Record Books Take a Beating at Goodguys 1st Northwest Nostalgia Nationals
By John Drummond
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| 39 year old Brett Harris of Kayesville, Utah drove the “Nitro Thunder” nostalgia top fuel dragster to victory at the Goodguys 1st Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Washington. |
Kent, WA - The Goodguys 1st Northwest Nationals will be forever known as the “race for the record book.” Final eliminations closed today with four new national vintage drag racing performance records, following yesterday’s action which saw five new records established. It was indeed a very quick and very fast weekend here at Pacific Raceways, some 20 miles south of Seattle.
Though he missed the last race on the Goodguys/VRA West Coast Series in Pomona due to a prior commitment, Goodguys top fuel rookie Brett Harris of Kayesville, Utah showed everyone that he belongs behind the wheel of a front-engined top fuel dragster. The “Deputy” as he’s known, took his bright red “Nitro Thunder” entry through no less than seven 5-second runs over the three day event. Harris never ran slower than 5.978 and set Low ET and top speed of the meet, blasting to a 5.836 @ 258.96 in a semi-final victory over Jim Murphy who trailed with a close 5.914 @ 252.52. In the Top Fuel final round, Harris defeated Goodguys Series points leader Rick McGee, posting a 5.944 @ 251.06 to the runner up’s 5.988 @ 251.81.
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| Dan Horan Jr. took his 1966 Ford Mustang Funny Car to the winner’s Circle at the Goodguys 1st Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Washington. Horan set a new class elapsed time record running 6.021. |
In Funny Car competition, Dan Horan Jr turned back points leader Larry Petit in the semi-finals with a 6.049 @ 233.64 to defeat Petit’s 6.116 @ 233.08. Horan had what you could call a “clean sweep” here this weekend, running low elapsed time of the event and setting a new class ET record at 6.012. In the final, Horan proved vulnerable, logging his slowest time of the weekend at 6.556 @ 228.19, but his competition, Tucson’s Mike Savage, had his hands full getting out of the groove which resulted in an aborted run. With the win, Horan’s second of the season, he’s now taken over the points lead and appears primed to win his first-ever Goodguys Championship Title.
The records continued to fall today in both AA/GAS and A/Fuel.
In AA/GAS, Chris Abbey chopped almost a tenth of a second off yesterday’s new class ET record set by Sean Renteria. Abbey posted an unbeleiveable 6.562 @ 210.90 in his semi-final win over a red-lighting Steve Woods, a time which prompted several Goodguys officials to gasp “could that time on the boards be right?” It was indeed. The ballistic time established both ends of the new class ET and MPH record. In the final however, Abbey, the overwhelming favorite to win the event, spun the rear tires and lost to Ed Moss, driving his TCI-sponsored 1937 Ford. Moss clicked off his best run of the weekend in the final, posting a 6.727 @ 204.57 to beat Abbey’s slip-sliding 6.949 @ 197.59.
A pair of record-setting injected nitro dragsters faced off for the A/Fuel final. Dr. Kin Bates faced his teammate Claude LaVoie for the trophy and the two didn’t disappoint, Bates coming out on the winning end of a 6.266 @ 224.88 to 6.278 @ 226.51 affair. Earlier in the race, LaVoie got both ends of the class record with a 6.228 ET and a top speed record of 226.51.
NHRA Competition Eliminator World Champion Dean Carter, who doubles in the Junior Fuel class on the Goodguys/VRA circuit was unopposed in the Junior Fuel final, when series points leader Scott Parks lost fire after his burnout.
The final record established here today came in Junior Fuel B when class kingpin John Rasmussen soloed a 7.163 to take the event crown.
Other Goodguys 1st Northwest Nostalgia Nationals winners were Mark Mahood (A/GAS), Jim Schwartz (B/GAS), Jessie Wooten (C/GAS), Ed Carey (D/GAS), Ronnie Lennon (Nostalgia Eliminator), Dave Burr (Nostalgia II), Craig Wallace (Nostalgia III) and “Papa” Joe Furiani (Hot Rod Elimninator).
The next and final stop of the 2005 Goodguys/VRA West Coast Championship Series is October 27-29 at Bakersfield’s Famoso Raceway for the 7th Fuel & Gas Finals.
