2012 March Meet Top Fuel Final
Champion – Jim Young 5.684 @ 248
Runner Up – Rick White 5.69 @ 258
#1 Qualifier – Tony Bartone 5.624 @ 249
Low ET – Rick White 5.622
Top Speed – Rick White 261.88 mph
2012 March Meet Semi Finals
Mike Irwin 6.493 @ 188
Jim Young 5.858 @ 221 Win
Mendy Fry 9.028 @ 91
Rick White 5.946 @ 236 Win
2012 March Meet Top Fuel Round 1
Tony Bartone 6.854 @ 208
Mike Irwin 6.765 @ 162 Win
Jim Young 6.593 @ 125 Win
Ernie McClain 10.283 @ 92
Jim Murphy 6.302 @ 168
John Rasmussen 6.210 @ 197 Win
Rick McGee 7.329 @ 113
Mendy Fry 5.976 @ 222 Win
Adam Sorokin 5.796 @ 229 Win
Terry Cox 5.905 @ 258
Round 2 match ups
Mike Irwin BYE
Jim Young vs John Ramussen
Mendy Fry vs Adam Sorokin
Rick White vs Bill Dunlap
2012 March Meet Top Fuel Qualifier #2
1. Rick McGee 5.65 @ 244
2. Rick White 5.681 @ 235
3. Rick Williamson 5.77 @ 238
4. Adam Sorokin 5.786 @ 238
5. Jim Murphy 5.801 @ 238
6. Jim Young 5.811 @ 252
7. Terry Cox 5.866 @ 259
8. John Rasmussen 5.981 @ 211
9. Ernie McClain 6.003 @ 236
10. Mendy Fry 6.356 @ 168
11. Mike Irwin 7.062 @ 147
12. Tony Bartone 7.651 @ 113
13 Brendan Murry 12.574 @ 49
14. Bill Dunlap no time
2012 March Meet Top Fuel Qualifier #1
1. Rick White 5.681 @ 235
2. Adam Sorokin 5.786 @ 238
3. Jim Murphy 5.801 @ 238
4. Jim Young 5.811 @ 252
5. Terry Cox 5.948 @ 256
6. Rick McGee 5.957 @ 199
7. Ernie McClain 6.003 @ 236
8. Rick Williamson 6.068 @ 182
9. John Rasmussen 6.102 @ 226.43
10. Mendy Fry 6.356 @ 168
11. Mike Irwin 7.062 @ 147
12. Brendan Murry 12.574 @ 49
13. Tony Bartone 15.593 @ 68
Bill Dunlap Shut Off
TOP FUEL DRAGSTER CHRR ELIMINATIONS / FINAL ROUND
California Hot Rod Reunion
Track: Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA – Date: October 23, 2011
There is a surprisingly large crowd left in the stands and around the starting line for this final match-up of the 20th annual California Hot Rod Reunion. The Nostalgia Funny Cars have just concluded a great show with some awesome times and now the Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster have taken the stage. Can they do the same?
Final Round
Winner: Brett Harris, (.075) 5.725 / 255.73
Runner-Up: Tony Bartone, (.108) 5.693 / 269.29
Bartone has not had the heads off of his car all day. Crew chief Steve Boggs claims Tony has been shutting the car off early, but swears the heads will need to come off after this round. “He’ll be driving it out the back door on this one” warns Boggs. The car gets a fresh clutch pack for the final round.
The book on Harris is to never count him out. Jim Murphy said it best a couple of years ago that these guys are like a vampire. You have to drive a stake through their heart to get rid of them. They are masters at winning rounds and races they shouldn’t. Their maintenance before this round was routine. Half the crew was napping before the call to the lanes.
Harris keeps his reputation intact and steals a holeshot win over the car that has had everyone talking for the last three days. The Utah Posse runs the table by winning the race and the championship all in one weekend. The team looks every bit the champions they are.
Bartone and crew wrap up a dominating performance by again dropping everyone’s jaw with the biggest speed ever recorded by a Nostalgia Top Fuel car at 269.29. It was a valiant effort to catch Harris, but it came up just short. The margin of victory was an ultra slim .0012 seconds. I wish it were possible to convey how impressive that is considering these cars are restricted to a 12” tire, direct drive, a 6-71 supercharger, and a small 20.0 GPM fuel pump. Even Houdini couldn’t pull that rabbit out of his hat, but these guys just did it.
