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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 9:53:33 GMT -7
NTRA Finals EliminationsIt's race day at Lions Drag Strip! The NTRA Finals, the season finale of the 2013 National Thunder Rod Association championship series, is about to get underway.  We're expecting a huge turnout for the Finals, which has been contested at Lions since 2010. Past winners include 440GTX, who swept the event in 2010 with an unrivalled triple win in Stock, Gasser, and Nostalgia Funny Car. Wood won the Stock title in 2011, and 440GTX took home the Ratt Rod trophy. Eagleracing won Nostalgia Funny Car in 2012, and was joined on the victory podium by Gasser winner Falcon.  The fans and crews are lined up for the last event of the year. But before we fire the first engines, we need to pay our respects to the original Lions.  Lions was a gritty, working class race track in a seedy part of town, bounded by oil refineries, power stations, and the San Diego freeway. In an age when Southern California "supertracks" like Orange County International Raceway and Ontario Motor Speedway boasted glass-walled towers and VIP suites, Lions sported plywood shacks, wooden bleachers, and outhouses. But Lions had qualities that surpassed the supertracks. Racing under the lights on a Saturday night, the joint was magical. When the cool, foggy air rolled in from the nearby Pacific, Lions was the king of drag strips. Drag racing star Don "The Snake" Prudhomme compared Lions to Yankee Stadium: “It was the all-time coolest place ever,” said Prudhomme.  The real Lions Drag Strip opened in 1955, and closed on December 2, 1972, with the legendary Last Drag Race. I attended my first drag race at Lions in 1966, raced my '55 Chevy there in the '60s, and tested cars on the Lions quarter-mile when I was a rookie writer at Car Craft magazine in the '70s. Now 40 years later, Lions lives again – in miniature. The HO slot car replica of Lions Drag Strip pays homage to the original track that stood at the intersection of 223rd St. and Alameda in Wilmington, Calif. Enough nostalgia. It's time to write a new chapter in Lions' history at the NTRA Finals. Attention in the pits! Gassers and Nostalgia Funny Cars to the staging lanes for final eliminations! Racemaster Rick
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 13:19:54 GMT -7
Gasser Eliminations LadderDue to the tremendous support for the NTRA Finals shown by racers from across the nation, all entries will compete in final eliminations instead of just the top 16 qualifiers. Therefore the elimination ladder for the 21-car field looks like this with 20 races on the schedule:  In order to eliminate bye runs in eliminations, the No. 12 through No. 21 qualifiers will meet in the first round to reduce the field to 16 cars. The winners will then advance to face the No. 1 through No. 11 qualifiers in the second round. With several fast Gassers failing to post qualifying times and ending up at the bottom of the qualifying sheet, they will be looking to cut a wide swath through the field to advance to the late rounds. Stand by, race fans, there could be some upsets ahead! Racemaster Rick
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 13:22:31 GMT -7
NFC Eliminations LadderLions Drag Strip is proud to host the largest field of Nostalgia Funny Cars in NTRA history! The ace Lions crew aims to please both fans and racers, so we run all 27 entries in eliminations. Many teams traveled thousands to miles to Lions, so it's only right that they compete in the prestigious season finale. With 27 cars, the NFC elimination ladder is as follows:  As with the Gasser ladder, there will be no bye runs in eliminations. In order to accommodate all entries, the No. 6 through 27 qualifiers will race in the first round, while the No. 1 through No. 5 qualifiers are seeded into the second round. Consequently there will be 26 races to determine the NTRA Nostalgia Funny Car winner at the NTRA Nationals! It's going to be a test of reliability and endurance for drivers, crews, and machines today at Lions Drag Strip. The fans are definitely going to get their money's worth. Race on! Racemaster Rick
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 15:29:47 GMT -7
Gasser Eliminations Round 1Hey, kids, what time is it?  It's time to start racing at Lions Drag Strip! We'll lead off with the first round of Gasser eliminations – five races to reduce the field to 16 cars.  Ninjatek and TGM2054, the No. 16 and No. 17 qualifiers respectively, are the first pair out of the staging lanes. Ninja's red supercharged Chevy takes the measure of TGM's pearl Willys, 1.354/8.24 to 2.023/8.20. It looks like TGM's rear slicks may be overinflated – they've got a crown and a very small contact patch, and he spun the tires to mid-track.  