E TICKET TO RIDE!!

By Jeff Burk
Photos by Jeff Burk and Todd Dziadosz

A lot of promoters talk about track prep but Englishtown’s Vinnie Knapp does more than talk the talk; he walks the walk. In prepping his track for the annual NHRA visit Mr. Knapp did something that no other racetrack owner has ever done — he made the track too good. At least that is what some of the Pro nitro racers seemed to think. If you asked the Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Stock and Super Stock racers they might tell you that the track was just right.

Consider that the fans who braved the sub-60-degree weather for three days were treated to the finest qualifying session for Pro Stockers in NHRA recorded history. A Saturday session that saw at least 18 racers record career bests, five racers make laps in the 6.80s (and not qualify!), Jeg Coughlin set the E-Town track record at 6.822 — which, by the way, equals the world record — and Warren Johnson set the track record for speed at 201.37. At the end of the session Kurt Johnson was on the bump at a record 6.880.

Not to be outdone, the Pro Stock bikes also had an exceptional qualifying session that saw Matt Hines set the provisional ET record at 7.139 and Dave Shultz get the first leg of the bike speed record at 192.06.

And there was something for the sportsman racers as Bucky Hess booted his SS/AA Cuda to a mind boggling 8.76 lap, which is well under the national standard, and as a bonus, won two rounds before the race was postponed.

Even though the nitro racers had some serious problems and the weather caused eliminations to be postponed, the doorslammer and bike qualifying alone made this an event well worth attending.

When the race is resumed in the fall on September 8-9 you had better have your E-ticket because performances can only get better. And if the fuel cars have their tire problems sorted out, this will be to be a ride you’ll want to be on.

WWF RULES AT E-TOWN

The WWF-backed Camaro flops driven by Jim Epler and Jerry Toliver were two of only three cars to run in the fours at E-Town.The Dale Armstrong-tuned entries recorded 4.947 and 4.974 respectively. Toliver qualified Friday with a Pontiac body, which has more downforce than the Camaro, but then ran the Camaro body on Saturday.

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