TAN Driver Blog - Jeff Ashwell - TAD

 

 

It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog, so I will try and fill you all in since I left off in June when I had just completed my cross grade requirements from Top Alcohol Funny Car to Top Alcohol Dragster. We knew this year would be a learning curve as we had been a funny car team for many, many years. We just weren’t prepared for just how steep that curve would be.

Early in our season we fought the tune up and clutch settings and had difficulties in keeping the blower belt on the car. We sent our fuel system stuff to Randy Anderson to be checked out and also bought a duel idler pulley set up which seemed to help. I must also say a big thank you to our fellow TAD drivers, owners, and tuners, who came over to offer their help and input on what was causing our performance issues. We were kind of at our rope's end and having new sets of eyes with more TAD experience than us offering advice was a huge help, and we are very grateful.

The camaraderie in the alcohol pits is second to none and we are very grateful for all who answered our questions and steered us in the right direction. We may be competitors on the track, but we are still a tight knit community. Once we got a baseline tune up, we wanted to see what we could do with it.

We decided last minute to head to Las Vegas for the national and divisional event, as well as Pomona. We’ve done this trio of races before in 2010, but didn’t have a lot of success. We were hoping to improve on that. This might not be huge to some teams but we were super pleased to have qualified for both the Vegas and Pomona national events. There were around 23 cars entered. Just making the show was a big accomplishment to us.

We didn’t qualify at the Vegas divisional, but we knew it would be tough to qualify with so many good cars in attendance and only 8 spots. We were also happy that we didn’t hurt any parts and with small tuning changes, we were able to consistently improve on our elapsed times on every run. I ran my personal best of 5.50 at over 258 mph in Pomona.

Next year we just want to go out and improve on this year and to be more competitive. You have to be able to run 30’s and 40’s to be competitive and have a chance on race day. We want to qualify for every race we attend and hopefully win some rounds. As we approach Thanksgiving, I know I’ve been blessed to be able to drive this top alcohol dragster and have a great group of guys with me. I have my Dad, Greg, and my brother, Todd. Isaac Bese and Scott McDonald have been with us a very long time also, and we are all looking forward to our sophomore season next year. I just want to thank all our friends and the great fans that have supported our team this year. Thank you to our sponsors, Walery’s Pizza and Wilson’s NAPA Auto Parts. Happy Holidays and see you all in 2014.

 

 

Jeff Ashwell is the driver of the Wilson's Napa/Walery's Pizza Top Alcohol Dragster. Find Ashwell Racing on Facebook and Twitter.

Booher Claims First North Central Region TAD Championship

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photos courtesy of David Smith

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (November 26) – Racing in just his third full season in the NHRA's quickest and fastest sportsman class, 31-year old Brandon Booher drove his torque converter-equipped Top Alcohol Dragster to three regional event wins to claim his first NHRA North Central Regional championship. Booher's regional title is just one of many high points in a season that included several firsts and accomplishments for the father-son Booher Racing team.

Though Booher won three regional events – Joliet, Cordova, and Columbus – in the middle of summer, he didn't officially clinch the North Central region title until qualifying was complete at the final Lucas Oil series race of the year in Las Vegas earlier this month. Challenger Bill Reichert would’ve taken the points lead with a win at the race.

“If you look at any of the other regions, if you had three wins and two semis you would have such a points lead that it's laughable, and we didn't. That's how tough this region is. We had a few missteps at the two races early in the season, odd parts broke at the last two regionals, and those hurt our chances. Bill Reichert would've gone around us if he won the Noble or Las Vegas races. We were on pins and needles waiting to see how it would shake out,” said Brandon, a former Pro Top Outlaw dragster champion.

Booher's championship season was a result of hard work, a combination of quality parts and pieces, and a strong support system. Brandon knew that a regional championship was possible with this combination, but he didn't expect it to come so early in his TAD career.

“I have always believed in the capabilities of our car, our crew, and the manufacturers who work with us. We didn't perform as well in our previous two seasons mainly because the converter technology hadn't progressed enough. With a few new items added to the car over the offseason, we were able to make the car reach its potential. It's not as simple as changing the converter or camshaft; it did take a lot of time and hard work. It's nice to see it all come to fruition.”