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| Brett Harris |
Summary of Eliminations
Top Fuel Round 1:
Rick McGee, Exeter CA, Tedford-Donovan, Left lane, (0.301) 7.518 116.54 def. Jack Harris, Kaysville UT, N&P-Donovan, NT-No Show
Jason Richey, Pleasanton CA, Alan-Donovan, Left lane, (0.116) 5.965 254.90 def. Bill Dunlap, Capitola CA, Uyehara-Donovan, (0.131) 6.028 247.34
Brett Harris, Kaysville UT, N&P, Left lane, (0.201) 5.978 254.66 def. Phil Ruskowski, Victoria BC, , (0.148) 6.921 196.19
Sean Bellemeur, Camarillo CA, Stirling-Chrysler, Right lane, (0.226) 6.025 203.65 def. Dale Carlson, Olympia WA, Swan, NT-Broke Before Staging
Rick White, San Diego CA, Hansen-Chrysler, Right lane, (0.147) 5.961 241.11 def. Brendan Murry, San Jose CA, Stirling-Arias, (0.128) 6.002 237.21
Terry Cox, Clarkburg CA, URC-Hemi, Right lane, (-0.175) 5.980 247.79 def. Jim Murphy, Santa Rosa CA, Stirling-Rodeck, (-0.276 foul) 5.971 230.49
Round 2:
R McGee, Left lane, (0.061) 6.051 247.84 def. S Bellemeur, (0.081) 7.753 139.99
B Harris, Left lane, (0.094) 5.902 258.96 def. T Cox, NT-Broke Before Staging
J Murphy, Right lane, (0.134) 5.923 253.09 def. R White, (0.150) 5.957 242.67
Round 3:
R McGee, Left lane, (0.871) 27.536 59.67 was unopposed
B Harris, Left lane, (0.131) 5.836 239.61 def. J Murphy, (0.137) 5.914 252.52
Round 4:
B Harris, Left lane, (0.095) 5.944 251.06 def. R McGee, (0.092) 5.988 251.81
Low ET: Brett Harris 5.836 seconds
Top Speed: Brett Harris 258.96 MPH
Funny Car Round 1:
Larry Pettit, Hawthorne CA, '71 Mustang, Left lane, (0.183) 6.118 238.09 def. Ed Schwartz, Santa Fe Springs CA, '70 Vega, (0.155) 6.377 220.76
Mike Savage, Tucson AZ, '70 Cuda, Right lane, (0.093) 6.162 231.87 def. Dennis La Chartie, Torrance CA, '69 Corvette, (0.151) 6.860 220.91
Dan Horan Jr, Sylmar CA, '66 Mustang, Left lane, (0.260) 6.012 234.74 was unopposed
Round 2:
D Horan Jr, Left lane, (0.119) 6.049 233.64 def. L Pettit, (0.171) 6.116 233.08
M Savage, Left lane, (0.197) 7.853 111.04 was unopposed
Round 3:
D Horan Jr, Left lane, (0.176) 6.556 228.19 def. M Savage, (0.173) 8.176 117.74
Low ET: Dan Horan Jr 6.012 seconds
Top Speed: Dennis La Chartie 241.71 MPH
AA/GAS Round 1:
Steve Woods, San Leandro CA, '48 Prefect, Left lane, (0.095) 6.783 201.40 def. Duane Grosart, Chilliwick WA, '55 Chevy, NT-No Show
Chris Abbey, Clovis CA, '63 Vette, Right lane, (0.165) 6.613 209.43 def. Mike Leonard, Plesanton CA, '69 Chevy, (0.132) 6.825 198.99
Ed Moss, Ontario CA, '37 Ford, Left lane, (0.132) 6.998 199.11 def. Mitch Chamberlin, Ortin WA, '41 Willys, (0.426) 7.323 186.85
Cecil Matthews, Redwood Valley CA, '55 T-Bird, Left lane, NT-Left Before Treedef. Sean Renteria, Hollister CA, '65 Plymouth, NT-Broke Before Staging
Round 2:
E Moss, Left lane, (0.128) 6.849 203.34 def. C Matthews, (0.108) 7.013 197.22
C Abbey, Right lane, (0.177) 6.562 210.90 def. S Woods, NT-Left Before Tree
Round 3:
E Moss, Left lane, (0.336) 6.727 204.57 def. C Abbey, (0.162) 6.949 197.59
Low ET: Chris Abbey 6.562 seconds
Top Speed: Chris Abbey 210.90 MPH
A/Fuel Round 1:
Bill Wayne, Bullhead City AZ, JP, Left lane, (0.305) 6.925 216.90 def. Scott Chrislieb, Leona Valley CA, N&P-Arias, NT-Broke Before Staging
Claude Lavoie, Pasadena CA, FED-Chevy, Left lane, (0.133) 6.351 224.28 was unopposed
Bill Genco, Westchester CA, Tuttle-Donovan, Right lane, (0.194) 6.989 193.29 def. Kin Bates, Anderson CA, Tuttle-Chrysler, (0.139 foul) 6.445 219.40
Mike Austin, Medford OR, Comstock-Donovan, Left lane, (0.094) 6.541 216.34 def. Mike Pauluk, Delta BC, Dragster-Chevy, (-0.066 foul) 7.653 182.62
Round 2:
K Bates, Right lane, (0.069) 6.257 219.01 def. M Austin, (0.032) 6.615 204.73
B Wayne, Right lane, (0.035) 6.283 221.67 def. C Lavoie, (0.091) 6.275 225.86
Round 3:
K Bates, Right lane, (0.026) 6.266 224.88 def. C Lavoie, (0.019) 6.278 226.51
Low ET: Claude Lavoie 6.228 seconds
Top Speed: Claude Lavoie 226.51 MPH
John Drummond
Publicity Director
Goodguys Rod & Custom Association
www.good-guys.com
