Next out came red hot rookie Terry Brian paired in a dual with points leader Bobby Marriott.  Welcome to the game Mr. Brian, let’s see whatcha got!  Marriott got a slight advantage off the line as the flames reached past the rear wing and the front wheels danced in the air as they were side by side to halftrack.  Marriott’s car carried both front wheels until he finally used a quick pedal job to keep from crossing the centerline, which gave Brian the advantage as he ripped off a winning 3.98 at 179 mph to knock out the points leader and claim the seventeenth, yes, seventeenth spot in the OFAA 3 Second Club.  Brian and tuner Kenny Trumble had plenty to be proud of in their second outing with the OFAA as a team, but despite their 3.98 winning effort, would have to load up and wait for the next one as Rigler and Trussell still held their tickets to the final round as the two quickest winners as we reached the halfway point of first round eliminations. 

Mary Reep and Nick Poloson lined up in a central Texas based showdown, Austin vs. San Antonio.  Reep has been on her game in the cockpit, qualifying number two and number four in her first two starts of the season and hoped to notch a round her first round win of the season here as the favorite on paper.  A starting line hesitation for Reep plagued her chances as Poloson was out first with a .035 bulb and clicked off a winning 4.15 at 167 mph nibbling a piston at the top end with Reep trailing to a 4.39 at 126 mph.  For team “Sundown” it was an improvement from the season opener, notching a first round win and putting down 4.0 passes in qualifying.  Pending any catastrophic engine damage, expect Wood & Poloson to be ready for more in their next outing.  Reep earned the Top MPH Bonus with top speed of the meet at 185.87 mph lap in qualifying and will carry that momentum into round three next month.