John Broussard, the youngest OFAA driver at age 19, has qualified for each event he has entered this year, proving his consistency in the Louisiana-based “Purple Haze” ride. Larry Reep surprisingly missed the cut with a best of 4.87 after a runner-up finish at the last event in Evadale. Clint Cross and the “Crossways” team struggled with fuel pressure gremlins. J.T. Heslink and Chris White also came up short of the quick ten cut, but all will be ready to bounce back at the next OFAA stop at Mo-Kan Dragway for the Labor Day Weekend Classic.
Final Qualifying Order:
1) Donnie Massey (Little Elm, TX) – 4.00 / 179 mph
2) Donny McSwain (Rockwall, TX) – 4.02 (3.97) / 179 mph
3) Nick Poloson (Bulverde, TX) – 4.03 / 181 mph
4) Bobby Marriott (Pilot Point, TX) – 4.05 / 185 mph
5) Travis Bouchey (Stephenville, TX) – 4.07 / 144 mph
6) Brad Rigler (Heath, TX) – 4.14 / 171 mph
7) Tim Hay (Burleson, TX) – 4.22 / 172 mph
8) David Purifoy (Texarkana, TX) – 4.23 / 167 mph
9) DoDad Burton (Tyler, TX) – 4.28 / 164 mph
10) John Broussard (Lake Charles, LA) – 4.35 / 163 mph
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11) J.T. Heslink (Sasche, TX) – 4.49 / 154 mph
12) Chris White (Mansfield, TX) – 4.60 / 155 mph
13) Rich Howell (Yorba Linda, CA) – 4.66 167 mph
14) Larry Reep (Austin, TX) – 4.87 / 173 mph
15) Clint Cross (Cross Roads, TX) – No Time
Eliminations are when the big dogs eat. It’s go hard or go home. Marriott racked up another round win with a 4.089 at 180 mph to defeat Burton’s 4.36 at 162 mph. Burton laid down three straight 4.30-zone passes and the “Free Spirit” seems to have gotten rid their demons that plagued them at the beginning of the year.
Rigler and Massey rolled out next in a great blown alcohol vs. blown nitro battle. Both these boys can click off 4.0 passes all day. Massey (shown) repeated his last pass with another 4.00 lap to narrowly defeat Rigler, who got out of the gate first and lost by only four thousands of a second with a 4.07.
Next, McSwain (shown) lit up the boards with a 4.01 at 178 mph to defeat Tim Hay, who laid down a strong 4.15 
at 174 mph in his nitro-burning Chevrolet. Purifoy and Poloson squared off in the next pair with Poloson getting the win with a 4.085 at 178 mph to Purifoy’s 4.21 at 164 mph which re-set his career best again.
Poloson experienced quite a ride in the “Sundown” machine as the car hiked the front end up and rode the wheelie bar as he grabbed second gear. “It felt cool, and it was still charging and going (basically) straight so I stayed with it and got a 4.08 for the win,” said Poloson.
So, with one pair left in the water box, it was Massey and McSwain heading to the final as the quickest two winners so far. One problem though -- Travis Bouchey and John Broussard were about to fire up and knock one of them out! Broussard did his job on the tree with the best reaction time of the entire round, but his 4.31 was no match for Bouchey’s 3.87 at 178 mph. Oh, and did I mention, Broussard had the best reaction time in both qualifying sessions too, with a worst light of .010!
Unbelievably, Marriott’s 4.089 was the slowest winning time in first round. That’s where the “A” game part comes into eliminations, proving how strong the competition is in the OFAA.
Bouchey seems to really shine under the lights at North Star Dragway and here he was, heading to another final round at Denton, his third final in his last three starts here. In an unfortunate twist, Massey discovered a crack in his fuel tank after his first round win and was forced to play it safe and call it a night. So the third quickest winner, Donny McSwain, moved in to fill the spot and set up to do battle with Bouchey in the final.
Bouchey and McSwain were the last men standing and it was time to crown a champion at Denton. McSwain got the jump at the tree and went 4.08 at 172 mph but lost to Bouchey’s 3.77 at 205 mph, low elapsed time and top speed of the event, which came when it counted most. McSwain settled for the runner-up finish for the second time this season but believe me, that is nothing to be ashamed of. Bouchey collected his first win of the year as the fourth different winner in the first five races of the season.
Nick Poloson maintained his points lead over second place Bobby Marriott. The Outlaw Fuel Altered Association will headline the Mo-Kan Dragway Labor Day Classic August 30-31 in their sixth event of the season. For more information visit www.ofaa.net.