GOODGUYS NITRO NATIONALS

By Mike Bumbeck and John Drummond.
Photos by Mike Bumbeck.

Rain gave way to two full days of perfect drag racing weather for the 13th Annual Goodguys Nitro Nationals at Sears Point Raceway. Both the Pro and Sportsman classes turned out in force up in scenic Sonoma California for the second race in the Goodguys VRA Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL
In Top Fuel, Rance McDaniel avoided heavy traffic and merged his way to victory for the Champion Speed Shop team based in nearby South San Franciso. McDaniel had no fewer than three close calls in the shutdown area between the March Meet and the Nitro Nationals. At the March Meet, a fire-balling Jim Murphy missed colliding with McDaniel by a mere two inches. In qualifying at Sears Point, Bob Muravez came about a foot away from collecting him, and then in the opening round of final eliminations, low-qualifier Gerry Steiner blew an engine and barely missed McDaniel, oiling both lanes in the process

Steiner said he appreciated having a veteran driver in the other lane. "Two hundred feet before the lights I saw oil, but I was so close I kept my foot in it. Rance saw that I was in trouble and got out of the way because he knew I couldn't see," he said. Steiner had been the number one qualifier, but was out in the first round.

The Top Fuel field was split into an eight-car "A" and a five car "B" field. Going into round two it was clear the dominant players were the Champion speed shop and Jack "The Sheriff" Harris and his Posse. Both drivers clicked off 6.02 ET's in the previous round.

It was Rance McDaniel and untold power of the small block Chevy-powered digger that would prevail in the semi, as Rance lit up the clocks with a 5.98 at 224 mph. This put Rance up in the beams with Bill Dunlap for the final but Dunlap saw his hope for victory go up in smoke he lost traction. Rance took the Champion Special through the lights oiled in and smoking for a 6.04 at 200 mph.

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