If the circle of good fortunes sometimes runs counter to the norm, judging from Jim Halsey’s performances of the last seven months, the Street, Md.-based Pro Nitrous veteran was due for a run on the downside. Unfortunately for his competitors, Halsey has become such a strong runner that his downside still turns out pretty good.

Saturday was a tough day to be Halsey, but a good one as well.

“We had a tough weekend,” Halsey said, describing his winning weekend in Valdosta, Ga. “We had some mechanical issues with the car and then the track was so good … we’ve never had to run in those kinds of conditions with this new car, if we had our old one we probably could have backed down the race track.”

Halsey didn’t back into his ADRL Hardees Drags title by any means. It just wasn’t his typical leave no prisoners style as he stopped a determined and consistent 3.90s runner, Steve Vick, in the final round. If the circle of good fortunes sometimes runs counter to the norm, judging from Jim Halsey’s performances of the last seven months, the Street, Md.-based Pro Nitrous veteran was due for a run on the downside. Unfortunately for his competitors, Halsey has become such a strong runner that his downside still turns out pretty good.

Saturday was a tough day to be Halsey, but a good one as well.

“We had a tough weekend,” Halsey said, describing his winning weekend in Valdosta, Ga. “We had some mechanical issues with the car and then the track was so good … we’ve never had to run in those kinds of conditions with this new car, if we had our old one we probably could have backed down the race track.”

Halsey didn’t back into his ADRL Hardees Drags title by any means. It just wasn’t his typical leave no prisoners style as he stopped a determined and consistent 3.90s runner, Steve Vick, in the final round.

In fact, his first three rounds looked “unHalseylike” when both Thomas Myers and Pat Stoken didn’t receive an elapsed time and Halsey won automatically. Halsey reeled off a strong 3.898, 193.02 in the first round but it fell off from there with a 5.226 in the second round and 5.228 that still topped Burton Auxier, who fouled.

The culprit for the off performances, learning the nuances of his new Tim McAmis car that he debuted this season.

“We made some moves with the car where it would go down a really good race track,” Halsey admitted. “We had tried some stuff in the previous two rounds and that gave us a good idea where to go. We tried it in the final and it worked. I was pretty confident that if we got the car in second gear that it would run a good number.”

Halsey’s victory represented his first in ADRL competition this season and third overall. He’s also recognized as the first nitrous doorslammer driver to record a quarter-mile five second elapsed time.

Halsey is creeping towards the 3.7-second zone, in the eighth mile, and an excellent Friday run could have nudged him closer to the magical mark.  

“I wish I could have had a run at the track last night because I felt like I could have run a 3.82 or a 3.81,” Halsey admitted. “There’s always the next race.”

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