Sunday's Report
6:15 AM
While Bill & Dean enjoy their blissful sleep, I've been sitting in the bathroom for the last hour or so, typing away on the road warrior laptop, photoshopping more of Friday's pictures (there's just not enough hours in each day to get it all done when you show up a week behind in setting up the pages), and getting myself psyched for what could be one long, torturous day.
They are going to try and fit two days of racing into one long day today. Every eliminator has lost at least one (and most two) qualifying session due to yesterday's washout, and several categories have had only one session, namely Top Fuel. Those nitroholics get a last ditch, one-shot, kamikaze session at 10 am today, and it should be wild.
With 13 cars on the grounds, and only 9 showing up for Friday afternoon's early (moved ahead five hours due to weather worries) session, there's going to be some serious pressure to perform on guys like Karemesines, Verenka, Fedorowich, Capp, et al.
Before the fuel cars take to the track, the second (and last) session for Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and a few other eliminators will take place. Then, with barely enough time to take a few deep breaths and sing the national anthems, we'll move straight into eliminations.
It's going to be one long day, then we're looking forward to another 700 mile drive in the dead of night to get back to the west coast before the sun rises tomorrow. Life is wonderful, but sometimes the logisitics just plain bite.
More news after I've had a shower and exorcised the effects of last night's series of double paralyzers (in the world of alcohol - the drinking sort - there is truth in advertising). Believe me, those drinks are aptly named. Thanks to Ken R. for a great time at Boston Pizza.
More news as it happens.........
9:35 AM
We arrived at the track about 20 minutes ago, and after an arduous search for an above-water parking spot, and a long slog through the mud to reach the media center, we're safely ensconced in a dry, but cold, indoor location.
Nothing except track drying equipment has made a lap yet, so our lucky horseshoes are still firmly planted, and we haven't missed any of the all-important final qualifying action.
A few blown alcohol and at least one fuel car have warmed up, but we're still more than an hour behind schedule already. There is no curfew here, but the air temp is barely 50 F, the humidity's high, the cloud cover is heavy and low, and if we can accomplish everything that's planned for the day, it will indeed be a miracle.
To that end, and considering that I'm a born pessimist, we've booked an extra night at the motel, and aren't planning to get back to beautiful BC until late tomorrow.
It's time to visit the BudMan facilities, find another coffee, click some non-action pics and continue processing Friday's photos.
Late word from Larry Sullivan: density altitude is all the way down to 2900 feet and the track temperature is 61 F. Hmmm....
12:15 PM
Well, what a difference a few hours makes. We've had time for lots of laps by the jet-dryer, the track washer, the sweeper, and any other piece of equipment in the MUDweiser Park arsenal. To say that it's going to be a major challenge to complete today's program, would have to qualify as the understatement of the century.
People who know me, or have been regular visitors to this website know that I try to always be as positive as possible.... even in the face of the worst conditions. So in that vein, I'm positive that today could be one major disaster, for the racers, the race track, and worst of all, the spectators, who have shelled out some serious coin to watch what could develop into an unintentional demolition derby.
There's already been one victim today, with local racer Ken Mostowich taking a hard bite of the concrete at half track in his Super Gas (or is it Super Rod in the I-world). This followed nearly an hour of low-horsepower door cars (Stock, Street, whatever) losing traction and getting out of shape in their first car-lengths, especially in the right lane.
So they stopped the racing, washed the track, jet-dried and vht-ed it, then started racing again. Three pairs of cars later, Mostowich crashed in the other (left) lane and then we repeated the preparation of that side. While all this was going on, an unofficial meeting of the IHRA local of the Top Fuel Drivers Union convened on the starting line.
Comments by that group ranged all the way from "f%$#@ing insanity" to "whatever they tell me to do, I'll bend over and take it for the first round money". It wasn't quite expressed to me that way, but you can get the drift.
Just after noon, after umpteen laps by the jet-dryer, the Top Fuel cars actually came out and the first pair fired up and attempted to get down the track. Local racer David Fedorowich, who split a block in half on the starting line of this track one week ago, nearly duplicated the feat in his one and only qualifying attempt.
The engine sounded dead before the burnout, and was barely running on six cylinders when he staged. A major hydraulic ensued as soon as he hit the throttle, the car slowly rolled to the 300 foot mark and left a trail of oil, fuel and debris for that entire length. That gave me the time to come inside, type up this report and upload it.
1:00 PM
After a 20 minute cleanup, the balance of the Top Fuel cars made their runs. All but one that is. Near the end of the lineup, the Todd Paton team made a tactical decision to forego the session when their #3 position was no longer in jeopardy. Everyone else ran, but the left lane proved problematic for everyone who tried to traverse it.
Several blower belts were left on that side, Lagana spun the tires, Capp got to half track, spun the tires, got out of shape and lifted, but turned the best performance of 5.51 at 160-something.
The right lane didn't yield a 4-second pass, but a pair of 5.0's, by C.J. Nelson, to qualify him for the first time, and ......
Hang on, lunch is here. Back shortly. In the meantime, check out the pictures already posted today. There's another couple of dozen in the camera that will be uploaded shortly. Check them out.
1:45 PM
Oops, it's raining again. Bad karma at work, overtime. The Hooters girls are doing their best to dry the track with the heat radiating off their bodies, but even if they were naked it wouldn't begin to get this track back in racing condition anytime soon.
We did manage to finish final qualifying for Top Sportsman and Top Dragster, so we're now unofficially only four hours behind schedule. Do the math and you can see us still being in Edmonton when the sun comes up tomorrow (assuming it dares to make an appearance), and at the rate we're going, when the sun goes down tomorrow, we'll probably still be on the east side of the Rockies.
