Mike Bell yanks the front wheels on a launch during time trials. (James Sisk photo)

One of the most entertaining personalities in Midwest drag radial competition, Donnie Branham, uncorked an impressive 5.33/136 with his red nitrous-fed 576 cubic-inch big block Chevy-powered ‘91 Mustang during the first qualifying session on a 130-degree racing surface with 101-degree ambient air. But it was Illinois racer Matt Bell who stunned fans and fellow competitors with a 5.21 at a booming 147.10 miles per hour in the second session (during which the air temperature dropped all the way to 97 degrees) to take the number-one qualifying spot with his turbocharged 400-inch SB Ford-powered ‘92 Mustang.

Eliminations were an “all run” affair, which meant with 22 cars there would be bye runs. In the first round Branham claimed the quickest winning run, a 5.29 over Kylee Shoemaker‘s 406-inch ‘91 Camaro, while Bell was forced to feather the throttle to keep from smoking the tires and ran a 5.61 to get past Bryan Norvell’s ‘93 Mustang.

In round two, Branham experienced a camshaft problem, complete with a small fire, which allowed the crowd favorite, Stanley Sutton’s outrageous nitrous oxide-injected 421-inch small block Chevy-powered ‘85 S-10 pickup from Ledbetter, Ky., to advance to the next round. Bell’s Mustang then marched to a 5.30/147 win over Chad Moore’s ‘98 Camaro. Of note, however, was