After too long an absence Nitro Coupes returned to Sacramento Raceway for the 27th annual Funny Car Fever event, April 12. The popular yearly race has most recently featured alcohol floppers, but this year AA/FC racers Lisa and Lee Paul Jennings decided there were enough nitro burning AA/FC cars running to put on an eight-car, qualified-field open competition race for pre-1979 bodied Nitro Funny Car Association racers. Their faith was rewarded by a great turnout of spectators and race cars. A crowd of more than 5,000 ticket buyers (according to the promoter) were treated to a race dominated by Funny Car action of both the nitro and alcohol burning variety plus a couple of jet cars.
Thirteen AA/FC cars including the “Northwest Hitter,” the 50th March Meet-winning Plymouth Arrow owned by Steve Plueger and driven by Bucky Austin. March Meet B-field winner Kris Krabill driving Gary Turner’s “Pedaler” along with veteran Terry Capp in the “Bubble-up” Firebird and newcomer Leah Pruett in the “Dickies Girl” Mustang all were in attendance trying to make the elite AA/FC field.
QUALIFYING
The race was run to completion on one day. Two sessions of qualifying to set the fields was followed by Saturday afternoon eliminations. Bucky Austin led the AA/FC qualifying with a stellar 5.846 ET at 232.75 miles per hour on a track that seemed to give all the other AA/FC’s problems.