Eleventh-Hour Ramblings
11/9/04
Jeff Burk Photo |
So it’s the eleventh hour and things are heating
up here at Getting Nostalgic ground zero. It’s been
a long, hard battle, but it has been worth it. All the hard
work, sacrifices, eating greasy food, long hours… Wait
a minute, you thought I was going to talk about the year-long
points battle going on in various Goodguys VRA classes, didn’t
you? Actually, I was going on about getting Gaynor’s
hot rod ready for the VRA finals and having a column deadline
AND having … forget it, let’s talk VRA points
going into the finals.
If you already know how these guys and gals go about earning
their points, then skip this part. Showing up and making
one lap gets you 10 points for being there. Your qualifying
points are inverted, meaning if you qualify number one in
a 32-car field you get 32 points, and on down to one point
for #32. Are you with me still? 16- and 8-car shows get points
the same way.
Your round points are:
8-car field, 1st round 40 points, semi 60, R/U 80, winner
100.
16-car field, 1st round 20, 2nd round 40, etc.
32-car field, 1st round 10 points, 2nd round 20 points etc.
Now, low e.t. in Top Fuel earns 10 points. Low e.t. gets
you 10 points and top speed gets you 10 points in A/ Fuel,
Jr. Fuel and AA/ Gas. So there are lots of ways to pad your
personal points fund.
Top Fuel
Well it looks like Jack Harris just about has this one sewn
up. With Jim Murphy 131 points behind the Sheriff, the only
way Murphy can take it is if Harris stays home and Murphy
qualifies #1, sets low e.t. and wins the event. That would
give him 136 points for the weekend … I think. Sometimes
my math ain’t great and under deadlines it’s
even worse.
Funny Car
This could get very interesting with all involved going
to their pocket calculators over the course of the weekend.
According to my abacus, and with what Bob Godfrey has told
me, five drivers could potentially take the title. With three
races down so far, we have had three different winners: Randy
Walls, your March Meet victor and points leader, Mike Adams,
your Vegas jackpot boy, and Dan Horan Jr., your Pomona winner.
Also include the aforementioned Bob Godfrey and the perpetual
number one qualifying nostalgia Funny veteran, Nathan Bugg,
to stir this pot in a very confusing direction. What do I
think will happen? Don’t know. We’re number six
and our car is the loudest, so there.
A Fuel
Is this a two-car race? It could very well be. Bill Wayne
is in the number one spot, 105 points ahead of Darby Neagle.
Obviously, these two have been hot this year, but who will
be hotter in November? Remember, A Fuel can earn extra points
for top speed, unlike Top Fuel or Funny Car.
Jr. Fuel A
By pure mathematics, we may have a four-car showdown with
the injected alky A bunch. Scott Parks, JD Zink, Kelly Craig
and Mike Chrisman are, numbers wise, all within striking
distance of the elusive number one cowl decal. JD has momentum
after the CHRR; Parks is a very tough competitor. Another
nail biter, this class.
Jr. Fuel B
More closeness from a class that holds lots of heavyweight
veterans, including your points leader, Don Enriquez. Seems
four could again be a magic number with Bud Hammer, Jon Rasmussen
and Kol Johnson all looking to move up a slot or two or three.
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