have a "bad air" tune-up. We were trying to get something for Santos, and just missed. We changed the compression in Dallas, and beat it up pretty bad. We checked the rods after that, and they appeared to be okay, but we think that rod failure was the cause of the first motor to kick the rods out.

"As for the second motor, we had just got the block back from being repaired, and they had decked the block. I forgot about it, and put the same (thickness) head gasket on it, which upped the compression even more on the spare motor, and really just destroyed that motor. It killed the crankshafts and blocks in both of them. The only thing we had hurt all year was a spun main bearing in Phoenix, and then to go out and literally destroy two motors in three runs really takes the wind out of your sails."

Meyer had planned to compete in this week's upcoming Sears Craftsman Nationals in St. Louis, but now will try to regroup at the rescheduled Hallsville (Texas) Division Four race to finish out the year.

"We have been running pretty low on money all year. I really underestimated what it costs to run this class. In the four years that I sat out, the cost has really increased. The loss of our only two motors pretty much has knocked us out for this year, and that was why we didn't compete in the Nationals on Sunday. I have to thank Billy Bybee and Steve Federlin, they both offered me motors to borrow for Sunday, but I would hate to tear someone else's stuff up, so I declined," Meyer said.

"For all intents and purposes, unless we run into a lot of money, we're pretty much done for the year," Meyer added. "We have enough parts to put together one motor if we get a block, so we will probably make the Hallsville rain-out race, try to clinch the Division Four Championship, and hang it up for the year. We really need a sponsor to do anything else. If there is anyone interested in getting involved with a championship caliber team, they can contact us through our website at Jay Meyer Racing.

Hey Bob, just wondering if you got the speed wobbles with your new connection and fell off the net. Hope the new connection's going well and can't wait to get another one of your updates. Hope you're not feeling too down and if you are... get your butt moving, we want you to get over here as soon as possible. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Australian Drag Racing Looks Forward to Championship Completion

Following a request from Willowbank Raceway to amend the conditions under which the Konica Winternationals may be completed, the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) has directed that the event must be resumed from the point it was halted.

Qualifying for the 2000 Konica Winternationals ceased when rain began falling on the southern Queensland track late on the morning of Saturday, June 10th. After meetings between the track management and ANDRA, where the commercial impact on the track and the event were considered, plans were put in place to complete the event the following day. Rain continued on Sunday, and completion of the event was postponed until October 6th and 7th, with limited qualifying available for those racers in Groups One and Two, who had not made a pass.

Three days after the rainout, Willowbank requested additional qualifying for most categories. While this change appeared to be positive, a number of teams had already made plans for October based on the earlier announcement. Some interstate entrants had stored cars in Brisbane and returned home. This, and the effect of established seeding lists on the ANDRA Championships, and the outcome of the event, was an important factor in considering any change.

This morning, ANDRA confirmed that the event would be completed on October 6th and 7th, from the point at which qualifying ceased late on the morning of Saturday, June 10th. Eliminations for Junior Dragster, which had already commenced, would continue. Qualifying sessions for all categories would be scheduled for the night of Friday, October 6th, with early eliminations for lower categories during the day on Saturday, October 7th, and racing from late afternoon.

"The track has a huge investment in the Winternationals event, and responsibilities to spectators and sponsors," said ANDRA CEO Tony Thornton. "ANDRA accepts that, and in view of the great support the sport enjoys from Willowbank, I'm sure the racers are pleased to share the load. The integrity of our ANDRA Championships must remain a high priority as well. In accepting amendments to the conditions announced when the event was postponed, certainly where qualifying was concerned, we also had to consider the effect on the points chase. The fairest approach in the circumstances was to resume activities from the point the rain began."

Thornton quashed reports circulating last week that ANDRA had declared the championships for the season. "Depending on some of the issues before us, that was one of the options, but by far our least preferred," he commented. "One of the positive things to come out of last week's discussion is that the value of the ANDRA Australian Group One Championships and the ANDRA Australian Drag Racing Series to the sport, the racers, the tracks and the events, has been reinforced."

Willowbank Raceway will contact all entrants in the near future, to confirm their return in October, and advise procedures for credentials, scrutineering, qualifying and so on. For further information, contact ANDRA.

Bob, there were like 565 competitors at this event; as for spectators, I'm not really sure, but the stands were full on Saturday and close again on Sunday. The event was a success and will be back next year. As well, IHRA is adding a second Canadian national event in a brand new facility, location is Niagara Falls. I'm saving up already to attend that one.

Sure wish some western tracks would get on board with IHRA. I hear one will open soon in California (2001). Back later, we're on deadline.

Greg (Lil Rat) here from the Texas Racers Network. Just found your site here. Looks good. Will be back when it's not so late. If possible, please list my site and I will do the same. Thanks.

After watching my favourite documentary "The Devil At Your Heels" again, I realized (the late) Ken Carter needed a website. Yours is the only genuine hit I came up with and it's good to "meet" another fan. After reading your posting, I feel I need to correct one or two things.

Ken Carter never attempted that jump. The ill-fated effort you refer to is actually a colleague of Ken's, Ken Powers.

The approach road was nothing more than a lane-and-a-half of country road; no shoulder, no markings; which led to a ramp the size of the Empire State Building.

The approach road was built at the same time as the ramp, with a white line down the middle, and GOOD LUCK KEN CARTER in six foot letters near the staging area. It was 1800 feet long.

Speaking of which, I've never heard figures, but I have always visually estimated, (from the film), the speed at "ramp impact" to be 280-320 mph. The approach was just shy of a quarter-mile I believe, but... trust me... the thing was ON A PASS when it hit that ramp!

The bumps on the approach road and the one at the base of the ramp threw Ken around so much he couldn't keep his foot on the pedal. He was doing about 180 - 190 mph at the foot of the ramp. The bouncing got more severe on the ramp without the thrust loading up the suspension, and the fibreglass bodywork started to break off. The 'chutes started opening early because the panels they were stuck to came away from the car. They slowed the car down, Ken didn't have the thrust on, and it left the ramp at 160 mph. It was going up, the chutes were pulling it back down, and the panels were coming apart.

The chutes deployed and the car fell into the Seaway about 800 feet out. The rescue teams barely got him out before he drowned.

In his nine second flight, Ken Powers (NOT Carter) flew about 600 feet and the rescuers waded out in knee deep water! He landed about 30 feet from shore. The Canadian shore!

It happened buddy.... big time! A true classic.

It certainly did! Just not like (either) Ken planned. The video I have is 106 minutes! It covers Ken's life from childhood, through the five years it took him to get the jump going (it took place four years and three attempts after originally planned) to the other Ken's ultimate betrayal. He still wanted that big jump. The video was produced by the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Late Show (a comedy series) and the presenters tell of Ken Carter's post-movie activities.

He kept going and doing smaller jumps to raise interest and cash for the big jump. One smaller jump didn't go far enough and Ken landed in a pond. In true Ken style he declared he would be back the next night to do it properly. He overdid it, and crashed upside-down on the roof of the stadium, and died. RIP, Ken Carter.

Obviously, I'm going to have to track down a copy of the story, titled "Devil At My Heels".

To try and find a copy, try ABC Shop, but my copy was from 1994. Good luck.

Hi Bob. Hope to see you at the FMDRS event next week at Mission Raceway. By the way, my car is a bracket car, so we will probably have to park down in "bracketville." It's at the far end of the strip (like almost to Maple Ridge), just before the sand trap. Hope to see you there.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith pushes hard, but falls in first round at NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals

Rhonda Hartman-Smith knows that the NHRA Top Fuel division is one that demands two things: hard work and heaping amounts of horsepower. The Williamston, South Carolina based team, who proudly flies the Fram/Prestone/Autolite banner, always exhibits the highest amounts of hard work, but fell short in the horsepower department in their first round match against defending World Champion Tony Schumacher in the first round of eliminations at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals, hosted by National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio.

"As always, we are just plenty proud to be here," explained Hartman-Smith, who ranks in the top 15 of points earners in the division. "We knew Tony was going to be tough and we just gave it our best shot. I hated that we couldn't win, but, hey, that's racing."