The AB Construction team's success wasn't limited to regional competition. Brandon won his first national event at the NHRA Carlyle Tools Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in September. Another final round appearance followed at the NHRA Auto-Plus Nationals a month later, running two 5.307s during the course of the event. Booher ultimately finished third in LODRS national points standings.

Considering the season that included so many firsts, career-bests, and accomplishments, Brandon's proudest accomplishment might be surprising – his 275 MPH speed in the second round at the Carolina Nationals. The run ranks in the top five fastest blown alcohol passes. The Booher Racing dragster is now the second-fastest blown alcohol dragster and fastest ever torque converter-equipped car.

“The most impressive thing to me was the 275 MPH with a torque converter. I would even go so far as to say that was the best run of the year in alcohol racing. Big mile per hour like that is an indication of horsepower and a reflection of what my dad and I have been working on. To anyone who thought I was silly for wanting to make this combination work, it was a wake-up call – this is for real,” Brandon said.

As for next year, Brandon is expecting even better performance out of his car.

“I'm just getting started. It's only going to get better from here because I have gobs of data and manufacturers who are excited to work with us. It was a dream year, but I have no intentions of settling. Next year needs to be better; more consistency and better performance. I think that's doable with what we learned this year.”

The driver/tuner is very grateful to the people and companies who made the 2013 season possible.

“You can't have performance without people there to work on it. All of the crew guys, whether they were full-time or just a race or two – Pete, Drew, John, Nate, Ed, and of course my dad, Aaron. 2014 will be our twentieth season racing together. My wife Shannon and my mom also came out and supported us at a lot of races this year.

“On the manufacturer side, I want to thank Ken Juszczyk at Motorsports Unlimited Performance Parts Distributors. Ken always has parts on-hand at the races, which is extremely helpful for a team like ours. Mike Spitzer and everyone at Spitzer Enterprises have been great to work with, ever since I started racing a Spitzer Junior Dragster almost twenty years ago. Goodson Tools and Bell Helmets also provided support.”

Brandon Booher and the AB Construction/Torque Management team expect to run a full schedule in 2014, with the goals of reaching the 5.2s, defending their North Central region championship, and contending for the Lucas Oil Series national championship.

Booher Racing is a Champaign, Illinois-based Top Alcohol Dragster team, competing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Former Junior Dragster driver Brandon Booher pilots the family-owned AB Construction blown alcohol dragster. The team owns the record for quickest and fastest torque converter-equipped TAD. Booher Racing receives support from Motorsports Unlimited, Spitzer Race Cars, Goodson Tools, Bell Helmets, and Torque Management.

For news and results from Booher Racing, follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/booherracing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/booherracing).

2013 Sportsman TV Coverage

Videos via KMan2100 on YouTube

O'Reilly Winternationals - Pomona

Amalie Gatornationals - Gainesville

SummitRacing.com Nationals - Las Vegas

Dollar General Four-Wide Nationals - Charlotte

O'Reilly Spring Nationals - Houston

Kansas Nationals - Topeka

O'Reilly Route 66 Nationals/Jegs Allstars - Chicago

Summit Nationals - Norwalk

O'Reilly Northwest Nationals - Seattle

Lucas Oil Nationals - Brainerd

Chevrolet Perf. U.S. Nationals - Indy

Carlyle Tools Carolina Nationals - Charlotte

AAA Texas Fall Nationals - Dallas

Auto-Plus Nationals - Reading

Toyota Nationals - Las Vegas

Auto Club Finals - Pomona

Hanna Launches Horse Power Gear Apparel

Courtesy of Horse Power Gear

DEER PARK, Texas - Drag Racing Crew Chief and entrepreneur Will Hanna has recently launched his latest venture, Horse Power Gear Apparel.  Horse Power Gear will offer a full line of drag race themed apparel and offers a full range of design services for race teams, tracks and businesses.

Hanna, who has driven and still acts as a Crew Chief/Consultant in the Top Alcohol and Pro Mod categories, also runs and operates the popular internet forums InsideTopAlcohol.com and InsideCompRacing.com, cites this is an idea that been in development for several years.

“I came up with the concept several years ago,” said Hanna.  “The right opportunity just never really presented itself until this year.  We have an award winning designer working for us and state of the art equipment, so we are able to offer a really great product.  I had no desire to be part of a cut-rate cheapo deal.”

