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Dragster is here
Pacific Raceways A full Top Alcohol gallery from Seattle is here. (photos courtesy Bill Jeffery) July 29, 2004 Friday/Saturday TAFC qualifying I'll tell you one thing I would not have wanted to be sitting
inside one of those Funny Cars on Friday or Saturday. Those drivers
don't make enough money for that kind of punishment. In arguably
the hottest weekend of drag racing on record at Seattle's NW Nationals,
just qualifying and getting down the race track was an accomplishment.
Bucky proved the heat was no problem in the opening session as
he ripped off a 5.74 to sit almost a tenth ahead of his nearest
competitor John Weaver.
TAFC Final Order
TAFC Final elimination's
A full Top Alcohol gallery from Seattle is here. July 29, 2004 Darlington TAFC final round Jay Payne .146 5.751 250.64 def. Mick Snyder .052 5.991 214.18
Photo gallery from Brainerd Divisional is here. Photo gallery from Woodburn #1 is here.
July 19, 2004 Chicago Lucas Oil TAFC results A very strong field at Chicago's Route 66 Raceway where 15 TAFC's tried to qualify for the 8 car field. TAFC SEMI-FINALS FINALS
July 12, 2004 Woodburn Top Alcohol Funny car results:
Bucky claimed the points lead for the first time this season with his second win of the year. Both his divisional event wins have come at Woodburn, easily his favorite race track this season. He now has to find his winning form at National events and two of the events he has had a bunch of success at are right around the corner, Seattle and Sonoma. Bucky went into elimination's as the #1 qualifier, after a last session 5.736 (beating out Bernie Harrington by 2/1000ths). In the first round, he had his toughest race, as he took on wily veteran Roger Bateman. Batemen left on Austin by 4/100ths, but Austin drove after him at the 1000 foot mark for a 2/1000ths victory. It was almost as close in the semis against 2004 nemesis Clint Thompson, when Clint also got 4/100ths on Bucky but trailed the 'Hitter" by 6/100ths at the stripe. That win put him up against Bernie Harrington, who turned in one of his best performances in a while. Harrington qualified #2 and then dispatched of Brian Hough and Hank Coolidge, but broke in the semis and could not get the repairs down in time to make the final round. There are two more Lucas Oil division events left in the North West, the first ever event in Billings Montana in August and then the final in Medford Oregon the beginning of October. Final Woodburn Qualifying: 1) Bucky Austin, Fife, Wash., '02 Firebird, 5.736 seconds, 251.46
mph 9) Tim Nemeth, Surrey, B.C., '96 Cutlass, 6.012, 242.71 June TAFC Archives are here May Archives are here. April Archives are here.
For the Best TAFC drivers of all time go here. For the Top TAD drivers of all time go here For the Top Tuners and Innovators go here For the quickest runs in history by TAD and TAFC go here
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2004 Lucas Oil Top Alcohol TV package 2004 Alky Zone archives 2003 Alky Zone Archives 2004 Columbus gallery is here.
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Seattle
Washington
Nine
of the 19 cars entered ran in the five's in round one. Notable
non qualifiers in round one were Doug Gordon and Tim Nemeth. In
Friday's final round at 5:30pm, Bucky again leads the field and
ran another 5.7 pass (a 5.752). Dennis Taylor and Steve Gasparelli
both hit that mark as well and ran 5.768 and 5.799 respectively.
13 cars were now in the five second zone, Including two Canadians,
Roger Bateman (left) and John Evanchuk. New Mexico's Shawn Jones
held down the #16 spot with a 6.073. Saturday Morning was cooler
and the last chance for teams to improve. Mert Littlefield joined
the teams in the 5.7 zone and Bucky went a tad quicker to a 5.721.
Robert Lee, 
John
Weaver and Doug Gordon also ran 5.70's making of the top half
in the '70 zone. Three more were in the '80's and four hit the
5.90's making 14 of 16 in the field running in the five's. A pretty
good number considering the heat. Unfortunately for 1st time National
event competitor Todd Ashwell (right and below), he burnt
up his ride in Friday's final session and could not make the necessary
repairs to compete from his #15 qualifying spot. Alaskan Shawn
Nault, Tim Nemeth, Dave Germain and Greg Hunter all were outside
the field (Hunter got in as a replacement for Todd Ashwell. 
First
round of elimination's were run Saturday afternoon in extreme
hot conditions. Over 95 degrees and a track temperature of over
140. It bit Bucky Austin who should of had the easy first round
win, but he faced Shawn Jones who has run some extremely good
numbers early this season and the end of 2003. Whether or not
Bucky paid attention to who he was racing or not I don't know,
but Shawn Jones (left) in the Lawren Jones tuned car with Fontana
power ripped off their best and possibly THE best run of
the weekend considering the heat, a solid 5,727/251 and Bucky
could only watch as he shook hard and had to lift. Brian Hough
ran his best lap with the new car (he had Randy Anderson assisting
in the tune-up this weekend), a 5.90 to get the hole shot win
over a real late John Weaver (John had a Gallant like .263). Weaver
ran a great 5,786 but you won't win too many when you sit at the
starting line 2/10ths longer than your opponent. Round two Sunday
at noon, saw the best conditions of the weekend as the clouds
kept the sun at bay and the temperature stayed in the 70's with
the track under 100 degrees. Steve Gasparelli liked the weather
as he ran a 5.637 to defeat a game 5.710 by Robert Lee. Dennis
Taylor also ran in the 60's, a 5.681 to narrowly defeat a quicker
leaving Doug Gordon. Mert Littlefield got the holeshot victory
over the career best 5.753 by Brian Hough, and John Patton got
the lucky break when he and Shawn Jones were both real loose but
he recovered quicker and got a 6.64 win. The semi finals, were
real ugly compared to the second round As John 
Patton
got another gift, this time courtesy of Mert Littlefield, when
Mert left before the tree was activated and Dennis Taylor got
a blower belt or early shut off win over Steve Gasparelli who
shook and had to lift before going completely sideways. The final
round saw Taylor (right) who had the more consistent car throughout
the weekend get an easy win over John Patton who fell victim to
the touchy clutch pedalitis, as he left way to early (-.252).
Taylor would have been real tough though, as he ripped off a 5.701/249.03
for the win. The win was his second national and third overall,
to go along win three runner-ups it vaults him into the second
spot in the national standings behind Jay Payne who won at Bristol
at the Lucas Oil event there. 
