Original Post: Drag Racing Online
By Tim Marshall
Photos by Gil Rebilas and Tim Marshall
The American Sand Drag Association comes to the fun zone of Califonia/Nevada stateline city border of Primm, Nevada, otherwise known as Primm Valley Resorts. The trio of hotels include the orginal Whiskey Petes’, Primm Valley Resort Hotel or The Primadonna, and the newly built Buffalo Bills complete with a 90-mph roller-coaster. It’s also the home of not one but two fantastic sand drag races per year. In 2003 the ASRA Spring Nationals set an all-time event record with 28 Blown Alcohol entries and 11 of the finest Top Fuel Dragsters on the planet!
TOP FUEL
The Spires-Longerot “Two Shy” TF dragster is still the team to beat on the sand or dirt. The 309 c.i. nitro burning KB in the rail was slightly modified by the duo into a 6 cylinder. It’s the track record holder virtually everywhere it has run. Keith Longerot explained that the only record that the “Two Shy” didn’t hold was at Primm, so after setting the pace with a fantastic 2.51 blast at 132.14 mph, that was good enough for not only Low E.T. but the track record, too!
The team’s best ever is a 2.46 at 147 mph. Right behind Longerot’s Newport Beach-based machine was the awesome Candae Pet Food-backed Whipple & Satterlee Top Fuel dragster. Name sound familiar? Like “Famous Amos” Satterlee, a veteran of asphalt Top Fuel (Robert Riehl). AA/FA/ AA/FC of Ron Fassal and the Phoenix based “Pepsi Phoenix”, of many drag boats both Top Fuel and Blown Alcohol. The Scott Whipple of Norco, CA (best ever times 2.36, at 147 mph) machine is the last Cory Mac dragster that he bought from Darrell Gwynn, who he now drives for in the Yankee car.
Some of the other interesting cars were the 135-inch wheelbase car of Chris Barlow and Gary Brown. Its called “Turtles Toy” (best ever for “Turtle Chris” a 2.74) and this relatively
short Top Fuel car is an Ex-Shirley Muldowney car. Richard Montiel (best of 2.51) from Riverside, Calif, is always a threat with “Top Dog” dragster.
The tandem team of Charlie Brown Sr. and Charlie Brown Jr. are brand new cars on this circuit, and both are tuned by John Aleman Jr. Remember John Aleman Sr. and the Ford OHC AA/FA called the Sheepherder? I do! Ernest Borgnine (his name is right on the front wing of Charlie Sr’s car too!) a life long friend of Charlie Sr. was there to cheer on his friend and also served as Grand Marshal of the 2003 race. At 86, Ernest really looks great and it was a pleasure to meet this award winning actor.
Bud Martins’ small block Chevy, a modified V8 like the “Two Shy” team’s V6 KB, was also an interesting piece but unfortunately broke on its first pass. The Hammerdown Racing Team of Dennis Wright and friend not only had a Top Fuel car but a Blown Alcohol entry and Pro-1 Open car, too. Fuller and Crook have been racing on the sand too for a long time and John Crook Jr. is now the driver of that Chevy-powered machine.
Others attending this U.S. Nationals-like sand drag race included Rick Cameron in his awesome new machine (which he still is working the bugs out of) and Clovis, Calif.’s John McCloane (in a Robert Riehls old Top Fuel mount) who is always a treat in sand drag racing. Best ever for John is 2.55, 157 mph with a tune up from Robert Riehl and himself.
After three days of qualifying, the top five laps were automatically transferred to the Sunday show. The other three qualifiers had to beat their competition to be in the show on
Sunday, too. The track may only be 300 feet long, but this type of racing does not lack for action.
Dennis Wright in the Hammerdown big block machine put a giant hole out of the block in his first paring but changed the motor just like the big guys. John McCloane on a bye run cranked out a fine 2.62 but had problems stopping the machine and bounced off a cement barrier in front of Primm Valley Rec Park. Wheelstands were commonplace. In the final round it was Scott Whipple, who had won the last three events in a row, versus the record holding 6-cylinder “Too Shy”, but Whipple left just a tad too soon giving the win to Longerot and his fine crew. Whipple’s fine 2.59, would have just covered Longerot as he turned in a fine 2.63 at 136 mph for Top Speed of the event.
