Qualifying Notes And Results From The First Qualifying Rounds Of Pro Extreme And Pro Nitrous

THREE “THREES” IN FIRST ROUND OF PRO EXTREME

Rome Georgia’s “Big Money” Bill Clanton was in the last pair of Pro Mods that attempted to qualify in the first round and he saved his best for last as he laid down a career best 3.958 at just 181.74 mph to take the Low ET title so far this event. Fellow Outlaw Mike Neal joined Clanton at 3.990 and then the first of the AMS cars joined the three-second club as Josh Hernandez shoed his Howard Moon tuned ’57 to a 3.996/183.29. Quain Stott in his “Outlaw” car not his IHRA legal mount just missed with a first round 4.000! But he did manage to set Top Speed of the session with a 184.55 top end charge.  Herman Sheppard made the quick eight on the bump with a stellar 4.021 but it wasn’t his ET that kept him in the show it was his speed. He recorded a 180.16 trap speed that gave him the nod over Texan Thomas Patterson who had an Identical ET but ran only 179.16

LYNAM CAN’T DUPLICATE ET! ICEMAN’S EFFORT MELTED

John Lyman who ran a 3.95 in practice last night couldn’t come close to that performance recording a best of 4.03 in the first round. Shannon Jenkins was in the Pro Extreme field for a time but his 4.05 didn’t hold up. The Nitrous warrior is still in the Pro Nitrous field in the number two spot.

MAUNEY ON COURSE FOR A “DOUBLE”

The cream came to the top quickly in Pro Nitrous action with Tommy Mauney and Shannon Jenkins leading the qualifying for the quick eight in that class.  Jenkins was on top for most of the session with his “05 but was sent to second by Mauney’s 4.046/178.76 lap. Shannon’s 182.97 top end speed held up for Top Speed. Randy Weatherford must have found the four-stage tune-up as he recorded a 4.090/177 for the third spot. The bump going into the second round of qualifying which is beginning right now the bump time is held by Ken “ The Carolina Hooker” Regenthal with a 4.170. As the first car stages the air is at about 1500 ft corrected and track temp is 115 degrees. Judging form the fact that we’ve seen a ton of sub-one second 60-foot times the fields look to improve markedly for the second round.

Pre Qualifying Agent 1320 Notes From DRAGSTOCK II

A check of the pits this morning showed 21 Pro Nitrous cars and 33 Pro Extreme cars. Only Tommy Mauney and Bubba Stanton have cars entered in both the Pro Nitrous and Pro Extreme class.

POWERGLIDE PRO MODS

At least two cars entered in the event are using n pure powerglide transmissions. The Local Powerglide Pro Mod  Associations record is a 4.095. Both Bubba Stanton’s nitrous car and that we believe to be a ’57 Chevy driven by Don Roddy are trying to break that record.

WEATHERFORD HAS NEW SYSTEM, NEW CAR COMING

Randy Weatherford’s ultra clean blue  ’63 ‘Vette was built by Jerry Haas and uses a new Gene Fulton symmetrical port 738 wedge for power. At this event Weatherford told the agent that he usually runs three systems but for DRAGSTOCK he has added a forth system, all of which come on at the hit of the throttle. He also told the agent that he has a new ’63 coming from Jerry Bickel’s Missouri shops. Weatherford must have gotten on the Rickie Smith program.

NEW MOTOR AND MICKEYS FOR SUMMER

Annette Summer (right) who was not expected to make the race due to engine damage managed to get a brand new engine put together with a pair of trick new turbos for DRAGSTOCK II.

She is also running 34-inch tall Mickey Thompson tires. She told the agent  that they had been able to take 150lbs of weight off the front of the ‘Vette for this race. So fan she has had trouble getting the car off of the line with any force but last night it hauled hard on the back half of the course.