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California Hot Rod Reunion October 21-23, 2011
October 20, 2011 A few Thursday shots as the teams set up. Bob Wilson and Bob Snyder photos The rest of the classes are on this page
Sunday Eliminations (Weekend wrap up is here)
Round two Funny Car L. Mark Hentges vs R. James Day
A very good first pairing as Day gets the hole shot and extends it through the ¼ mile. With a stellar 5.71/242.02 to a solid 5.792 for Hentges
Another great side by side as the past champ Kris Krabill wins with a 5.78/247 to a very game 5.82 252 by La Charite. L. Jason
Rupert vs R. Steven Densham
A win for Densham that saw a 5.87 243 come up on the score board. An early shut off for Rupert after he went way red. R.
John Hale Vs L. Mike Halstead
Semi finals James Day took on John Hale and you could sense this one would be good. Both teams have had a few great runs so far with no real bad ones (both smoked em on the second qualifier going for a '60). Day got a big holeshot and lead for 300 feet but then Hale started to pull away and ran second low for the weekend a 5.700/249. Day went 5.816/246 to finish two car lengths back. Kris Krabill had Steven Densham and one did not have too much excitement. Densham broke on the burnout and Krabill shook and rattled on the single coasting down track. Hale would have lane choice and a huge momentum advantage. Final round
On paper Hale had to be in the driver's seat and he made solid runs throughout elimination's. Krabill's first two runs and his qualifier were solid 70's but they were too aggressive in the semi, luckily he did not need a quick run there. Hale took the right lane but there did not appear to be one lane that was better on Sunday. Solid burnout's and this one was tough to pick. Hale did want to leave his mark at this race, it was one he wanted bad so he would be going for it. Krabill is very savvy at Bakersfield and has had lots of success in Heritage races.
Krabill got a huge holeshot but was soft on the starting line (obviously not wanting to give it away like the tire rattler in the semis). Hale was .09 back at the hit but was .95 to 60 feet. For a car leaving at an idle that is stout. From there he kept up the aggressive tune-up, and was an amazing 3.682/210.44 mph at half track and had already past Krabill.. He kept up the charge and went through the 1320 at an amazing 5.589/255.97. Krabill ad a normally great run, a 5.78/248 but he was 40 feet back at the finish line.......... What a run for Hale! With the win he ends up in second place in the Heritage series one point ahead of Steven Densham and 43 points back of the series champ, Jason Rupert.
John
Hale's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.682/210.44 mph,
1,000ft-4.718, 1320 ft. 5.589/255.97. (courtesy DRC)
Top
Fuel Round two
Tony Bartone 5.61 over Rick White 6.110/199. Steve Boggs power makes this one an easy win for the New York based team.
L. Jim Murphy 5.85/ R. Brett Harris 5.757/259 Harris gets the win and the 2011 Heritage championship
L.
Howard Haight vs R. Jimi Young Semi Finals Rick McGee had the daunting task of taking on Tony Bartone in the semis. But this one was not going to be a walkover. McGee had improved on every run from qualifying, running a best of 5.732@ 261 in round two. Bartone had gone in the 5.6's and 5.5's in prior rounds, and had gone over 260 once also. McGee got a slight .01 holeshot but Bartone was .05 quicker to 50 feet and he maintained a .03 advantage for the next 1260 feet, for a .0335 stripe. McGee made his best lap of the weekend, a 5.693/253.95. Bartone's # was a 5.648/248.89.
Tony
Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-1.019 sec., 330ft-2.605, 660ft-3.796/211.10
mph, 1,000ft-4.789. In the other semi Brett Harris faced the "Crop Duster" Jimi Young. Young was quicker in qualifying, but he actually had struggled and got breaks in elimination's. On paper this one should be good though. Both drivers had decent .0 lights, with Harris having 23/1000ths. Harris was much quicker to 60 feet and was almost a 1/10th ahead at that point. The mid west driver started to charge hard after 69 feet and was catching the Utah driver at ever incremental. By 1000 feet he was 10 mph faster and only .04 back If that held through to the finish line Young would have been in the 5.70's as well, but the holeshot would have been too much to overcome. It did not matter though as right at the 1000 foot mark death smoke spewed out of the headers and he slowed a bunch in the final 320 feet. Harris took the win with a 5.724/257 to Young's slowing 5.90 at only 201mph. Final round. The best from the East Coast (Bartone) against the best from the West coast (Harris) . Harris was crowned the Heritage champion earlier so this was not bragging rights, the Wally and the cash.
What a race! Harris got a .033 holeshot and he charged much harder to 330 as he extended his lead to .08 seconds. From there the race was Bartone's as he took .02 back at half track and was 3 mph faster. At 1000 feet the lead was down to .041 and still Bartone was fast approaching. At the stripe you could barely put a tooth pick between the two cars and Harris took the stripe by .001 (less than six inches), Harris went 5.725 255.73 to Bartone's 5.693/269.29. If the race was 10 feet longer, Bartone would have walked home with the Wally. He was running 269 mph at the finish line compared to Harris' fast but slow in comparison 255mph blast.
