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SpeedZone Magazine's TAD coverage for 2005 is dedicated to Shelly Howard. May she "Rest in Peace".
2005 Lucas Oil Top Alcohol TV package
The first time this has happened................ Oct. 3, 2006 Record number of entries for Alcohol Dragster and Alcohol
Funny Car LAS VEGAS - It's the type of predicament most track
operators can only
.........Quite a bold move for the Strip and Chris Blair, but one that does seem a bit prudent. Chris is a friend of the TA classes, and he does have to run the show in a timely manner, especially with close to 1000 cars in total at this event. To me as an alternative, there is now reason why he could not allow all cars entered to run one lap on Thursday and Friday, and then dwindle the total down to the top 16 for the last qualifier on Saturday or cars within two tenths of the eight car field (just an idea). The problem lies in the fact that a divisional event is the starting point for a TA team to run in competition. There are few tracks that have TA match races, and they need the Div races for grade points as well. I hope this is not a precedent for the future as the TA classes in general are the red headed step childs of NHRAalready, and they are the third and fourth quickest class in all of drag races.
Sept. 15, 2005 Notice
The Racing for Kids Top Alcohol Dragster belonging to Ken Gilmour was totally destroyed by fire on August 27, 2005 on the way to a race in Saskatoon. The tragedy happened west of Saskatoon when smoke was noticed coming from the vents on the trailer. After stopping and opening the door to the trailer the fire had already engulfed the rear of the trailer. Unable to put the fire out, all that could be done was to watch a dream go up in smoke then into a molten mass of trailer and race car. All was lost, including the spare engine, tools, a golf cart used to pull the car (where it is suspected the fire started), tools, and all the other equipment used by the team. NOW FOR THE REALLY BAD NEWS There was no fire insurance on any of it. Being a budget team, minimum insurance was on the trailer (no fire insurance) and no insurance on the contents.
It is now our turn to help out a fellow racer and a friend of the automotive sports we all enjoy. The following companies are accepting donations to help the Racing for Kids team recover from this disaster. Any donations can be mailed or dropped off at the addresses below: Make cheques payable to Ken Gilmour Motorsports. Allan Rod And Custom National Transmission Mopac Auto Supply Ken Gilmour
July 6, 2005 TAD scoreboard lots of happeneings on track for the TAD class. Mostly divisionals have been run since our last update
The TAD scoreboard (to April 25th) Updated again, April 28, 2005 After further review on the whole picture so far this year, and after looking over the results from qualifying in 2004 and 2005 at the four national events completed, a couple enlightening stats come through. For starters, one of the comments Duane Shields stressed to me was that teams that were in competition in 2004 in the A/Fuel ranks, the ones that were middle of the pack runners are now so far out on their tune-up, it is like they are just starting in the class. He also stated that BAD team that were on the lower end of the scale (other terms were used), are now looking like heroes, and it is in expense of the teams that routinely qualified last year. He never mentioned names and I don't think he meant his comments to be derogatory to these racers in any way, he was just venting his frustration. I will explore his statements. Pomona Winternationals, I am not going to worry about the top half of the field for Pomona in either years because the performance was pretty much the same. Starting with #8 2004 was almost a tenth quicker and right through the #15 spot the disparity stayed the same. But the #16 spot was a tenth and a half quicker in 2004, (The bump was a 5.57 but an alternate was placed in #16 spot due to the rain out. The top running BADs (Federlin, Severance) performed the same in both years. While the top running A/Fuelrs had different names the overall performance was similar in elimination's (ET wise). Qualifying saw Shield substantially slower ands Jon Capps in Darryl Hitchman's car slower in qualifying but he ran quicker in 05 in round one of elimination's. The corrected air comparison for the two years was about 500 - 700 feet better in 2004 vs 2005. (Using DRC figures). The final stat is almost a wash as 8 A/Fuelers were in the field in 2004 and 7 in 2005.
