New England had their opener on Saturday, May 6, and it was interesting
to say the least. Mother Nature tried a little moisture, and when that
wouldn't deter the folks, she tried freezing us all. A spate of on track
incidents added to the weirdness of the evening. However a group of hard
core racers and fans persevered and witnessed the first major event of the
2000 season for us Northern New Englanders. Four IHRA Pro Funnies showed up
and put on a pretty good show considering the track conditions. David Rowe,
David Ray, Fred Tigges, and Paul Athey are among the top cars running in the
northeast right now.
When the smoke had settled (or should I say the frost had fallen) David
Ray ousted Fred Tigges for the win. David who made the final on the strength
of a 6.10 had lane choice over Tigges whose 6.13 got him in the final. In
the final, Ray's 6.05 on a cold track was enough to hold of a
fighting-for-traction Tigges who had to run in the same lane that Bob Motz
had just run in. Along with the Alky Funnies, the North East "Super
Slammers" circuit, Pro Comp Eliminator, Quick Bike, Jets, Quick Rod,
and New England's own Bracket warriors kept the crowd entertained. Here's
David Ray (seems I recall another Funny Car driver by that name) warming up
the cold track surface for his final round conquest.
James Morgan
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