Hartman-Smith, 25, began eliminations as the 11th seeded entry, with a best 4.777 - 311.05 in qualifying that came during the second session, which was contested on Saturday afternoon. Her qualifying position matched her opposite Schumacher, who was in the sixth position. She gambled on the tree and was strong off the line, but at the finish line Schumacher was the quicker and faster. Hartman-Smith recorded a 4.85 - 275 mph lap in the losing effort.

Mick Snyder scores first professional victory at IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals

Mick Snyder had a plan just two weeks ago at the Mopar Parts Canadian Nationals. Snyder, 18, of DeMotte, Indiana, skipped his high school graduation to go drag racing. He had packed his cap and gown to wear in the winner's circle, had the second generation Pro Outlaw star won. Snyder lost in the first round.

The son of defending Pro Outlaw champion Larry Snyder couldn't understand his misfortune at the time, but now he does. Fate was merely saving his first career professional victory for a day even more special: Father's Day. Thus was the case as the former Junior Dragster star waded through a stout field to record the Pro Outlaw title at the IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals, hosted by Cordova Raceway Park in Cordova, Illinois.

There was not a dry eye in the crowd, even though neither Father nor Son will ever admit to such. "I couldn't have asked for a better way to thank my Dad for all the support that he's given me all of these years," explained Mick, who first took over driving for the elder Snyder at the start of the season.

"I owe him a lot for all his dedication to me over the years. I hope this win makes a good down payment. It's not only him, but this was for my whole family. We all work as a team."

Snyder began eliminations as the second seeded entry with a 6.162 - 221.49 mph qualifying best. He topped Jim Lamb in the opening round with a 6.122 - 220.76. He scored his largest win in the semi-finals as he knocked off rival Laurie Cannister with an even quicker 6.095 - 222.99.

The final round matched the aspiring Purdue attendee with the low qualifier Mike Decker. Despite the fact that Decker left the starting line first, Snyder had plenty enough clout at the finish line with a winning 6.104 - 223.28.

The next event on the agenda for the Snyder family will take place at the IHRA Carquest Empire Nationals in Leicester, New York, July 14-16.

Weney falls in Quarterfinals at IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals

The IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals was equally frustrating for veteran Pro Funny Car racer Scott Weney. Weney, 39, of Royersford, Pennsylvania, not only lost a quarter-final match to arch-rival Von Smith, but also lost the points lead to him as well.

Weney doesn't exactly feel great about the situation, but he's not going to lose any sleep over it. "There's a lot of season still left," explained Weney, who won the Holley Spring Nationals back in April. "We wanted to win this race, but then again, we want to win every one of them. We'll regroup and return in New York and hopefully we'll win there."

Weney entered eliminations at Cordova as the tenth quickest qualifier with a 6.042 - 236.84. He shocked the troops by uncorking the quickest lap of the first round with a 5.884 - 239.23 that more than took care of Jim Lape. In the second round, a quicker reaction from Von Smith proved to be his undoing as the defending champ led him to the finish line. Veney lost with a quicker 5.894 elapsed time.

The hunt for the championship continues at the IHRA Carquest Empire Nationals, in Leicester, New York, during the weekend of July 14-16.

Cannister falls in Semi-finals at IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals

Have the semifinals for Pro Outlaw star Laurie Cannister become a stumbling block or is it just an aberration? Whatever it is, for the second straight race, the 38-year old Smith, Kline, Beecham executive has come up one pass shy of the championship showdown, a stark contrast from 1999 when she won four out of five finals in eight Pro Outlaw outings on the way to IHRA Rookie of the Year.

The Clinton, Pennsylvania driver got off to a good start during Saturday's quarterfinal elimination against second-seeded Mick Snyder at the IHRA's Amalie Oil Summer Nationals. She had the advantage on the holeshot, .461 seconds to .485, in her Nicorette/Nicoderm CQ Mopar Parts dragster, by Snyder had more horsepower. He covered Cordova Dragway Park's quarter-mile with an elapsed time of 6.126 seconds at 221.49 mph to Cannister's 6.186 - 208.46, eliminating her hopes for another championship.

The previous race, two weeks ago in Canada, she was kept from racing for the championship by red lighting at the Christmas Tree.

The weekend started off promising for Cannister. She had sparkling qualifying passes, finishing third in the trials with her best effort of 6.162 at 215.83 mph on Friday. Her outlook was bolstered with her first-round eliminations pass of 6.089 seconds at 212.96 mph on Saturday.

Cannister will have a month to regroup and will try to crack that semi-final barrier July 14-16 at the Carquest Empire Nationals at New York International Raceway Park in Leicester, New York.

Jenkins snake bit by familiar reptile in first round of IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals

Shannon Jenkins seemed to be back in old form this weekend. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based engine builder ran some very stout numbers in qualifying, showing the defending champion will do what it takes to defend his crown.

During the first qualifying session, "The Ice Man" laid down a 6.484 - 218.12 run that was good enough to land him in the sixth spot at the end of day one. Not resting on his laurels, Jenkins bettered his attempt during the second day of qualifying by running an impressive 6.386 - 221.96, putting him in the second position at the end of round two. For the third round, Jenkins had traction problems around half track, causing him to lift. Jenkins ultimately finished qualifying in the seventh spot of a Pro Mod field that entertained nine 6.3 second qualifiers.

Jenkins seventh position had him pairing up in the first round against his teammate Billy Harper. Jenkins and Harper are both driving 2000 Dodge Vipers. Jenkins' car is dubbed "The Ice Man", while Harper's is called "The Viper." Jenkins had the lane choice due to a quicker qualifying position.

Jenkins' holeshot gave him the advantage off the start, but Harper caught him quickly and kept it tight until the end. Harper scored the win with a 6.383 - 215.75 to Jenkins' 6.429 - 220.80.

The Iceman and his team will continue to defend their 1999 Pro Mod crown at the upcoming IHRA Carquest Empire Nationals in Leicester, New York, during the weekend of July 14-16.

Brian Gahm takes an early exit in his debut with Roy Singleton's Majesty Homes entry

Former Pro Stock driver Brian Gahm showed up as Roy Singleton's latest hired gun. Brian came to the IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals in Cordova, Illinois, with little seat time in Singleton's 1941 Willys, but proved to be able to handle the nitrous powered Pro Mod just he like did in the early '90s.

During Thursday's first qualifying session, Gahm had to shut it down early when the car got out of shape. Being the professional driver he is, Gahm got back into it harder for his second attempt, making it into the show with a 6.439 - 218.94 run. Gahm's third attempt was a solid 6.459 - 215.72 run. The Majesty Homes team ultimately finished qualifying in the number eleven spot.

Gahm's eleventh seeding had him pairing up with the number six qualifier, Ronnie Hood, in the first round of eliminations. Gahm took a slight starting line advantage, but was not quick enough to hold off the hard-charging Hood. Hood caught him quickly and drove by at the finish. Hood took the win with a 6.413 - 218.19 to Gahm's slower 6.486 - 214.83.

Gahm and the rest of the Roy Singleton's Majesty Homes team will be at the upcoming Carquest Empire Nationals in Leicester, New York, July 14-16.

Castellana drops tough match in first round at IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals

Mike Castellana's dreams for turning the season around in his '57 Western Beef Chevy appeared promising, heading into Saturday's eliminations for the IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals in Cordova, Illinois. Those dreams, however, were dashed, although just barely, by Carl Spiering who nosed out Castellana by .001 seconds, or about four inches, on Cordova Dragway's quarter-mile. The difference came at the starting line where Spiering got the jump on Castellana. He left in .472 seconds to Castellana's .485.

Castellana had the quicker run in vain. He covered the quarter-mile in 6.397 seconds at 216.06 mph to Spiering's 6.409 - 218.34.

The Westbury, New York resident, who failed to make the eliminations round in two of the first three races, had exorcised those qualifying demons during Friday's final session to make the field for the final sixteen. He turned in a career best third place with a 6.36 - 222.34, improving on the day's first run of 6.40 at 220.26.

