Original Post: Drag Racing Online
Now for the real Top Fuel field. Scott Whipple really had his crew together this weekend as he did not have crew chief Amos Satterlee, who was at the IHBA boat drags in Phoenix with the “Speed Sport Spl.” Scott’s tune up flat worked great at a fantastic 2.303 and 160.83 mph for both the quickest and fastest of the weekend.
He was followed closely by the current record holder, Geoff Gill, in the Visilia, Calif.-based “Gill & Bettencourt Spl.” at a fine 2.384, 157.22 mph. At age 20, Geoff is the rising star in the National Sand Drag Association.
Local talent Shane Switzer in his “Spooky 2” from Las Vegas was #3 at 2.443, 158.34 mph. Mesa, Arizona’s Jeff Janoe laid down a quick 2.449, 147.11 mph for #4. Usually seen in his blue coupe, new Top Fuel driver Pete Schenk ran an off-pace 2.559, at only 112.67 mph.
Then former record holder with his Carlsbad, Calif., small block Chevy had nothing but problems with a new set-up in the “Hammerdown” but he got off the starting line so was installed into the show anyway.
It came down to the two quickest and fastest machines on the sand as Geoff Gill with Joe Bettencourt’s fine tune up showed real potential with times of 2.324, 163.43 mph for the fastest pass of the weekend when he defeated the “Spooky 2”.
It was a great show in the final as Whipple once again was the guy in Top Fuel at a fine 2.323, 160.43 mph to Gill and Bettencourt’s close but second 2.41, 143.10 mph as something went away in the big Hemi on the top end.
TOP ALCOHOL
A full field of eight of the country’s finest alcohol dragsters were on hand in Primm, with Dan Allen in his Prescott, Arizona-based Lucas Oil-backed dragster leading all comers at a fine 2.275 with no speed coming up on that run though. Candidae Foods-backed Mike Denzio put his pretty green dragster into the field at #2 with a fine 2.499, 133.72. Gary Mink from Fresno put his awesome “Bad to the Bone” dragster (above) that he purchased from Bob and Cody Perkins (who run on the NHRA Div. 7 current), into the field at #3 with a time of 2.504, while Shane Sanford was number 4 at 2.508.
Scott Carroll’s all-green dragster was the fifth quickest in qualifying at a fine 2.602, followed by Jim Hammon in “April’s Dream” at 2.806, 116.13 mph. Carey Mahoney came all the way from Battle Ground, Wash., and managed a 2.852, 122.07 for the #7 spot while Nick Januik’s front-motored digger rounded out the show.
In the semi finals it was two holeshots winning their rounds with first Shane Sanford in his Tony Schweers-tuned machine laying down a fine 2.625 (no speed), to defeat a quicker but losing 2.601, 139.74 mph for Dan Allen. Mink in “Bad to the Bone” tuned by none other than the famed Joe Boghosian then laid a holeshot on Allen and the Lucas dragster, with the result being a fine 2.501, 138.00 to defeat a very game 2.532, 129.66 for the closest race of the day.
Mink and company saved the best for the final round as he laid down a strong pass of 2.478 at 135.16 mph to narrowly defeat a game Shane Sanford (Frederosa Racing) at 2.586, 129.52.
TOP ELIMINATOR
After laying down a most impressive run in the sand Jeff Mamer (above) ran a perfect 2.950 (index of 2.95) carrying the wheels almost the entire distance of the track. Unreal and it was, of course, the quickest of the field. Mamer’s machine is a nitro burning turbo VW and flat hauls.
Bob Snow in Butch Blair’s 30-year-old rear engine funny car-style chassised machine was a close second at 2.956, with Paul Taylor and Tiffany Januik also running in the 2.50 range. These guys and gals are hard-core racers. Anything can run in this class, all you have to do is run the number.
With over 22 entries in this class alone it came down to young Billy Morris in his “2 Dollar Bill” dragster with veteran Mamer pulling out a holeshot victory at 3.051 to Billy’s quicker-but-losing effort of 3.048.
SPECIAL NOTES
We came upon what appeared to be a JR Fuel Altered and it belonged to eight-year-old Peyton Januik. We asked her if she raced it and she replied, “Of course, just like all the Januik’s, but I only run on Sunday at this race.” Three generations of the Januik clan out of Las Vegas NV raced at this event.
There were also three generations of the Switzer family racing at the NSDA Spring Nationals. Shane Switzer in “Spooky 2” and his wife, Angel, in a unique 1933 Willys which was the original “Black Magic” Funny Car that they purchased and just completed recently for Pro Eliminator. She calls the Willys “No Angel” by the way. Shane’s dad, Ralph, still competes in Top Eliminator in the “Dragon Slayer” Fiat Altered while the Switzer’s now five-year-old son, Frankie, won his first trophy in on a quad at just age 4. Amazing!
A really interesting vehicle was the Suzuki-powered High Boost engine in Dan Rhoades Smart car that runs out of Good Springs, Nev., which is right next door to Primm. It’s brand new so no times at yet but this is a one of kind vehicle. Las Vegas Rock and Euro Machine back the Slightly Modified entry.
Darren McChesney (above) had his Reher-Morrison big block rear engine Jeepster out and he did a giant wheelstand. Darren is from Placerville, Calif., and look for this one to be in a winners circle in the near future.
