Picking and Choosing where to go the final week of June..

I could have attended what, arguably, is this years' smallest organized drag race- the Solar Power purest race over a quarter-kilo in Wenatchee, Wa. (center of the state; famed for Aplets and Cotlets fruit strip pioneers, agrihustling in general..) Total: 3 entries ..Coulda repeated last years' split road trip when we pitterpattered down I5 to Woodburn for two nostalgia meets. This years' first scheduled had a retroflopper show, our buds with the 7.50 second front-engine Top Elim. digger circuit and Howard Anderson uber alles in methanol fueled blown "gasser" elim. which seems to predominate the NW shows, due to heavy emphasis promotion. Good indie show, too; low 7's and 190 mph speeds even in marginal strip conditions.

No, I attended another 2 day meet last weekend. I can't believe I'm writing the words: NHRA National Open. If it hadn't been held at Bremerton, I'd have been VERY resistant. The heat sucked my fluids...and about 2 tenths from the Top Comp cars (named for the now-Tice Jr.-led AHRA lineage..much respect). Top has heated up both in ET's and estim. expenditures. As this blog deals with looking at sustainability, I'm documenting for an expected brief history...at 200g estim. for each 6 sec. operation, the 2nd mort. money alluded to earlier in this site is NOT there as it was the past 4 yrs. That leaves few options beyond legit sponsor funds to keep going......
So, let's go somewhere else! New McAmis chassis (a great '66 replinova) and old TAD chassis missles side-by-side were one great show to co-headline with legit NHRA Class competition in a S/S-Stock combo. The admission (not that I'd bitch with recently-rare press comps..)? Only 10 bucks. 200 MPH (ok, 199 and change...) action for 10 bucks. A good crowd for an ND only promoted show was legit-welcomed by the Handlers Car Club..who acted casual in the impending face of nastymeanrottonroundygoroundprorepublineck (phew!) goings on near the site of our fave Puget Sound strip. It was wonderful to watch Don the Worm Elgin run a full second under his index, keep his sense of humor following a dual early duck sendoff in both S/S and Sportsman
elimination, and load up with his eternal optimism shining down Old Clifton Rd. It was nifty watching long-distance Bonanza strip (Walla Walla!) regulars frantic-grinning into the lanes. I hung Sat. with a trailer full bench racing with Northwest Dragbike clubsters Rex and the eterally looking for his ground-up tuneup Rich Padzus swapping FROGGY tales of John Knox and comparing stories of the NOT RIGHT headspace of exhibition sideshows we'd caught...Captain Jack's Englishtown/ATCO peroxide-rocket skates comes to mind.....There's a reason thousands will focus up on what is, by defin., a bracket show. Quality and class-conciousness...and read into that anything you want.