Tony
Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-1.036 sec., 330ft-2.677, 660ft-3.874/210.87
mph, 1,000ft-4.861.
What a final and the two Fuel classes put on quite a show. This was the best Top Fuel showing in a while and it would be great to see this event bring some more excitement to the class and maybe more entrants. The Funny Car class is obviously Strong and it appears to be still growing. There are a reported more than 100 NFC's in the country, all at the expense of the Top Alky classes. Will you see the NFC's as part of the NHRA any time soon?
Funny Car
Top Fuel
A Thursday gallery is here.
The Legend is back, what will Mike's burnouts be like this year?
The two car Worsham team. Ron Capps in the black car and Chad Head in the other.
Garlits Swamp Rat III. The Rattler Cackle car
Two of the favorites, Romine and Hale
Alaska's Shawn Nault is in tough. SpeedZone editor's Cousin Bob Haffner is assisting this weekend.
Mike Lewis is in the Burn N Money car October 19, 2011
SpeedZone Magazine picks (Odds) for the CHRR. This years addition of the CHRR is noticeable for a couple reasons. Firstly, it is the astounding number of new entries of NFCs for the 20th Reunion. Secondly, is the absence of a number of top hitters. Tim Boychuk was entered but apparently the TLD car won't be in attendance this year to to a personal issue with a key member of the team. Peter Gallen would have changed the odds in this deal for sure, but he too will not be in attendance. Mr. Explosive, one of the most visible teams in the class over the last three years is also absent. The "Iceman" Tim Nemeth won't be there. John Powers pulled out early this week and there are rumors that Dennis La Charite and Lee Paul Jennings will also be absent. For all those who will be absent the new cars for the 2011 CHRR is amazing. Many of the drivers of these new cars are recognizable, as they have run with other teams or in other classes. Even for the lack of a few big name the event this year will be tough. There are a number of 5.60 cars in attendance and the 5.70 and 5.80 cars is almost endless. That be said SpeedZone will try and put its best prognosticating skills to the test. The list is a bit different than some odds makers best bets. I have separated first the top eight, as these are are the drivers I expect to go past round one. You notice a couple (at least one), who I would bet some would say are surprises. The top three are no surprise to anyone I would guess, and really all three are pick em's. Romine for his experience, Rupert for flat out being badazz, and for running in the 5.70's in extreme heat last weekend in his Phoenix win. John Hale was flat out fast at a couple events in extreme heat and humidity in the summer. Ron Capps while not in a Plueger car (maybe a good thing as that team did struggle this year), is in a very good Worsham owned and tuned car. How can't they be good? And that is why Chad Head is in the top eight as well. The Jim Head owned car will have an entire plethora of Pro tuners in his corner including the Worsham's and half the Kalitta crew. Mark Hentges in the Hitter tuned car is always a threat but Mark does have to be a little sharper on the tree. Kris Krabill is one of the winningest drivers in the class and has solid people turning the screws, led by Cory Lee. The top eight (with their best ET for the weekend)
The next four. This grouping of four could make round two but more than likely they will be the fast losers of round one. Steve Nichols has been absent all season but I don't think it will take Ray Zeller much to get back to their 5.80 performance. James Day is in the 'War Eagle' from what I hear, and he kick ass earlier this year. Steven Densham in the 'Teachers Pet' Camaro is part of the Rupert/ Densham two car team and any of Frank and Jason's info to go along with Gary's will make this oft running car tough. Dennis La Charite went a round or two last year and has a good tuner in his corner (Jon Wurtz) 9.
James Day 10-1 (will qualify with a 5.87) This foursome is just as tough as the one above and they too could be round two bound..... with a little luck. 13.
Mike Halstead 11-1 (will qualify with a 5.92) It is really hard to put this next four outside of the field but you do have to pick 16 qualifiers, and the rest are outside looking in, thanks Paul Page. The first two are both 5. second cars but are East Coast based and will not be used to this two session deal. Dwayne Patton has run quick and could be a top 16 car. The same for Roger Garten a real solid running car but he has struggled at times here. Lewis, Young, Konno, Horan and Taylor all have lots of experience via their West Coast heavy schedule or their top notch tuners but they will just fall short in my opinion. But to cover my butt they are all 16-1 shots so technically they could be in the top 16.
These next four will be close but no cigar......
This next group also has some well known names in it, but again, I can only pick 16 to make the field.
Rounding out the expected field are a couple newcomers and teams that compete mostly for the fun of it with no great expectations just good times. In No particular Order
If
either of these two show up their odds are posted.
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