White Drives Altered to Win in First Expanded Hedman Husler Hedders DRO Nostalgia Nitro Challenge at Paducah
Marc White drove Frank Ousley’s “Crop Duster” altered to the first win in the expanded Hedman Husler Hedders DragRacingOnline.com Nostalgia Nitro Challenge at Beacon Dragway in Paducah, Ky.
Nostalgia dragsters and altereds were invited into the series this year, with all vehicle types competing together. For the previous six years only AA Funny Cars took part.
At this year’s season opener May 8-9 on the eighth-mile track, three Funny Cars, two altereds, and a lone dragster were competing for the historic win. Rain was in the area but managed to clear out at the racetrack before racing began both Friday and Saturday nights.
The Funny Cars were all Camaros: two-time series champion John Hale’s “One Bad Texan” driven by the first female driver with the series, Tera Graves; “Down-Under Thunder” driven by Australian native Bazz Young; and “Runnin’ Wild VI” driven by Richard Hartman from South Carolina.
The other altered was the “Wildside” ’23 T-bucket driven and owned by Troy Ray of Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Tri-State Racing dragster owned by Stephen McClain of Maryland and driven by Jimmy Young of Wisconsin held its own throughout the race. He had qualified in the number-two spot behind White’s 4.06 and then set Low ET at 4.02 seconds and Top Speed at 192.88 mph during eliminations.
Young was favored to win, but in the final round he spun the tires about 300 feet down track. White’s wild altered, based in Illinois, was using up all of his lane but held traction and took the win in 4.18 seconds at 166.98 mph while Young had to shut off the dragster and coast through in 4.81 seconds at 112.61 mph.
Contingency sponsors for the series include Baumgartner Race Cars, Comp Cams, MSD, Mert Littlefield Blowers, Ohio Crankshaft, Rage Fuel Systems Inc., S&W Race Cars, SSI Superchargers, Trailer Toad, Victory Performance Parts, and VP Racing Fuels.
The second race of the season will be on the quarter mile at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pa., on Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19. This will be the only DRO Challenge event not to run Friday-Saturday.
Photo: Marc White in Frank Ousley’s “Crop Duster” altered took the win over Jimmy Young driving Stephen McClain’s dragster. (Jeff Burk photo)
