KUHLMANN SETS ALL-TIME E.T. MARK FOR DOORSLAMMERS
Bill Kuhlmann drove his Summit Racing Equipment-backed Nitro Coupe to
a world record 6.161 at a Super Chevy event at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet,
Ill. On the 6.161 lap Kuhlmann's Coupe had a .976 sixty-foot time, ran
a 2.649 to 330ft and had a time of 3.995/184.37 for the eighth mile.
The elapsed time for going 1000 ft was 5.151 and the car tripped the
beams in 6.161 seconds at just 215.82 mph.
Kuhlmann's 'Vette is powered by a 500+ inch Fontana Hemi/Chevy burning
a 30/70% nitro-methanol fuel mixture.
"I burned up five holes in the motor on that lap; that's why it only
ran 215.82. He didn't back the E.T. up until his last lap when he backed
the car down and ran a 6.192/226.92.
After the lap the Super Chevy crew verified the fuel percentage and
weighed the car, which rolled across the scales at 2580 lbs. A big tip
of the Agent's fedora to 200-mph Bill.
TOMMY JOHNSON LOSES TO MELANIE TROXEL IN FIRST
ROUND
Tommy Johnson told Agent 1320 that he was being pursued by both Don
Prudhomme and Don Schumacher to drive the Army-sponsored Top Fuel Car
that ended up being driven Melanie Troxel. "As far as I knew from talking
to Don Schumacher, I was on the deal. I didn't know I wasn't until I
saw the announcement on the Internet that Melanie was going to get the
ride. I still don't know why I didn't get the job."
Johnson told the Agent that he will continue to drive Helen Hofmann's
fuel coupe the rest of the year and that the car was really starting
to come around. He also allowed that evidently the only way he was going
to put together the kind of racing program that he wanted was to form
his own team and that's what he intended to do. The last the Agent saw
of Tommy he was headed to Bristol, TN to meet with potential backers.
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