The brand recently launched three men’s T-Shirt designs along with two women’s designs.  Hats and other accessories will be available soon.

“When we brainstormed the concept, we have a pretty long list of original, kick ass slogans and designs we plan to produce,” Hanna commented.  “We have hats and more designs in the works.”

 

 

Horse Power Gear is also offering a unique opportunity for race teams, tracks and businesses that to sell their apparel on the HorsePowerGear.com website.

“I think it’s a big opportunity, especially for a sportsman racer to be able to have their shirts and apparel sold on our website,” cited Hanna.  “This is a service we offer our design customers.  We plan on marketing our brand and website pretty hard, so it creates an opportunity to sell more apparel than the average sportsman racer normally receives.  Not to mention it’s a great resource for them to make their apparel accessible to fans, friends and family all over the world.”

Horse Power Gear also offers bulk pricing plans for tracks and businesses that are interested in carrying the Horse Power Gear brand.

Check out our complete line and order online at www.HorsePowerGear.com.  International orders welcome!

Corey Michalek Completes A/Fuel Dragster License Upgrade

Courtesy of Michalek Brothers Racing

In late August of the 2013 NHRA season, Corey Michalek began his A/fuel dragster licensing process during the annual U.S. Nationals test session at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Behind the wheel of the Dreher Motorsports dragster, and under the tutelage of Randy and Jared Dreher, Corey made 5 runs and ran his first 5 second pass at over 244 MPH to complete all but one of the required license upgrade runs at this time. 

"The first time that it really hit me what I was doing was when I was backing up from my burnout and I could smell nitromethane—and it was coming from the car that I was driving. That was a surreal moment for me," said Corey. "My body was on autopilot at that point from all of the preparation that I had done in the months beforehand, so when the Drehers gave me the signal to stage the car, I was confident and I bumped it right in as if I were driving our old Super Comp dragster. Any similarities between the two cars ended at that point."

The experience gained during the first session gave Corey valuable insight into what it takes to command a 3,500 horsepower, injected-nitro dragster down the quarter-mile.

"I made a concentrated effort to have my head as far back as I could get it and to have my body positioned the way that I wanted it to be before mashing the throttle, but this type of car does not care whatsoever," said Corey. "It absolutely plants you in the seat from the moment it launches until the moment you lift. The aggressiveness of the acceleration is truly spectacular and everything happens at an extremely rapid rate."

Following the first licensing session, Corey anxiously waited 8 weeks for his opportunity to complete his licensing procedures. Once the team returned to Indianapolis in late October, Corey picked up right where he left off and ran a career best pass of 5.55 seconds at over 261 MPH the first time back in the car. This finalized the licensing process and put an exclamation point on a wildly successful 2013 season for Michalek Brothers Racing.

 

"By the time that we returned to Indianapolis in October, I had probably made 5,000 practice runs in my head going over and over everything that I had learned during my initial laps in the car," Corey said. "We showed up with one goal in mind: to finish the licensing process right then and there; first attempt at going down the track. The Dreher’s put a safe tune-up in the car and it hooked up and hauled the mail all the way through the finish line with no problems whatsoever. I can't even begin to express how appreciative I am to have had the opportunity to drive their car."

Kyle Michalek, MBR's first licensed A/fuel dragster driver, also expressed his excitement about having Corey licensed to compete in the NHRA's premier semi-professional class.

“I am really proud of the way Corey stepped up and handled the car,” said Kyle. “He thoroughly prepared for this opportunity, and the results reflect his commitment to being a successful competitor. Corey improved each time he got behind the wheel and I look forward to watching him race in 2014.

Michalek Brothers Racing would like to thank Randy and Jared Dreher and the rest of the Dreher family for their support and guidance during the licensing process. MBR also acknowledges that none of this would have been possible without the generous support from our partners at Federal Mogul: Champion Spark Plugs, Fel-Pro, Sealed Power, and Speed Pro.
 

For additional MBR information and updates, please “like” the Michalek Brothers Racing Facebook page and follow @MichalekRacing on Twitter.

Demke's Season Ends in Second Round at Pomona

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photo courtesy of John Teas/Images LTD

POMONA, Calif. (November 14) – A second round loss at the AAA Finals at Auto Club Raceway was definitely not what Chris Demke had in mind when he envisioned the final race of his 2013 season. The popular Top Alcohol Dragster driver isn't used to early round losses, as he has reached the finals at six of his ten national event starts this season. With the points situation already played out, Demke and his Peen Rite team took the chance to test new ideas for next season.

