Posts Tagged ‘winternationals’
DRO: “The Day of the Deluge, and Survival of the Unfittest”
The new “Where The Pavement Ends” column is up on Drag Racing Online: “The Day of the Deluge, and Survival of the Unfittest.”
If the Winternationals at Pomona are any indication, drag racing is in a world of hurt….
An excerpt of the piece: “Is it just the economy and the weather? Or is part of the problem that those nitromaniacs who once lived for Top Fuel have found less and less to relate to? In the interest of safety when it comes to Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, there has been a neutering of nitro percentages the last few years and now an emasculation of the distance of the drag strip from 1/4 mile to 1000 feet.”
More here: “The Day of the Deluge, and Survival of the Unfittest” — CC
Pomona Impressions
I saw my first 1000′ drag racing “competition” and “qualifying exhibitions” last weekend… and after timing malfunctions and a general dour mood, let’s just say watching Arley Langlo running over his parachute was the most entertaining and perversely soul-satisfying occurrence of the qualifying…
Sundry photos from Tuesday’s rain-delayed eliminations follow…
(words and photos by Cole Coonce)
Antron Brown in the his Top Fuel pit at Pomona
Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher at Pomona
Gary Densham, "Teacher's Pet"
Gary Densham and Jim Head b.s. in the Funny Car staging lanes
Pomona Winternationals, Day 6
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 — After the deluge, a fresh-out-rehab Chris Martin visits the NHRA Press Room. (Martin is sporting a Jumbo’s Clown Room t-shirt, no less!)
NHRA Winternationals. Top Fuel 2nd round: Mike Strasburg a no-show against Antron Brown; Brown’s dragster shook so hard, the parachute came out 200′ into the run…. Doug Kalitta 3.82, 273 beat Cory Mac;s 3.88, 296; Steve Chrisman posts a cylinder-dropping 5.15 v. Morgan Lucas victorious 3.88, 305 mph…. Bernstein turns a 3.83 311 beating Tony Schumacher 3.86, 313 mph… end of TF quarter-finals…
Below: As Top Fuel begins its competition, staging lane worker Harold Owens keeps the show moving…
Funny Car 2nd round: Jim Head v. Ashley Force: w/ a gnarsome holeshot, Heads gets way out of the groove but turns a damn-near-guardwall-scrubbing 4.09 and beats Ashley’s 4.05; Del Worsham can’t turn over the motor (crossed plug wires!) and finally lights it as Densham is ready to stage… Densham goes 4.12, 297 over Worsham who runs 4.27 with a puff of smoke at 600′ and a mere 214 mph… Beckman vs. Hight… Beckman red-lit and goes 5.07 to Hight’s 4.09 at a reported 235 mph (?)… (methinks the left lane mph light is still popcorn….) Ron Capps goes 4.08 over a dead fat, cylinder-dropping Tasca, who turns a losing 4.25… end of FC Quarter-Finals….
