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Wilkerson (above) kept it up next out, running 4.96/305.77
to sideline Densham's off pace 5.44. Tony P put a big holeshot on his
employer, and put Da Boss in the box with a 4.92/311.92 run. A .567
to .495 starting line disadvantage spelled lights out for Force on this
day, as his 4.87/318.60 effort was not enough to rescue him.
With Da Boss out of action, the pressure was on Tony P
to complete the coup. And that he did by outgunning Wilkerson from the
start. His 4.91/320.58 lap ended Wilkerson's hopes, and illustrated
how tough it is to gain ground on Force's overall advantage in the Funny
Car wars. They might win a few battles, but the war -- now that is another
thing, altogether.
PRO STOCK
Something must be done about the Pro Stock situation.
What situation is that, you ask? Why, the situation wherein five cars
can run 6.89 or quicker and MISS the show! The situation wherein seventeen
cars go home on Saturday! The situation that sees the likes of V Gaines,
Larry Morgan, Tom Hammonds, Tom Martino, Kurt Johnson, to name a few,
out before the opening bell sounds! What to do? Expand the Pro Stock
field to 32 cars. Have a playoff for the last two spots after qualifying
ends. Have a losers bracket race after the close of Pro Qualifying.
Do something--Anything! Just don't stand pat and continue to make minimal
use of the closest-matched Pro cars in drag racing. Topeka was just
the latest exercise in competition/frustration that is Pro Stock racing.
Indeed, the top four qualifiers at Topeka all carded slight
variations of 6.85's at over 200 mph. Jim Yates, D R Carr, Mark Osborne
and Gene Wilson were the names this time, but it could have been literally
anyone else in the Pro Stock pantheon, at a different time or place.
Last year's Topeka champ, Ron Krisher, rode the bump spot with a 6.87.
As mentioned, seventeen others trailed just enough to go home early.
Once elims started, no fewer than four upsets were recorded
in the opening stanza. #9 Bruce Allen beat #8 Warren Johnson, #13 Mark
Whisnant ousted #4 Gene Wilson, #12 Richie Stevens bested #5 Allen Johnson
and #10 Troy Coughlin holeshot Greg Anderson out of the show. The top
three qualifiers all moved on, with Jim Yates winning over Ron Krisher,
J R Carr over a broken Darrell Alderman, and Mark Osborne leaving on
and beating Mark Pawuk.
In the next round, Yates advanced on Bruce Allen's foul,
Whisnant beat Stevens on a holeshot, Jeg Coughlin ended Osborne's run,
and Troy Coughlin upset Carr. If there is such a thing as an upset in
Pro Stock this year.
In the semifinals, Yates got outdriven and outrun by Whisnant,
by a .474 to .491 reaction time and 6.94 to 6.95 combination. In a family
affair, Troy knocked off Jeg by a 6.91 to 6.96 count. So for the money,
it would be a showdown between two of the young guns in Pro Stock racing.
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