Seattle's Pacific Raceways: Race #3 Lucas Oil TA Series.

Saturday evening final elimination's:

Top Alcohol Funny Car eliminations:

#1 Clint Thompson .089 5.795 247.47 def. #Forrest Leblanc .116 6.383 223.47

# 4 Roger Bateman .084 5.916 242.80 def. #5 Brian Hough 0.052 6.003 238.43

#2 John Weaver .111 5.772 241.93 def. #7 Tim Nemeth .209 6.231 231.87

#3 Bucky Austin .104 5.744 250.00 def. #6 Dave Germain .120 6.052 239.57

# 4 Roger Bateman .073 5.937 241.63 def. #1 Clint Thompson .091 6.030 240.81

#2 John Weaver .067 5.777 244.29 def. #3 Bucky Austin .125 5.761 251.02

John Weaver .122 5.796 239.53 def. Roger Bateman .050 5.932 243.90

John Weaver is liking the change of scenery here in the North West, as he wins for the second time in 2004. John nd the "Dream Weaver" family team has found their stride after a few trying years in the class. With Jeremy Weaver back in the family fold after a few years with and Austin, his experience with the "NW hitter", has given him more knowledge and tuning expertise and combining that with John's driving and tuning knowledge has given the team a race car that is as good as out there. And Weaver can flat out drive a race car. After qualifying #2 in the field he back three consecutive 5.70's on his way to victory. His toughest match-up came in the semis against Bucky Austin and that is where his driving came to the forefront. He used a great. .067 reaction time and held off a quicker Austin who could not come up with a quick starting line launch. In the final, he faced the wily veteran Roger Bateman who was stuck in the 5.90's but had a great rt (.050) in the final round but the finish line stripe was 7/100's in favor of Weaver. With the win, Weaver moves in front of Austin by three rounds.

Top Alcohol Dragster eliminations:

#1 Morgan Lucas .044 5.421 261.98 def. #9 Gary Anderson .127 5.957 244.74

# 4 Mitch Myers .053 5.468 255.77 def. #5 Mark Hentges .082 5.455 257.43

#2 Steve Federlin .067 5.450 259.16 def. #7 Kim Parker .043 5.711 248.39

#6 Brandon Johnson .028 5.863 251.34 def. #3 Joey Severance .051 6.136 253.47

# 1 Morgan Lucas .035 5.320 267.00 def. #4 Mitch Myers .038 5.648 247.43

#2 Steve Federlin .071 5.420 259.21 def. #6 Brandon Johnson .052 5.502 256.11

#1 Morgan Lucas .028 5.310 268.06 def. #2 Steve Federlin 0.039 5.416 263.36

Morgan Lucas after a huge struggle with his new car and new team to start the season, has found the form that may give him the push to challenge for the title in 2004. He possibly made the best call at the start of the season when he put Larry Miersch in the seat at the Phoenix divisional. Since that race, the team has a win at Las Vegas and has run numerous 5.20's. Last weekend loss in round one at Woodburn was probably and aberration for the Grimes/Rizzoli tuned dragster. At Pacific this weekend, He qualified #1 and ran low et throughout elimination's including low et of the weekend in the final round against #2 qualifier and the second quickest car throughout the weekend, Steve Federlin. The track (newly ground surface) and the conditions this weekend would have seemed to have evened out the disparity issues. But running the event in the evening, and not under the hot afternoon sun, put the advantage in favor of the A/Fuelers. Morgan's ability at the tree also puts him in the upper echelon, and the driver next to him, be it in a BAD or A/Fueler is 9 times out of ten going to leave second. Steve Federlin is one of the other drivers that are in Morgan's league, but even a perfect light would not have been enough for Steve to get his second win of the year.

 

 

 

Saturday Pit notes prior to Elimination's (Courtesy Bob Wilson).........The big announcement in the pits is Tim Nemeth has hired Steve Boggs to tune his TA Funny Car for the rest of the year. No conflict with Mitch Myers due to his running an A/Fuel car and Nemeth in a Flopper. Very cool news, for the local Funny Car driver who has struggled with his Alky deal and only has a 6.05 best I believe. Look for Boggs to get Tim well into the five's before to long. Also noted is Randy Parker will not make the first round of elimination's due to parts carnage in qualifying. He is in the #8 spot, so expect to see either Dale Van Gundy (#9) or Hank Coolidge (#10) to fill the spot. Coolidge will probably make a strong bid to run instead of Van Gundy, but we'll see. Ed Verenka is doing well at his first divisional event in at least four years. He is racing his new A/Fueler for the first time in competition. His 5.58 best is very respectable. In two weeks he will compete at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in the Top Fuel class with a reported 200lbs off the car and a bigger motor. Bucky Austin never got the chance to get the #1 spot in the field Friday night as he and the crew found a mechanical glitch and decided to stay in the pits. Too bad, he probably would have been in the 60's.

 

June 19, 2004 Seattle Lucas Oil event. Final qualifying Friday under the lights in what could be a new trend at Pacific raceways in trying to get the fans out to the track at events other than the National event in July. There was around 800-1000 spectators (non race teams) in the stands to watch a couple very exciting evening qualifiers with five A/Fuel cars lighting up the sky. Division 7 hitter Morgan Lucas is leading the way after a great 5.358 in the last pairing of the night at 1:55 pm five minutes before the curfew of 11:00 pm struck they actually ran two jet cars to end the night at the stroke of 11. Steve Federlin was in the other lane and ran a solid 5.389 to end up #2. Division 5 is again showing the other divisions it is the one to beat, as the three events so far that have had Top Alcohol cars present have had solid 5.50 bump spots, and a number of cars solidly in the 5.20's or 5.30's. Elimination's run today and none of the pairings is going to be easy. The big match-up that will surely open round one will be Myers and Hentges. The Severance/Johnson (the last two divisional champs) will also be hotly contested. Lucas/Cofini and Federlin/Parker are the other two pairings.

1) Morgan Lucas, Sun Valley, Calif., 5.358 seconds, 267.37 mph 2) Steve Federlin, Oregon City, Ore., 5.389, 261.17 3) Joey Severance, Spanaway, Wash., 5.447, 259.66 4) Mitch Myers, Hermiston, Ore., 5.475, 258.32 5) Mark Hentges, Federal Way, Wash., 5.475, 257.83 6) Brandon Johnson, Shelton, Wash., 5.498, 252.80 7) Kim Parker, Graham, Wash., 5.536, 250.55 8) Mike Cofini, Spokane, Wash., 5.542, 244.52

Not Qualified 9) Gary Anderson, Anaheim, Calif., 5.544, 255.43 10) Greg Tacke, Great Falls, Mont., 5.558, 254.95 11) Ed Verenka, Calgary, Alb., 5.585, 247.20 12) Gregg Lawrence, Salem, Ore., 5.586, 257.48 13) Bill Edwards Jr., Sumas, Wash., 5.817, 241.93

In TAFC, Clint Thompson avenged his Woodburn DNQ and made the statement of the night with a #1 qualifying effort 5.723/250 in a side by side pairing with John Weaver. Weaver was close behind his and ran 5.782/245 to sit #2. Woodburn winner, Bucky Austin is #3 with a second round 5.827(with an engine expiring 228mph). Roger Bateman is #4 in Dickison's Roadway Towing car. Roger ran a 5.885 @ 240. Brian Hough, Dave Germain, Chilliwack's Tim Nemeth and Randy Parker round out the eight car field.