In Gainesville, the performance level in the top half shocked everyone when Bill Reichert and Art Gallant both ran quicker than ever. The corrected air was less than 500 feet in 2005 and only a bit higher in 2004. 2005 actually saw a performance improvement over 2004. a surprising stat in 2005 was the fact that 11 A/Fuelers made the field compared to only 6 last year. In the final analysis the A/Fuelers performance in 2005 equaled or exceeded 2004.
At Houston, The air in 2004 was around 500 feet better (less than 1000) than 2005 and the top half performance was about .05 quicker. The field was dominated by A/Fuelers in both years with 11 in 2004 and 14 (Only two BADs were at the race in 2005) in 2005 making elimination's. The big disparity was noticed in the bottom 5 in the field. When the difference was over a tenth in the #13 spot, almost .2 for the #14 spot close to .4 for #15 and with only 16 cars at the event in 05 the final cars made only one launch and a stellar 10 second number that netted him $1,500 bucks. Surprisingly, a BAD made it to the final, and according to Shields, the winner it was a BAD race to win. When only 2 BADs showed up he was shocked and when they did not run in the 5.30 he was even more surprised. Duane stated that he ran 5.30's three years ago at that race with his BAD. I checked and in fact he did run one 5.3 lap, a 5.39 and he also won that race. In 2003 he dominated the race in his BAD running well into the 5.30s (four runs in total, including a 5.34 best) and won again. Both those years the air was below 1000 feet as well. Lee Callaway one of only two BADs in 05 was the #16 qualifier in 2004 with a 5.50, in 2005 he was #9 and only ran .03 better (5.47). The performance disappointment this season with the new rules, is that the field was very tight even in the bottom half in 2004. Given the air conditions that Houston routinely has, not having more BADs is certainly a surprise, but you could look at it like even with the new rules the A/Fuelers have not shied away. I remember back in the 90's the Texas National events used to garner 24 - 35 TAD cars and of course most at that time were BADs.
So after three events on the National circuit I would say that the NHRA rule change did not affect the A/Fuel car count in fact the actual #'s show a few more injected car out competing. So what about Las Vegas? Well what a difference a week and 2100 feet of actual elevation makes (don't forget 90 degree temps). The A/Fuelers plain ol' sucked (actually they did not suck as there was no air for them to suck or inject). To be fair this race should not favor an A/Fueler in my opinion unless the temperatures are cool, much like it was last fall at the divisional race. The A/Fuel contingent has educated me this season in that corrected air is important, but not as important as air temperature and density altitude. Myers ran 5.20's last fall in air that was not too much lower (less than 700 feet lower), but the air temperature was more than 30 degrees cooler. Duane Shields, while not performing great either year at this race, was .02 slower in 2005 but qualified 4 spots higher in the ladder. He had Myers crew chief calling the shots this year and was the quickest A/Fueler this season, but that and a first round match-up with even average or lower half BAD car spelled the end of his weekend and every A/Fuelers weekend except for Ashley Force who was slower than her competitor but got a holeshot win.
For the last couple seasons, the NHRA has only had one of the two groups in the class mad at them at any given time. Right now I would say that both sides are pissed. Do they care, they don't seem to, but then again they have alot of their plate the the Bruton Smith rumors the PS truck lawsuit being settled (WITH NO DETAILS BY THE WAY). If they really care about this class (and they should), they would sit down and listen, maybe make the class itself responsible for its own success then the ideas brought forth would be well thought out because they could not have anyone but themselves to blame if things don't pan out. 1. Allow technology for the BADs. That in itself may be enough to keep those teams happy and see the potential of their cars. 2. Bring back racing to every national event. 3. Have restrictions for either type of car at the tracks were there are extreme elevations and corrected air both good or bad. 4. Consider changing the div or nat'l requirements (5 & 5) to 10 races period. Have two eight car fields with the winner from both facing off in the real final. Both could earn 85 points for winning their respective side and have a bonus points system for the overall winner. 5. Allow a up to 25 % nitro in the BADs. The idea in a heads up class without stops or electronics on the car is to go as quick/fast as possible. Allow the cars to experiment with new stuff. Don't be scared that they may run a 4 second et, the Top Fuel cars are still light years ahead and awe inspiring. You have Pro Stock and Pro Mod at events now and they are within 1/2 second of each other. For divisional tracks that are not good enough for a car capable of speeds over 250 mph, don't have these car compete there. Already three or four Div events do hot have them anyway. You get the idea, there are many ways to fix the class, and most are more logical than the one the NHRA picked. Lets hope the class survives to see rules in parity that make both sides happy (or happier than they are now). The racers have to been united though and that is possibly the most important part of the equation. If they are not united, they only have themselves to blame.
