A complete rear end and axle examination in the pits revealed no damage to Grindstaff’s “Quarterflash” blown slingshot and the prognoses was lack of water in the burnout box which resulted in a single wet slick causing the out of ordinary burnout.  At this point the decision was made to run the rest of the event to the eighth-mile marker, which caused more than a little trouble. The TBFA teams had come to the event with their quarter mile tune-ups in mind, and now had just one final qualifying session to prepare for the eighth mile eliminations to follow. 

Grindstaff returned for the final qualifying session and clicked off a pedaling 5.01 at 151 mph to qualify sixth with Dustin Johnson along side at 4.99.  Rich Witko stepped up to a 4.84 in his blown Trans-Am funny car to nab the fourth qualifying position along side L.H. Newlin’s 5.01 at 142 mph. 

Number one and two in the points paired off next as Chris Stouffer clicked off a too quick 4.60 at 152 mph alongside Leonard Ament’s 4.91 at 143 mph.  Bill Norman and Preston Phillips closed the session as Norman laid down a nice 4.72 at 150 mph and Phillips made the show with a 5.58 at 137 mph. 

Bill Norman

Bill Norman took the “Jam Works Chassis Low Qualifier Bonus” and led the field into eliminations in his debut event with TBFA and the points contenders Ament and Stouffer were number two and three qualifiers.  Ament’s points lead was now at 21 and Stouffer had a chance to steal the throne if Ament were to lose first round and Stouffer won the event.  If Stouffer posted a runner-up finish, he would be one point behind Ament, it was do or die time as the call went out to fire em’ up.