In Thursday's qualifying, Castellana had experienced some of the problems he had in Canada two weeks ago, having to lift early in the run.

Castellana now will have nearly a month to think about that hole shot loss before the IHRA stops in his home state for the Carquest Empire Nationals, July 14-16 at New York International Raceway Park in Leicester, New York.

Tommy Gray's Undertaker succumbs to battle of the IHRA Demons

Tommy Gray's fantastically popular '53 Corvette Pro Modified has struggled against itself since finishing runner-up at the season-opening Prolong Winter Nationals in Darlington, South Carolina. Ever since then, Gray has suffered from one hardship or another. The Graveyard Gang entered the IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals in Cordova, Illinois, with all intentions of rectifying the problems of the past.

"I know that there's a problem in our combination," explained Gray, who will soon debut a second car within his operation with partner Richard Crouse. "We've gone from end of this car to the other and have yet to pinpoint the problem. I'm confident that we'll get it worked out soon."

Gray's best qualifying run for the Summer Nationals put him in the field at number 14. Gray hammered out a 6.454 - 216.55, which put him in the field with just thousandths of seconds to spare.

Gray, who carries the nickname "Tombstone Tommy", kept his focus for the first round of competition when he met Pat Moore, former IHRA Top Sportsman World Champion. The pioneering Pro Modified racer took the track away from Gray from start to finish, leaving Gray with another disappointing weekend.

The Graveyard Gang will return to Baltimore, Maryland, and prepare the Undertaker for the Carquest Empire Nationals in Leicester, New York, July 14-16. Catch all the latest information on the Undertaker team at their website, www.undertakerracing.com.

J.R. Todd qualifies in first outing; Loses tough match opposite Paul Romine at IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals

If J.R. Todd ever hopes to achieve the high expectations that many hold for him in the Top Fuel division, he must pair up against the best competition in the game. At the IHRA Amalie Oil Summer Nationals in Cordova, Illinois, the driver of the United Expressline/Bruce Litton Trailer Sales Top Fueler not only did battle with two of the best in the industry, but also left many feeling that they had gotten a glimpse of a future superstar.

Pardon the 18-year old from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, if he seems a little bit woozy. Things are going plenty fast for the kid that most recently attained his Top Fuel license on the third run of his career after graduating from the junior dragster ranks. He attained the license a week prior to making his IHRA Summit national event debut. He's settled into the job and with each run improves his burgeoning talent.

"This was awesome," explained Todd, who qualified fifth in his national event debut as the driver of the second Bruce Litton machine. "I know that I have a long way to go to catch up to the level of knowledge that most of my counterparts have. I'm a patient person. Learning is a fun thing and I'm certain that this learning curve is going to be the most exciting one that I've ever encountered."

He didn't exactly get off to the best start as he made a rookie mistake during the first qualifying attempt that mistakenly shut the motor down on the starting line.

Todd admitted a bit of embarassment, but quickly made up for his shortcoming in the first attempt on Friday as he lined up against four-time world champion Shirley Muldowney, who gave her endorsement of the rookie driver during a media day interview. Todd beat her off the line, but she beat him to the finish line. The kid stayed with it and lifted in the lights with a 4.955 - 277.43.

A team decision to conserve parts resulted in the team opting to sit out the final qualifying session. That decision dropped the team down to the fifth spot in the eight-car field.

His seeding matched him opposite of two-time champion Paul Romine in the opening round. Both cars had identical reaction times, but Romine pulled away at the finish line to score the win. It was not a total loss for Todd, after all, the freshman driver scored the quickest and fastest run of his short career, with a 4.936 - 293.09.

For the latest in J.R. Todd news, visit his website at www.brucelitton.com. Todd's diary of his ascension to the Top Fuel ranks is currently chronicled in Drag Racing's Internet magazine at www.competitionplus.com.

A good Canadian rant page: www.skunclenet.com

Hartman-Smith prepares for Columbus battle, Looking for first NHRA Top Fuel Win

Rhonda Hartman-Smith is hoping that a little luck will flow her way at this weekend's Pontiac Excitement Nationals hosted by National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. The veteran Top Fuel driver from Williamston, South Carolina, who pilots the Fram/Prestone/Autolite sponsored digger, hopes the latest event on the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series schedule could provide her with that victory.

Hartman-Smith is in the middle of a multi-race marketing agreement with the trio of Fram, Prestone and Autolite that first began at the NHRA Prestone Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois, and will conclude at the Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, California. The program was initially planned as a two-race deal, but was amended to serve as an associate deal for the events between.

Hartman-Smith knows that the odds do not have her designated as a favorite to win the title or the event, but that doesn't stop her from going after the competition with a wide-open attitude.

"Anybody can be beat on any given day," explained Hartman-Smith, who scored her first round victory since returning after a year's absence. "We just want to go out there with a consistent program and hammer away at the competition. Maybe a win will come our way."

Hartman-Smith will be afforded two qualifying attempts today with another two on Saturday at the NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals, with eliminations slated for Sunday.

Hey Bob: I was recently informed that our I.B.A.A. (International Blown Alcohol Group) is booked in for a six-car deal at the Mission Loafers deal. (August 12-13). I am really excited about this. I was fortunate enough to be on holidays in B.C. last year when this event was held, and took it in as a spectator. What a blast!

This was the first time in many years that I went to a race as a spectator, and my first visit to Mission. I loved it. The track is beautiful, and the Loafers put on a very entertaining race. I consider myself lucky to be able to attend this year as a competitor. Looking forward to finally meeting you. See you in August.

Thanks Bob, for passing along Tom's (Mohan) phone number; the gears are living great. I think the change should work, but the track was so bad that we didn't get to make a full run. Waiting for a good track to really wind out the car.

Just reading up on things back home and I must say that I'm quite surprised at the action taken by NHRA over the "Drescher incident"; Not surprised though (it is NHRA after all, and nothing they do surprises me anymore). Naturally I was not there and cannot testify on Andy's behaviour, only his character.

He's a wild man and speaks his mind, but the idea of him chasing kids on his 'cycle is ludicrous. Andy is, above all, a decent guy. If he had an argument with someone about the noise of their generator (and I'm not saying for a minute that Andy is a potential diplomat), I cannot believe for a minute that he would take it out on the kids. It's just not like him.

I am more dismayed by the apparent lack of judicial process in the NHRA. Is it true that this was just one person's word against another with no supporting witnesses and it resulted in a three year suspension? These were gestapo tactics! What happened to due process? Does Andy not get to tell his side? Can anyone now make any accusations against anyone else they don't like and have them suspended for three years just on their "say so"? If this is the case, everyone's in trouble and let he who is without sin cast the first stone!

Geez Bob.... Got on a roll with that 'add to your links' deal and didn't even notice that I sent one to you... been cranking up a new business for a friend (restoration), and not even staying on top of the Bikesters website enough to keep track of where it's linked. We've been doing some great cars, mostly French (Bugattis), and Italian (red cars). Also do some very high end metal polishing at the shop (old mag wheels, etc).

But my fave that we're doing right now is a '63 Fuller. It's 'The Year of The Fuller' at the California Hot Rod Reunion and this was his favorite of the 250+ diggers he built. So Pete Starrett decided this would be a good thing to do for Kent -- and we all dove in. (Fuller's a most important part of the history of this sport). Very nice little full body blown small block chevy car. Originally run by Vic Hubbard in the Bay area. Then Jon Halstead ran it as the "Western Manufacturing Special." After that, Jim Lang ran it for a year or two. Then it hung in the rafters of his garage for almost 35 years. Still remarkably intact. It's gonna be a nice one.

Been documenting the restoration on it, (processes, materials, etc). Probably put up a page or two, or maybe a site for people to look at to help them out if they are contemplating, or involved in, this type of a project. Having a digger project around keeps these car collector and sports car guys that we deal with in line very nicely. It let's 'em know what's really 'Cool'.

PS: You can certainly use this 'e' on Backfire! Might help stimulate interest in restoring old Drag cars. We gotta make an attempt to save all of our history we can.

