Fuel altered fans, if you didn't make the journey to the totally re-vamped Auto Club Famoso Dragway at Bakersfield, California, kick yourself ‘cause it was fantastic! Ten of the country’s finest AA/FA's plus another eight alcohol burners showed up for the Energy Link/Chuy's Fuel Altered Classic put on by BG Promotions (John Keigley) and Blake Bowser and the crew at Famoso Dragway.
NITRO
Just last week Rich Howell had been out testing his awesome “Powerplay” AA/FA to the tune of a 5.84, so everyone at the facility knew that the bite was there. Dale Pulde and Mark Leigh are crew chief and assistant on the big AA/FA.
At a little after 7:30 the first pair of fire breathing, nitro fuel altereds approached the starting line, and it looked like the 1970's all over again as Ron Hope’s “Rat Trap” Bantam (above) was against Mike Sullivan’s recreation Fiat fielded by Ed Schwartz and the Estrus crew (below).
After a great side by side start, the “Rat Trap” instantly went into a wheelstand and then acted like a Fuel Altered getting completely crossed up, while Schwartz had his hands full in the tower side lane. He looked like Sullivan in the old days as he was all over the track but still produced fine numbers of 6.40, 230.23 mph to defeat Hope at a game 9.27, 177 mph.