Return to Kennedale, Part Three!
by Danny White (7/98)
The Texas Quick 8 Association continued its year long points chase with
the third race of the year at Kennedale's Texas Raceway Friday night on a hot night July
10. A grand total of thirteen cars showed to battle for the final eight-car field.
After two qualifying sessions, Landon "The Kid" Jordan came
out on top of the qualifying charts. Landon drove his 1963 Corvette to a 4.29, 164.90 in
the second session. The second spot was taken by Gaylen Smith in the newly christened
Texas Bounty Hunter blown BAE 1994 Camaro, formerly owned by Clayton Pool, at 4.38,
168.01. The 168.01 pass by Gaylen would stand as top speed of the night's racing. Coming
in third after qualifying was Frankie "The Mad Man" Taylor at a 4.44, 159.59 in
his blown 1937 Chevrolet. Longtime Texas Raceway racer Grant Hensley got the fourth spot
at a 4.60, 153.48 pass in the G-Force Racing 1992 Trans Am. Jimmy Freeman of Houston, TX,
ran his best ever pass in the Must Be Magic 1970 Chevelle with a solid 4.60, 152.57 run.
The lone Oklahoman in competition, Jason Davis, got the sixth spot with a solid 4.65,
148.80 in his beautiful 1997 Monte Carlo. Don Smith fought handling problems all night to
take the number seven spot in radical 1967 Nova with the anteater nose at a 4.68 at only
134.80 miles per hour. The long shot of the field, Kim Smith in Seth Devlin's 1996
Oldsmobile Cutlass Pro Stocker, got the final spot with a last qualifying 4.69, 148.86.
The 4.69 bump spot was a new Kennedale record for quick doorslammer racing.
The DNQs included chassis builder Nathan Martin in his father's new
Stove Parts 1997 Firebird with a 4.76, 141.05. Martin would later run a 4.57on a test pass
that would have qualified him earlier. Longtime racer Tommy Adams took his venerable 1969
Camaro to his best ever run of 4.81, 141.40 in the first session. Earl Folse from
Raceland, LA, in his 1987 Cutlass Ciera formerly raced by Don Beverly ran a 4.93, 143.50
to cap off a frustrating evening of racing for him. Mark Walker took his unique blown
Rodeck 1971 Pinto to the number twelve spot at a 5.02, 139.75. Mark Tolbert ended up dead
last in qualifying in his 1988 Camaro from Austin, TX, when his big 444 c.i.d. small block
sprang an unrepairable leak on the burnout in the first session. This ended his night of
racing with no qualifying time.
Eliminations began with Grant Henley taking out Jimmy Freeman with a
4.53, 155.20 pass to Freeman's red lighting 5.84 shut off run. Frankie Taylor and Jason
Davis were next and both ran some their best runs ever with Taylor winning 4.33, 165.30 to
4.58, 152.42. The most exciting race of the first round occurred between two Smiths, Don
and Gaylen. Both cars left the line strong but Don Smith got crossed up first and shut off
early while Gaylen Smith fishtailed to a 4.47, 151.90 run that hit the mile per hour
pylon, disqualifying him. Don Smith's run of 5.02, 156.47 would take him to the next
round. The last race of the round had the number one qualifier, Landon Jordan, and the
number eight car, Kim Smith, racing each other. Kim Smith, the definite underdog, took his
chances on the christmas tree and lost. He redlighted away his 4.79, 147 run to Jordan's
dominant 4.30, 164.30 pass.
The semi final would have Frankie Taylor vs. Don Smith and Landon
Jordan vs. Grant Hensley. Taylor ran a consistent 4.33, 167.20 to top Don Smith's crossed
up 4.72, 118.18. Smith would not come close to his 4.20 potential. Jordan set the low E.T.
of the night with a super 4.26, 165.50 to beat Hensley and his best ever run of 4.51,
155.61. Gaylen Smith made a test run to end the round and ran a 4.31, 163.50 in an effort
to get in to the 4.20 zone.
The final would prove to be a good one with " The Kid"
racing "The Mad Man" for the second quick 8 race at Kennedale in a row. The
results were the same with the Jordan steamroller taking out Taylor with an excellent
4.27, 165.40 to beat Taylor's car length behind 4.46, 163.05. The win by Landon Jordan was
his third straight of the year at Kennedale alone adding to his runner up finish at IHRA's
Summer Nationals at Cordova, IL, earlier in the week.
Danny White
ddgw@valornet.com
