Nostalgia Pro Stock QualifyingLive from Lions – it's Nostalgia Pro Stock qualifying for the 2014 NTRA Finals!
It's a perfect night for qualifying here at the Beach – clear, a full moon, 75 degrees, and a sky-high barometer. The power supply is set at 13.8 volts, the track is cleaned and prepped, and the cars are ready to roar at Lions.
But first we have some breaking news from tech inspection. Our pit reporter Aurora Divine has the details.
"Aurora Divine here, with head tech inspector Buster Chops. Buster, there's been some activity in the tech line today during Nostalgia Pro Stock pre-race inspection. What's going on?"
"Well, Aurora, as you know, the maximum tire diameter in the Nostalgia Pro Stock class is .450 inches. Now some of these boys rolled in here with AFX wheels and tires on their NPS cars. The problem is that several of these exceeded the legal size, and a few more are borderline legal.
"Aurora, we run a tight ship here at Lions Drag Strip, so three NPS cars with oversize rear tires failed pre-race tech. We also had a Nostalgia Funny Car with oversized rear tires. I told those boys to get their butts over to the Goodyear trailer and get some shorter tires before the start of eliminations. If they can get legal tires, we'll let 'em race.
"I also told racers with tires that were close to the limit that I don't want to see those tires again on an NPS car at Lions!"
Wow, Buster Chops has certainly earned his reputation as a hard-nose. Remember, fans, we had a winner at the Finals DQ'ed last year after the race, and it's clear that Buster doesn't want that to happen again.
On a brighter note, Sjracer's hauler pulled into the pits just as the call went out for NPS qualifying. The driver mentioned something about a detour to the Mustang Ranch to look at '69 fastback. We didn't ask for any more information.
Today's qualifying procedure will be same for all entries. Cars qualify in the order of their entry numbers. Each car makes three runs, alternating lanes. Motors are warmed up for 10 seconds on 10 volts, and the pickups and tires cleaned before the run.
The first pair out of the staging lanes is Pceng's Chevelle and GTO. The Chevelle is quicker at 1.472/7.49, and the Goat runs 1.582/6.91. So PC is our No. 1 qualifier – but I don't think that's going to last very long.
Next up is Mike11422's Vega, paired up with Doug412's purple AMX. The short-wheelbase Rambler bounces down the track to a 1.527 e.t., while the Vega trails at 1.843.
The crowd knows that 79malibu will be a contender for the top spot in NPS – he's a veteran here at Lions. His silver Camaro runs 1.212/9.59, but all eyes are on the Vega, which stops the clocks at 1.091/11.66 – low ET and Top Speed so far.
TGM2054's cars are next to the starting line. The Vega has a gear problem that's quickly corrected and runs 1.557/7.69. The Camaro's struggling a little at 1.885/6.90.
The fans are on their feet when JJWallace stages his blue Chevy II alongside Dave632's Mustang. JJ doesn't disappoint – his Texas terror runs 1.069/11.56 to take the No. 1 spot in NPS. The Mustang runs a stout 1.140/11.21 that will put the Ford near the top of the qualifying list.
Next up is a pair from another tough Texas team, Eagle Racing. Eagle Racing is the defending NFC champ at the Finals, so let's see how they do with carburetors and gasoline. Looks like they need more cow bell – the Chevelle runs 1.320 and the Charger clocks in with a 1.455 e.t.
A pair of great looking cars from PhantomBSE are ready to challenge the Lions quarter-mile – a replica of Super Stock Magazine's Project Six-Pack Plymouth and Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins '69 Camaro. The Camaro is quicker by four thousandths of a second at 1.151/20.44 to the Road Runner's 1.155/10.07.
Alpink's screaming yellow Camaro makes a single. The Camaro is going to be a contender with a quick 1.110 e.t. at 10.54 mph.
It's a pair of NPS entries from Ninjatek up next. The Olds 4-4-2 runs a 2.619 e.t., and the Chevelle is quicker at 2.058/5.61.
SJRacer's USA-1 Vega and Grumpy's Toy Vega are the final pair to qualify in NPS. The Jenkins-inspired Vega runs 1.273/9.24, while the red-white-and-blue Bruce Larson Vega turns 1.416/8.40.
So there you have it, race fans, Nostalgia Pro Stock qualifying at the 2014 NTRA Finals is completed. JJWallace is on the pole, but the top six cars are separated by just nine hundredths of a second. The drivers are going to have to be sharp on race day!
Let's go to trackside reporter Ted Tappet for a breakdown of the NPS field.
"Ted Tappet here with some stats on Nostalgia Pro Stock. This class allows both Aurora and Johnny Lightning chassis, so which did the racers favor? There are seven Aurora chassis and 15 JL/AW chassis in the 22-car field. The top qualifier is an Aurora, followed by two JL/AWs, and then another Aurora. So there isn't a clear favorite on performance.
"Then I looked at traction setups. Thirteen entries have wheelie bars, 14 have traction magnets, and 10 have both wheelie bars AND magnets. And for those of you keeping score at home, 15 of the 22 cars have braids on their pickups."
Thanks for those technical insights, Ted. You really need to work on getting a life.
Next up is Nostalgia Funny Car qualifying from Lions.
Cuda needs new tires maybe? Glad my AMX went along at least it'll do something to smile about 