“I would've liked to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, but you can't win them all. We had second place in national points locked up and we couldn't go around Jim (Whiteley) for the championship. We took the opportunity to test some things. It's not often that you get to test on a high-quality track like Pomona. This team is always trying to win, even in test mode, but it just wasn't in the cards,” Chris claimed.
 

Chris drove the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products dragster to the No. 5 qualifying spot (5.29) before defeating 2011 national champion Duane Shields in the opening round, 5.30 to 5.43. Demke's car slowed slightly in the next round, enough for Garrett Bateman to get the 5.30 to 5.33 round win.

Demke's 2013 season began when the Maddern Racing team acquired a decade-old chassis similar to the one Chris drove to multiple wins in 2012. Despite its age, the car had few runs on it and the Peen Rite team had no data for the car. The car showed promise immediately, reaching the finals at the season-opening Pomona and Las Vegas national events. While successful at times, the team struggled with 'new car blues' when it came to the money round.

“Our inability to convert final rounds into wins kept us from winning the championship. Part of that was learning the new chassis, but there were other mistakes made as well, driver and mechanical. We're working on that part of the program as well. We'll see the result in 2014
 

“We tried a lot of changes this year, trying to get a handle on the new chassis. I won't know until we start making runs next year, but I think we've made a change that should be beneficial for quicker E.T.s,” Demke said.
 

Chris also reflected on the highlights of the season, citing his Jegs Allstars runner-up/Route 66 Nationals win at Chicago as one of the best weekends of the year.

“Winning Chicago was really cool. We came so close to doubling up. It would've been great to get that bonus, but maybe next year. I'm currently leading Jegs Allstars points in the West Region. Hopefully we can continue that lead and make it out to Chicago again next year.

“Overall, it was a fun year. It was bittersweet in that we lost a lot of finals. However, we won a lot of rounds and I'm proud of our guys for that,” added the driver of the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster.

Chris and the rest of the Jerry Maddern-owned team will enjoy a few months away from the track before the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series starts up again at Pomona in February.

Maddern Racing, celebrating 20 years of competition in 2013, is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, and Ron Mann. For more information on Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.
 

Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, Boninfante Friction Inc., and Hoosier Racing Tire.

Pomona Win a True Homecoming for Ahten Family

Courtesy of THR5 Communications
Photo courtesy of Troy Case

Pomona, CA – A young Johnny Ahten sat in the stands and dreamed of winning the Pomona Drags. Al Ahten, Johnny’s Dad, raced at many historic California Drag Strips and shared the same dream. Fast forward thirty years and Johnny is strapped into his Nitromethane Injected Dragster for the final round, his Dad standing behind him. His wife and two young sons are in the stands. As the race begins, Johnny Ahten the racer/kid-in-the-stands is ready. Al Ahten, the Crew Chief/Dad is ready. They have both been ready for this moment for years. Johnny inches the car in deep and turns off the top bulb. At the flash of yellow the cars launch. Johnny’s .016 light has him out in front. His opponent, number one qualifier and World Champ Jim Whiteley, is closing fast. Tireshake rears its ugly head and Whiteley is forced to get on and off the throttle as his car shakes, breaks, and tosses a blower belt. Johnny Ahten rockets ahead for the win. A 5.428/259.86 flashes in Johnny’s lane. A cylinder or two were out, but the time didn’t matter. Johnny Ahten crossed the finish line first at the race he always wanted to win. Al Ahten celebrated if he was a kid. In the crowd, Johnny’s two sons, as well as other youngsters, begin to dream of Pomona glory.

“This is the biggest race there is for us to win – it’s iconic,” said Johnny Ahten. “All I remember is at about 800-900ft I didn't see him. I kept waiting for Whiteley to come rocketing by. After I crossed the finish line I couldn’t tell if the win light in either lane was on. I began to think I had won, and hoping I didn't go red. I came around the corner and the top end workers directed me to the TV cameras. Then they all started running at me and pointing. I couldn’t believe it. The next thing I know they shoved a Wally in my hands. All I could think was, ‘Is this for me?’ I’m not sure when this will sink in, but I do know it will make the off season incredible,” added Ahten. “The response has been overwhelming with phone calls, emails, texts, and even flowers. It’s a real thrill.” Johnny Ahten went on to say, “All this was made possible with the help of Island Renovations, Combust Filters, NGK, DJ Safety, Hedman Hedders, Mechanix Wear, Fireman’s Brew, and Goodson Tools and Supplies.” 

