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GOODGUYS
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Northern Californian Jim Murphy took his Tim Beebe and Ronnie Rapidous tuned WW2 Spl. to Low E.T. qualifier at 5.857/251.74. Gerry Steiner, Bill Dunlap, and Wild Bill Alexander (in the Ground Zero) also laid down fives. Denver Schutz in the stout Texas based machine of Emery, Hunt and Cullen pounded out a fine 6.003/233.10 mph. Oh so close to that elite 5-Second Club.
Jack Harris did a giant wheelstand Harris' chassis builder, Frank Parks, just happened to be at the Patch with his son Scoot, running Jr Fuel, so after Jack bent the front end pretty good, Frank took his time and fixed the Nitro Thunder car before Sunday's race. (Oh yeah, son Scott did well too, winning the outstanding class at this show.) Unfortunately for the class Utah racer, the car just wasn't quite right in round one and Harris shut off with handling problems, while Lee Jennings in the Hansen & Jennings Chevy cranked out a fine 6.05, at only 217 mph.
Wild Bill took the win in his match up with Fritz "Pete" Kaiser now driving the Western hoist car. Alexander turned in a fine 6.00/194 over Pete's game effort of 6.20/224 mph. Gerry Steiner clinched the Championship when Todd Meikle from Washington experienced an oil fire with his T/F car.
The
upset of the race was when Mike Lockman in an ex Nitro Thunder car cranked
out a 6.02 at 213 mph to defeat Bill Dunlap, who dropped a couple of
cylinders in the Mike Fuller car and only ran a 6.12/205. John Shoemaker
only came up with a 6.34/184 mph but Denver Schutz, spun the tires and
clicked it off, giving the Championship to Steiner and Berger. Rick
McGee got a single when Bob Hallock in the "Circuit Breaker" failed
to show. And Brendan Murray (photo above) got an easy win over the Mastercam
team of Frank Hedge and Tim Gibson.
In what should have been the race of the day, the bright yellow OSH-backed nostalgia Top Fuel car of Jim Murphy and company won easily when Gerry Steiner encountered unusual handling problems and shut off wisely. Brendan Murray was out to make this a double win, by defeating Blanchard/Shoemaker in a great race, of 6.04/235 mph for Brendan, while John was not far behind at 6.25/189 mph. Shoemaker got a face full of oil and crossed the center line just tapping Brendan Chevy car, wiping out the puke tank, but after the Mastercam guys brought over theirs it was a go for the final.
It was Chrysler versus Chevrolet in the final with the
veteran Jim Murphy versus the new kids Brendan Murray and crew! A dead
even start, but Murray skated close to the centerline and wisely shut
off giving just another victory to the OSH Hardware backed team again
at 6.16, 213 mph.
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