Patience is rewarded

Words by Tim Marshall
Photos by Donna Bistran, James Drew, and Tim Marshall

After about a three hour and fifteen minute delay on Memorial Day Monday, the fans finally got to see the many Sportsman racers who waited patiently while mass qualities of liquids were stripped from the LVMS surface. These guys deserve an award for just being able to wait it out!

A/FUEL

Last season the toughest dragster in A/Fuel was without a doubt Dr. Kin Bates in his U.S. Air Force injected nitro burner tuned by Dean Adams with a little insight from his famous father, Gene Adams. For a while they seemed to lose that bit of advantage, then all of sudden Dr. Kin put the sleek silver beauty into the number-one spot with a 6.446 at 220.66 mph!

Things seemed to be going to Doc’s way in round one when Littleton, Colo., native Harry Hutsler broke on the burnout and Bates put on a great show anyhow at 6.444/224.96, which was the quickest and fastest for the breed this weekend.

Both Bullhead City, Arizona’s Bill Wayne and Darrell Waters in the Comstock and Waters machine got bye runs when their competition could not spend the extra day because they both have jobs that come first.

Bill Wayne along with his wife, Linda, and crew of Terri and Butch Blair finally found a tune up on his Alan Johnson alky burner and turned in a fine 6.536 at 215.55 mph. (Donna Bistran photo)

The Bakersfield team of Comstock and Waters ran an easy 6.605/195.42. Jerry Kumre Jr. in “Pain n Pleasure” alky burner just did out run Bobby Evans’ nitro machine with a great race of 6.519, 209.59 mph to a 6.650 at 207.82 mph.