Congratulations to the new National Champion, Brett Harris, and to all of the NTF participants who weathered some tough challenges and made the 2011 Heritage series an exciting and safe contest with some stellar performances. To all the teams… you guys and gals are the best.
How many days until we can start this all over again?
TOP FUEL DRAGSTER CHRR ELIMINATIONS / ROUND 3
California Hot Rod Reunion
Track: Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA – Date: October 23, 2011
No one is confident in predicting the outcome of this race yet. We have four strong cars left in contention, and the grandstand prognosticators are losing bets right and left.
Round 3 / Pair 1
Won: Tony Bartone, (.112) 5.648 / 248.89
Lost: Rick McGee, (.101) 5.692 / 253.95
Great race! Ricky leaves first but then the Boggs power goes into overdrive and Bartone shoots out front. McGee pulls back even at half-track running a best ever for the class 214.80 MPH. Bartone is no slouch at the 660 running 211 MPH. As they approach the 1000’ McGee’s car pushes out an intake gasket throwing off the mixture in #8 cylinder. Bartone crosses the finish line first at 5.64 with McGee still only a blink of the eye behind at 5.69. Folks this is some good racing.
Round 3 / Pair 2
Won: Brett Harris, (.067) 5.724 / 257.43
Lost: Jimi Young, (.090) 5.908 / 201.67
With the championship in their pocket the Utah Posse now have their sights set on the race win too. They smell the cash. Young has the power to beat them, but does he have it this round? Frank Ousley has tipped the can in the Crop Duster with the intent of taking the cash back to Illinois. Harris rips off a straight and clean 5.72 as Young slow to a 5.90. Ousley later admits to missing the call on the density altitude and the engine was too lean. It is a long ride back to Illinois, but the Ousley & Young team can make it with their heads held high. They gained a bunch of new fans this weekend.
TOP FUEL DRAGSTER CHRR ELIMINATIONS / ROUND 2
California Hot Rod Reunion
Track: Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA – Date: October 23, 2011
The second round follows the pre-race ceremonies on Sunday morning. There is a lot of talk in the pits about the first and third pairing and how the results will affect the championship chase.
Round 2 / Pair 1
Won: Tony Bartone, (.180) 5.619 / 245.76
Lost: Rick White, (.164) 6.110 / 199.32
White needs to hold off the New York powerhouse to keep his championship hopes alive. He doesn’t do it. White grabs a miniscule advantage on the lights and then both cars record identical 60’ times. From then on it is all Bartone. Tony racks up a strong 3.782 / 214.48 half-track time while White is tossing some molten aluminum out the pipes. T-bone sets the pace for the day with his opening round 5.61 to end White’s weekend and championship hopes.
Round 2 / Pair 2
Won: Rick McGee, (.120) 5.732 / 261.78
Lost: Denver Schutz, (.092) 5.774 / 241.58
The McGee & Tedford team have recovered from yesterday’s broken main cap fiasco. Rick is second off the line, but he soon overhauls the Shooter and disappears toward the far end with a career best of 261.78 mile per hour. Schutz’s car loses some top end mile per hour and it costs him.
Round 2 / Pair 3
Won: Brett Harris, (.068) 5.757 / 259.66
Lost: Jim Murphy, (.131) 5.859 / 224.58
Murphy has made some big changes to his combination trying to pick up his performance in the middle of the track. Brett doesn’t seem worried, stating “I think we’ll have something for him”. The two old foes put on a great race as Brett leaves first, but then sees Murphy pull alongside him again at the 330’. Murphy was on the charge until 3.5 seconds when his engine drops #3 cylinder and he fades. Harris drives it out the back door to take both the round win and lock up the championship title. Congrats to the Nitro Thunder crew led by crew chief Race Muchmore for a stellar season.
Round 2 / Pair 4
Won: Jimi Young, (.052) 9.231 / 75.58
Lost: Howard Haight, (.043) 6.608 / 145.99
This was a case study in rapidly changing fortunes as Haight appeared to have Young on the ropes by the 330 clock. Young’s mount saws through the clutch badly allowing Haight to open up a sizeable margin between himself and the Crop Duster. Just as Young throws in the towel Haight’s car starts to drift toward the centerline. He corrects, but the Mr. Boston car doesn’t respond. Howard is forced to lift and when he does the front wheels gain the traction they need and the back end slides across the centerline and punts the 660’ cone into the air. Young, who is coasting, goes from the outhouse to the penthouse quicker than the airborne fragments of the cone can settle to earth. He even catches some of the cone in the cockpit. Howie and the Boston Boys go out on the centerline infraction, while Young goes to round three.
