5:00 p.m. Right on schedule Brett Harris and Rick White did their burnouts for the honor of winning the 17th annual CHRR.

 

 

The next to last pair in the first stanza was Adam Sorokin and Shannon Stewart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But by the time Steve Tyrrell started backing Brett up it became clear to anyone who knows what Harris' engine usually sounds like that something was not right.

 

 

 

The engine was clearly running on 7 cylinders with smoke and raw fuel coming out of both banks.

 

By the time the car got back to the line everybody in the house knew something was terribly wrong with the normally reliable hemi in Big Red. The wounded mill was mercifully shut off. An autopsy revealed a broken exhaust rocker arm... tough way to lose a final.

 

 

Harris got the signal to shut the wounded hemi down and all a dejected Harris could do is watch Rick White single for his first CHRR title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was not the way the Nitro Thunder team wanted the car to return to its pit but as they say, "That's drag racin'." They would soon find out that an exhaust rocker arm had broken on the burnout. A tough way to loose especially when you were the class of the field.

 

 

The Neal & White team celebrated their first CHRR win proving that consistency can and does win races. They simply run their number and make the other guy beat them - if they can.

 

 

Chuck Neal and Rick White

 

 

2008 Top Fuel Champion - Troy Green

 

Troy Green flanked by the High Speed Motorsports team celebrate their first championship which was a long time coming.

 

The CHRR funny car program was a Sunday only deal. In what is known as "Chicago Style" racing, all 20 cars had one shot to make the 8 car field. The 8 quickest then paired off to the final 4. The two quickest raced for the trophy/money and the next quickest pair raced for "B Field" bragging rights. Got it?

The final pitted the two quickest cars from the 8 car field. Bucky Austin who was low in that session with a 5.794 at 243.70 met Chris Krabill who was #2 with a 5.847 at 242.00... da blue cars.

 

 

In the lights Krabel's 5.942 at 245.83 was no match for Austin's career best 5.749 at 244.03... which would have qualified him #4 in Top Fuel.

 

 

Adding icing to the cake, Bucky Austin and Steve Plueger accept the "Wally" as the first Heritage Series Funny Car Champion.

The flopper 'B' match up was suppose to be the next two quickest cars from the quick 8 which were Terry Capp (5.872 at 248.34) in Ron Hodgson's Pacemaker entry and Leah Pruett-LeDuc (5.901 at 238.85) in the Plueger & Gyger Mustang.

Capp was unable to make the call so LeDuc made a nice single carding a career best 5.832 at 239.17.

The A-Fuel final pitted Kin Bates in the injected nitro car and Bill Wayne in his blown alcohol entry.

 

With Bates running 3 tenths quicker than himself and the others, Wayne simply had to take a shot at the tree and he hit a bullseye. At the hit Wayne's 0.005 RT literally welded Bates to the starting line. Kin's 0.144 RT may have cost a lesser car the win but the Gene Adams horsepower

Like Austin, Bates hit the daily double. He too got a "Wally" as the first Heritage Series A-Fuel Champion.

 

Scott Parks continued his domination over the Jr. Fuel 'A' class by beating J.D. Zink in the final 6.838 at 194.59 (low ET & Top Speed) to a game 6.964 at 191.81.

 

 

Like Austin and Bates, Parks had a clean sweep. He too got a "Wally" as the first Heritage Series Jr. Fuel 'A' Champion.

 

 

 

 

Unlike Jr. Fuel 'A' , the 'B' class is a lot tighter and no one car has dominated. However, whiley veteran Don Enriquez wins his share. In the CHRR final Enriquez was matched with Fred Notkza.

 

In spite of his 0.000 perfect light, Notkza's 7.184 at 179.89 couldn't hold off Enriquez's 7.138 at 186.87. Just a good 'ol drag race.

 

 

This is a group effort for sure. Mike and Carol Algire own the car, Bob McKray tunes the engine and of course, Enriquez is the shoe.

 

Long in the tooth but quick of foot - Don Enriquez.

 

 

2008 JR. FUEL 'B' CHAMPION - BUD HAMMER

 

In spite of being taken out in round one by Enriquez, old vet Bud Hammer picked up a "Wally" as the first Heritage Series Jr. Fuel 'B' Champion.

 

 

 

HIGH WADES THROUGH 64 CAR SHOW TO WIN NE-1

 

Rick High lasted 5 rounds to capture the very tough NE-1 title. Meeting Bobby Runyon in the final, High ran a (0.033) 7.656 0.056 to Runyon's (0.057) 7.569 -0.031.

 

 

 

 

 

 

JIRKA KAPLAN WINS FIRST AA/GS TITLE

 

Jirka Kaplan blind sided the entire AA/GS field when he not only set low ET (6.390) and top speed (216.50) before defeating Mike Leonard in the final 6.624 207.18 to 6.727 203.98.

 

 

 

Jirka Kaplan

 

 

2008 AA/GS CHAMPION - STEVE WOODS

 

Like Bud Hammer, Steve Woods lost in the first round but picked up a "Wally" as the first Heritage Series AA/GS Champion.

 

 

Steve Woods

 

 

A/Gas CHAMP - JIM WHITE

 

 

Jim White out lasted the 32 car A/G field to run (0.021) 7.731 0.131 which was just good enough to beat Chris Beanes' (0.044) 7.712 0.112.

 

 

 

 

Phil Featherstone captured the A/FX title by defeating a red lighting Steve Whitemore in the final.

 

 

WDIFL.com Congratulates all the 2008 CHRR Class Winners and the inaugural Heritage Series Champions.

 

 

RANDOM RACE CARS

 

"Digger Dan" Horan came to the CHRR in an attempt to make the final pass necessary for him to renew his Top Fuel license. This is another upgrade on his 1969 Don Long car and over $20,000 later, and a trek to Indy and Bowling Green, he is still one run short of his TF license.

 

 

 

 

The car left good and everyone was thinking this will be the pass he needed.

 

 

 

 

 

But it was not to be. Dan got out of the groove and moved to the centerline collecting a timing cone. Needless to say that won't get your license signed off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horan simply couldn't understand why Steve Gibbs would disallow the run.

 

Always crowd favorites, the Marcellis & Borsch "Winged Express" and Randy Bradford. The two made runs everyday to the delight of all.

The only incident of note the entire weekend was a scary first session of A-Fuel (Friday) mishap between Lisa Lavoie and Darrell Waters.

Under power Lavoie's car made an instant right turn into Water's lane. Darrell tried to avoid a major collision but Lisa's car caught him sideways and then tagged the guardwall.

The end result was a totaled car and a banged up and bruised Lisa. She was taken to the hospital but was back at the track on Saturday. Another testament of how safe these cars are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Flathead Jack" was center stage again with his awesome twin engine flattys on nitro. The driver was Mike Floyd ( Earls Son) again this year, and he ran back to back world record speeds on Saturday a 178:28 and 178:35 .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Salinas NE-1 of Scrappers Racing.

 

 

Bobby Evans' NE-1 car out of Corona, CA.

 

 

 

 

1st Qualifying Session - Friday 2nd Qualifying Session - Saturday Top Fuel Round One - Saturday Top Fuel Eliminations - Sunday People N' Pits Photos

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Related Links

Cacklefest.com

Jack Harris Racing - Nitro Thunder

High Speed Motorsports

WW2 Racing

Order Photos

Bob Brown Photos

Stephen Justice Photos

Stephen C. Wallace

Tim Hanaseth Photos

Pam Schavrien Photos

Darrell Conrad Photos

Dan Kaplan

Paul Hutchins

Jim Sorenson

 

 

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