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Top Alcohol
Winternationals coverage is
here
2004 Alcohol TV coverage is here
Results from Bakersfield and Great Bend are after the "Scoreboard" May 24, 2004THE SCOREBOARD (after Bakersfield and Great Bend Div. events)
By looking at the results and stat's, after 16 of 59 events this season, A few of the top BAD teams in the country have found a little more power, or a way to get their power to the track. more so than in 2003. Bakerfield, which should be a BAD dominant track had unusually cooler weather, giving the A/Fuelers a chance to win and one went to the final round. At Great Bend, an A/Fueler won at a track that should have been more BAD friendly. So Parity is more or less rearing its ugly head. SIC! Mission Raceway with their great air, helped the BAD's to perform better than at any other event so far in 2004. Then the followoing weekend at Atlanta, a couple of the strong BAD's again showed very well. BAD's have won four of the last five races (Nat'l and Div'l combined). And they have won a couple of these events in pretty good conditions. The BAD's though, have qualified #1 at National events twice in 2004. In 2003, they did not accomplish that feat even ONCE! The BAD's finally got their first win at a National event this past weekend at Atlanta, and the A/fuelers now have a 4-1 edge. The BAD's have a huge edge at Divisionals so far this year and lead 8-3. The summer is now upon us and the race schedule is extensive, with 14 events (3 nat'ls and 11 div'ls) in the next 5 weeks featuring Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars. So far after 27% of the races in 2004, the adjustments made by NHRA seem to be working. As far as the number of cars of each type in 2004: 76 cars in total have competed so far. 46 BAD's (61%), 30 A/Fuelers (39 %). The BAD's have qualified for 62% of the available 140 spots (87 of 140 spots; Two races had less than full fields, thus the total is not 128 spots). A/Fuelers, 38% of the 140 spots (53 of 140 spots). Agree with me or not, send me an e-mail and let me know what you think of the stat's so far this year.
May 23, 2004 TAD Final round eliminations from Bakersfield are here (Don Hudson Racing web site) TAFC Final round eliminations from Bakersfield.
------Semi Finals-------
---------Finals---------
Winner Jon Capps
First time finalist Jon Capps was the "better to be lucky than good" winner in TAFC at the "Patch" Sunday afternoon. On a day (and weekend for that matter) that was far from the norm at the South Central California facility, as spring like 75-80 degree temps. welcomed the racers over the weekend, and that was a welcome reprieve from what is usually scorching hot. The TAD cars (Both BADs and A/Fuelers) were on pretty well equal footing this weekend with the slightly cooler weather and their results are here. In TAFC, without Steve Gasparrelli in the division in 2004, the event's were almost filled in with Doug Gordon's name before the races were completed. On this particular weekend, they forgot to tell all his competitors. Doug and the MN Cabinets team were off their game with only a #6 qualifying effort, which in reality was pretty good considering a couple that never even got to play on Sunday, namely Mark Woznichak and Mert Littlefield. That simply tells you how tough Division 7 is. Hitter Gordon, was gone in round one (def. by Robert Lee) and #1 Brett Williamson was and semi final casualty of Jon Capps. In the semis, Capps got his first gift when Williamson broke on the burnout, but Capps to his credit ran well enough to give Brett trouble if he had of run in the semis. Capps went 5.85 and 5.83 in the first two rounds. Dennis Taylor was his opponent in the final round, after he got by Warnhart and Lee in the first two rounds. Taylor had two strong 5.79 and 5.78 laps in the the first two rounds. The edge had to go two Taylor, but in order to win, you have to give yourself a chance. It ended at the starting line when Taylor had a 3/100ths red light. I doubt that Capps saw it though as he went .022 green. But the win light came on in his lane despite his slower 6.02 to 5.80 time slip. Talyor's r/u puts hm in 3rd place in the Div. 7 standings and alone in 3rd place nationally as well. Doug Gordon retains his Div 7 point lead, and he sits #2 nationally. Capps moves up to 6th from 13th place in Division 7.