Hi! My name is Alon Vingogradov. I'm 20 years old and currently attending university. My major is Mechanical Engineering. I've always loved cars, and just thought of getting some info about racing. The major question is what is the best way to get to Formula One or any other high class racing? And how do people do that? Please write me back!

Hey Bob! I have no way of knowing whether or not you received this letter the first time, so here goes! In regards to your story concerning NASCAR's lucrative television package, I think it's ludicrous to compare anything that happens in NASCAR with what's going on in the sport of Drag Racing. It's like comparing the NBA to the NFL; the racing is definitely different. And yes, even the crowds are different.

I do agree that Bill France has done a tremendous job with Winston Cup, but when has drag racing ever been as popular as NASCAR? At least as far as the motorsports media is concerened. Talk to any veteran drag racer from the '60s or '70s and you'll find out quick how far the sport has come.

Last year I had a conversation with Don Schumacher of "Stardust" fame. He told me that back in the '70s, you were lucky to see three or four national events a year on television. And the crowds were no comparison to today's crowds.

Do you honestly think NASCAR would continue its' dominance if say, someone like Bruton Smith decided to start up a competing Stock Car series? You would have another IRL vs. CART fiasco all over again. Well, the same could be said for drag racing. Where do you think drag racing would be if you didn't have two competing organizations (NHRA/IHRA) constantly pointing the finger at each other, stabbing each other in the back.

Meyer - Man on a Mission in Columbus

Federal-Mogul Dragster pilot Jay Meyer will head into National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio, a man on a mission. Defeat Rick Santos, and bring home two wins at this weekend's Federal-Mogul All-Star Race held in conjunction with the Pontiac Excitement Nationals, presented by Summit. Meyer is this year's Division Four FM/D All-Star.

The Freeport, Texas native clinched an All-Star berth on the heels of four straight wins in Division Four this year, to edge out Troy Buff at the last race for a spot on the Division Four team.

Meyer said, "It's a real honor to be a part of the All-Star team, since we got a late start on it. (All-Star points start in the middle of the previous season). We will be going up against the best-of-the-best. We used to go to Columbus pretty regularly back in the '80s, and back then, the track was always the equalizer; it was always marginal."

"The fan support there (Columbus) is just phenomenal," Meyer added. "It's just an old race from way back. The campgrounds are just full of motorhomes, and there's a bunch of fans hollering and screaming, it's just a fun race to go to."

Meyer has one win on the national level this year (Mac Tools Gatornationals), making a total of five wins, but trails Rick Santos in points 623 to 551. Santos and Meyer met in the semifinals at the recent Castrol Nationals in Dallas, with Santos winning and going on to win the race.

"Dallas has hot air and a good racetrack, which was hard for us to figure out. Columbus is usually a hot and greasy racetrack, which is right up our alley," Meyer explained. "As far as beating Santos, first off, there is a lot of good racers that are going to be there, so we've got to beat them first to get to him. We have to qualify well, and do like we did at Dallas, and try as hard as we possibly can to beat him."

"I don't know if you can beat that guy," Meyer added jokingly. "We'll just have to keep on trying." For more info on the Meyer team, check out their website at Jay Meyer Racing. For more info on the Santos vs. Meyer points chase, check out Competition Plus, drag racing's largest e-zine.

The deal in Edmonton was as complete a washout as it could get. I didn't even hear a motor start the entire weekend. The event has been re-scheduled to August 9th (Wednesday night). I'm not sure how they are going to get everything done in that short a time (one evening).

It was very disappointing to see that no one showed up from out of town with a Top Alcohol Dragster. My brother Steve and I were the only ones there; I am starting to see the writing on the wall with respect to the demise of our class. I know that there are least four more cars in Alberta alone that are parked; maybe the fields would fill up again if we could somehow get the expenses down a little, the prize money up and put fun back in it by getting rid of some of the politics.

I do have a copy of the letter (from Chris Blair, Division Six Director) and the specs; it looks like we have to make this change before Seattle. Greg Park left no doubt that this change was going to be enforced, so I don't know what to say. I also discussed the spec with him and it turns out that I had interpreted it wrong.

I thought that the six inch minimum dimension was from the wing attachment bolts to the center of the strut crossmember, but it actually is to the centerline of the forward strut (sta rod?). I think I can fix everything by shortening the top of my wing stand by 8 or 9 inches, which I am not happy about, but at least I don't have to start from scratch.

Bob, IHRA racing is a fantastic alternative to the monopolized corporate racing we're accustomed to (with NHRA). I went to the Nationals (at Grand Bend, Ontario) for my first IHRA event and came away impressed, to say the least. They did something I wasn't expecting: provided ENTERTAINMENT.

The Saturday "Night of Fire" was really cool. The Pro Mods, with Freddy Hahn re-setting the record with a 6.17 were AWESOME. Rob Atchison's Canadian Chevy powered Alcohol Funny Car was #1 qualifier at 5.88. Shirley setting the mph record at 310+ was also very cool. I'm not really a bike guy, but what can you say about Nitro Harleys that run 6.40's at over 220 mph or Pro Stocks at 6.62 - 209.74 mph.

The Pro Outlaw class was awesome also, as Neal Parker took on the otherwise all dragster field, in his "Hot Rod from Hell" Executioner Fiat, WON and set Low ET and Top Speed at 6.031 - 230.82. Very well done. And if you've never experienced Top Sportsman, what can you say? Over 50 door cars in the 6's and 7's. AWESOME comes to mind.

I could go on and on and I will, but in the July issue of Quicktimes. Just thought I'd share some insight on what I found to be an excellent alternative to our current market and would like to see IHRA racing again soon; only maybe a little closer to home.

June 13 -- The World's 10 Quickest Pickups: Danny White breaks them down and not a gun rack in the bunch!

June 12 -- That 'Ol Black Magic: James Morgan with a great photo and memory of one of the best Funny Car racers of the '70s.

June 11 -- Maryland International Raceway Spring Funny Car Classic titles to Gibson, Plummer and Hayes: Brother Tim Pratt and I did the MIR thing last night. He manned the digital camera; I manned the mike with Lewis Bloom.

June 10 -- The Plumer, The Lewis Brothers, and The Law: Photographer Bob Plumer tells an amusing tale of trying to cut down an event banner at Maple Grove Raceway.

June 9 -- Don Garlits and his Museum: The Smithsonian's Robert Post puts in a good word for Big Daddy and his outstanding drag racing museum -- curator to curator.

June 8 -- We have so much new to report today that I'm using the entire Drag Racing Story of the Day to tell you. Check it out: Drag Racing List enters a new phase.

June 7 -- Kirt's Automotive Pro Mod Challenge: Danny White and Darren Woodruff combine to bring you all the action from a big money Deep South doorslammer match race.

June 6 -- There was so much drag racing action this past weekend that we had to do two stories! NHRA Chicago Route 66 Nationals results and IHRA Grand Bend Canadian Nationals results. Congrats to John Force on becoming the all-time NHRA National Event win leader. Check out the Route 66 results for a full listing of all his wins and a brief comparison of the win records of John and former all-time event win leader Bob Glidden. IHRA action was amazing at the first National Event in Canada in many moons.

On an incredibly sad note, Jet Dragster driver Jack Dustman was killed in Canada when his parachute failed to open after a pass. The Dustmans are good people who moved up from the circuit alky funny car ranks to jets. Their act was first class all the way, in quality, performance and preparation. They are always friendly to fans and helpful to fellow racers. This is extremely hard to take, especially on the heels of the loss of fellow Jet Dragster driver Bill Gnegy a few weeks ago. Our deepest sympathies to the Dustman family and to all their friends.

Dieter Sturm has invited friends of Jack Dustman to his Jetwebb.com message board to express their thoughts and words.

June 5 -- Tommy Ivo's Heroes: Yes, even drag racing superstars have their own heroes. Tommy describes his and the fun they had racing in the old days.

June 4 -- How Jon Asher Got His Start: Drag racing photojournalist extraordinaire Jon Asher tells how he went from salesman to highly paid drag photographer with a combination of moxie and luck.