There's a big question mark over SKR's handsome Henry J in the far lane. The motor magnets were reversed when Sam attempted to qualify, and after a reverse burnout, he ended up 20th on the qualifying list. Now after a late-night overhaul, the engine is spinning in the right direction now. (Repeat after me: Blue goes in front, white goes in back.) SKR's Henry hasn't made a run yet at Lions, so no one knows what will happen when he drops the hammer against Hemihunter's blown Chevy in the near lane. The Henry powers to a big lead – and then jumps out of the slot at half-track! He skids across the finish line on the guidepin, but still gets to the stripe first by a whisker, 1.223 at only 4.78 mph to Hemihunter's 1.327/7.77. The '57 was out first by five hundredths at the start, but the Henry J pulled out the win by .06 seconds. SKR dodged a bullet on this one! He hightails it back to the pits for a wheelie bar adjustment before the next round.  Here's another crucial first-round match. Sukafish's Mooneyes Willys survived one of the most spectacular crashes in Lions history during Gasser qualifying. The impact knocked off the gearplate clip and the brushes went flying. The crew has rebuilt the motor, but without a time trial, it's anyone's guess what the yellow car will run against 79malibu's flamed purple Willys. The Mooneyes is a rocketship, streaking to a .651 at 19.65 mph and taking a decisive victory over the Malibu man's 1.191/9.38. That run would have been quick enough to take the No. 2 spot in Gasser qualifying for Sukafish.  Ninjatek's purple Willys is up against Chriswfo's black Gasser in this pair. Chris' car is a wheelstander without wheelie bars, so the driver has to feed the power smoothly at the start to keep it in the slot. The driver does his job, and Chris advances to the second round with a 1.045/11.29 to Ninja's 1.325/7.78.  We finish up the first round of Gasser eliminations with No. 14 qualifier 79malibu against Stinger's Willys, which qualified 19th. They're dead even at the start, but Malibu's yellow Willys pulls away for the win, 1.252/8.43 to 1.750/6.02. That's a wrap on Round 1 of Gasser eliminations from Lions Drag Strip. Racemaster Rick
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 16:30:12 GMT -7
NFC Eliminations Round 1The Nostalgia Funny Cars are in the staging lanes, but before Round 1 of NFC eliminations begins, we want to introduce a special guest of Lions Drag Strip.  Please welcome lovely Linda Vaughn, Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, to the NTRA Finals! Linda is the First Lady of Auto Racing. And how about that Hurst Oldsmobile that's carrying her down the Lions quarter-mile?  With a huge 27-car field in NFC, we have 11 races in Round 1. First up is the Beast from the East, Pceng's Cuda against Darius' Mustang. It's a super close race, with the Mustang first to the finish line, 1.463/7.15 to 1.467/7.77.  The Escamillachicks pretty-in-pink Camaro has become a crowd favorite this weekend at Lions, especially among the female fans. The chicks are up against TGM2054's silver-and-blue Cuda. The ladies take this one easily, 1.268/8.55 to the Mopar's 1.743/7.39.  Eagleracing opens his NFC title defense with his No. 6 Camaro, qualified a surprising No. 8. The eagle takes flight and runs 1.320/8.58 to the Darius' spider web machine, 1.549/6.96.  It's Ford vs. Chevy, the Slotfather versus Sukafish, in this race. The Fish's Camaro grabs a .05-second holeshot and then outruns the Mustang, 1.406/8.25 to 1.533/7.65.  Sukafish is right back on the track with his second Camaro, this time up against Ninjatek's Jungle Jim Nova. Sukafish leads from starting line to finish line, 1.345/8.38 to Ninja's 1.578/7.17.  The Lions helicam caught this overhead shot of the Slotfather's orange Mustang versus Jimrussell's LA Hooker Mustang. In a very close contest, Jim takes the win with a 1.421/7.71 to the Slotfather's 1.438/7.81. The margin of victory was .038 seconds.  The view from high above Lions shows the Stinger Camaro leading wire-to-wire against 79malibu's Pontiac, 1.300/8.28 to 1.785/7.14. That makes it two female teams in the second round of NFC, another first at Lions!  Jjwallace's burgundy Mustang qualified No. 7, so he's a heavy favorite in this first-round match with No. 26 qualifier Chriswfo. The Ford gallops to an easy victory, 1.296/8.99 to 2.268/5.33.  Race fans, you'd pay big bucks to see these guys at a midweek match race, but Lions brings you the legends every week! It's the Hemihunter's Jungle Jim Camaro taking on Jimrussell's Blue Max Mustang. Jungle takes the win, 1.395/7.62 to the Max's 1.435/7.46. Jim's going to the second round, and that means there's going to be party! Far out!  Talk about a lousy draw! Phantombse's No. 1 Vega qualified No. 11 and his Pontiac qualified No. 22. That means they are paired in the first round. The good news? Phantom can't lose! The Vega advances to the second round with a 1.363/8.15, and the Pontiac's on the trailer with a 1.637/6.96.  The final race in Round 1 of NFC pits Doug412's Mustang against 79malibu's Can-Am Pontiac. The Mustang has the ponies and runs 1.267/3.94 for the victory, while the Poncho is a bit pokey at 2.134/5.99. That's it for the first round of NFC. We'll be back with Round 2 shortly. Until then, don't forget to sample Lions world-famous tofu burgers and seaweed shakes at the concession stands! Racemaster Rick
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Post by AJR on Nov 10, 2013 16:49:46 GMT -7
I love tofu and seaweed.......Mmmmm Mmmmm good.  Great coverage Rick!
