Sand drags returned to Avenal California for the 2021 Fall Nationals October 22-24 with action in every class from Pee Wees to Top Alcohol. Action kicked off Friday with the Pro Motorcycle Gambler class.
The finals saw a pair of local California racers square off with Joseph Weaver and Marcus Riedel. Both had already been in finals throughout the West Coast season and this time it would go to Joseph Weaver.
Motorcycle Pro Gambler
1st Joseph Weaver
2nd Marcus Riedel
First round of qualifying for the heads-up categories hit the track next starting with Jim Hammond in Top Alcohol. Jim experienced some issues about three-quarter track and unfortunately didn’t get a time for his qualifying efforts in round one due to a sensor error. Jim Naffziger pulling driving duties in the “Yabba Dabba Doo” dragster alongside Craig Brewster in the “Dig’n It” dragster both went too quick in the first session and would need to try to slow it down in Q2 to get a more favorable qualifying position. Nick Shultzman made some progress in the new Hemi combination even while taking the long way down the track nearly clipping the cones at the top end. Tristan Graham took the top spot away from Jamie Regina in his “Whiskey Business” buggy being only one of two entries to break into the two’s in the first session.
Bad news would occur for the sole A/Fuel entry as Sally Rasmussen and the “Poison Ivy” dragster were unable to make a full lap. Something in the rear end let go and she was unable to continue forward momentum. We’d later find out that a broken ring and pinion was the cause and that damage would unfortunately put them out of competition early.
Qualifying Order After Q1:
Top Alcohol
- Jim Hammond – N/T
Top Eliminator
- Tristan Graham – 2.997
- Jamie Regina – 2.998
- Paul Graham – 3.001
- Nick Shultzman – 3.062
- Ron d’Artenay Sr. – 3.086
- Wade Powell – 3.159
- Jim Rossi – 3.210
- Mark Punos – 3.239
- Craig Brewster – 2.946
- Jim Naffziger – 2.920
A/ Fuel
- Sally Rasmussen – DNF
Test and tune for the Gambler and 3.95 Index classes were next with an always impressive line up of unique vehicles at Avenal. We saw everything from a supercharged Supra, awesome full size trucks, and full track wheelies from Brian Drace.
The second qualifying session saw Jim Hammond back out as the sole Top Alcohol entry. Hammond and the team made a full pull this session and set low ET of Friday at a 2.453. Ron d’Artenay took over the top spot in Top Eliminator with a solid 2.990. Mark Whitmore in his Whitmore Speed & Custom blown alcohol altered joined the Top Eliminator field this session jumping into the number five spot with a 3.015.
Qualifying Order After Q2:
Top Alcohol
- Jim Hammond – 2.453
Best of session: Jim Hammond – 2.453
Top Eliminator
- Ron d’Artenay – 2.990
- Tristan Graham – 2.997
- Jamie Regina – 2.998
- Paul Graham – 3.001
- Marc Whitmore – 3.015
- Jim Naffziger – 3.039
- Mark Punos – 3.062
- Nick Shultzman – 3.062
- Wade Powell – 3.159
- Jim Rossi – 3.210
- Craig Brewster – 2.946
Best of session: Ron d’Artenay – 2.990
The typical large Gambler classes at Avenal did not disappoint. The Pacific Northwest was representing deep with Chris Wells earning the bye into the final where he would face either Paul Amos or Ron Huff. Huff had just defeated Wells’ teammate Scoty Burris in the quarter finals and would keep the winning streak against Amos to meet Chris Wells in the final. Chris would get some revenge against Huff in the final and would take some winnings back up North.
The 3.95 Index had a light turnout as the light on the actual racetrack was fading. Four competitors took the stage. We’d see Adam Hill and Tom Groat representing the Oregon/ Washington area and Chris Pintor and Joe Simeone rounding out the field from California. The round one matchups worked out to see California vs PNW racers in both pairs with Chris Pintor taking out Adam Hill, while Tom Groat got the win over Joe Simeone. The final round was run in near darkness with truck headlights helping the racers find the starting line. Pintor got a little antsy at the starting line and turned on the red light giving the win over to Tom Groat.
Friday Pro Gambler
1st Chris Wells
2nd Ron Huff
3.95 Index
1st Tom Groat
2nd Chris Pintor
Saturday kicked off with the Sport Motorcycle classes. Motorcycle Sport 1 ended with a couple of Central California racers in the final with Hanford’s David Markle getting the win over Bakersfield’s Mike Miller.
Motorcycle Sport 2 saw Marcus Riedel earn the top spot this time over Daryl Larantino. This would echo Marcus’ Motorcycle Sport 2 win back in April at Avenal.