June 3 -- Sleeping in The Garage: A few things you say once, and only once, while attending a drag race with the little lady. Thanks, Gonzo.

June 2 -- Today's story comes from our own Danny White, who tells what happens when drag racers take over a simple agricultural contest.

June 1 -- We're back. We had a fantastic camping vacation with our friends Sean and Tonya Speer that took us to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and to Williamsburg, Virginia. Williamsburg was not planned, but after we got hit with a hurricane in the Outer Banks, we headed north before tempting fate. At least one night of our vacation was spent in sleeping bags on the floor of a shelter (pop up trailers don't stay too watertight in hurricanes). It was one more adventure, however, and the vacation was a nice chance to recharge our batteries. We are ready to go again.

Hope you like the seven Drag Racing Stories of the Day we left during our absence. You didn't read them all at once, did you? Oh well, that's OK. Today's Story of the Day comes from NHRA Event Director (and Director of the NHRA Museum) Steve Gibbs. Steve tells what happens when you walk into a room of '70s Funny Car racers with the heads of both major sanctioning bodies.

Do you know what the official word is on the wing strut thing? First I was thinking that I would have to order material for new wing stands, then I thought it was all called off because the chassis builders and SFI had not been consulted. After talking to Greg Park in Edmonton this weekend, however, he still maintains that it has to be done.

Wells gets back into groove with win in Brainerd

Defending Division Five Federal-Mogul Dragster Champion David Wells regained his championship form with a win during this weekend's Division Five Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at The Colonel's Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota. Wells came out of the #4 qualifying spot to defeat #3 qualifier Mark Kinser in the final, when Kinser gave it away at the starting line with a foul start. Wells went on to run a 5.642 - 251.02 to take the win, and move into second place in Division Five standings.

Wells defeated Ziggy Zivkovich and Division Five points leader Billy Bybee, respectively, on his way to the finals.

Wells said, "We have been struggling at the last few races trying to chase down how to fix our tireshake problems. We have been trying different tire brands, gear ratios, and a few other things. We got out there Friday for the first qualifying session, and calmed it way down and still blew the tires off with the Goodyears. The next morning we put the Hoosiers back on there, and went right down the track. From then on, it was just a matter of tuning to the track and conditions with some help from Tom Conway."

"It was shaking really hard in the finals against Kinser," Wells added. "I finally saw that my win light was on from where he had red-lighted, so I went ahead and short shifted high gear, and that's why it only ran a 5.64"

The next stop for the Blue Bunny Ice Cream "Plain Vanilla" team will be at the Division Five Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series event at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado, where he will try to close the gap between him and points leader Bybee. "It's always tough to go to Denever with the altitude and all, but its better coming off of a win," Wells said.

What is the process for having Exiss Aluminum Trailers placed on your website in the Trailer Link section?

An unconfirmed report from a classroom in the Garden State:

A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is a (New Jersey) Devils (hockey team) fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they were Devils fans too. Not really knowing what a Devils fan was but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fireworks.

There is, however, one exception. A girl named Lucy has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Devils fan." Then, asks the teacher, what are you? "Why I'm proud tp be a (Philadelphia) Flyers (another hockey team) fan," boasts the little girl.

The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Lucy why she is a Flyers fan. "Well, my Dad and Mom are Flyers fans, and I'm a Flyers fan too." The teacher is now angry. "That's no reason," she says loudly.

"What if your Mom was a moron, and your Dad was a moron. What would you be then?" A pause, and a smile. "Then," says Lucy, "I'd be a Devils fan."

Hi Bob. Well, you're right, someone has to speak up for these fellows, so I will try to put another point of view across.

First we will deal with Andrew Dresher. There is no doubt in my mind that Andrew screwed up a bit. Andrew had a couple of beers too many the night before; was upset over a dispute with a girlfriend and was acting a little stupid. Now I don't know if you've ever met Andrew, but he is a rather large intimidating character.

I did meet the folks that were rightfully upset with some of his actions, but misunderstood him a bit. As I understood it, Andrew woke up around 8:30 AM with a hangover and wandered over to these folks and mouthed off about noisy generators. This was uncalled for, no doubt, and knowing Andrew, he probably used some language that was totally inappropriate around young children. As he is a rather large person and was wearing his riding leathers, I'm sure that he was a little intimidating to total strangers.

I also understand that one of the children imagined that Andrew was chasing them on his Harley. As I said earlier, Andrew is intimidating to look at and on his bike, even more so. However, I do not believe Andrew was chasing anyone on his bike. I asked Andrew if this happened and he just laughed and said that he had left the pit and came back a little later and the kids saw him and ran away.

So if this was misconstrued into chasing, well, what can we say? A 3-year suspension and a fine of $1000 is nothing more than an over-reaction on NHRA's part, in my opinion. Yes, Andrew screwed up. Yes, NHRA cannot condone or allow this sort of nonsense, but come on, this is a little bit too harsh a treatment. There are no witnesses to the incident (other than the complainants), to the best of my knowledge, and it really is one person's interpretation of another.

As far as Shawn Lecy or Neil Lachelt are concerned, somebody spun a doughnut on the grass. Who, nobody knows for sure, and if Neil or Shawn know, they aren't saying. Once again hearsay, no witnesses. I can support the fact that this sort of action cannot be tolerated, but do not see a 1-year suspension as being necessary to wake people up and set an example. Yes, action had to be taken in both of these cases, but I feel that the action taken was and is an over-reaction.

That is the way I see it.

Click on the address below for the update (WET!) race reports from the 2000 (Australian) Winternationals and then click on the racer diary. Scroll down to the current date for the daily reports.
Ken Lowe Race Cars

BIKESTERS: An Adventure in Racing and Technology. Howzabout adding us to your links pages? Check us out at: Bikesters

Take a look at the new Mission Raceway website!

(Message to Lindsay Deuchar, UK Top Methanol Dragster racer, and copy sent to Backfire!)

Please accept my apologies if I said something in such a way as to appear critical (and those comments were mine, not Norm's). That was certainly not my intent. For proof, please see my comments in the Federal-Mogul Top Alcohol Forum. Please also note that the reason Norm was in England was to do the SFI test for PSI customers. We have become aware that the SFI cost has been a deciding factor for European racers, and have decided to take the service to you, rather than your having to send your blowers to us. That is our "7000 mile" gift. Also, NHRA recently changed to a three-year recertification period.

Norm and I were both impressed with the dedication and earnestness with which the racers approached their task at Santa Pod. I have to admit, though, that it does hurt to be so roundly rejected by a group, when we have fought so hard to become accepted for creating a superior piece of racing equipment. Regards.

I always (well, almost always) have fun racing. I wasn't wild about having to buy a truck and trailer (over the winter), but I'm glad I've got them. So far this year we've had two outings.

Went to the Division Four race at Dallas in March. We'd never run the 'Plex before. Convinced myself that I had to put tons of clutch in. Overclutched it, but still went 6.14 on our first lap. They cancelled the first session so we only got two shots. On the second run it picked up .04 in the first 60 feet and a tenth to the 330 foot mark, even though I had to lift at about 275 feet due to the car moving out of the groove. Took everyone's advice by shutting off when it got out of the groove at that track.

We ended up 11th (in an 8-car field). There were 17 cars there, including Austin, Bartone, all of the Division Four hitters and a few of the Division Five guys. I think I counted six cars there from last year's top 20.

We ran a match race in Phoenix on May 13th. Snotty track, tough to get down. Both runs in the low 7's, lost one round (just barely) and won one round. Everyone was having trouble. Mert Littlefield bounced his off the wall. My car didn't like being pedaled (and pedaled, and pedaled, and well you get the picture). Ended up bending a bunch of rods, pinched a couple of piston ring lands and pounded some rings. My visions of making a few bucks on that race went out the window!

We're going back to Phoenix next weekend. I've got to be nuts on two counts. It's hotter than hades there in June and secondly, four of us flopper guys are match racing jets. I've never done that before....

