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The slingshot rookie took care of all that with his very first pass in the car: a black-tracking 6.29 at 230 fearless miles per hour. Though Tim was subsequently bumped from eighth to 11th position in the final qualifying session, Gibson landed in the upper half of a consolation "B" program whose eight cars bumped at a record 6.455 seconds. Imagine the surprise when the newcomer went all the way to the "B" finale. Rance McDaniel was another pilot with something to prove here. After a long, distinguished back-motored career that began with the five-second Valley Fever Chevy car of the 1970s, McDaniel tried out a couple of slingshot fuelers in recent years, without real success. Thus was his offseason appointment to the seat behind the explosive small-block of McLennan & Bernardini greeted with some skepticism. The veteran dispelled much of that on his second of two easy qualifying
passes in the Champion Speed Shop Special (6.29/194), then stopped the
talk altogether by stopping the clocks at 6.12/212 in the final session,
nailing down fourth position. When Rance returned to soundly defeat
the arch-rival Gotelli Speed Shop entry in Round One, 6.11/216 to Larry
Gotelli's charging 6.16/240, it was clear that Sammy Hale's successor
was in place. In fact, but for a fiery engine failure against Murphy
in the semis, it might well have been McDaniel, not Murphy, who went
on to the finals. "B" TOP FUEL
Low ET among the consolation racers was an astounding 6.16 recorded by young Howell in Round One. Top Speed honors went to Gibson at 232.97 mph. PRO SUPERCHARGED
On the opposite side of Pro Supercharged's seven-car ladder, fourth-qualified Mike Leonard (7.12/192) was enjoying the finest outing of a lengthy career at the wheel of his heavy Chevy, a full-sized '69 Chevelle. Leonard got a major break in Round One when Ronnie Nunes' record-holding Stingray barely limped off the starting line, leaving Leonard to a strong 7.08/194 solo advancement. Much more difficult was Mike's semifinal victory, in which a holeshot made the difference against a quicker Steve Wood (no "s"), 7.06/193 to 7.04/179. Then Leonard's luck ran out in a terrific trophy dash that saw Reinero lead from wire to wire, 7.07/194 to 7.11/192. Overall Low ET went to Steve Woods at 6.93; Top Speed was set by the guy with the '53 Studebaker and the similar surname, Steve Wood, at 195.60 mph.
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After
winning the first front-motor round of his life at 6.27/232 (over Mark
Malde's 6.38/218), Tim Gibson got two opportunities to beat Rick McGee,
thanks to Goodguys' popular break rule (which reinstates the quickest
loser from the previous round). In the semis, Gibson's offpace 6.68/185
was no match for McGee's 6.36/215. When twentysomething sensation Jason
Howell couldn't repair the damage suffered during successive upsets
of Kirk Kuhns and Bill Dunlap, Gibson was invited back for the "B" finale.
The replay also went to Tedford & McGee, 6.36/215 to 6.56/202.
Less
than a year after returning to the supercharged coupes and sedans of
his youth, Gary Reinero finds himself leading the points in one of VRA's
toughest categories. Reinero won Bakersfield with a tiny Austin sedan
that appears barely big enough to contain both its brave driver and
its big, bad, Brad Anderson alcohol elephant. Qualified third at 7.11/192,
Reinero defeated Rich Souza's '61 bubbletop Impala in the opening round
at 7.10/194, then upset world-champ Steve Woods' sideways Prefect with
a 7.07/194 to make the final.