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"I actually went a round or two at a few national events. I got Dragster's "Upset of the Year" when Gary Scelzi broke against us at the 1997 NHRA Champion Auto Stores Nationals and I've run as quick and fast as a 5.34, 281 and it really prepared me for what we're doing now with the trucks." Three years ago, the Fannings sold their farm equipment and cattle and changed their lives. Brent took on part-time work as a truck driver, Vicky as a taxidermist, and the both of them raced in the time between. "The simple fact of the matter is that our fueler and funny car in match races can't even begin to run what they do on the NHRA TV shows," Brent said. "In 1999, for example, we ran the Funny Car twice. The match race tracks in general aren't as good as national event tracks and because we had to watch our parts, we couldn't run the cars all that hard. About two years ago, we got to thinking, 'What could we do that would be fun for the fans and allow us to get our jollies by going fast' and we hit on the idea of the trucks." Brent currently runs a '99 Dodge Dakota, all-steel, stock-wheelbased truck with a blown and injected Keith Black Hemi on 85-percent nitro. Vicky drives a '99 Chevy S-10 owned by Arkansas businessman and former Funny Car racer, J.R. Wade, and the two run their own match race series.
The Fannings have pretty much parked the fueler and the Funny Car, and only plan to run them if they feel they could qualify at a national event and get round money, but the trucks are a different story. So far, the Stephensville Udder Nonsensicals have lined up 15 dates and are going for more. According to the season points runner-up, they are a guaranteed crowdpleaser. "The fuel dragster is certainly faster," she opined. "But these things have to be pedaled and shifted manually; there is nothing electronic on them. You get close to the lights and these trucks can really start to dart about. It's as big a thrill for me as I hope it is for the fans."
Photos by Tim Marshall |
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Copyright 1999-2001, Drag Racing Online and Racing Net Source |
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"Last
year, I won the season championship by six points," Brent proudly proclaimed.
"We have a trick points system, so it's not all that easy a thing to
do. You get two points for each round won, two points if you hit the
cones or timing lights, and three points if you run over the Tree or
hit the wall. When it got close in our points battle, there's no telling
what you might see. And these trucks run good; I've run a best of 6.18,
230 and Vicky's got a 5.70 at 241-mph."