Just finished up putting the clutch and trans in the car. Got some more odds and ends to do, but we are basically ready. We load the car Wednesday night, leave Friday night, race Saturday night, come back home Sunday. I'm pretty sure all my neighbors spend their weekends that way :-)

Be sure to check out the pic of the truck/trailer on the Phoenix match race photo page that I put up.

I am in the process of creating a drag racing search engine called 1320 Search and I need sites to enter into it. You can visit: Atlas Spaceports to submit your site. To actually search, point your browser in the direction of 1320 Web Search. It works just like any other search engine on the net.

The site ranks by date added, so the first people to submit their site will get the highest rankings. All adult and non-drag racing sites will be removed from the database. Also, when it is complete, you will be able to add a search box to your own site, free of charge, if you wish to do so. Advertising opportunities are also available, send me an email if you are interested.

Hey Bob. Just thought you should know that Robin Judd went 6.17 at 220 mph tonight in the first Top Doorslammer qualifying session. If you already heard, no worries, but just in case I thought I'd send along the news.

There is at least one very good reason why we in Europe run Autorotors (Whipples); in the FIA's wisom we have to run basically to the NHRA's rules in FIA classes (unlike Australia), of which Top Methanol (another FIA anachronism) is one. As such we have to have the screw blowers re-certified (SFI). Now just think about that; which makes more sense: send it back to the USA (expensive), or have it done in Sweden (where most of the screw blower equipped cars reside)?

It's bad enough for me (as well as for the other UK racers, to get their blower to Sweden. A week off work, a dodgy 26 hour (each way) North Sea ferry crossing and an eight hour (each way) drive, plus accomodation, to have it re-certified. (For the uninformed, Autorotors are made in Sweden). That's still cheaper and quicker than sending it to the USA. If you think it's expensive racing in the USA/Canada, double it and you might be somewhere near what it is here.

I did meet Norm Drazy whilst he was at the Pod (Santa Pod Raceway). He was a very informative and interesting guy and he does make a very good blower (the results speak for themselves), but unfortunately there is a 7000 mile drawback.

I also think Norm is being extremely unfair when he says "no one is running very well compared to here (North America) and Australia" and insinuating that racers in Europe see someone going fast and just copy them. I assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. Almost everyone in Alcohol Dragster has a unique combination (only 2 out of 11 had the same engine capacity!). It's hard enough racing in the land of Formula One and receiving little recognition, but to have "one of your own" put you down is hard to take.

PS: Anybody got a short deck KB Stage 6 block for sale? (I'm serious!)

Greetings from cold and wet (in the dry season?) Mt. Isa. I am all set for the long weekend on the computer keeping up to date with the latest from Willowbank. What's worse is that up until two weeks ago, I was there. I had managed to score a work trip to the big smoke of Brissie, but it all fell through a few days ago. Oh well, maybe next year. Until then I guess I'll have to wait to see all the action on FOXSports.

How are the Thunder's plans for an assault on the 2001 Nationals? Catchya later, Greggsy.

With summer imminent, the heat is being turned up accordingly in the AA/Fuel Dragster wars. Competition for AA/FD's commences in subsequent weekends 2000 miles apart, first at the Goodguys 10th Indy Hot Rod Nationals this weekend (June 9-11), followed by Sacramento Raceway's Nitro Night of Fire/WCTA Jim Herbert Memorial on June 17th & 18th.

As teams prepare for competition for these events, we felt it was incubment to voice who on the Nitronic Research AA/FD List was going to be doing what, where and how.

Three teams on the List (Gotelli, Champion Speed Shop, Suhr & Lechtenberg) are in competition this weekend at Indy and are not expected to campaign the next weekend at Sacramento. Conversely, the other seven teams on the List are expected to race at Sacramento. Here's how it shakes out:

1. WW2  Defending champion of the Jim Herbert Memorial, which is a nice conceptual and emotional touch since Herbert was the previous majordomo of this race car. Since the car was purchased by Jim "Holy Smokes" Murphy at the end of last season, the team has subscribed to the Bauhaus School of Design "less is more" philosophy, with both the car and driver undertaking a diet as well as shortened stroke and diminished bore to the powerplant. The ensuing numbers have spoken for themselves, with a runner-uo finish at the Goodguys March Meet followed by a #1 qualifying volley at the rain-aborted Nitro Nationals at Sears Point in April.

As a footnote, your humble reporter's e-mail inbox has been lovebombed with diplomatic complaints about tallying the WW2 entries' Nitro Nationals Low ET performance towards further domination of The List. It is no secret to those who were paying close attention in Sears Point that Murphy posted his superlative 6.06 in the preferred right lane during his final qualifying attempt that weekend.

The controversy lies in the fact that Murphy had already run in that lane, a practice contrary to traditional drag racing protocol, which is to say during qualifying sessions a team is supposed to change lanes during subsequent attempts.

No matter as far as the arbiters of The List are concerned. It ain't our job to police the staging lanes during a drag race, it's the responsiblity of either the sanctioning body or track employees. Take it up with them, we say.

And as a footnote to this footnote, we must remind readers that The List refused to acknowledge WW2's 268 mph time slip at the March Meet, a number that had been recognized as Top Speed of The Meet in race coverage by not only Drag Racer Magazine, but also the Goodguys Gazette. Murphy has gone on record as saying he felt the time was legit, a notion reinforced by tuners as knowledgable as Tim "Chops" Beebe (of Beebe & Mulligan fame, among others).

We at Nitronic Research do not claim to be as smart as Tim Beebe, but feel that the time given was pure Orville Redenbacher, particularly when noted that the speed given for the 1/8-th mile was 400-odd mph. The List credited Top Speed to Steiner & Berger at 244 mph -- a decision we stand by.

2. Gotelli Speed Shop  Event runner-up from last years' Hot Rod Nationals. An event win waiting to happen as evidenced by the #2 qualifier spot at Sears Point, and this weekend at Indy is as likely as any. Furthermore, the team is on a roll as far as Top End charge: 240 mph Top Speed of The Meet at the aforementioned rain-shortened Nitro Nationals.

3. Fuller & Dunlap  The nitro punditry has declared that as far as finding a handle on its tune-up, this team was as lost as Stevie Wonder parachuting off of a helicopter into the Canadian Wilderness to play paintball. BUT, Fuller & Dunlap seem to be on the rebound and out of the woods if their performance at the Pro Nitro Memorial Match Race Madness at Tucson two weeks ago is any barometer. At the high-altitude track, Dunlap dominated a field that included Kent "Thrash" Terry, the Circuit Breaker, and Ty Norton, ultimately posting a 6.29 to take Top Eliminator. (Note: This race did not count towards advancement on The List, as it was a 4-car match race; 8-car eliminators and up are the criteria for The List...)

The Sacramento surface, however, is nototriously unforgiving to teams that make a lot of power -- an element of which there is no shortage of for Mike Fuller.

4. California Trucker  A perplexing season thus far. If anybody knows how to make a Rat Motor swipe the cheese, it is the California Trucker braintrust of Ray Zeller and Gene Amaya. After succumbing to Fuller & Dunlap in a challenge for position at the season opening Pro Nitro Desert Thunder Nationals, they can't advance past Dunlap until they challenge him and beat him. They will be tough in Sacramento on the 17th & 18th.

5. Champion Speed Shop  Driver "Handsome Rance" McDaniel has taken to the Champion hot seat like a stunk to stink. Overall, the team has been impressive and solid in two performances this year, albeit without rotating the Earth like the team did in '99. The focus and approach for Y2K seems to be maintaining the structural integrity of the piece and no more boom-boom en route to Low ET. We'll see if this "steady as she goes" strategy pays off this weekend at Indy. Note: Any points gained at Indy will catapult Champion Speed Shop into the 3rd spot on The List.