Updated April 27, 2005 (Note: I got off the phone with Duane Shields today and he is pissed at me. He stated he is not quitting, but he is sure looking at his options considering the performance of his car and theA/Fuel cars in general and the fact many of the races left on his schedule will not be beneficial to an A/Fuel car runnng well, (primarily Bakersfield and then the Topeka national right after). He said it best when he stated to me that while he agreed that there had to be a change based on the performances last year, the fact they did not take the opinions of the drivers at the meetings last year is outrageous, they made a rule change that few in any were in favor of and now have a problem that is even more scewed than it was last year. He said it was a huge mess that is going to be difficult to correct For that I am in total agreement with Duane. And Duane I only posted (below) that you may not return, not that you were quitting for sure. I understand your frustration. Also my statement that I thought the "A/Fuelers better try 96 or 97%", as I felt there could be another change was in fact written a day after the Houston National and before the Vegas National. I had not finished the story and it was not completed until this week after the results from Vegas. With the Vegas results that opinion certtainly looks 'idiotic' right now!!!! I do stick with my comments that The changes made should probably be made based on track elevation and the time of year the race is at a certain track. Duane is of a similar opinion. The change has to include a possible OD drop for the BADs at extreme high and hot events. Wilson, Smith, King and Van Syckle photos
NHRA has blinders on in trying to solve any problems without taking ideas from the class itself and use those ideas, not just listen to them and then come up with rules to suit their own agenda. Some of the teams have over 30 years experience in this class and have seen it all, and to not use their expertise is both naïve and ignorant. One of the ideas bandied about and pushed hard by David Wells, is to actually split the class at all races (Nat's and Div's) into a BAD and A/Fuel eliminator. Personally I don't like the idea, but since they don't want to use rule changes the teams have offered, maybe it is the easiest option. But a split car Div field for each class does not appeal to me in the least especially since you could go to races where there are only one or two A/Fuelers or BAD's showing up at some events.
Here are the track elevations and predictions for the remaining National events. Atlanta 1100ft (Hotlanta, Should be a race for BADs)
Mid May Already run National events Gainesville 167 ft (a/fuelers dominated) fast
Around 10 events are toss ups for either car. The end result I see is a BAD winning the title and five or six in the top ten.
Here is the top ten in no particular order. Hillary Will, Ashley Force, Jeff Wilson, Aaron Oliverez, Bill Reichert, Randy Meyer, Steve Federlin, Chris Demke, Ken Perry, Guy Kelly Art Gallant, Marty Thacker and David Wells will replace three above if they run a full contingent. Noteable rumors heard in the last week after Vegas, was Steve Boggs gave NHRA an earful and said he has had it. Also Shields may not return as he is looking at his options. Mitch Myers' entire operation has sold and will competed in the North West. Jeff Wilson may be in a flopper soon. Stay tuned!!! Dean TAD Scoreboard Here is the breakdown of results so far this season. (Completed events)
The quickest runs (one per Driver) in both TA classes is updated.
National event Fast stats Pomona Low ET BAD 5.329 elims. Federlin, 5.334 qual. Will Gators Low ET BAD 5.387 elims. Kelly, 5.350 qual. Perry Houston Low ET BAD 5.451 elims., 5.471 qual. both Wilson Vegas Low ET BAD 5.407 elims., 5.404 qual both Will
April 12, 2005
Click on the photo above for a bunch of shots including a special spy shot of Bucky making a test lap last Wednesday.