Motorcycle Sport 1
1st David Markle
2nd Mike Miller
Motorcycle Sport 2
1st Marcus Riedel
2nd Daryl Larantino
Sport Car test and tune hit the track next with racing action that once again did not disappoint with another bout of huge wheelstands. Adam Hill got out of shape early in one pass and hit a boulder that was on the border of the lane, but was able to keep his car on all fours. Big shoutouts to some of the ladies in the sport with Tessa Nunes running a personal best on her new bike and Christy Amos for putting her Chevy into the 4s!
Top Eliminator qualifying saw the order get shaken up as improved a whole tenth to take the spot even while taking a long path down the racetrack in his “Blew By You” altered. Kylie Graham made her Top Eliminator debut with a quick 60′ burp to set her in the field. Craig Brewster still struggled to slow the car down to the 2.95 index, but he wasn’t the only one running under the index. Marc Whitmore made a tuning adjustment that accidentally set a new WSDN (T/AA) Top Alcohol Altered record with a 2.798 if he could back it up later in the weekend.
Qualifying Order After Q3:
Top Alcohol
- Jim Hammond – 2.453
- Gary Mink – 2.460
Best of session: Gary Mink – 2.460
Top Eliminator
- Nick Shultzman – 2.966
- Ron d’Artenay – 2.990
- Tristan Graham – 2.997
- Jamie Regina – 2.998
- Jim Naffziger – 3.000
- Paul Graham – 3.001
- Marc Whitmore – 3.015
- Mark Punos – 3.062
- Jim Rossi – 3.091
- Wade Powell – 3.159
- Kylie Graham – 5.444
- Craig Brewster – 2.946
Best of session:Nick Shultzman – 2.966
As we jumped back into the Sport Car classes, tragedy struck as Danny Bohard rolled his Jeepster for what would be the second time in two outings at the same track. The whole Bohard camp spent so much time putting this beautiful machine back together after its last wreck in April. Danny would walk away from another scary looking incident this time due to a malfunctioning quick release steering wheel that left him without steering at the top end of the track. Danny says he’s done with this car after seems to be a curse placed on this machine. We were super glad to see that Danny was no worse for the wear and was able to enjoy watching his family and friends race the rest of the weekend.
As the track was cleaned up and racing action continued we whittled the Sportsman action down to the finals. Scoty Burris went rounds for the PNW and took first over Rori Montgomery who quickly is becoming a fierce competitor in her dad’s Jeep. Sport 2 had Tulare, CA’s David Parker get the win over Paul May from Madera, CA. The ever popular Sport 3 where we see crazy fullbody heavy trucks, cars, and UTVs compete side by side had Ryan May in his heavy metal Dodge take the win over Joshua Luna’s Chevy CST/10 pickup.
Sport 1
1st Scoty Burris
2nd Rori Montgomery
Sport 2
1st David Parker
2nd Paul May
Sport 3
1st Ryan May
2nd Joshua Luna
The fourth and final qualifying session for the heads up categories kicked off with a spectacular side by side pass between Gary Mink’s “Bad To The Bone” dragster and Jim Hammond in the “April’s Dream” car. Mink was looking to unseat Hammond from the top position and was able to do just that barely squeaking into the number one spot with a 2.445. Hammond slowed quite a bit in the final session with only a 2.597 meaning he’d have some homework to do for the finals on Sunday.
The final qualifying session of Top Eliminator was a wild one. On the first pair out, Jim Naffziger in the “Yabba Dabba Doo” entry pulled off a 2.951 pass to take over the number spot. Kylie Graham burned through the clutch on her first full pull, but stayed in the number 11 spot with Craig Brewster not making this session. Marc Whitmore went for the gusto and backed up his world record with a 2.809 for the quickest Top Alcohol Altered. If that wasn’t enough, on the last pass of the session on a solo run, Jim Rossi stole the number one spot away from Jim Naffziger running a dead-on 2.950 in his “BAD Toy” dragster.
Final Qualifying Order:
Top Alcohol
- Gary Mink – 2.445
- Jim Hammond – 2.453
Best of session: Gary Mink – 2.445
Top Eliminator
- Jim Rossi – 2.950
- Jim Naffziger – 2.951
- Nick Shultzman – 2.966
- Mark Punos – 2.971
- Ron d’Artenay – 2.990
- Tristan Graham – 2.997
- Jamie Regina – 2.998
- Paul Graham – 3.001
- Marc Whitmore – 3.015
- Wade Powell – 3.159
- Kylie Graham – 4.103
- Craig Brewster – 2.946
Best of session: Jim Rossi – 2.950
Saturday wound down with the Pro Gambler class. Russ Wilkinson in his “Nightmare” Jeep would face Justin Adamson in Kenny Haye’s dune Jeep in the semis while Kenny had a bye to the finals in his other drag Jeep. Justin made an error on the starting line and rolled through the beams handing the win over to Russ who had his own mistakes occurring at the starting line and would take the luck over skill in the semi final round. The final would have Kenny Hayes chasing Russ on the handicap start. Russ got off green with no starting line mistakes this time. His luck would stay consistent as well, with Kenny leaving a little early and turning on the red bulb to give the win to Russ Wilkinson.
