ARHRA Winter Nationals
Take One

by Tim Marshall

he first race of 2003 is now complete, and it might have had a few glitches about it but the Pepsi ARHRA Winter Nationals was FULL of action, to say the least. Nostalgia Top Fuel, conventional Top Fuel, Nostalgia Funny Cars, Unlimited Fuel Altereds, Nostalgia Fuel Altered, Jr Fuel, and a full bracket show. Joe Colletti's Speedworld is a unique raceway, perfect for a nostalgia show. It is one of the oldest drag strips originally was known as Mel Larson Speedway.

What started out to be the "Carnage and Debris Nats" turned into a nice match race-like situation with one of the sports next superstars, Sean Bellemuer (21 yr old) at the controls of the Mastercam T/F owned by Frank "Root Beer" Hedge, and backed by Tom Shelar of Mastercam Inc., against a pair of veterans, the team of Rich Howell and Fred Farndon.

Howell & Farndon have combined their efforts for 2003 in an all-out effort with their Chevy-powered Classic/Nostalgic Top Fuel entry. (Funny. . .all I ever hear from the AAFD guys is "we want more money." Where was everybody? Both Hedge/Shelar/Bellemuer and Farndon & Howell went home with more greenbacks than most other Nostalgia events in 2002. Do I make myself loud and clear? If you didn't show for the first ARHRA ever, it's a shame.) Sean Bellemuer only ran a 7.70 e.t., but it was good for the win.

Steve Barcak also made a first appearance ever with his immaculate Rob Sterling T/F car that is powered by a Pontiac big block. Bob Murevez and his crew plus Frank Hedge gave Steve a nice starting point for this Pontiac Heaven machine.

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Nostalgia Funny Car had a couple of really game competitors in newly re-licensed Randy Walls and his Super Nova vs Steve Tryon and the "Bad Company" Corvette (Great photo by Mark Rebilas on our latest cover!). Steve Tryon looked like it was going to be his match race when he laid down Low e.t. and Top Speed of the event at 6.96 and 210 mph, but unfortunately Steve experienced a fuel tank explosion in the final round giving the win to the likable San Diegan Randy Walls. Walls has not raced a Funny Car since he quit 30 years ago. Congrats to both Randy and Steve!

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