6. Orange Crate  Waterloo, Iowa's low-sling Suhr & Lechtenberg entry is one bad ass hot rod. Cagey, crafty and diligent, it could be argued that this team was a broken throttle linkage away from stunning the California fueler guys at the March Meet in Bakersfield. If anybody has a home court advantage this weekend, it would be Suhr & Lechtenberg and the Orange Crate. Yes, we know they are from Iowa which is on the other side of the Mississippi river from Indiana, but California front-motored fueler racers think anything East of Vegas might as well be the surface of the Moon. This kind of geographical ignorance could handicap the California cars who are not used to humid racing conditions and might allow a team like Suhr & Lechtenberg, who have posted tremendous numbers all over the Continental US, to flourish.

7. Steiner & Berger  After that notorious metal and heart-twisting 240 mph sleigh ride at the March Meet, a freshened-up chassis has this team looking for a new baseline. They didn't find it at Sears Point. Their next race is at Sacramento, not the most forgiving environment.

8. Ground Zero  This team is on a mission -- and for now, we'll leave it at that.

9. Fugowie  Best of times and worst of times. They dominated the Pro Nitro season opener, qualified 2nd at the March Meet, but got aggressive and blistered the tires on both qualifying passes at Sears Point.

10. Smith, Allred & McLennan  This team has been split more ways than Microsoft after its anti-trust suit. The only constant has been owner Dave Smith and driver Mike McLennan. The results are unknown on whether splitting up Microsoft will cripple the price of their stock. Ditto for this race team.

On the Move: There are a few teams that could catapult themselves onto The List in the next two weekends; If Jack Harris' Nitro Thunder scores either Top Speed, Low ET or the Event Win at Indy he can bump Smith & McLennan. If Tedford, Hester & McGee are successful at Sacramento, look for them to advance onto The List.

Truck, trailer and Drag Race School car are at the track and set up, ready to go. The two Kiwi cars are loaded on the trailers and the new altered is loaded for taking to the Winters show. Wish us luck; it's been a lot of hard work and we're gonna have some fun. Again, wish you were.

The Drag Racing List has been updated with all the stats and info through the end of May, 2000. Yes, we finally got your updates in there. Thanks to Danny White and all our contributors for their hard work.

After missing my own weekend deadline, I stayed home all day Wednesday and worked hard on the new lists. You will like what you see. I finally did what I've been gabbing about for so long -- I sorted all the racers by YEAR first, and ranked them from best to worst for EACH YEAR. No longer will we have to look at the top racer from 1977 being listed as the 2,343rd quickest car in the sport. I've been looking through the lists in this new way and it's really bringing back a lot of memories.

Just as I suspected, however, it's really showing where we need some more work. There are some cars in some years that are CLEARLY listed way too early for the ET's we show. We need to get everybody's help. Please go to the class you are most familiar with and the YEAR you are most familiar with, and fire off some information to us. I also added a third list for each class -- best performance BY YEAR. So, we have three lists now:

The racers sorted by NAME for EACH YEAR (with appropriate rankings by each year, but sorted by name). These are the biggest lists. They contain not only what you see on the page, but also two additional pages of info to the right of the screen. All you have to do is scroll to see it.

The traditional all-time quickest lists are unchanged. Racers are listed by pure performance, without regard for when the run occurred. Obviously, cars that are more recent top the list.

The newest list is sorted by best ET and speed by individual YEAR. The cool thing about this is you can see who the tough guys were all throughout time. The other cool thing in Pro Stock is, you can see where the Test and Tune runs fall into the lists, although the test runs are given a zero ranking. Another thing I did with this list is I left in every driver in every car they drove. Unlike the all time quickest list, each driver is listed for EVERY car he or she drove each year. This way, we can see the relative rankings of all cars a driver drove. These are the lists that are going to help us find out incorrect entries. Some racers are leading some of the early years with ET's that they clearly did not run that early. HELP.

By our next Drag Racing List update, I hope to implement two additional lists:

One will show cars ranked according to their relative toughness throughout time, with factors considered for how early they ran their best time and for how quick their best time was compared to the average for the class in those years. It should be very interesting.

Finally, we are going to give all the eighth-mile racers something to cheer about, when we include their very own lists. This will probably be reserved for the doorslammer classes, as most other classes don't race on the eighth that much. Perhaps the alky funnies, but I can't say for sure right now. Check in for our next update and find out.

Last night at 9:00 pm, I logged on to the Amberley (Willowbank) air and put the data into my air computer: -1465 feet corrected. Ever seen air like that? I haven't! The temp was 3 degrees (C) and dropping. What a Winternationals this will be.

We are taking the trailer out there this morning and one of the Kiwi cars is using our open trailer. Tony (Buckley?) has waited for eight months to get his heads done and back and was PROMISED he would have them in time for the Winters; possibly sooner so he could test. Didn't happen. The heads won't clear customs in time for this race... the day after. Sound familiar?

Wish you were here. Let's make it for sure next year. We just finished an altered and our calendar looks clear, so I reckon we will get your car done.... how soon do you want to race?

After claiming runner-up of the "B" Main at the Goodguys 41st March Meet and then taking a small hiatus from the front-engined fueler wars, the Mastercam AA/Fuel Dragster Race Team is preparing to breathe deeply this weekend at the Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Although the team was happy with the overall results from the March Meet, they felt the tune-up had nosed over after qualifying. During their hiatus they found the culprit -- the supercharger. "We are going to be running a new blower," confirms team member Tom "Slick" Shelar. "The old that we ran at the March Meet had the rotors in backwards and that had us chasing the tune-up all weekend. So we have a new blower and have redone the fuel system to put it back where it belongs."

So: They can compress more air. But the team wonders about the quality of that air... Although preliminary reports call for realtively moderate temperatures thoughout the weekend, the weather at Indy is notoriously fickle and potentially gruelling. Look for the Mastercam bunch to compensate for any possible fluctuations in atmospheric condidtions by any means available. As drive "Techno Tim" Gibson relates, "With the Goodguys' (rules), the blower overdrive is spec, so you have to tune with compression ratios, timing and nitro percentage.

This will be Gibson's second outing with a front-engined nitro-burning dragster and he has a hankering to learn more about the dynamics of these race cars. "Since forward vision is a problem with a front engine fueler," he says, "getting used to the feel of the car is important."

Gibson, who also shoes the Bill Miller Engineering Top Fueler at select NHRA races, is continuing to gather data on the nuances of the different driving styles of his two rides, not the least of which is the difference between carbon brakes utilized by the BME rear-engined car and the steel brakes employed by the Mastercam front-engined model. "Clutch drag and the brake pressure required to hold the car on the starting line are important in staging. In other words, the more seat time the better," he said.

(For more on "Techno Tim" contrasting the particulars of driving front-engine retro fuelers versus contemporary rear-engined diggers, visit the Top Fuel Diary.

The Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals schedule is as follows:
Friday, June 9th: Top Fuel Qualifying session: 2:00 PM
Saturday, June 10th: Top Fuel Qualifying sessions: 11:00 AM & 3:00 PM
Sunday, June 11th: Top Fuel Eliminations: 10:00 AM

I'm in the process of writing a long "year in review" kind of wrapup with as many pictures as I can round up. Hope to have it done shortly after the Winternationals. The car left early today (3:30 AM) on it's way to Willowbank and I'll fly up Friday morning.

The new motor sounds REALLY GOOD! Stronger than ever, and, we hope, with the extra weight in the clutch we can even get some power down. Looking for low sevens, maybe even dip into the sixes. We only get three qualifiers so we'll take what we can get and be glad to qualify I guess. More news as it happens and this time I'll remember my camera!

Do you know of any software programs that you would use for the fuel injection (supercharged alcohol) tune-up? The kind that you enter the hat size, pump pressure and atmospheric conditions. Les Davenport sells one, but at $600 (U.S.) it's out of my price range.

Hi Bob, could you get Tom to give me a call please. I'm changing the rearend gears for this weekend's Street Shootout (at Mission Raceway). They didn't break since he set them up last time. Thanks.

I've read Wendland's letter to you and can't fight off the urge to do some "straight-setting" of my own. Rob may have a tape of part of a conversation with Norm (Drazy), but it sure doesn't contain all of the little tidbits that he would like you to believe are there. Among them:

(1)  There is no "E" blower. There never was. That name first showed up on the Speedvision message board on March 28, 2000, in a message from "rmracer69" (and I guess we now know who that is).