TAD final round eliminations from Great Bend Kansas
------Semi Finals-------
---------Finals---------
Winner Randy Meyer
Steve Federlin is going to have nightmares about what could have been at Great Bend, as he lead in the final round past the 1000 foot mark until the car slowed (I heard from a blown burst panel, but not yet confirmed), around 1200 feet allowing Randy Meyers to edge past by less than 1/100ths of a second. Meyers looks to be on a roll of his own and will probably take a lucky win as well. He was the quickest car through qualifying and had low ET of Elimination's as well, when he went 5.57 in rd. #1, so it was not like he backed into the win. But based on the numbers that Federlin had at the finish line I would say, he probably had his second consecutive win on the Divisional trail, if the car had of stayed together for less than another 100 feet. Ashley Force was another unlucky competitor as according to sources, the starter broke on their car in the semi finals. Federlin Also got a break in the semis As Larry Traugnott failed to stage his car (or got timed out on autostart). With the win, Meyers moves into 4th place nationally, and takes a commanding Div.5 lead. Federlin moves into the top ten nationally, and 1st place in Div. 6. TAFC Final eliminations from Great Bend, Kansas.
------Semi Finals-------
---------Finals---------
Winner Cy Chesterman
Shawn Jones almost had a 'Cinderella story' win after a huge explosion at Vegas a month and a half ago, but that soft drink distributor from Iowa, Cy Chesterman, spoiled his parade at Great Bend Kansas on Sunday. Jones came in as the #8 qualifier and got a break in round one against Vern Moats broke on the burnout) and then won a squeaker against Kirk Williams before bowing out to one of the favorites in 2004, Cy Chesterman. This was Chesterman's first divisional event of the season, and this win to go along with his previous two national wins and one semi final, puts him in 3rd place in the National standings, and 1st in Div. 5. Tate Branch and Jackie Stidham remain in a 1st place tie in Div.4 as both suffered 1st round losses. The top 15 TAD standings (Nationally) to May, 24, 2004 01 Ashley Force 393 5/3 May 17, 2004 Atlanta Southern Nationals final results: TAFC Semi Finals: (W) Jay Payne (Valvoline Camaro) 0.013 5.761
244.56 (W) Paul Lee (Allied Machine & Equipment Firebir0.044 5.712
252.10 Final Round: (W) Paul Lee (Allied Machine & Equipment Firebir0.030 5.747
250.09 TAD: Semi Finals: (W) Ashley Force (Mattel Toy Store A/FD) 0.050 5.485 265.74 (W) David Wells (Wells Dairy B/AD) 0.054 5.445 261.52 Final Round: (W) David Wells (Wells Dairy B/AD) 0.071 5.476 260.97 (photos by Gerry Frechette and Dean Murdoch) Final Alky Gallery, Sunday Top Alcohol Gallery, Saturday Top Alcohol Gallery. Sportsman class coverage is here May 10, 2004 Mission Raceway Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Sunday final elimination's "Super Saturday" evolved into "Spectacular Sunday" (no elimination's were run Saturday), and the race did not get started until Sunday 1:30pm. The race was completed in just over seven hours and what a day it was.
------Semi Finals-------
---------Finals---------
The big question in round one was whether Mitch Myers
could make the first 5.20 pass in Canada and at
TAFC: The Funny Cars also rocked Sunday at MRP, but the win streak by the "Hitter" is over. Not only has Bucky Austin dominated Lucas Oil events at Mission Raceway he has been THE man in Division 6 for the last two years. He was in nine final rounds in the last ten events in the North West Division he has competed at, and won 6 of them, including all five in in 2003. This was Bucky's first divisional event in 2004 and he knew the competition would be tougher than it has been. Ten cars tried to qualify at this event and five were well into the five second zone. Austin lead with a whopping 5.63 and John Weaver was second with a 5.67. The Sunday results
------Semi Finals-------
---------Finals--------
Top Alcohol pit notes:
Sunday was a long day for all teams involved as racing never got started
for them until 3:30 in the afternoon. It did give all the teams that
had engine or other problems from Saturday lots of time to make repairs
and that included Greg Tacke who spun main bearings on two laps They
burned the midnight oil making the necessary repairs to run first round.
Bill Edwards Jr. was on the property and wanted to make the Saturday
qualifying session but the rain kept that from happening. On Saturday,
Bill Sr. had family prom commitments in Spokane so was unable to make
any laps on Saturday. Calgary's Robert Meek may have made his last lap
(for the near future) in a TAD as he has plans to license in a Top Fuel
Funny Car sometime in the near future. This guy hopes he happens to
come west t April Archives are here. All the other months are archive on the top right column.
