S. Stringer / B. Norman first co-winners in
SWSC
at
"Broken Nationals"
The Southwest Superchargers have
all gone home after experiencing the most unusual, most bizarre,
most unique race in their decade-long history. Of the dozen-plus
race cars that made the trip to North Star Dragway in Denton,
Tx., ALL (save two) broke something or needed
some repair to
advance to the next round. As early as the Friday night
Test-N-Tune session Jack Bartlett (sbc, red) and Greg Powell
(sbc funster) were out of commission for the weekend.
When the SWSC rules were written, the framers sought
to always have pairs of race cars run for the appeal that has to
our spectators. Consequently the rules provide for "quick
losers" from the previous rounds to be reinstated to fill out
the field and complete "pairs". This one started odd and
finished odd.
Qualifying Round 1 began with eleven cars moving
toward the North Star Dragway staging lanes. Weather was very
nice but for a 15 mph cross wind. First pair was Ken Reierson's
140" slingshot vs. Sue Stringers former TAD car. Reierson's
loose pass netted him a 6.14, Sue went 5.75. (SWSC index for
low-altitude 1/8 mile--4.70) Next Jacob Penner (b.b.c-red) ran
Bill Norman (Hemi funster). Each made nice runs, Penner's 4.67
to Bills 4.80. Pair 3 was the 23t
of L.H. and Francis Newlin
"Cantankerous" and Jack Chapman's "The Hoopie" 27 aero-roadster. Newlin's 4.93 outpaced Chapman's 5.12, but the carnage had
begun. The "Cantankerous" 23 of 71 year old L.H. had sheared
both keys in the snout of the small block crankshaft. Next a
pair of 23t's met, Mike McCoy (500" B-1) and Chris Stouffers
small block. McCoy's Mopar got to the line first, 5.10, while
Stouffers mount broke the crank snout OFF! Paul Harris brought
the 2007 season opener runner up Bockman Racing 23 up to run
repeat SWSC Points Champion Julian Moody (KB red). Moody
recorded a nice 4.81 vs. Harris's loose 5.17. Next up, a single
for Mike Jones and the "Voodo Child". A serious thrash in the
pits to fix a broken wheelie bar gets Mike a single to check out
the work! A nice 4.76! Lastly, Ray Stringer's small-block
equipped Jerry Norman Race Cars dragster squeezed out a 4.92.
Q-2 cranked up just after 8:00 p.m. as Ray Stringer
and Mike McCoy suited-up. Ray shut off with a trans leak and
McCoy slowed to a 5.66. Neighbors Norman/Fat Boys and Jacob
Penner paired next, 4.89 to 4.64 respectively. Paul Harris 5.00
outran Sue Stringers 5.23. Ken Reierson's crooked 6.29 trailed
Moody's 4.73. The final pair in Q-2 was Jack Chapman (broke at
the hit of the throttle) and Mike Jones "Voodoo Child" (4.82).
L.H and Francis were frantically trying to finish repairs to
their small block before eliminations began.
Those final eliminations started around 9:30 for the
Southwest Superchargers as #1
Qualifier Jacob Penner met #10 Ken
Reierson. Reierson's short wheelbase car again struggled with
traction and could only muster a tire-spinning 7.01 against
Penner's 5.17. Next #9 Sue Stringer prepared for #2 Julian
Moody. Moody took the win with a 4.75 vs. Sues 4.90. #7 Paul
Harris suited up to meet #4 Bill Norman. Norman advanced on his
4.72 beside Harris/Bockman's 5.08. The 23t's of Mike McCoy (#8)
and Mike Jones (#3) squared off with McCoy advancing courtesy of
Jones' red light. The small blocks of #6 LH Newlin and #5 Ray
Stringer lined up but Newlin blazed the hides as Ray's ride rode
a nice little wheel stand to the "best" pass of the weekend,
4.724 on the 4.70 index.
North Star Dragway Rd 2 Eliminations commenced as the
"quick loser" from Rd 1 Sue Stringer was reinstated to run Jacob
Penner. Sue got the win light with a consistent 4.92 when Penner
"nuked' a transmission around half track. Pueblo, CO. resident
Mike McCoy next engaged Bill Normans funster "Flashback". Bill
shook his mag to pieces internally and McCoy took the single to
advance., 6.01. Next what appeared to be one of the best races
of the weekend shaped up in Moody (previous 4.73) and Ray
Stringer (previous 4.72). Ray left the line alone for the win
after Moody broke a crankshaft in the burnout! All three cars in
the right lane had broken! But stay tuned.....so had one of the
winners. Ray Stringer had broken a trans tail housing and would
not be able to make make the call for the semis.
So Rd 3 began when Mike McCoy faced Sue Stringer. But
it was almost midnight and the track had gotten cold. McCoy
fouled and Sues lack of traction yielded only a 7.76 for the
win. Bill Norman/Fat Boys (repaired and reinstated) won with a
brilliant 4.75 against Mike Jones (reinstated for the broken Ray
Stringer) who quickly sashays into Bill's lane for the DQ! WHEW!
After all that and the rapidly cooling track, a mutual
decision was reached not to run thefinal between Sue Stringer
and Bill Norman. Later Bill Norman and Team volunteered to
accept the Runner-Up plaque and award Sue the Winners plaque
while splitting the purse. A positively giddy Sue Stringer could
not be reached for comment, her head was in the clouds.
The SWSC wishes to thank the Owners and Staff of
North Star Dragway for their invitation...we hope to see you
again this year. Congratulations on a grand facility.
Thanks to all the SWSC racers who made the tow. Loosen
up those tool boxes, boys n girls, Wichita Falls is only two
weeks away!
Fans, thanks to you. We love to race but you make it
possible . We'll See You at the Races!
Fuzzy Gearhead
