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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 9, 2014 12:53:44 GMT -7
NTRA Finals Opening CeremonySUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! Lions Drag Strip, the Giant of the West, brings you the live coverage of the final day of the NTRA Finals! See Eagle Racing take on the Twisted Texan, Ninjatek versus the Phantom, 79Malibu up against SJRacer, and many more! BE THERE!  Traffic is backed up from 223rd and Alameda onto the San Diego Freeway as a record crowd has turned out for the NTRA Finals. It's another spectacular autumn day on the California coast, the sun is shining, and there's a hint of nitromethane in the air.  Before we begin our live coverage from Lions, we'll introduce the ace trackside team that will report the round-by-round action. First up is the Voice of Lions, Jon Thunderlungs. The man doesn’t even need a microphone to be heard over a pair of nitro-burning Funny Cars.  By popular demand, Aurora Divine returns as our inquiring pit reporter. What racer wouldn't want to get up close and personal with the magnificent Ms. Divine?  Here are the Trigger People, the designated drivers for today's proxy race. Left to right: Gary the Gun, Fast Franca, and Killer Kevin. Don't mess with this Wild Bunch.  We also have to thank our sponsors for their generous support for the NTRA Finals. Major kudos to Ninjatek for supplying the custom NTRA Finals trophies.  Kdog has contributed this fabulous Fiat Altered that will be awarded to the Racemaster's Choice in Nostalgia Funny Car. Bad News is going to be good news for one lucky racer.  Kdog also donated this magnificent tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn that will be awarded to the Racemaster's Choice in Nostalgia Pro Stock. In addition, Kdog contributed some great memorabilia to the prize fund. Many thanks, Kdog!  Before the racing begins, the management and staff of Lions Drag Strip wants to pay tribute to a legend who has left us. Raymond Beadle, the owner and driver of the Blue Max Funny Car, passed away on October 20 at age 70. Beadle won three NHRA Funny Car championships and 28 national events. He was also the owner of the team that won the 1989 NASCAR championship with Rusty Wallace at the wheel. Beadle's showmanship and style made the Blue Max one of the most iconic cars in motorsports, and two tribute cars will carry the Blue Max colors as they compete in today's NFC championship. Race in peace, Raymond Beadle.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2014 13:17:51 GMT -7
amen
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Post by AJR on Nov 9, 2014 13:27:25 GMT -7
JJ I got to ask who makes those tires and rims? I want to get some for myself. Tom let me back up a second. Congratulations to you on building 4?? super fast cars!! I just said the 2 you entered before but now know you've built at least 2 more. Man you've been busy....very impressive! My chassis and motor are actually on loan from Pceng. He sent the car to me before August race to do what I would with it. Thank you Peter!! Everything else and the tune up is mine. Not sure what rims they are, but the tires are Jel Claw 2020 that I narrowed to fit on the rims. When I get it back I can get specs if you want. |
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Post by AJR on Nov 9, 2014 13:30:38 GMT -7
Yes R.I.P. Raymond Beadle truly a legend.
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Post by Phantom B.S.E. on Nov 9, 2014 13:32:41 GMT -7
JJ you did a great job on cutting the tires down because they look a perfect fit, like they were made for the rims you used.
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Post by AJR on Nov 9, 2014 13:33:26 GMT -7
Very nice works of art from "The Dog". He always has nice work. Enjoy seeing the crew....how about a pic of the Racemaster??  Thanks Rick for hosting once again. Event is top notch as always. |
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 9, 2014 13:41:37 GMT -7