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2004 Lucas Oil Top Alcohol TV package 2004 Alky Zone archives 2003 Alky Zone Archives 2004
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TAD:
Steve Federlin got the monkey off his back and maybe the whole jungle
with a victory in Top Alcohol Dragster. Steve and Patty Federlin have
been snake bitten at this, one of their favorite facilities, for the
few years. They either have shook their and the cars brains out or suffered
from mechanical problems at every race in the last couple years. At
a track they should have been running in the 40's or 30's even, they
have not had any luck. The eight car qualified field provided first
round performance levels that easily rivaled a national event second
round. Three of the winners ran in the 5.30's. Here are the elimination's
breakdown:
MRP.
He didn't but he looked very strong with a 5.36 to defeat An improved
Brandon Johnson who went 5.51. Steve Federlin ran his best of the weekend
with a 5.39 @ a whopping 269.70 in defeat of Greg Tacke (the newest
player in Division 6). Tacke ran a 5.543/258 mph. Joey Severance slowed
to a 5.468 but, had 1/100th in the bank off the starting line to defeat
Mike Cofini 5.476. The final pairing was Mark Hentges and Duane Shields,
and Hentges kept the hits coming, with a world second fastest mph for
a BAD with a 5.359/270.67 victory over Shield's 6.03. That was Mark's
second 270 mph lap. In the semi finals, two colossal pairings with Severance
vs Hentges and Myers Vs Federlin did not pan out but there was a world
shattering pass. Mark Hentges was set to Face Joey Severance, but Joey
shut down the cars just after firing it up as there was no oil pressure
registering on the gauge. Hentges singled, and ran 5.360 at an incredible
271.08 mph. The fastest run in NHRA history for a BAD dragster. Steve
Federlin ended up with an easy one as well, as Myers smoked the tires
30 feet out and coasted through. Federlin ran a 5.45 to advance to his
first final at Mission. The final round had all the makings of being
the quickest BAD run at a divisional event in history. A 7:30pm, a final
round in cool sub sea level conditions and a pretty good race track
that saw over 400 rounds of elimination's go down the track in six hours.
So much for anticipation, though as Hentges let go of the clutch pedal
and it (the clutch) let go big time, sending Steve Federlin to a solo
victory. He turned in a 5.422 for the victory. His great .037 rt compared
to
Hentges .093 meant Mark had to run a 5.364 to win (a number that Mark
Hentges ran in both the previous rounds). Steve is the first to admit
it is better to be lucky than good anyday. As I said earlier, The "Impatience
Racing" team has dropped the anchor and are now on the road to
Great Bend and then Topeka Kansas in the next couple weeks. With great
Support form Jack O'Bannon they team looks to be back to their 2002
performance, where they finished #3 in the world. 
In
Round one, Bucky defeated an improved Tim Nemeth, with a slowing
5.897 @ only 178 to a 6.173/237. Clint Thompson went 5.79 to defeat
Roger Bateman who went up in smoke at the hit. John Weaver ran 5.74
and blew by Danny Fillion (6.69) and Hank Coolidge got the best of Randy
Parker who had a surprisingly off weekend. Coolidge ran 5.80 to Randy's
best weekend shot, a 6.03. In the semis, Thompson got the best of the
"Hitter" for the second race in a row, as he ran 5.76 as Bucky
shook off the line and clicked it early. The dream Weaver team also
advanced to the final round at their first event here at Mission with
a solid 5.69. Coolidge lit the red bulb by the least amount (a -.001)
and wasted what was his career best a 5..75. He would have needed a
.01 light to win though. The final round was unfortunately as anti 
climatic
as Clint Thompson got real loose and clicked it early giving John Weaver
an easy win. Weaver was tough though, running quicker than 5.80 on every
run all weekend except the first round of qualifying as he tripped the
timers with a 5.76/247mph.
o
try and run the 280 mph necessary. Paul Julien only made one representative
lap in his TAD as both his other two ended up as aborted laps. One,
was that scary power slide into the other lane after blazing the tires
in session two and the other one, in the Saturday evening session, ended
before the 660 cones. Kim Parker came oh so close in the late session
Saturday night but fell short of the 5.583 bump by .005. I was very
happy to see both the "Mercedes Shop" dragster and funny car
making runs this weekend. Shawn Nault got a Funny Car baptism, when
he hit the wall on the last session. He blew the burst panel in that
session and the air from out of the blown panel hit the very cold windshield
and fogged it so bad, he could not see out so he had to stop by feel,
and unfortunately that meant wrecking a 1/2 set of headers and a couple
holes in the body from the concrete barriers.