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Post by Doug412 on Nov 10, 2013 16:53:38 GMT -7
It's a 351 Cleavland Holley Carbs and Hooker Headers of course the Pony can run...  Just call it "Hidalgo" Great coverage like the Helicam shots i have a Blimp for overhead shots lol... Race On! |
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Post by Phantom B.S.E. on Nov 10, 2013 17:02:14 GMT -7
Jungle Jim and Blue Max,now that's nostalgia at Lions. I love it. |
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 17:37:25 GMT -7
Gasser Eliminations Round 2 We begin Round 2 of Gasser eliminations with the No. 1 qualifier, the Slotfather's flamed Willys, up against TMG2054's supercharged '57 Chevy. The Slotfather dispatches the shoebox Chevy easily, .680/19.65 to 1.421/7.46.  Doug's Bug is a fan favorite at Lions – what's not to like about a front-engined, supercharged VW? The Bug qualified No. 8 in Gasser, and he's up against the No. 9 qualifier, Phantombse's Mooneyes Willys. This promises to be a close race – but the VW runs away, .943 at 14.15 to the Willys' 1.455/8.59.  No. 4 qualifier Eagleracing takes on No. 20 qualifier SKR in this second round match. Sam's Henry J was on the edge in his first-round win, so the pressure is on to make a clean pass against the Eagle's flamin' Willys. SKR keeps it in the groove to the finish line this time, but Eagle outruns him, .739/17.85 to .952/14.54.  This could be the story of the race, sports fans! After a disaster in qualifying, Sukafish's yellow Willys has emerged as the car to beat in Gasser. He's up against No. 5 qualifier Nosubfor3 in the Austin – and Sukafish takes him out! Reaction times are nearly identical, and that's bad news for the Austin. The Fish runs Low ET at .617 with a blistering 22.43 mph top speed to handle Nosub's .773/17.17.  My money's on a black flamed Willys to win this race! But which one – Sukafish's No. 2 qualifier in the far lane, or Chriswfo's No. 18 qualifier in the near lane? Chris' driver hits the throttle softly to avoid a deslot, but Sukafish is long gone. He takes the win light with a .647 at 22.65 mph to Chris' 1.165/11.58.  A couple of great lookin' Willys in this match! Eagleracing's sharp silver-and-blue '33 in the near lane, and Phantombse's candy apple red Big John fat-fendered version in the far lane. Eagle wins it, .838/15.15 to Phantom's .926/13.04.  Another pair of Willys in this race, the Slotfather's blue car up against TGM2054's yellow flyer. The Slotfather knows best and takes the victory, combining a killer reaction time with a .697/20.11 run. He guns down TGM's 1.190/8.97.  We close out Round 2 with Nosubfor3's gorgeous silver and orange Willys up against Pceng's green Falcon coupe. PC was quicker in qualifying, and keeps his edge in eliminations, taking the win with a .832/14.79 to Nosub's .922/13.47. We'll take a few minutes to catch our breath, and then we'll be back with Round 2 of Nostalgia Funny Car. Racemaster Rick
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Post by Eagle Racing on Nov 10, 2013 17:57:01 GMT -7
Awesome race coverage at LIONS !!! |
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Post by Doug412 on Nov 10, 2013 18:14:58 GMT -7
Hey Rick, you should wash your hands after that one... Headed to round 3 Herpie must be communicable by now, that Dirty Luv Bug is one tough bug to beat! See y'all next round... |
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Post by AJR on Nov 10, 2013 18:18:49 GMT -7
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 18:37:00 GMT -7
NFC Eliminations Round 2 We kick off Round 2 of Nostalgia Funny Car with No. 1 qualifer Nosubfor3's USA-1 Camaro up against No. 16 qualifier Darius. The Mustang takes a .01-second holeshot, but that's not enough to hold off the red-white-and-blue Camaro. Nosub betters his qualifying time and advances to the third round with a 1.055 at 12.24 mph. Darius clocks in with a 1.466 ET at 7.28 mph.  It's Camaro vs. Camaro in this Round 2 duel between the Escamillachicks in the spectator lane and Eagleracing in the pit lane. The two Chevys qualified ninth and eight respectively, so neither has a performance advantage. The Chicks take another win, first with a .02-second holeshot and then a strong 1.233 at 9.19 mph to put Eagle on the trailer with a 1.298/8.79. You go, girls!  