Photos by Robert Richard
Scott Palmer and Del Worsham made the most of their Friday night runs at Darana Dragway, leading qualifying in Top Fuel and Funny Car during the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series event. Their efforts positioned two familiar names at the top of the leaderboard heading into eliminations.
The event marked the third IHRA national event [not counting nitrous nationals] with nitro contested on an eighth-mile course. The first was in 1974, when IHRA held its Southern Nationals on the pit road of Charlotte Motor Speedway. The second was in 2007, when asphalt issues in the shutdown area of San Antonio Raceway forced IHRA officials to improvise and run the event to the eighth-mile to prevent a cancellation.
Eighth-mile national events with nitro were actually a staple in the now-defunct American Hot Rod Association [AHRA] series, where they ran at least 660-foot race a season from 1960 until 1972.
Palmer guided his dragster to a 3.079-second pass at 277.26 mph to claim the No. 1 spot in Top Fuel. The run edged Canadian racer Daniel Mercier’s 3.103-second effort at 275.74 mph.
Todd Paton followed closely with a 3.107 at 281.07 mph, carrying more speed than both Palmer and Mercier. Gary Pritchett added intrigue by clocking 3.127 while posting the fastest speed of the class at 282.13 mph.
Greg Carillo closed out the top five with a 3.127-second pass. The parity within thousandths underscored how competitive the Top Fuel field had become on opening night.
Worsham, a veteran with championships on both sides of nitro racing, anchored Funny Car qualifying at 3.320 seconds and 265.02 mph. The run gave him a cushion over Terry Haddock, who landed second with a 3.391 at 241.29 mph.
Dale Creasy Jr., Joe Morrison and Jody Austin filled out the top five, each within striking distance should conditions change. For Worsham, the effort marked another step in solidifying his return to the front of the Funny Car field.
Mountain Motor Pro Stock saw Dwayne Rice edge John Montecalvo in a battle decided by thousandths. Rice’s 4.088-second pass at 175.78 mph barely topped Montecalvo’s 4.092, though Montecalvo held the speed advantage at 175.99 mph.
Outlaw Pro Mod provided its own shakeup with Hank Stubbs leading the way at 3.573 seconds and 212.26 mph. Bubba Stanton followed just behind at 3.579, posting the fastest speed of the session at 213.27 mph.
Kallee Mills also dipped into the 3.58 range with a 208.14 mph effort, good for third. Kurt Steding recorded the second-best time on the charts, adding depth to what has long been one of drag racing’s most volatile categories.
Two-wheel competition brought a familiar name back to the front in Jay Turner, who posted a 4.231 at 179.86 mph in Top Fuel Harley. Bob Malloy kept the pressure on with a 4.274 at 182.26 mph, making speed his advantage.
The debut of Fuel Altereds at West Salem gave fans a reminder of drag racing’s roots. Ryan Hill led with a stout 3.461 at 226.70 mph, while Kebin Kinsley qualified second as the throwback machines delivered their trademark unpredictability.
In Top Alcohol Dragster, Rachel Curl’s 3.489-second pass at 229.71 mph put her ahead of veteran Rich McPhillips. Curl’s performance emphasized the depth of competition in one of drag racing’s most developmental classes.
Top Alcohol Funny Car belonged to Phil Esz, who recorded a 3.654-second pass. That lap carried him into the pole position with an eye toward carrying momentum into Saturday.
Eliminations begin today.