Top Fuel Round 1 CHRR
California Hot Rod Reunion
Track: Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA – Date: October 23, 2011
Let the show begin. We’ve seen some big numbers and some strong performances in qualifying. Now let’s get down to the real business at hand. We have two contests to resolve, the race for the honors of winning the 20th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, and the race within the race, the chase for the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Championship.
Round 1 / Pair 1
Won: Denver Schutz, (.104) 5.800 / 226.35
Lost: John Everett, (.181) 6.381 / 211.26
Both of these cars sat out the qualifying session earlier today, so neither have tested the track since yesterday. Schutz holds the advantage based on the quicker qualifying time and years of experience over newby Everett. This is John’s first event as a top fuel pilot. Schutz grabs the lead at the tree and never looks back.
Round 1 / Pair 2
Won: Brett Harris, (.126) 5.774 / 253.99
Lost: Brendan Murry, (.016) 6.235 / 198.58
Harris is getting more aggressive toward his tune up as it is time to hold off the pretenders to the throne. Brendan makes an attempt to steal the show by slapping a .016 light on the Nitro Thunder car. Harris soon has the tenth back in the bank and marches to a 5.77 victory. Brett puts pressure on White and Murphy to match his round win.
Round 1 / Pair 3
Won: Rick White, (.234) 5.677 / 253.56
Lost: Mike Irwin, (.112) 7.614 / 127.50
Another scare for a championship contender as Irwin steals over at tenth on the tree from White. However, Irwin soon runs in troubles of his own and is forced to watch White thunder on by with his 5.60s power.
Round 1 / Pair 4
Won: Rick McGee, (.100) 5.848 / 215.55
Lost: Brad Thompson, (.099) 6.245 / 195.17
These two leave the line nearly dead even. It is a good race to half track until Thompson’s Hi-Speed Motorsports car slow. The former championship car may still be in test mode and playing it safe. McGee makes it to the 1000′ where his car mysteriously turns on the oil pressure warning light. Post race teardown reveals a two-piece main cap. Luckily the carnage is light as that could have gotten really ugly, but it’ll still require an engine change before tomorrow.
Round 1 / Pair 5
Won: Tony Bartone, (.107) 5.566 / 263.41
Lost: Bill Dunlap, (.111), 6.443 / 177.86
WOW!!! We are starting to run out of superlatives for the Bartone Boys. They again set the nostalgia world on its collective ear with this low ET and top speed dazzler of a run. Given the conditions it is just one hell of a run. They move the bar up another notch for everyone else. Dunlap gets a bird’s eye view of the run and admits it was even more impressive from his front row seat. Bill clicks it of early with some bad sounding noises emitting from his engine.
Round 1 / Pair 6
Won: Howard Haight, (.033) 5.913 / 232.59
Lost: Terry Cox, (.083) 5.979 / 254.81
Cox has his driveline woes fixed and is back and ready to do battle. His reaction time looks bad but really isn’t. Howie just nailed him with a .033 light. Haight takes the Mr. Boston car to the win and even Cox’s big 254 speed can’t catch him. The loss effectively ends Terry’s run at the championship. It is now down to a three car contest.
Round 1 / Pair 7
Won: Jim Murphy, (.159) 5.747 / 239.95
Lost: Mendy Fry, (.106) 6.368 / 181.67
Mendy grabs a small early lead, but then it appears her car drives through the clutch. Murphy has been fighting uneven cylinder bank temperature but his choice of difference head gasket thicknesses might have done the trick as he motors by Fry to a 5.74 win. Like White before him, Murphy keeps the pressure on Harris in the Championship chase. This is getting good.
Round 1 / Pair 8
Won: Jimi Young, (.114) 10.830 / 65.08
Lost: Jim Boyd, NT
Boyd is a no show for round one, so Young will solo. The Wisconsin driver makes a short squirt and shuts the car off. The Crop Duster burned a piston in the previous round, so they may have been using this freebie to make a short run and then thoroughly clean out the dry sump oil system.