Round 1 Nostalgia Funny Car Here is the lineup for today's race featuring 24 ground-pounding Nostalgia Funny Cars! The entries represent Chevrolet, Ford, Pontiac, Dodge, and Plymouth. No Toyotas and Hondas allowed here!  The elimination ladder was set by qualifying times. With a 24-car field, there will be five fast and furious rounds of racing. The eight quickest qualifiers will sit out the first round as the field is pared to 16 cars.  We kick off NFC eliminations with TGM2054's Corvette up against KS1933's Jungle Jim Camaro. These cars qualified 16th and 17th respectively, so this promises to be too close to call. The Camaro is first off the line, but the Corvette runs him down to take the first win of the day, 1.378/8.64 to 1.515/8.08.  Next up is PCEng's Blue Max Mustang alongside Ninjateks' LA Hooker. The Blue Max gets the win at 1.299/8.67 while the Hooker posts a 1.558/7.07. Somewhere Raymond Beadle is smiling.  You don't see many orange Omnis in NFC, but TGM2054 entry is a favorite with the Chrysler fans. The Ford partisans are backing Doug412's Mustang. They stage – and it's a red light for the blue Ford! The Omni gets a free ride to the second round with a 1.803/6.93, while the red light negates the Mustang's 1.528/6.93. The guilty driver has left the room.  Here is another classic match between Mike11422's Bounty Hunter Mustang and PCEng's Jungle Jim Camaro. The Kalitta car gets a holeshot, but can't hold off JJ at the finish line. The red Camaro takes the win at 1.403/8.01 to Connie's 2.273/4.64.  Another Blue Max, this time from Ninjatek's fleet, takes on 79Malibu's LA Hooker. Ninja's Mustang goes into severe tire shake at half-track, deslots, and then drops back into the groove to take the win light – perhaps the spirit of Raymond Beadle was the unseen hand? Ninja and the Max advance to the second round with a 1.623/8.90 run to the Hooker's 1.771/7.71 pass.  Alpink's Pontiac is the color of money, and the No. 10 qualifier is a heavy favorite over Dave632's Mustang that qualified 23rd. The Pontiac prevails with a 1.325/8.76 to the Mustang's 2.712/4.45.  Doug412's Hemi-powered Cuda lines up alongside 79Malibu's USA-1 Camaro in the next pairing. The Cuda is quick off the line – too quick, a red light! The disappointed driver sees the red and shuts off to a 2.213, while the Camaro gets a free pass to the second round with 1.395/8.29.  We finish up the first round with a pair of Chevys. There's some terrific engine detailing on SJRacer's Vega in the near lane, while Dave632 pays tribute to Jungle Jim Liberman in the far lane. SJRacer is going to the next round with a 1.314/7.87 to the Camaro's 2.050/5.50. We'll take a break to catch our breath. Stand by for Round 2 of Nostalgia Funny Car from Lions Drag Strip!
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 9, 2014 15:11:45 GMT -7
Round 2 Nostalgia Funny CarSixteen cars are still in competition as we begin the second round of eliminations for Nostalgia Funny Car at the NTRA Finals.  Eagle Racing's blue Camaro, the No. 1 qualifier at 1.151, is paired with TMG2054's Corvette to start the second round. The Eagle flies with a 1.237/9.18 run to advance, while the Corvette's day is done with a 1.417/8.31 pass.  A pair of Mustangs is next to the line, as Angry Jeff Racing's sharp late-model 'Stang takes on PCeng's version of the Blue Max. They qualified eighth and ninth respectively, so not much to choose between them on performance. The Max attacks with a 1.311/8.84 to take the win over Jeff's 1.372/9.62.  PhantomBSE's Pontiac is the No. 4 qualifier, and he's up against TMG2054's orange Omni in this round. The Phantom advances with a 1.246/9.29 pass while the Dodge encounters tire shake and runs 1.819/7.04.  PhantomBSE is right back with his orange and white Vega to race PCEng's Jungle Jim Camaro. The Vega qualified No. 5, and puts down a strong 1.20/9.67 to take out Jungle's red car, which ran 1.393/7.84.  KS1933 has the only Monza in the field, and it was quick enough to nail down the No. 2 spot in qualifying. He defeats Ninjatek's Blue Max Mustang with the Low ET of eliminations so far at 1.193/9.90. The Max ran a respectable 1.387/9.28 despite severe tire shake.  SJRacer's Vega lines up with Alpink's Pontiac in the next pairing. SJ takes the win, but had to work for it with a come-from-behind victory. The Vega ran 1.163/9.98, the quickest ET we've seen so far in eliminations, to beat the Pontiac's 1.330/8.81.  JJWallace's Twisted Texan Pinto qualified No. 3, and he draws 79malibu's Bruce Larson Camaro in this round. The Pinto doesn't match its qualifying numbers, but a 1.304/10.13 is more than enough to handle the Camaro's off-pace 2.165/5.23.  Eagle Racing's patriotic Camaro is the defending NFC champion at the NTRA Finals, but the F-body qualified down in the No. 6 spot for this year's race. He's matched with the No. 11 qualifier, SJRacer's Vega. And the Vega puts the defending champ on the trailer, 1.331/7.97 to Eagle's 1.476/8.44! That's a wrap for the second round of Nostalgia Pro Stock at Lions Drag Strip. We'll be back with third-round action in a few minutes. Aurora reminds you: Don't go away!