March 18, 2005 News flash update!!!!!!!............ Dick Colby of
SecureNym, Inc, a Houston based
Thanks to Dick
Feb. 14, 2005 TAD review after the first two races (one div and one nat). I guess the best way for parity in TAD to work is to have each flavor of car in the final round and the guy with the best reaction time take the stripe. You know that will not likely happen very often. Is there parity in TF, PS or FC? Not really. There is potential for parity in those classes because all teams are supposed to have equal access to allowed parts (even that one is subjective, I don't think any team other than Force's runs his heads). The issues in this (TAD) class will always be debated, for sure, and I will be the first to admit that maybe, just maybe 98% is a small step in the right direction. What I have to get in my head, is to realize the NHRA do not want this class to be much quicker than it is. Another four second class is not in the agenda. But what it does, is handicap both types of cars in the class. I guess that is fair. For five years they have not allowed new technology for the blown cars (no box is big or small enough to think outside). And for the last five years, they have basically handicapped the A/Fuelers a little every year. This year's is the most drastic. But the results from this past weekend, certainly give them some optimism I think. Ya, a few of the cars struggled. But I saw a half dozen of the cars (A/Fuelers) in the class, make head way almost every run. There were two different A/Fuelers to run in the 5.30's and there were a couple more in the 5.40's. The West Coast is host to 1/4 of the best A/Fuelers. Next weekend Gainesville (Divisional) is the place to be, and then the National there is in three weeks. Houston is coming up soon as well. I will certainly state that the blown cars in general were the dominant ones. But two A/Fuelers were in the semi finals. One thing to realize, is if the A/Fuelers were as quick as the BAD's this weekend, at the first race under the new rules, then how much quicker would they be in a month's time? I said that there would be an A/Fueler 5.35 or quicker than this weekend, and I was wrong by 2/100ths. I also said there would be BAD(S) quicker than that same number this weekend, and there were two. What is going to happen at the next race. Hard to say, because of weather conditions, and I think that weather conditions with the lower percentage will play a bigger factor than anything else. Since this is obviously the way NHRA is going to dictate the rules, what they should do is factor weather and elevation in the equation. My guess is that at tracks below 1000 feet in actual elevation, in decent weather the percentage will be in and around 96-97% by the end of the year. And the NHRA should bring that percentage up to 98-99% at higher elevations. You should have an equal chance to win at any elevation in my opinion if parity is the goal. Then at tracks where elevation can reach 4000ft or higher maybe they should be allowed a straight drum and the Blown teams should have their OD reduced by one or two pully's. What fair for one should be fair for the other. This deal will take some time for sure, and hopefully everyone will have some patience. The biggest hope is that NHRA thinks about the decisions they make (and remember there are tracks where the A/Fuelers ran at 100% and did not have a chance to win, fix the problems there as well).
Feb. 8th, 2005............. 2005 Top alcohol Preview: (courtesy Jamie Clerf, with additions by Dean Murdoch) Photos courtesy Mark King, Joel Gelfand and David Good. Top Alcohol Funny Car 2005 Champion: Frank Manzo DM: This could very well be "The one we let get Away!" With Frank Manzo not being part of the Kendall family, after being dumped unceremoniously at the end of the 2004 season (because he actually did not win the title), something he has done the last eight years (did Force get dropped by Castrol after his 2003 loss, No!). This one will bite them in the butt, if in fact they care about the exposure Manzo gave them. Forrest Lucas, knowing a good thing when he sees it, picked up Frank in a heart beat and he will give them the title, that you can almost take to the bank. Jay Payne will be very close as usual, but running out of races before the half way point is never a good racing policy in my opinion, I actually think he just likes to race and any placing he earns usually top three is a bonus. Last years champ, Cy Chesterman will get a divisional full pull again, but it will take a complete full pull to win this thing this year I feel. Mark Hentges will make alot of noise and win two nationals and five divisioionals, but end up third or fourth probably. Bob Newberry will round out the top five.
