Woodie O’Connell

After the first round, the car closest to the 7.50 index was 2012 Champ Woodie O’Connell in his front-motored digger at 7.37. Followed closely by local second generation racer Casey Tehle. Casey was driving her dad’s top dragster recording a 7.43 elapsed time.

The next round would solidify the two cars that would run in the final. All the teams had a shot at the Yellowstone Drag Strip surface to get their setups done, but once again it was it going to be O’Connell and Telhe as both ran closest to the magic 7.50 number. However, Michel Dvorak and Rachel Scheller made marked improvements to get closer to the number.

If the fact that their boss’s father was in the hospital and other things were plaguing the event weren’t enough for the track crew, just before the finals, it started to rain slightly. Thankfully, the rain stopped just long enough to get the RMS final round in.

Both O’Connell and Telhe agreed to run on the 7.50-second index.

Casey Tehle was elated with the win, as were mom and dad.

Tehle moved first on the green with the front-motored car right behind her. By the 330 mark, O’Connell had caught up and was a wheel in front as the cars went through the light. However, being ahead by a wheel is what cost O’Connell as he was .0013 under the 7.50 and Miss Tehle was right on with a zero.

The RMS also had an exhibition event with Jim Chase and Tony Arcuri. Chase has a beautiful ex-Tom McEwen 1957 Chevy and Arcuri has a ‘57 Ford Crown Victoria. Both cars are just fabulous. Arcuri is a firefighter by trade and thus the car has that theme.