BLOWN ALCOHOL
This class has the closest competition of all the Pro classes in sand drag racing. A lot of the Top Fuel cars came from the asphalt, but many of the Blown Alcohol guys chose to have brand new cars built strictly for sand. There were 28 entries, which is without question a record turn out for the 16-car field, but one withdrew, so still 27 cars were out to show who was Top Alcohol Eliminator. The Alcohol cars run almost as strong as their nitro burning brothers.
Setting the pace all the way from Michigan was the awesome brand new dragster built and driven by Ted Lirones. Ted’s brand new piece was painted by fellow competitor and friend Joe Moat. Joe, his wife Cheryl, and son David ran their beautiful “Predator” dragster out of Michigan too, and it was its first time ever down the sand. Joe’s new ride was a Lirones-built dragster from the ground up. Son David and wife Cheryl are Joe’s entire crew.
Then there was the “Other Woman” campaigned by Jay Porttega from Hudsonville, Michicgan. This is a 135-inch WB front engine machine that kinda looks like a funny car with no body, but sometimes acts like a AA/FA! Jay made one pass that we at Drag Racing Online have on digital for your delight. The photographer is Gil Rebilas of Thundering Images, originally from New Jersey but now resides in the Phoenix, Arizona area.
Awesome photos Gil! I’ll be honest. I was shooting video and got the beginning of the run, but bailed out when the car looked like it was coming over the guard-rail and going to get us. Jay put the car up on one wheel and drove it out of the situation, first driving on just two wheels, then eased on down the guard rail which was only about a foot and a half tall. Rebilas did move, but not much!
Bruce Patrick of Las Vegas had his AA/FA Bantam roadster (formerly the Bad to the Bone roadster) out at Primm, and this car reminded me of the good ole days, complete with old-style face mask, but no goggles. The Bantam roadster was brand new to Bruce, who was just working out the new car blues.
Speaking of Blues, the Blew by U, looking like an old modified Fuel Coupe was just awesome! Another interesting car was the “Sand Princess” or “Quick Tempered” dragster of Kimber McCutheon from Mesa, AZ. Kimbers’ car says “Cha Cha” on it also, and she definitely wants to step up to Top Fuel in the sand first and then maybe move to asphalt. Anyone need a pretty blonde that can drive too? These cars were not the usual alcohol cars, as they flat put on an exciting show — giant wheelstands, running over the timing lights, and some even had parachutes.
In the final round it was all the state of Michigan with Ted Lirones, who had run an earlier best of 2.75, 126 mph, taking the win when his friend and fellow Michigan racer, Joe Moat, ran a close but trailing 3.84, 112.88 mph.
FAST FOUR
Ten of the country’s finest Fast Fours were on hand at the ASRA Spring Nationals in Primm. Before this weekend, if you would have told me that a four-cylinder dragster was a fantastic show, I would have had to pass, but these guys flat haul ass! Basically, the class is four cylinder “run what you brung.” Anything goes!
George Young from Indiana had a four-cylinder VW with a blower and on a heavy load of nitro! Young’s machine had nothing for a body, so watching this dragster cover the distance was really interesting. B.K. King and his Animal Control dragster which was
chromed not painted did wheelstands almost the entire 300 feet, as did some of the others. In the semi-finals Mario Tavares put a holeshot on his competition and won the race, but lost the battle as he carried the wheels all the way through the distance and set them down right before the timing lights. Then disaster struck as he got a little too sideways and barrel rolled the little dragster several times.
The Meltdown team with Donny Diffenbaugh handling, singled in the final at a 3.20, 106.53 mph for the win. Diffenbaugh Jr., a second generation driver, also was Low ET qualifier of the breed.