Johnny’s dream weekend started out with a lone qualifying session on Thursday. A 5.489/247.70 pass put the Island Renovations / Combust Filters car in the number twelve spot. In Friday’s second session, a 5.484/259.01 dropped them to #14. Crew Chief Al Ahten and crewmembers Howard Katano, Kevin Colvell, Chuck Costabile, Bob Ahten, and John Rogers worked in harmony to try and get the Stump Puller to go faster. The result was a final qualifying pass of 5.376/259.31 that propelled them into the #7 slot.

Saturday’s mid-morning start to eliminations saw cool air and track temperatures. Shawn Cowie would be the first round opponent. The Stump Puller filled the crisp air with Nitro as Johnny blasted off the starting line first. Cowie caught up quickly and it turned into a good old-fashioned drag race. At the finish line it was Ahten getting the close win with a 5.391/257.58 to Cowie’s 5.394/268.71. Even though Ahten never trailed, it was too close for comfort.

Sunday raceday began at 7am in the Ahten pits, allowing the team to prepare the car and form a plan. They would continue to massage the tune-up and race the track. The elusive higher mile per hour goal was still a mystery. Second round adversary Joey Severance got the advantage at the start. Johnny had that made up by the sixty foot mark. At the finish line, Johnny got the win with a 5.354/259.01 to a 5.493/249.26 for Severance. The victory was costly, as bits of aluminum were sacrificed. A new cylinder head had to be installed in addition to the regular between rounds maintenance. The team thrashed to get the car ready. Waiting in the staging lanes was #3 qualifier Mark Taliaferro. As the Sump Puller was pushed to the line, Johnny Ahten knew what he had to do. Taliaferro had beaten Ahten in the first round in Vegas just a few weeks prior. This time the chance to race in the finals was on the line. Johnny slapped a cosmic .012 light on Taliaferro at the hit. It proved to be enough as Johnny’s holeshot 5.368/258.76 beat Taliaferro’s quicker 5.303/272.01. The crowd and crew went wild and it was time to prepare for the finals. The Ahten Racing Team’s plan to get off the line, get down the track, and make it a good one was right on schedule. Shouts of encouragement serenaded the Ahten Racing team as they towed to the lanes for the finals.

The Final round opponent would be number one qualifier and World Champion Jim Whiteley. The California sun began to set on the historic Pomona raceway. The air cooled and the tension began to rise higher and higher. Al Ahten strapped his son Johnny into the Sump Puller. The desires of a Father, and the dreams of a son were about to be played out. As Johnny raced down the track, they all came true and victory at the Pomona Drags was a reality for the Ahten family of drag racers.

…

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Thompson Tries to Stop Manzo One Last Time

Courtesy of Rich Bailey

Pomona - Team Thompson had a great outing at the NHRA Auto Club Finals where they went all the way to the final round at an event which featured the quickest Top Alcohol Funny Car field of all time. Driver, Clint Thompson was on his game all weekend and made his career best run of all time, a lightening quick 5.54 at 261 MPH in round two.

Thompson qualified eighth with a 5.56 at 259 MPH and faced Tony Bartone in round one. He took out Bartone at the Las Vegas Regional one week prior so this would be a marquee match up in round one. At the hit Thompson was out of the box first while Bartone experienced tire shake and had to idle through the rest of the way. Clint meanwhile screamed down Parker Avenue and took the win light with an impressive 5.56 at 260 MPH to advance to round two.

In the second round it was an all west coast match up between Oregon’s Thompson and California’s Mark Woznichak. As the lights came down Thompson got the starting line advantage with an 0.037 light to the Woz’s 0.071. Thompson was able to maintain the lead all the way to the stripe to record a career best 5.54 at 261 MPH win over Woznichak’s close 5.59 at 260 MPH.

