A couple of drag racing’s elder statesmen were sowing their oats during the first day of sportsman qualifying at the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Nationals at zMax Dragway.

Roy Hill [almost 65] and Roy Johnson [almost 69] both came out of retirement this year to race special edition, factory-built race cars in the Super Stock and Stock divisions, respectively.

A couple of drag racing’s elder statesmen were sowing their oats during first day sportsman qualifying at the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Nationals at zMax

Dragway.

Roy Hill [almost 65] and Roy Johnson [almost 69] both came out of retirement this year to race special edition, factory-built race cars in the Super Stock and Stock divisions, respectively.

“I have had the NHRA guys telling me I was reliving my glory days,” said Hill. “It’s more fun than I had back in the day. I think us old timers can help bring these classes back to being fun again.”

Hill, the longtime Pro Stock driver who operates a successful drag racing school, drove NASCAR team owner James Finch’s Super Stock/B Automatic 2010 Cobra Jet Mustang to a 8.624, -1.276 second run under the index. His car runs a 331-cubic inch Ford engine.

Johnson, driving a 2009 Dodge Challenger given to him by his son Allen Johnson as a Christmas present, was -1.389 [10.161] under the D/Stock Automatic index. In his day, Johnson was a competitor in NHRA’s Competition eliminator and IHRA Super Stock before retiring to build engines for his son.

Following Hill in the qualifying order were Buggs Dennis [GT/MA, -1.153, ’90 Calais], Bo Butner [SS/CM, -1.043, ’09 Cobalt], Bobby Dennis [GT/MA, -1.015, ’95 Achieva] and Bo Kenny [GT/BA, -.959, ’09 Cobalt].

The balance of the Stock top five were Douglass Duell [A/SA, -1.039, ’09 Challenger], James Beattie Jr. [A/SA, -1.036, ’09 Challenger], Brooks Lee [-1.030, A/SA, ’09 Challenger] and Don Fezell [-1.012, AA/S, ’08 Mustang]

 

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