by Bobby Bennett; Photos by Rhonda McCole, Auto Imagery Sun, 2022-08-14 14:40
Top Fuel low qualifier Mike Salinas was careful in what he could say Saturday after securing his third 2022 No. 1 qualifier. He would love to tell what his team discovered on Topeka’s blistering hot racing surface, but a solemn oath prevents him from giving even the slightest clue.
The code of the Secret Squirrel bound Salinas.
“Car’s running fine, not hurting parts. Real smooth, real clean. Really kind of funny,” Salinas said. “On the last run, we tried something, and we know it will go faster. We have a lot left in the tank, so it’s good and the guys are very comfortable, so we think we’re going to be ready for race day.”
by Bobby Bennett; Photos by Rhonda McCole, Auto Imagery Sun, 2022-08-14 12:01
It's been a good weekend to be Jim Epler.
Epler, who recorded the first 300 mile per hour run behind a Funny In Topeka in 1993, climbed behind the wheel of a fuel Funny Car before qualifying on Saturday at the Menards NHRA Nationals.
Just like the mural on the front wing of Justin Ashley's Phillips Connect, the opportunity to warm up defending Funny Car champion Ron Capps NAPA Auto Parts Funny Car came as a total surprise.
by Susan Wade, photo by Rhonda McCole Sun, 2022-08-14 09:00
Bob Tasca III called his second straight No. 1 NHRA Funny Car start a “glimmer of dominance.”
In molten conditions at Topeka’s Heartland Motorsports Park, Tasca continued his hot streak Saturday. And it has melted any frustration, any angst about over-trying and under-performing, any pressure from his promise to deliver championships if Ford reinvested in drag racing.
by Susan Wade, photo by Rhonda McCole Sun, 2022-08-14 08:55
The air temperature was 98 degrees, the track temperature 136 degrees Saturday at the Menards NHRA Nationals at Topeka.
That’s about what the conditions were all weekend at Seattle for the previous race two weeks ago, when Greg Anderson was top qualifier in the Pro Stock class.