Words by Ian Rae
Photos by Paul Schmitz – Reflections of Motorsport Photography - 6/12/2008

When Tim Henry bought the ex-Leo Utley/Steve Grebeck championship winning Firebird he knew he was buying a proven racecar. At the June 7-8 WCHRA Holder’s Air Conditioning and Heating Nationals, Henry started writing a new chapter for the car when he put it into the Winner’s Circle, taking his first WCHRA Pro Street win.

Arriving at the Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, CA, Henry knew he was going to have a tough time. Art Hodges was coming to grips with his new nitrous combination and Kelly Bluebaugh had returned to the WCHRA for the first time this year. Bluebaugh took the Pro Street pole, beat Dan Myers and his one of a kind ’57 Chevy pickup, advancing to the final to face off against Henry, who had disposed of Hodges.

Henry grabbed the advantage at the tree and held it, running a 6.598 that was just enough to better Bluebaugh’s 6.590.

Doug Sikora placed his new Mustang on the Outlaw 10.5 pole. Rich Zehring and his 870 cubic inch motored Nova took the number two spot. Dave Boles ran third with John Wall in fourth. Boles pulled off an upset and put away Zehring with a .032 light matched to a 7.525. Sikora had dispatched Wall and was looking to be the favorite. Boles proved otherwise and strapped a .035 light against Sikora’s .132, that being all the advantage the local man needed to take the win.

Sikora held the E.T. advantage 7.338 to Boles’ 7.428 but it was Boles’ ’63 Nova that would take home the title this weekend.
The True 10.5 class had a healthy pack of eight racers chasing Rich Hoyle. Bobby Frye and Scott Oksas were second and third with Jalil Jaber rounding out the field. Hoyle advanced through round one by virtue of a bye run, but fell distinctly in round two to Pat Cummins. Cummins had bested the class sponsor Roger Holder in round one before meeting up with Hoyle.

Others to advance were Oksas, Ron McSwain and last place qualifier Jaber. Oksas then sent McSwain home with Jaber taking a bye run to advance once again. Cummins day came to an end when he broke against Jaber! Oksas used a bye to head to the final full of confidence. Jaber was having a fairy tale event; this was only Jalil’s second race ever. However, the dream did not conclude as Jaber would have wished as Oksas’s Mustang took the win 5.369 to Jaber’s 5.761.