Champion: No earthly idea
2005 TAD Scoreboard
2004 Top Alcohol Zone Archives are here 2003 Top Alcohol Zone archives are here 2004 TAFC pages are here 2004 TAD pages 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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The
fourth national event of the year with Top Alcohol in attendance to
go along with the five completed events in the Lucas Oil series have
shown a couple distinct differences from 2004. One, there appears to
be less BAD's competing compared to last year, and the A/Fuelers don't
seemed to of been scared away with the new percentage this early in
the season. Secondly we have seen a much wider disparity in given track
and air conditions. While the season is still young and the A/Fuel cars
are still having to acquire data with the 98%, there certainly has been
a performance drop in higher corrected altitudes. But the A/Fuel guys
(at least the top 8 - 10) seem to be on the right track in good air,
and they are probably more aggressive in their tune-up than last year.
My opinion to the teams that are running real well right now is to try
97% and 96% as, I think there will be another percentage change, and
possibly before the end of the year. If that indeed happens NHRA would
be blind not to reduce the overdrive for the blown cars in higher elevation
events that the A/Fuelers are not competitive at. Afterall, if it is
fair for one, it should be fair for the other as well.
That
being said the bad air and high elevations have proven to be a bane
at 98%. Two weeks ago at Vegas, the disparity was over 2/10ths in favor
of the BAD's. The final point standings this season may well see an
even split between BAD's and A/Fuelers in the top twenty, and NHRA seems
to only look and the final number. But that in the end is not parity,
and it is going to be at the expense of both types of cars in the variety
of different conditions across the country. The top twenty or 30 in
the class that try and run a full contingent of races both divisionally
and nationally may well end up running races that favor their car more
so than running in their own geographic area. The big downside to this
is the cost that would be incurred by the teams that feel they have
to travel more in order to be competitive. NHRA has a can of worms on
their plate that could end up being a full barrel unless they have more
dialog with the teams in the class. 
Reality
TV Sub-Plot - The Apprentice. In one of the biggest (and most recent)
developments of the short NHRA off-season, Mark Hentges has replaced
Bucky Austin in the seat of Bucky's own 2005 Firebird. Hentges, a longtime
Top Alcohol Dragster racer who, like many other racers became disenchanted
with the direction of the digger class, is renting the Austin ride for
this season. It will be interesting to see how working with the often
cantankerous and sometimes ill-tempered Austin works out. One thing
is for sure, Austin won't mince words and is sure to deliver the same
kind of tell-it-like-it-is feedback that Donald Trump has made famous
on The Apprentice. One can just imagine the kind of feedback Hentges
might get delivered Trump-style from Austin:
SZ:
Anyone who knows SpeedZone writers or the head honcho knows this is
the class they have had the most passion for. That passion from all
much like Jamie Clerf's above is waning. The reasons are obvious. NHRA
has screwed up the class so bad, that fans are fighting about it as
much as the teams in it thenmselves. That ain't good! With the new OD
rule being change a scant dozen runs into the test, and then a new OD
(98%, can we say, some sort of influence happening here) being run and
ending up having one of the guinea pigs go quicker than any car has
gone at that track in three years, and they leave it there, sumthin
strange is going on! That all being said, this is like, "the top
of the ninth with 2 outs and a full count to the batter time"!
How will it play out. Honestly I hope I get egg on my face with my above
statements, but I don't think I will. I think they 
will
change the rule at least one more time this year, and maybe even more.
Who will all these changes affect the most? Well, it will affect the
25 A/Fuel cars in the class that only get a chance to get out a half
dozen times a year. They will look as inept (or worse) than a team trying
to compete with a roots blower in TAD. Ashley Force, Aaron Alvarez,
Bill Reichert and Shelly Howard and then Randy Meyer and Duane Shields
(if they return) and will all get it figured out quickly. I pity the
poor fools that don't have alot of crew chief or nitro experience. Ashley
will finish top 2 or three. The top BAD's will be Marty Thacker, David
Wells, Steve Federlin, Guy Kelly, Hillary Will (above left) and Chris
Demke.