In the semis, Thompson faced Utah’s Cody Perkins. This time Thompson’s opponent got the starting line advantage with an 0.030 to an 0.054 but Thompson was able to make up the gap with another strong run while Perkins experienced some traction problems. Thompson recorded a 5.64 at 247 MPH but burned a piston in the process. “We burned a piston which slowed the car down some. The crew really had to thrash to get the car turned around in time for the finals. We even got some help from Joey Severance’s team to be sure we made it up on time” Thompson said.

In the finals it was a dream match up for Thompson as he would race Frank Manzo who was retiring after this race. Never mind that Thompson was one step away from winning the NHRA Finals, instead it was all about the last shot anyone would ever get at defeating the man Thompson considers to be the greatest drag racer of all time.  Thompson had raced him once before but lost a close race to him in Charlotte. At the line, Thompson got out of the gate first with an 0.031 to Manzo’s 0.047. Unfortunately for Thompson, his lead would not last as he smoked the tires and had to abort the run. Meanwhile Manzo sailed to victory with a 5.53 at 265 MPH to Thompson's disappointing 6.75 at 161 MPH.

Even though a lot of friends and peers came by Thompson’s pit to congratulate the team on a great showing, Thompson was disappointed with his effort despite the final round finish. “I’m really bummed out. We went out and smoked the tires. I had one last chance to beat him but I go up in smoke. I wanted to at least give him a close race rather than be another guy that smokes the tires against him trying to beat him. I didn’t change anything before the final other than I left at a higher RPM but she didn’t like it.  My crew did a great job making me look good and I appreciate them along with my wife Danette” Thompson said.

Manzo Wins Final Race, Ahten Stops Whiteley

Courtesy of Todd Veney/Pro Sportsman Association

Frank Manzo went out on top, winning his final race in Top Alcohol Funny Car, the AAA Finals at Pomona, with low e.t. and top speed, and Jim Whiteley narrowly missed doing the same in Top Alcohol Dragster, uncharacteristically faltering in the final against first-time winner Johnny Ahten after dominating all weekend.

Manzo, who has said all year that he would retire after the season, ran the only 5.4 all weekend and parlayed consistent low .50s, including a 5.53 in the final against Clint Thompson, into his 105^th and last national event victory. "You don't know you're going to win 220-some races – however many it is – when you start racing," said Manzo, 61, who also has 125 divisional/regional wins in his unparalleled career. "You just start, you keep going, and this is where you end up."

The only thing Manzo didn't do in his final race as a driver was qualify No. 1 for the record field (5.63 bump). He was third, behind championship runner-up John Lombardo and Annie Whiteley, but quickly established control in eliminations with low e.t. of all four rounds. His 5.50 in a first-round win over Kris Hool took low e.t. from Lombardo, and he dropped it to 5.49 in round two against Von Smith. "The track was awesome," said Manzo, who had won at Pomona but never at the Finals. "You just don't believe it could really be that good, but that's the smoothest run I've made in a couple months."

Every driver in the second round was in the 5.50s except Manzo and Shane Westerfield, who just missed in a 5.62 loss to Cody Perkins. Good reaction times and 5.50s as a sub for ailing Terry Ruckman carried Perkins to wins over Top 10 drivers Steve Gasparrelli and Westerfield and into the semifinals, where he went up in smoke the one time Thompson was vulnerable. Thompson's engine faded at the end of a 5.64 and he crossed the finish line at just 247 mph, trailing smoke.

In the other semifinal bout, Annie Whiteley, who qualified No. 2 with a 5.53 and never ran slower than that in eliminations, came closer than anyone to beating Manzo, leaving right with him in a 5.52 to 5.53 race. "That's probably the best car out here," he said. "She's my pick to win the championship next year."

Thompson and crew completed repairs in time to face Manzo in a national event final for the second time. Unlike the 2010 Charlotte race, which was decided by two feet, this one was over early when Thompson's car lost traction and Manzo had the track to himself on the last run he'll ever make, a 5.53 at 265 mph.

"This is a dream," said Manzo, who was emotional before the final, very aware of the situation. "To win my final race like this is incredible." The championship that was at least still a mathematical possibility for other drivers just a month ago ended up a 150-point landslide, and Manzo walks away with a record 17 championships, including the last eight.

