Session two saw slight improvement from some of the runners. Blomberg got his Firebird down the track with a smooth and straight 4.38 at 143.13 while Anderson could only muster 4.97 at 142.95. Grubbs improved to a 4.56 at 147.30 while in the other lane Hicks got the ’63 Vette down the track with a 4.78 at 165.68. Jones and Wilson both ran better with Jones posting 4.51 at 154.43 and Wilson shaved a little more than a tenth off his previous run with a 4.35 at 163.82. Otwell improved the most, throwing a 4.39 at 144.97 on the boards. Run of the session went to LeWayne Brown as he powered the red Camaro to a 4.17 at 160.94. With session two complete and in the books the top eight complied a competitive ladder.

Final Qualifying Order

1. Chris Domino   4.14 at 180.58
2. Paul Brandt    4.15 at 159.97
3. LeWayne Brown  4.17 at 160.94
4. Trent Wilson   4.35 at 163.82
5. Bengt Blomberg 4.38 at 143.13
6. Richard Otwell 4.39 at 144.97
7. Brent Jones    4.51 at 154.43
8. Kevin Grubbs   4.56 at 147.30
9. Tim Ortiz      4.67 at 124.31
10. Mark Jenkins  4.76 at 159.29
11. Jerry Hicks   4.78 at 165.68
12. Dennis Hendrix  4.83 at 146.72
13. Bryant Anderson  4.94 at 143 13

Round 1

In the first pair, Otwell was shut off on the line as he developed a leak so Brandt had a single. At the green Brandt’s machine made a hard move to the right and he had to muscle it back into the center of the lane and pedal it down track. When he crossed the line the time posted was a 9.77 at 41.44 for the win.

Grubbs left too early on the tree with a -.146 red light giving the win to Wilson who ran a consistent 4.48 at 130.89. Lost on the red light was the fact that the 4.51 ET Grubbs put up on the run was a personal best.

Tim Ortiz, in as an alternate because of Chris Domino’s failed engine, lined up with Blowmberg in the third pair of the round and both welded the tree with Blomberg’s .0335 RT to Ortiz’s .0246. Blomberg's new monster mount came to life on this run carrying him to a 4.24 at 169.75 that more than covered Ortiz’s troubled 7.76 at 61.43. The 4.24 by Blomberg was yet another personal best ET by a competitor this night.
 
The last pair of the first round had Jones’s Chevy truck running a smooth 4.46 at 161.58 that covered the pedal job that Brown had to execute while posting 4.43 at 173.68. Brown’s red Camaro had flames coming and going away from the pipes as he feathered it down track and came up short.

Semi Finals

The semis began with Jones jumping out at the green with a .04 advantage but the power of the new motor in Blomberg’s Firebird had him pull away steadily and he rang up a new career best of 4.22 at 167.47 that covered the ever consistent 4.45/160.31 of Jones.

Paul Brandt

The other semi saw Brandt and Wilson launch together and immediately Wilson’s mount died as the rear end broke, leaving him rolling to a stop 100 feet off the line. Meanwhile, Brandt regained some of his earlier performance and posted a 4.22 at 166.98.

Blomberg’s 4.2278 to Brandt’s 4.2279 gave him lane choice for the final and, as has been a habit with the Texas Automatic Outlaws, it would pit blower versus nitrous for the crown.