To finish my thoughts on the final qualifying session for Top Fuel, there was only one 5.0 pass, by C.J. Nelson, and everybody's favourite grandfather, Chris Karamesines was second quickest at 5.14, and Terry Capp's half pass of 5.51 was third. Not excactly stellar numbers, but considering the grief the slower cars were experiencing not so long ago, nothing short of amazing.
As stated earlier, we're down again for rain (for the umpeenth time this looooooong weekend) and now is a good time to get busy with the second batch of Sunday photos. And we've fixed all the little glitches in Friday's gallery too. Next update in an hour or so.
2:40 PM
The pre-race festivities of the anthems and the "afternoon of fire" (some oversized roman candles) just ended, then we started pro eliminations, got through the first pair (Rick Jones crossed the centerline and followed the new track record holder, Elijah Morton, across the finish line in the same lane, bringing a new twist to the old "one lane racetrack" cliche) of pro stockers, then the rain started falling again.
All together now: down for rain again.........
2:50 PM
We're down... we're up.... we're taking so many shots to the head that we don't even know what's happening anymore. "What day is it?" "Blue?"...... Another pair of pro stockers down the track, both left before the tree was reset, both disqualified and the insanity continues. Time for a brace of double paralyzers methinks.....
4:00 PM
Awesome!!! Terry Capp: 4.75 - 319.57.... career best, new track record, people falling out of the grandstands. National hero, candidate for Prime Minister, etc, etc. Unfortunately, he was only third quickest of the round, as Millican's 4.72 and Cullinan's 4.73 outdid his performance. Still, that and the first hint of sun we've seen in more than 48 hours has to be a very good omen for the balance of the day.
More coming once I calm down enough to keep my fingers from shaking and unable to type with any dexterity.
5:15 PM
The third installment of today's pictures are in the process of being posted as I put this latest report on the server. Then it looks like we'll be down on the starting line for the second round of pro eliminations. It's late in the weekend, but I've finally secured one of the coveted orange vests that denote official phototgrapher status and allow me to inhabit the starting line area and finally get a chance to snap some decent photos.
7:45 PM
This has been one long, long day. It started for me at 4:45 am, as my conscience kept playing mindgames with me long enough to force me out of bed and onto the computer until my partners regained consciousness two hours later. We rushed through breakfast, raced out here and have spent the day enduring oildowns, one crash, countless rain delays, mud delays, and sundry impediements to the enjoyment of our personal religious beliefs: life, liberty and the pursuit of 4-second nitro cars.
What has kept our interest from flagging are the sheer number of good news and human interest type stories. Terry Capp, literally a living legend of Canadian drag racing, and especially in this area, absolutely bombed the fans with his first round 4.75 - 319 mph pass. You'd almost think the Oilers were winning Stanley Cups again judging by the audience reaction.
He kept the beat going in the semifinals with another 4-second pass, despite shutting off at the 1000 foot mark. That cost him lane choice to all-world Clay Millican and the nearly unbeatable Lehman Racing team, but to Capp, Rob Flynn (tuner) and Ron Hodgson (car owner), that must be totally irrelevant.
Just putting their deal together on very short notice, scraping the rust off Capp, and running the best numbers ever by a Canadian Top Fuel team on their FIRST full pass has to be considered a major victory in anyone's books. Icing on the cake was reaching the finals, and in just a few minutes we'll find if Terry can fit into Cinderella's fireboots and punt that pumpkin into the winner's circle.
The other big Canuck story is Calgary's Rick Distefano, in his Les Davenport tuned '53 Corvette. They've got a formidable combination, but are facing fairly tough odds against nitrous-aided Harold Martin in the final round.
The track prep before the pro finals has just commenced, so it's time to hit the upload button, grab the camera and run for the starting line.
9:15 PM
The clock has struck a figurative midnight for our Canadian heroes, but the good sports in the stands that have stuck with this event through thick (mud) and thin (temperatures) gave all the finalists hearty rounds of applause. It's the nature of the beast that there must be winners and losers in any form of competition, but there truly are no losers here tonight at Budweiser Park.
If the windows don't blow in from the Jet Ambulance that's blasting us at the moment, then this update will reach the net. Geez, one more burner pop and it might not. What the hell is that thing packing, a J-85 like Bob Motzilla runs ?
More news later, but now it's time to tour the pits in search of free food and drinks. Cool, the jet's gone and now the fireworks are blasting off. It's a day late and short of the originally intended impact but the Bumper to Bumper "Night of Fire" is happening. However, the sportsman eliminations have barely begun, so we've still got a long way to go this evening.
As stated so many, many times: MORE NEWS AS IT HAPPENS.
9:40 PM
Here's some news: the sun is really shining now as it slowly makes its journey to the horizon. In fact it's so bright that nobody can see down the track, plus we're still cleaning up the mess of kerosene and melted asphalt left by the Jet Ambulance, so the sportsman racers are waiting yet again.
With the way the sportsman racers have consistently drawn the fecally challenged end of the lumber this weekend, the prospect of attracting 393 cars next year like we had this weekend, are slim to none.
NOTE: Belated congratulations to Duane Groshart's team for winning the Best Engineered award today. Unfortunately, they, like Bob Marshall, loaded up and left without turning a wheel when faced with attempting to negotiate the mud bog to reach the staging lanes and then submit to a pressure washing before being allowed onto the track.
Seriously, is that any way to try to run a drag race ?
That's it from eliminations day at the IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals