Eliminations

(Paul Schmitz photo)

This race is unique in that they run a modified Chicago-style finals. The quickest eight qualifiers are paired up and the driver with the quickest winning pass is declared the winner.

James Day and Ryan Konno were the first pair out. Day smoked the tires about 100 feet past the starting line and lifted while Konno stunned the crowd with a best ever lap of 5.753 at 248.39 mph.

Robert Overholser and alky funny car veteran driver Dennis Taylor paired off next. Both floppers left hard but Taylor’s “Evil Wicked Mean & Nasty” Mustang burned a piston at around 800 feet and he stepped off the throttle and slowed to a 6.859/115.64. Over in the other lane, Overholser in the “California Hustler” was thundering down the concrete quarter mile clicking the light with a career best ET of 5.720/246.84 mph. That 5.72 lap would hold up as the race-winning ET.

Dale Van Gundy broke some parts and was unable to make it back for the finals so number-one alternate Ed Dougan was paired with points leader Dan Horan Jr. The pair roared off side by side with Dougan cutting a 0.119 light to Horan’s 0.176. Around 900 feet the “Fighting Irish” got out of the groove and lurched to the left. Dougan wrestled the Camaro back to the right, then left again, crossed into Horan’s lane and followed him through the lights. Horan stepped it up with an excellent 5.764/253.66 effort that was just 0.05 too slow to get the win.

(Paul Schmitz photo)

The final pair out was Roger Garten driving the “War Horse” against number 1 qualifier Howard in the “Bays & Rupert Black Plague” Camaro. The “Black Plague” was completely capable of posting a big number, and everyone was holding their breath as the two cars staged. The ambers came on and Howard went dead red by -0.221 of a second. Garten drilled the tree with a 0.060 light and took off after Howard. Howard, realizing he had red-lighted, clicked the engine off way early.