(James Drew photo)
The much-anticipated battle between the two championship contenders led off Top Fuel, and the crowd was pumped as the class was set to begin. The lights flashed and the Haas-Silvey matchup was at hand. The starting system was set into motion and Silvey’s “Hot Licks” nailed the tree with a perfect .000 light and locked up in a great battle with Haas, but just past half track the red Amos Saterlee-tuned “Speed Sport” caught Silvey and blasted by, unloading Low ET of the meet at 4.689 to end the Texas-based “Hot Licks” dreams of an IHBA Championship. The win secured the 2008 title for the third time in the last four years for Lou Osman’s St. Louis-based team.
Round one continued with alternate Childers defeating a broken “Liquid Quiker.” Wilson and Parrish then engaged in a great battle, and the rookie pulled off the upset of the meet as his “Dragonator” left the line first and his 5.09 was good enough to beat Wilson’s engine-exploding 5.02. Lumbert then put away Verstuyft with a great 4.78, 241 mph charge. Parrish’s great debut weekend finally ended at the hands of the World Champ Haas, as the “Speed Sport” laid down an effortless 4.90 to advance to the final.
Ah, nothing beats the smell of nitro in the air as “Problem Child” warms up. (James Drew photo)
The sportsmanship of the IHBA racers was again displayed as three of the semi-finalists’ waited for the “Spirit of Texas,” who was thrashing in the pits. The “Nitro Monkeys” led by Jay Janacek just got the beautiful “Spirit of Texas” to the lanes, and were the recipient of a gift as Rex Childers was too eager and red-lighted away a 5.100 pass from the “Problem Child.”
A close look at the “Speed Sport” engines. (James Drew photo)
As the sun began to set, only one race remained in the 2008 IHBA Lucas Oil season, the Top Fuel final. Haas capped off the year by leaving first and pulling away from Lumbert with a nice 4.810, 244.48 win giving Haas the elusive World Finals trophy.