(2)  The "C" blower does not obsolete the "D". What may obsolete the "D" is A/Fuel. Which would you rather do: spend $8800 for a blower, or spend ten times that amount to convert to A/Fuel? We figured we were giving people a choice, and I still don't see the problem with this.

(3)  Throughout all of his posts, Rob keeps hammering on the idea that PSI has a "fast guys list" and then there's everybody else. This is patently false, and a pretty strange complaint when you consider the first of this generation's goose-neck Whipples went to Bobby Taylor only. PSI owners tend to move toward the upper end of the points list. For example, at the end of 1999, they made up nine of the top ten in Federal-Mogul Dragster, and 20 of the top 30, so I suppose it could look like we stacked the deck. In fact, half of the "C"s went to racers who were not stars, divisionally or nationally. And don't forget three PSI owners who were in the top ten figured as 1999 ended that they had to go to A/Fuel to compete.

(4)  Something needs to be finally said about the 1997 blower freeze that "the racers" wanted. Which racers? All FM/D and FM/FC's? A majority of them? NO. There was no such poll conducted by the NHRA. The rule resulted from a meeting of selected racers at the Houston national event in March 1997. It was not a coincidence that that was the race at which Bobby Taylor introduced the integrated-injector Whipple. No PSI owner was present at the meeting. If you leaf through your old National Dragster's, you can remind yourself that the concern on every blown alcohol dragster team's minds was A/Fuel.

Suddenly the group wanted to get a ruling that would absolutely prohibit future product improvements that would allow them to keep up with A/Fuel? Does that make sense? And, if they were really concerned about having to buy a new blower, why didn't they get the new Whipples banned? After all, only one guy had it, and it was intended to obsolete the Whipples they already had. Could it be that these racers wanted to lock in a product that they were about to receive, that they thought would make them superior, by locking out PSI?

(5)  It is a myth that boost eats parts. In particular, Rob has not seen Shelly Howard's or Jay Meyer's cranks. (I haven't checked with the other name he mentioned). But, if he had, he would seen a marked lack of damage. What eats parts is bad tune-ups, bad maintenance, and bad driving. Norm has spent thousands of hours on the phone, at races, and at our shop helping people with the first two items.

I have been told that Rob, who isn't racing this year, put up his PSI "D" blower for sale shortly after the NHRA decision in his favor. Is it possible that Rob was willing to junk the feasibility of blown alcohol dragsters, just to ensure that he would get top dollar for his blower?

By the way, if you publish this letter (and you have my permission to), please don't sign it Norm Drazy. If there's resultant flack, I want to catch it myself.

The event was severely rain affected and yet still produced some excellent racing and several new European records.

All of this however, was overshadowed by the tragic loss of Chris Hampson, who sustained fatal injuries in an accident on Monday afternoon. It is plain to see from the tributes that have poured in via the Eurodragster and King Racing websites that he was loved and respected by everyone who knew him. I was not fortunate enough to be one of those people and can do no more than to offer my deepest sympathies to his family and friends; my thoughts are with you.

It almost seems immaterial, but for the record, Leif Andreasson broke the Top Methanol Funny Car ET and speed records with a 5.847 at 245.80, backed up with a 5.873 at 245.38. Michael Malmgren set a new Pro Stock record of 7.036; four minutes later Jari Konola reset it with a 7.015 before Malmgren reclaimed it later that day with a 6.990, the first Pro Stock 6 in Europe. John Spuffard also made the quickest run in European Fuel Funny Car history with a 5.391, which I understand is only .002 off the quickest time ever outside of the USA. Unfortunately, he did not back it up.

Hello, I'm a worldwide racing fan. Is it possible to receive an autographed picture of your team? Thank you and good luck for the next race.

Sorry that I haven't responded to your message (enquiring about anyone using a PSI in Europe), which had been downloaded onto another computer. Peter Shofer and Alex Joon were both at Santa Pod with PSI's. Unfortunately, neither racer had a good outing. The rain was relentless, and both were trying some new things with too few runs to work them out. Oh well.

You're right about the Autorotors; they are everywhere. Everyone is looking at everyone else and saying, I guess that's the way to race. However, no one is running very well compared to here and Australia. I think it's a great opportunity for someone with a well-tuned PSI to go "haul butt."

Bray Sees Underdog Tag As Challenge

Four time Australian Top Doorslammer Champion, Victor Bray, regards pundits tagging him the Konica Winternationals underdog as one of the greatest personal challenges of his drag racing career. Going into the final event at Willowbank Raceway in his attempt to win a fifth straight Australian Championship title, Bray is currently trailing series leader, Dave Koop by just two points but he is also only just in front of Western Australian driver, Robin Judd. After winning the penultimate round of the series and resetting the national record at Willowbank Raceway in April, Judd is being touted as the "in form" racer and Konica Winternationals favourite.

"After the way he won the last event, Robin deserves to start as the favourite, but he's certainly no sure bet. There's at least four or five other racers in the field that could win the Konica Winternationals," commented Bray. "I don't mind being rated as the underdog. I take it as a challenge. Championships wouldn't mean anything if they were easy to get. Our Castrol team started the season with a win but then fell in a hole through the middle of the year with some bad luck like a broken throttle cable at the Nationals. We won in Perth and just missed the final here last meeting so we're not exactly down and out. Our goal on the weekend is simple: set low elapsed time, high speed and win the Winternationals. That will give us a fifth straight title for Castrol and that's what we want."

Bray's determination to keep his championship crown has seen him embark on an extensive testing program over the last month. Siginificant changes to his Castrol Chevrolet are intended to harness the estimated three thousand horsepower the car is producing. This abundance of power has seen the big Chev a real handful to steer down the track with violent tyre shake and a habit of wheel standing on every gear change. Results in testing have been every encouraging, with the car not only handling well, but also recording very good times.

The Castrol team's assault on the Konica Winternationals commences in Friday night's opening qualifying session for the Top Doorslammer category. There will be two further opportunities to qualify into the eight car, final elimination field during Saturday's Phoenix Homes Night of Thunder. The Konica Winternationals and Australian Champion will be determined during eliminations on Sunday from 4:00 pm. Full progress reports, as they happen, will be available at Victor Bray.com.

Is that the best you can do?

Hey Bob, this is that rude guy from Hermiston (Oregon).... Regarding Brett working over Dan's bottom end, what in the world do you think is going on over there?... freakin' liberals, anyway. Keep up the great job!

Zgoda Tries NOT to Make it Three in a Row

Veteran Pro Funny Car racer Paul Zgoda is looking to try and get the proverbial monkey off his back this weekend at the inaugural Mopar Parts Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada. Zgoda has been plagued by problems and misfortune since the start of this young season.

At the season opener, Zgoda failed to qualify when qualifying was cut short due to inclement weather, and at the next race, parts failure cost him more than just a spot in the field. "At the Winternats I was working my way up to a good tuneup but never got the chance to use it. At the next race in Rockingham, an air line fitting came off my shifter setup and I over-revved the motor, causing some valvetrain damage. I hope Grand Bend is better to our team," Zgoda said.

Zgoda, who hails from Cheektowaga, New York, is an independent racer, funding his race operation out of his own pocket. Any sponsorship enquiries can be forwarded to Rob Kozak.

Qualifying for the Mopar Parts Canadian Nationals at the Grand Bend Motorplex will begin on Friday, June 2nd. Contestants will be afforded two attempts on Saturday, with final eliminations slated for Sunday. Complete results can be found at IHRA.com.

Bob; you can calm down now, as the overzealous NHRA Alcohol committee's captain has been overruled by the top brass when it was found out that this was ramrodded through without the SFI chassis committee's knowledge. And myself, Davey (Uyehara), and Murf (McKinney) are not too happy about it! The wing stand rules stay as they were written by professionals and not a boat engineer! The letter that was circulated about the change was apparently also unauthorized!

I feel sorry for the dude that paid the money to have the change done for Dallas, then proceeded to go out and throw two wings on the ground when the mounting tabs broke!