No. 4 qualifier Nosubfor3's Camaro takes on No. 13 qualifier Sukafish's Bandit Pontiac in this crucial Round 2 match. They stage, the Christmas Tree flashes – RED LIGHT for the Bandit! Nosub's driver went red by 8 thousandths of a second, throwing away a quicker 1.140/11.64 run. Sukafish takes the win with a safe green light start and a 1.358 ET at 8.96 mph. Hey, that's racing!  The view from high above Lions as SKR's Cat Scratch Fever Cougar races Sukafish's second Camaro. The cat's quicker, overcoming a small holeshot and taking the win at 1.168/9.66 to the Fish's 1.466/8.01. Sam's in Round 3.  It's Eagleracing's all-American Camaro against Jimrussell's L.A. Hooker Mustang in this matchup. The Camaro came into eliminations as the No. 2 qualifier, and he steps up his pace in this race to a 1.097 at 11.54 mph. The Mustang was quicker on the starting line lights, but a 1.432/7.65 put the Hooker back on the streets.  Can Angry Jeff's Migrane Mustang fend off the Stinger Camaro? The Camaro is first off the line by .04 seconds, and it's too close to call at the finish. The win light says "Mustang!" and JJ advances to the third round with a 1.243/9.94. The lady Stingers were right there at 1.308/8.19.  Jeff sprints back to the starting line for his next race with Hemihunter's Jungle Jim Camaro. The Twisted Texan Pinto gallops to a 1.212 ET at 10.47 mph to take the win over Jungle's 1.389/7.53. Jeff goes to the next round, and Jungle goes to the party at his transporter.  The final race of Round 2 pits Phantombse's Vega against Doug412's Mustang. The Mustang is first off the line by .02 seconds and never looks back. Doug's horse is in the third round with a 1.246/8.99 to the Phantom's 1.320/8.45. Round 2 of Nostalgia Funny Car is the books, race fans. Back with Round 3 shortly. Racemaster Rick
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Post by darius on Nov 10, 2013 18:52:27 GMT -7
Good Run Nosub! I'll be over here loading the trailer.
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 10, 2013 19:19:21 GMT -7
Gasser Eliminations Round 3This is getting serious, race fans. We're down to eight cars in Gasser and NFC eliminations. The performance margins are narrowing, and the pressure is building on the drivers. There will be no more easy runs.  The eight remaining Gassers have been called to the staging lanes. Six of the survivors are Willys (three of them black with flames), along with one Falcon and one VW. (The Health Dept. has inspected Doug's STD Bug and ordered it to be quarantined immediately following the NTRA Finals.)  Round 3 opens with the Slotfather's Willys against Doug's Love Bug. The Slotfather qualified No. 1, but hasn't been able to match his qualifying pace in eliminations. We checked in the Slotfather's pit before this round, and the slicks aren't looking their best – big pieces of silicone are delaminating from the foam. Despite the tire troubles, the Slotfather improves his ET and speed from the previous round, running .655 at 21.31 mph to take out the Bug, which trails with a .878/14.73. So long, VW!  Sukafish is continuing his march through the Gasser field with his Mooneyes Willys. His opponent in this round is Eagleracing's flamed Willys. The Fish burns the black Willys with the Low ET of eliminations, .610 at 22.14 mph. The Eagle trails at .737/18.04. Sukafish's win sets up a thrilling semi-final round race against the Slotfather. This will be one to watch!  A pair of Willys square off in this race – Eagleracing's silver and blue '33 against Sukafish's flamed '40 model. Reaction times are nearly identical, and then the Fish's horsepower takes over. The fat-fendered '40 takes the win at .633/22.43 to the Eagle's .929 at 13.47.  We finish up Round 3 with the Slotfather's blue Willys taking on Pceng's fearless Falcon. The Slotfather stumbles at mid-track, but recovers with a tremendous top-end charge to take the win from PC, .723/20.48 to the bird's .780/16.47. So the semi-final round will feature two Slotfather Willys versus two Sukafish Willys. Wow!
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Great coverage Rick!
Just call it "Hidalgo" Great coverage like the Helicam shots i have a Blimp for overhead shots lol... 
