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Richard Tharp (M) from
Dallas, Texas
USA
(Comp Nr/Finish:
441 / 7) |
1981 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TN, Class: TF, Div: 4 |
| "Candies & Hughes" Owned by Paul Candies & Leonard Hughes
from
Houma, Louisiana
USA
| Crew Chief: Leonard Hughes |
| '80 Dragster by
Al Swindahl |
Powered by Supercharged Nitro 484 Keith Black Hemi by Leonard Hughes with
2 speed manual transmission |
| 1/4 Mile ET: |
5.670 at Unknown |
1/4 Mile MPH: |
250.00 at Sanair QC 8/09/81 |
| 1000 FT ET: |
Unknown at Unknown |
1000 FT MPH: |
Unknown at Unknown |
| 1/8 Mile ET: |
Unknown at Unknown |
1/8 Mile MPH: |
Unknown at Unknown |
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Entry's 1981 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
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1/4 Mile Rating: ET 82.51,
MPH 84.92 |
Entry is 0.95310 times average ET and 1.05556 times average MPH |
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1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00,
MPH 00.00 |
Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH |
| 1/8 Mile Rating:
ET 00.00,
MPH 00.00 |
Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH |
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| 1981 Records: |
1/4 Mile: 5.520 ET, 255.68 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
| 1981 Average: |
1/4 Mile: 5.949 ET, 236.84 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
| 1981 Minimum: |
1/4 Mile: 6.449 ET, 218.61 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
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Notes: Tharp started the '81 season by qualifying #13 with a 5.97/236.84 at the NHRA Winternationals. Despite the relatively poor starting position, Richard picked up to a first-round 5.78 (Low ET) at 245 over Gary Cornwall's 5.92/238. A second round 5.83/243 beat low qualifier Jerry Ruth's 5.95/240. Tharp slipped to a 6.03 in the semifinal, losing to Marvin Graham's 5.96. At the next event, the NHRA Gatornationals, on March 15, Richard's 5.82/240.64 qualified #7. A first-round 5.91/243.24 beat Terry Capp, but Jody Smart's 5.87/245 beat his 5.91/243.90 in round two. The following week (March 22), the Candies and Hughes team was at Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals. A 6.03/230 qualified #6 in the eight-car field. Tharp picked up to a 5.95/237 in the first round, to beat a wheelstanding Don Garlits. In the semifinal, a 5.97/232 beat Dick LaHaie, and in the final, he soloed to the victory when Smart's car broke on the line. Tharp was definitely not happy when their best of 5.97 failed to qualify for the eight-car show in Atlanta for the NHRA Southern Nationals. On May 17, Tharp was runner-up to Jeb Allen at Bristol for the IHRA Springnationals. He qualified #3 with a 5.85 and a first-round 6.0,6 beat alternate Richard Holcomb. He ran another 6.06 in the semifinals to beat Butch Osmon's quicker 6.01 in the Jim and Allison Lee car. But in the final, a tire smoking 11.91/53.41 lost to Allen's 5.99/248. It was strange to see the Candies and Hughes fueler on the bump, but that's where they were at State Capitol Dragway for the NHRA Cajun Nationals on May 24. A 5.97/245.90 got them the #8 spot in the eight-car field. Tharp's 6.01 in the first round advanced when Gary Beck fouled. But in round two, a tire smoking 6.27/231.36 lost to Allen's 6.02/243. Things were worse at Columbus for the NHRA Springnationals when Tharp's best of 6.07/232.55 was good for the fifth alternate. There was a bit of irony in the team's next win. It came at the IHRA Northern Nationals, and Tharp beat Mark Oswald for the title. In the thin air of Denver for the NHRA Mile High Nationals in July, Richard ran a 5.94/241.28 to qualify #2. Unfortunately, Doug Kerhulas stepped up to a 5.99 in the first round to beat Tharp's 6.03. The Candies and Hughes team always ran well at the NHRA Summernationals, and in '81 they qualified second with a 5.76/246.57. A first-round 5.86/246.57 beat Frank Bradley, but in round two, Oswald (that name again) beat Tharp's 5.92/243 with a 5.90/243. Richard was running some big speeds at Bristol for the IHRA Summernationals. During qualifying, he set Top Speed at 249.30. He beat Connie Kalitta's 6.03/231 in the first round, with a 5.83/247.93. In the semifinals, he overpowered the track and smoked the tires to a 6.05/245.90 loss to Beck's 5.83/236. The team looked like they were on their way to a win at the NHRA Grandnationals in Canada. A 5.88/242.58 only qualified #6 in the eight-car field, but a first-round 6.04/243.90 beat Kalitta. In the semifinals, Tharp set track records of 5.74/250.00 on a solo pass when Johnny Abbott couldn't show. But in the final, his KB engine threw a blower belt, giving Marvin Graham an easy 7.08 pass for the win. Photo from Indy 1981. |
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Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Saturday, August 23, 2025, 12:58:00 AM by
Ron Howard.
Approved by Bill Pratt. |
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Rankings updated: 08/23/25 03:03:59 am EDT
