Tim's Dragstrip News For June 6, 2010        

Boss Eliminator 

            It was a trying day for many battling track and weather conditions, as it would sprinkle light and brief enough to prevent a rainout, in time trials. What's especially surprising is the solid consistency a racer could enter eliminations with, as some did in this year's Boss Eliminator, hosted by Renner Petroleum and Steve Will Logging and Contracting.

            Willie Sundquist's white Pontiac Firebird, with a 8.62 pass at 155 mph, became the quickest non-dragster to get Top Qualifier status in cars. In Motorcycles, Jason Garza had the quickest reaction time, .012 on a .400 tree, to get TQ in M/C, and Curtis Daniels was the only racer to get a perfect reaction time. Amongst the most consistent runs in time trials, Harry Gallaway ran his dragster at 8.69 in Session 1 followed by a 8.68, before cutting that down to 8.66, Bill Wood ran his '68 Camaro at 9.11 followed by a 9.12, Mike Giacone ran two consecutive 10.43 passes in his '68 Fairlane. Not an easy day of conditions to do such a thing.

            Super Pro rounds were full of double breakouts and racing going thousandths of a second over their dial in, Bill Wood in particular. Initially saved by a breakout loss by competitor Greg Crone's red-lit pass (Wood running .03 under his d.i.), he'd later run .004 over his 9.08 dial in against Curtis Daniels, but it would be Daniels going to the Finals, this time against Ray Rapp. Daniels had a red-lit start to his 11.57 pass, Rapp's winning pass was 10.15 on a 10.14 dial in at 130 mph.

            Mike Wright had a busy day climbing the eliminations ladder in both Pro and Super Pro, leading him to the Finals against John Antongiovani. Wright ran .007 of a second over his dial-in, but began the pass with a red-lit start, Antongiovanni taking a winning 12.12 pass.

            The Sportsman final was one of two sibling rivalries amongst brackets, as Mike and Mitch Marlin faced off. Mike would red-light against Mitch. In Junior Dragsters, Ashley Barrett took on Kyle Barrett for a win, 10.77 in the Eighth Mile as brother Kyle ran 8.29 under his 8.42 dial in. In Consolation, Junior Mike Pires, Jr. took a win over Austin Petersen, Austin with a red-lit 9.17 pass, Pires with an .001 reaction time launching in his winning 10.32 pass.

            A classic matchup in the Motorcycles included 2009 Points champ George Brooks against '09 Points runner-up  Mike Pires, Sr., Pires with a red-lit pass of 9.29 at 138 mph against Brooks' winning 9.35 at 121 mph.

            Coming up next is the first double-race weekend of the year, with the annual King of the Hill and King of the Track - the latter race day including the famed Wally Parks trophy -, June 19 & 20. The South Coast Tire Shootout Weekend includes the Budweiser Street Legals Racing Series Saturday, after King of the Hill (K.o.t.H will include a special Mustang class, by the way), so bring your daily driver out for an extra free set of drag racing, Saturday evening, before the race weekend continues with King of the Track.

                                  See ya at the Samoa 'Strip,      -- Tim O'Brien

                                                                                 Track Announcer