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 9, 2014 15:36:12 GMT -7
Round 3 Nostalgia Funny CarWe're down to eight cars now in NFC eliminations at the NTRA Finals. This race is about to get serious.  ATTENTION IN THE PITS! All Nostalgia Funny Cars still in competition report to the staging lanes – now! There's little time for between-rounds service. A quick cleaning of the pickup shoes, perhaps a drop or two of oil, and a fast swipe across a roll of masking tape to clean the tires. Then it's back to the starting line for the next race.  Eagle Racing's beautiful blue Camaro is paired with PCEng's Blue Max Mustang in a race that matches the No. 1 and No. 9 qualifiers. It's too close for comfort, but the Eagle Racing team pulls out another win with a 1.217/9.34 to PC's 1.279/9.07. The Eagle advances to the semi-final round.  PhantomBSE is in a no-win/no-lose situation in this round with his cars meeting in a head-to-head race. The Pontiac qualified fourth and the Vega fifth, so either car can take this one. It's the Vega that goes to the semi-final round with a 1.209/9.35 to the Pontiac's close-but-no-cigar 1.254/9.03.  Can KS1933's Monza keep it going against SJRacer's Vega? Wow, what a race! The Vega runs 1.171/8.81 to the Monza's 1.170/9.88. The Vega's reaction time made the difference in a razor-thin margin of victory over the No. 2 qualifier, and SJRacer goes to the semis.  The final pair of the third round finds JJWallace's Pinto alongside SJRacer's blue Vega. With one car already in the semis, a win by the Vega would ensure that SJRacer is in the final. The Vega's driver does his part and bags a .03-second holeshot advantage at the starting line, but the Pinto drives around him to take the win and advance to the semi-final. The numbers: 1.179/9.75 for the Twisted Texan, 1.317/8.03 for SJRacer. We're down to the Final Four in Nostalgia Funny Car. We'll be back after a bathroom break.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2014 15:43:50 GMT -7
wow,
some real close races.
good clean competition.
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 9, 2014 15:56:47 GMT -7
Semi-Final Nostalgia Funny Car The first semi-final round pairing matches the No. 1 and No. 5 qualifiers. PhantomBSE's Vega ran one hundredth of a second quicker than Eagle Racing's Camaro in the last round, but that's ancient history now. The Camaro moves first – and holds the lead to the finish line! Race fans, this race was decided on the starting line, with a .05-second time advantage going to Eagle Racing. The Camaro clocked a 1.211/9.40 time, while the Vega was 16 thousandths of a second quicker with a 1.195/9.44 pass. The Eagle has landed in the final round yet again.  The second semi-final round pairing is a classic Ford vs. Chevy duel. JJWallace is representing the Ford faithful with his Pinto, with the Chevrolet contingent solidly behind SJRacer's Vega. The rivals ran virtually identical times in the preceding round, with SJRacer recording a 1.171-second e.t. and JJWallace notching a 1.179. There's nothing to chose between these two. It could come down to the drivers . . . Another holeshot victory! This time it's JJWallace who drills the Tree and gets to the stripe first. The difference in elapsed times was a scant two thousandths of a second, with the Pinto running 1.170/9.88 to the Vega's 1.168/9.90. What a race! So the Nostalgia Funny Car finalists are set: It will be Eagle Racing versus JJWallace in a Texas shootout.
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Post by rickvoegelin on Nov 9, 2014 16:13:40 GMT -7
Final Round Nostalgia Funny CarAfter four days at the NTRA Finals, it all comes down to this – a final round race between Eagle Racing and JJWallace for the Nostalgia Funny Car title. These two Texans have faced each other dozens of times, but never has so much been on the line. It's a shootout between two gunfighters – who will blink first?  The Tree flashes green and JJWallace absolutely nails it at the start! Would you believe a .001-second reaction time? Just one thousandth of a second from perfect – and dangerously close to a red light! But when it really counts, you can't back down.  The Pinto had the horsepower to handle the Camaro, posting a 1.165-second e.t. at 9.92 mph – its quickest and fastest run in eliminations. Eagle Racing's 1.202 e.t. at 9.52 mph was also the Camaro's best performance on race day.  Congratulations to JJWallace for winning Nostalgia Funny Car! The 2014 NTRA Finals are now in the record book. We'll be back later with the lavish award ceremony. Right now it's time for a cold beer . . or three.
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Post by SKR on Nov 9, 2014 16:26:53 GMT -7
Congrats Texas gang!!!!!!!!!!! A very nice showing in F/C. and Rick, you still amaze me after all these years on on how perfect your track looks,the pictures and who could forget the creative commentating that is made. I missed this year but will definitely make next year. Also the perky nostalgic pics are always nice  |
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Post by AJR on Nov 9, 2014 16:33:54 GMT -7
Awesome....Awesome!! I am super stoked!! What great racing today and this weekend. Times have tightened up in every class this year big time. Great job to all the builders out there. It's anybody's game. Today the good fortune just happened to fall my way. I have wanted this one bad. Always come up short in the semis. Thank you to Rick and the Lions crew, my driver(s), all the sponsors, and NTRA (Cordell). Congratulations to Mac on his NP/S win. I look forward to this race every year and have already started to look forward to next year.
What a great front shot of the cars with the background! Top Notch coverage!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2014 16:35:51 GMT -7
congrats JJWallace!
tremendous final.
couldn't ask for a better script.
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Thanks Rick for hosting once again. Event is top notch as always.
