By this time it was nearly two hours after the final session had been scheduled to start, and not a single pro car had made it to the line. Not surprisingly, some fans were losing patience, while Bader conferred with officials and professional drivers about the condition of the track. Several suggested that the heavy yellow pine pollen (that actually was visible floating past the bright lights around the facility) might be negatively reacting with the traction compound.

Regardless, even the fans knew something was making the track unfit for racing, so more compound was sprayed, the jet dryer was constantly going, and the entire racing surface was treated to another round of intense attention, until finally, about 9:15 p.m., Bader took a microphone to the starting line and announced that Mike Kloeber, crew chief for Clay Millican's championship-winning Top Fuel team, "isn't afraid to send his car down this track." This time, again not surprisingly, the fans roared with approval.

Minutes later the IHRA president announced that Pro Mod stars Rickie Smith and Al Billes also had stepped forward, along with Pro Stock driver Tim Bell, willing to put on a show. The fans cheered. Bader assured me later that he'd stressed to all drivers and teams involved that they should do only what they were comfortable with -- but it sure sounded at the time like he was insinuating that "real racers" (my quotes) would buckle in and give it a go. Now, I realize the man is a promoter and a showman -- and the natives definitely were getting restless -- but it just sounded like a challenge to IHRA racers to prove their courage. It made me -- among others -- decidedly uneasy.

Nevertheless, after Millican's team finally squeezed their way to the starting line (Top Fuel originally was scheduled to go last, so they had to maneuver through all the Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Funny Car teams already in the staging lanes), they fired the Werner's dragster up at about 9:40 p.m., or a little more than three hours after the scheduled session start. After a brief burnout Millican backed into place, launched, and made it to about the 60-foot mark before going up in smoke. It was the same result for the next Top Fuel pairing, Bruce Litton and Louie Allison, who, Bader told the crowd, would be making just 1/8-mile test passes to make sure the track would hold.

I thought at the time it was an unusual arrangement, not only because Allison had not yet qualified and Litton was on the bump spot with a very vulnerable 6.52, but I couldn't picture either team willing to risk parts and spend money just to be a guinea pig for IHRA track prep. As it turns out, Bader said both drivers actually were making real qualifying attempts, and both were hoping and prepared to drive it out the back door. "I just wanted to undersell and hoped they'd over deliver," he explained.

When the fuel session was over, Litton and Bobby Lagana were out, John Smith and Tim Cullinan were in, and Bell tried his luck in a solo pass. That didn't work either, and that's when Bader held an impromptu drivers' meeting at the head of the staging lanes. I couldn't hear what was said, but judging from the gestures and mood of the assembled crowd, it seemed obvious everyone wasn't racing from the same page.

When the meeting broke up, Bader returned to the mike and announced Pro Stock would run next (approx. 10:45 p.m.), but only as singles in order to minimize their risk.

I had never seen so many aborted Pro Stock efforts, as car after car either shook the tires hard upon launching or slid out of the groove before getting even close to half-track. As it happened, only Jerry Haas managed to make a full-track pass under power, but even he appeared barely under control at the top end, with his car skating about as it posted an off-the-pace 6.75 when he needed at least a 6.63 to get into the field.

The Funny Car session (if you can call one car a session) came next, with only Bobby Martindale making an attempt. When the rest of IHRA's alky flopper contingent saw Martindale's car blow off the tires about 60 feet out, they turned tail and headed back to the pits.

Finally, it was Pro Modified's turn. But again the cars were sent on solo passes, and again most didn't make it far down the track before going up in smoke, shaking hard, or drifting out of the groove and shutting down early. Meanwhile, several teams just decided to call it a night and pulled out of line, which according to IHRA rules negated any further attempts on their part to qualify.

Then, Mike Lockwood ran a 6.31 that wasn't quite good enough to break into the field, but injected a little hope into the proceedings. That pass inspired 2001 Pro Mod champ Mike Janis to get back in line and ask Bader to make a qualifying attempt. Bader said sure, but told me later that he didn't realize Janis had previously pulled out, but IHRA officials had notified him the run couldn't count. Perhaps for the best -- at least as far as avoiding further controversy -- Janis' Corvette made it just a few feet off the line before losing traction.

And that was about it. A couple of jet cars then made their required passes and phase one of the IHRA Spring Nationals was finally in the books. Time of completion: approximately 12:20 a.m.

Now, I don't know what was wrong with the normally stellar Rockingham track -- it already had produced the second-quickest Pro Mod field in IHRA history that weekend --in fact, I don't think anyone knows for sure. But it certainly wasn't the first time heavy pollen was on the surface and I can assure you, there was as much attention paid to that track as any I've ever seen. Rumors floated about the pits the next day that the jet dryer may have been leaking diesel fuel, or that somehow the recent track grinding and sealing contributed to the problem, but that's all they were -- rumors.

What I do know, however, is that Saturday night's "show" fell well short of par for IHRA racers and fans. Of all the cars that made attempts in that final session, only John Smith and Tim Cullinan benefited from the IHRA's perseverance. On the other hand, I recognize the tough situation Bader and his organization faced. They had fans in the stands, teams facing last-chance qualifying, and didn't know at the time that rain would wash away eliminations the next day. There was every reason to try and find a way around the mysterious slippery track condition, and honestly, I can't fault the organization for trying.

However, if Bader or his track crew had serious doubts about the safety of the track (and certain actions suggest they did), their decision to press on is certainly open to question. The sanctioning body has to be there to protect racers from themselves. If IHRA says it's safe to go, chances are the racers are going to go. Fortunately, no one crashed a car or was injured this time, but that positive outcome can't be counted on in the future. Sometimes the show must not go on.

Race safe,

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