The rock music was thumping at Horan’s pit as the crew methodically serviced the car. Swearingen was confident. “There is some more in it. It should run a .84 or .85 in the final.”

At the other end of the pit area, as Austin worked at the computer in the hauler Krabill was packing parachutes and was extremely focused, saying “We are just gonna do our thing, ‘cause this is gonna be a driver’s race.”

As the sun started to go down and the air became noticeably colder as a huge black rain cloud started to appear over the horizon, the two finalists rolled into the pre-approach area.

Both cars sounded very healthy as they did their burnouts and pulled in to stage.

At the green, it was Krabill out first by nine hundredths, but the red white and blue Mustang was in hot pursuit closing at every increment on the track. As the cars reached the stripe Krabill’s Firebird, gave a healthy sacrifice to the aluminum gods, as his win light became enveloped by a plume of oil smoke.

But Krabill’s 5.90/242.19 took the win over Horan’s 5.84/251.46. Margin of victory for Krabill: two hundred ninety-five ten-thousandths of a second.

Krabill, who is now back-to-back at the Ignitor and has three victories in a row at the Nightfire Nationals, seems to like the friendly confines of Firebird Raceway.

Krabill was very excited in the winner’s circle. “I wanted to control this race from the beginning, because they’re (Horan) a great race team over there. I am just blessed to drive for the Austin and O’Brien families; they give us everything we need to do this.”