THE 52ND WORLD SERIES OF DRAG RACING;
THE 50the ANNIVERSARY OF CORDOVA DRAGWAY

Chris Martin reporting, Burkster and Matt Schramel damage control

1:29 AM, 8/28/05

Zee FINALS OR
As CLOSE AS WE CAN COME TO IT

The Stock/Super Stocks have four cars left and track management is preparing to wrap up the show with fireworks and jets.

Bob Hall pulled the biggest holeshot of the meet to keep his Airborn Express Chevy Astro Van in front of Danny O’Day’s Superwinch ’34 Ford, 9.78, 140.20 to a 9.18, 146.96. Reaction times? Hall, a .078 to O’Day’s comatose .758.

Terry Murphy and Donnie Little’s “Punisher” Camaro with Murphy wheeling at this event ran a 6.49, 217.00 to win over Jeff Belloma’s early shutoff run of 9.65. in a classic Blower vs. Nitrous finale. It should be noted that Belloma qualified on the “bubble” and still managed to beat Jeff Elam’s ’57 Chevy and Dan Provenzano’s ’53 Corvette.

Bruce Carlson, who seemed to be the odds on favorite based on a track record 5.95, could not show, opening the door for Kevin Newburgh’s “Heckler” Avenger, which beat surprise finalist Kevin Lennon, 6.24, 224.66 to 6.54, 217.25.

The nostalgia front-motored Top Fuel race went to Roger Lechtenberg’s “Orange Krate” when his 5.90, 201.13 covered Mendy Fry’s motor-blowing 6.25, 192.03 in the MasterCam dragster.

For the first time in 2005, Ricky Ruiz’s “Nevada Rattler” roadster tasted defeat in the Fuel Altered class. His opponent Rick Kraft stormed to an on-and-off the throttle  track record lap of 5.742, 248.84, while Ruiz lost control of his roadster and powered through the centerline reflectors into Kraft’s lane.

Wayne Minick, who had posted temporary Low E.T. in round one with a 5.83, closed in fine fashion, pushing the “Drastic Plastic” (NOT “Chicago Fire” as earlier stated) to a 5.97, 242.67 solo when Randy Baker broke.