Eric Clark and Jim Brinkerhoff weren't able to return, and the alternates, Mel Jackson and Steve Wiley, were similarly unable to take the field, allowing Doug Riesterer and Terry Harrington back. But due the pairing ladder, they had to face each other in first round.

David Baldwin cut a .073 light and ran 4.302@163.49 to defeat a napping Tim Cruce, whose .203 RT and 4.340@160.56 were far too little and far too late. Doug Riesterer used a 3.837@190.43 run, a full .93 seconds better than he qualified, to overcome Terry Harrington's .029 light and 4.948@137.98 run. That was 6.146 seconds better than he originally qualified. Chuck Poindexter cut down the tree with a .018 light paired with a 4.804@130.91 run to defeat Randall Reid's coasting 6.309@72.45 run.

Gaylen Smith cut a .056 light in the HelAir ‘57 and ran a 3.917@180.02 to defeat Jay Ligon's ‘34 Chevy slowing 5.476 @ 86.81.