QUALIFYING

TOP FUEL

For the first time in many years the Top Fuel field was down sized from a 16-car show to and eight-car show. Some thought that was showing the world the Top Fuel field was slowly dying on the vine. Others saw it as a way of trimming back a tree that might be slickly, and allowing that tree to grow back stronger.

The Top Fuel teams as a whole had a very solid showing at the March Meet this year. Plus, the teams would be going for the Mike Sorokin award. It was the 50th Anniversary of elder Sorokin winning the March Meet. And in the elation of that win was produced the one and only Adam Sorokin, his son.

Session 1

The leader after Q1 was a mild surprise. Rick White driving the Neal and White dragster took the provisional pole with a very solid 5.77/205.54, showing that Rick shut the car off very early in the run.

(Tim Marshall photo)

Number two was Rick Williamson in the Team Craig fueler at 5.79/203.19. The speed indicated that he too had shut off very early.

In the third spot came Dusty Green in Steve Harwood’s “Nitro Hemi” at 5.80/252.43

Harwood’s car is the former “Nitro Thunder” owned and driven by Jack and Brett Harris. This is arguably one of the winningest Top Fuel cars in existence, and Green is also one of the most talented drivers in the sport, driving both fuel cars and sprint cars.

Rounding out the eight car field was Wisconsin’s own Jimmy Young.

The biggest surprises were that Tony Bartone, Jim Murphy and Adam Sorokin were not in the show after Q1. Sorokin was doing his best impression of wheelstanding legend Ed “The Outlaw” Jones. At the launch, the front-end heading straight into the sky only to come down hard, bending both the front A-arms and killing a set of front wheels and tires in the process.