The second round will continue tomorrow. The pairing are:
Young vs. Haight
Murphy vs. Harris (big championship implications)
White vs. Bartone (Bartone could spoil Whites championship hopes)
Schutz vs. McGee
Top Fuel Qualifying Round 2 CHRR
California Hot Rod Reunion
Track: Famoso Raceway – Date: October 22, 2011
Saturday afternoon, day two of the reunion and the second and final qualifying session gets underway with warm and humid conditions.
Pair #1
L: Mendy Fry, 6.261 / 181.32
R: Mike Irwin, 6.887 / 177.16
Fry is not in the program. She was shut off after the burnout yesterday with a fuel leak. Crew chief Fuller has totally removed the offending part from the car to insure it won’t leak again. Mendy takes her first shot at the track and produces a soft but safe 6.26 to guarantee herself entry into the first round. Irwin’s car labors to the 1000’ cones and he aborts the attempt to improve.
Pair #2
L: Brendan Murry, 6.250 / 200.83
R: Brad Thompson, 6.100 / 208.68
Murry is also not qualified. He knocked over a centerline cone on his first attempt and his run was voided. He too takes the safe route and cards a soft 6.25. Thompson’s car is sorting out new fuel and oil tanks, along with a new clutch combination, so they are still making abbreviated runs to check things out. His 6.10 at only 208 shows promise.
Pair #3
L: Brett Harris, 5.827 / 255.15
R: Tony Bartone, 11.141 / 60.58
This is a match up that everyone has anticipated. The two quickest front engine top fuel cars in the world side-by-side. Bartone removes some of the drama when he quickly encounters problem and shuts of early. Harris struts a more aggressive tune up to the tune of a 5.82 and scores top speed of the meet at 255.
Pair #4
R: Terry Cox, NT
Cox’s dancing partner doesn’t show for the session so he will be on a single. He does the burnout but while backing up the car comes to a halt on the track. He shuts off and is pushed off the track. His father John reports that something in the driveline has disconnected.
Pair #5
L: Rick White, 5.698 / 231.20
R: Rick McGee, 6.578 / 154.26
So far, with the exception of Harris’ run the times have been rather lackluster. White changes all of that in 5.698 seconds as he joins Jimi Young in the sixties. Chuck Neal has obviously been back into his March Meet notes and has put them to good use. McGee’s car is soft off the line, then comes alive, but shows some smoke out the pipes so Rick clocks out early in the Overtime Special and saves it for eliminations.
Pair #6
L: Jimi Young, 5.593 / 255.92
R: Jim Murphy, 5.813 / 237.71
Move over Harris and Bartone, we have another 5.50’s car. Jimi Young takes the Frank Ousley Crop Duster on a quick trip to the fifties club. He records the 4th quickest NTF run in history at 5.593. He also steals the top speed honors from Harris. Great run by the boys from Illinois. Murphy wasn’t dragging his feet alongside Young, running a 5.81, but his runs pales by comparison.
With only 16 cars in attendance some of the teams elected to stand on their first session times, but they’ll all be back in two hours for the first round of eliminations.
Final Qualifying Order:
1. Jimi Young, 5.593 / 255.92
2. Rick White, 5.698 / 231.20
3. Denver Schutz, 5.785 / 234.70
4. Jim Murphy, 5.786 / 246.12
5. Brett Harris, 5.827 / 255.15
6. Rick McGee, 5.861 / 214.83
7. Bill Dunlap, 5.868 / 237.38
8. Howard Haight, 5.913 / 249.21
9. Terry Cox, 5.990 / 253.47
10. Tony Bartone, 6.064 / 250.64
11. Brad Thompson, 6.100 / 208.68
12. Brendan Murry, 6.250 / 200.83
13. Mendy Fry, 6.261 / 181.32
14. John Everett, 6.281 / 214.31
15. Mike Irwin, 6.887 / 177.16
16. Jim Boyd, 7.588 / 133.33
In the chase for the championship both White and Murphy qualified higher than point’s leader Harris. They gained a small amount of ground and now sit 42 and 43 points respectively behind Harris. Those deficits are just slightly more than can be earned by going two rounds further. Cox falls further behind at 111 back. In reality he is out of the hunt. For White or Murphy to have a shot at the championship they are going to have to hope that they, or someone else, takes out Harris in the early rounds of eliminations.