Jim Whiteley, who also had the championship locked up weeks ago and also won by more than 100 points, was denied a win in his final race when he shook and lost the blower belt against Ahten, who scored with a 5.42. "That was our lucky round," said Ahten, who was solidly in the 5.30s in every other round. "The track was getting cold, and we were nervous about shaking the tires and hoped [Whiteley's crew chief] Norm [Grimes] would try to rotate the earth. It left good, started to chatter, and I said, 'Come on – don't shake. The car was going 221 at half-track, but I kept waiting for him to blow past me the whole time. I couldn't believe he didn't."

It was the first win of Ahten's nine-year career after three runner-ups in divisional/regional competition, including one this year in Seattle. "I've let it slip through my fingers and really tried not to focus on 'If I win this round I get a Wally' and treated the final like any other run," said Ahten, who had good lights in every round and his best, .012 and .016, in the last two. "The car was marching to half-track all weekend, but we could never keep all the cylinders lit to the end like we did in Vegas. We couldn't get any wheel speed in air that good on a track that tight. But I guess it doesn't matter now."

Until the Tree came on in the final, everything pointed toward another Whiteley whitewash. He had 17 mph on Ahten all weekend – 275-276 mph to 258-259 – and low e.t. and top speed. He owned qualifying (5.22 and 5.21) and, knowing that each run could be his last, unleashed another barrage of low 5.20s in eliminations: 5.24, 5.27, and 5.22, all at more than 275 mph, against Bill Litton, Ray Martin, and Garrett Bateman.

Ahten was just as consistent but about a tenth back with a 5.39, 5.35, and 5.36 against a Murderer's Row of past national event champs: Shawn Cowie, Joey Severance, and Mark Taliaferro, who lost on a semifinal holeshot, 5.36 to 5.30. "That was the big one, the round we really had to have," said Ahten, a Los Angeles County firefighter. "He and Cowie both flew past me going 270-something, and I didn't know who won either time. I didn't catch the win-light against Whiteley, either, and for a second I was afraid I red-lighted. I couldn't believe it when everybody was waving at me and it hit me that I beat him in his last race, in Manzo's last race. If you're from here, Pomona is your Indy. I was a kid in the stands when the Finals was at Orange County, and standing up there with Manzo at the end of the race was incredible."

Ham Secures Second in Championship

Courtesy of Bennie Bishop
Photo courtesy of Fred Dwyer

TSP Racing’s Steve Ham has boldly claimed the runner up spot in the ANDRA Top Alcohol Championship with a finals appearance at the series final in Sydney Dragway on Sunday.

Taking one step at a time in his big picture goal to one day win the championship, Ham’s intentions for this season were to simply pick and choose rounds that would assist in gathering data from various parts of the country in advance of a full commitment to a championship campaign in the future. However, their runner up spot this season has boosted the team’s confidence, and could see them undertaking more rounds next year than expected.

“We’ve had the big picture in mind for a few years now, and to be honest, our success this year in getting the silver medal has come a little earlier than expected when you consider we didn’t do all of the rounds. We’ve just so excited about how much power this car is producing and with our new racing partners in Everdigm and Queensland Rock Breakers joining ECL and RD Williams, we’ve got the drive to really have a serious tilt at this championship next year,” he said.

The ECL backed Funny Car played a punishing game of lost and found with the team last weekend, throwing away the first two qualifying runs of the event after the team simply missed the setup.

“We were just caught out. There’s no other way to say it, yet we weren't on our own. We tuned the car conservatively at the start, but even then we weren't getting down the track, and then it was almost a repeat performance in the second run. But after that we found our way again and set about getting down the track, for the last qualifier before going through the eliminations all the way to the finals.”

The Brisbane based team would take on fellow Queenslander and sixteen time national champion Gary Phillips in the final, and despite going relatively straight for the run, Ham couldn't peg back his former mentor, and settled for the runner up honours for the event to match his second placing in the championship.

“Looking back over the data from the weekend, we can only put it down to underestimating the power this car has, which is really exciting. Sure the conditions on the weekend weren't ideal but everyone had the same challenges. We just need more time on the track to understand just how potent this baby is, and then we can set about taming it and win some races!”

Now officially in the off-season, Ham has time to consider the potential of the next season.

“We’ll have the calculator out, that’s for sure. It’s just a matter of choosing the smartest and most effective way to tackle the calendar, and once we do that, we’ll get focussed and give it our best shot.”