Saturday Pro Gambler
1st Russ Wilkinson
2nd Kenny Hayes
Sunday morning kicked off with the Pro Motorcycles. Motorcycle Pro 1 saw David Markle in his second final of the weekend running against Bakersfield’s Dennis Williams. Age and treachery would appear to be Markle’s kryptonite as Williams was able to prevent David from doubling up this weekend when David left too soon and turned on the red light.
Another potential double-up was taking place in the Motorcycle Pro 2 final as Joseph Weaver, hot off his Motorcycle Gambler win on Friday, faced off against WSDN’s own Caleb Mings on his Hi Desert Fasteners sponsored three wheeler. Mings would pull off a good light and backed out when Weaver broke at three quarter track putting him alongside Dennis Williams as the double-up heartbreaker to take the win.
Motorcycle Pro 1
1st Dennis Williams
2nd David Markle
Motorcycle Pro 2
1st Caleb Mings
2nd Joseph Weaver
The juniors program hit the track after the Pro Motorcycle division. “Mad” Maddox Peña made it to the final round in the Juniors category to run against Eric Young who took out his sister in the semis. Maddox would chase down Eric Young’s four stroke Suzuki and take the stripe for the win.
Over in Junior Dragster or rather Jeep?, a familiar bunch of competitors lined up for first round. Brielle Gleeson would take out Tanner Cornell in his Trophy Kart to earn the semi-final bye. Colson Ridenour would take out the Alexis Pritchard and the 80s Junior Jeep in route to his final round appearance. In the Ridenour versus Gleeson matchup, Colson left first shifting his Junior Jeep down to the finish line where Brielle would chase him down and get past him for the win.
The Pee Wees final had the 80x quad against the newest racer of the Peña Racing clan, Aubrey Peña. Aubrey would get a huge handicap start, but the 80x was able to chase her down for the win.
A big shoutout goes to Amy’s Sunset Scents for sponsoring the junior classes and awarding all first and second place winners gift cards for their achievements!
Juniors
1st Maddox Peña
2nd Eric Young
Pee Wees
1st 80x
2nd Aubrey Peña
Junior Dragster
1st Brielle Gleeson
2nd Colson Ridenour
Heads-Up eliminations followed the first test and tune session of Pro Cars. The Top Alcohol final was set between two of the best in the business. “Bad To The Bone” Gary Mink your number one qualifier versus “April’s Dream” Jim Hammond. Jim had to make up the performance disadvantage and needed pick back up where he and the crew had the car in the second qualifying session to have a chance against the 2.4x machine of Mink. Hammond would do just that running a 2.498, but it wouldn’t be enough as Mink would turn on the win light with a 2.447 nearly repeating his final qualifying session lap.
Top Alcohol
1st Gary Mink
2nd Jim Hammond
Top Eliminator began with the number one qualifier Jim Rossi against Craig Brewster who had failed to slow down enough to make it inside the 2.95 index in qualifying. Brewster left too early handing the win over to Mr. 2.95 Jim Rossi. Tristan Graham advanced past Jaime Regina in round one to square off against Rossi in the quarter finals. The number two qualifier, Jim Naffziger had an easy lap as Kylie Graham had issues getting the car staged and incurred a staging foul. Ron d’Artenay got around the last of the Graham camp as he took out Paul Graham who had to pedal his Top Eliminator buggy. Nick Shultzman had the legal single as his scheduled competitor, Wade Powell, was unable to make the call. Check out how his right rear tire dug in at half track! Mark Punos rounded out round one with a win over the new Top Alcohol Altered record holder Marc Whitmore who experienced issues this run.
After the second test and tune session for Pro Cars, Top Eliminator circled back to the track. Jim Rossi would prove why he earned that number one spot as he ran a 2.952 to take out Tristan Graham who mustered a 3.04. Jim Naffziger would catch Ron d’Artenay late on the tree, forcing d’Artenay to the breakout as he tried to catch the “Yabba Dabba Doo” dragster. His teammate Mark Punos would take the stripe in a close quarter final match against Nick Shultzman in a 3.02 to 3.05 decision.
Immediately after the last quarter final pair of Top Eliminator, the winds picked up and a massive sandstorm moved in. After a few minutes, it was clear that it was only going to get worse. Visibility in the shutdown was the first to be affected, but soon you wouldn’t be able to see the 60′ marker while at the starting line. The race had to be called. Top Eliminator would finish their eliminations at the 2022 Avenal Spring Nationals during their qualifying sessions. Pro 1, 2, and 3 would need to return as well at the Spring Nationals to run all of their elimination rounds.
