Words by Jeff Burk
Photos by James Drew

There were no T/AD or T/FC classes at the NHRA national event at Phoenix, so  the premier sportsman Eliminator at the race was Competition Eliminator. As is the norm with Comp Eliminator, there was a wide variety of cars, engines and power-adder combinations.

Altereds carried the day in qualifying with the E/Altered of Todd Patterson recording a 7.649 on an 8.36 index for the top spot, and multi-time World Champ Dan Fletcher in his C/EA beating Lou Ficco’s B/AP when Ficco bulbed against him in the finals.

For the speed freak Comp fans there were three cars that ran over 200 in qualifying including Alan Ellis’s A/AP that ran a 201.37 in qualifying and Will Hatcher’s automatic trans-equipped A/D that recorded a 205.79. But the real king of speed at the event was Art Hodge and his Dodge Stratus who was the fastest doorslammer at the event, ripping off a 6.65/216.17 lap during the last qualifying session.

In the final round Fletcher caught a break in the form of a red-light from Ficco and coasted to the win. Ficco had a.030 foul and wasted a 7.80/7.829 lap.