|
A HARD EIGHT AT THE
50TH WORLD SERIES
By Jeff Leonard
Photos by Jeff Burk, Jeff Leonard and Magic
Photos
 ualifying
for any "specialty" eliminator can be a taxing
process. If the task is undertaken at an event
of any magnitude, it gets just that much harder.
All those who entered the third annual Drag
Racing Online Magazine Quick 8 Eliminator Aug.
22-23 at Cordova Dragway Park's 50th annual
World Series of Drag Racing found out just how
hard it could get. Fifteen entrants fought to
make the first round, and the final slate wasn't
set until about fifteen minutes before the first
round call went out. As all who have followed
the previous DRO Quick 8 events know, breakage
plays a big part in the outcome. This year was
no different.
Dave River was the first to fall by the wayside.
After an opening 7.49/ 181.13 mph run that had
him in the field, a broken valve on his second
lap put his five-speed Top Sportsman Trans-Am
on the trailer for the weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
Tom
Richey of Columbus, Ohio brought his unreal
Blastro van to the Cordova, Illinois track and
booted the 3500-lb., all-steel Astro van to
a 7.96/173.81 lap that had him in the door car
half of the field right up until shortly before
the first round. He had blown a front transmission
seal and damaged his converter in the second
qualifying round Friday night and, despite a
top-fuel-style thrash Saturday morning, was
unable to make the first round call.
|
