First I would like to thanks Good Guys and the Baders for putting together a great show and great track conditions.  Next I would like to thank Troy Martin for making the tuning calls and getting this car hauling again.  Also, thanks to Mike Minick, Mark Condit, Tim Wurtzel, and Dave Vallo for helping me make this a successful weekend.  

Troy and I knew leaving for this event that now was the time to step up a little more.  Norwalk is known for a great racing surface and the Bader family once again came through.  We arrived Saturday morning and set up shop.  Everything was ready to go on the car so we were ready to rock.  I wanted to leave the tune up a little conservative for qualifying because 1 round was going to happen a few hours later and I didn’t want to thrash.  We were in the lanes around 2 for our first shot for the day to set the elimination ladder.  We were lined up the pair behind the Bowens crew and from my advantage point that looked like a scary ride but Shawn did an awesome job driving.  I was glad to hear Shawn was ok and the car wasn’t beat up to bad.  The Bowens group are great guys and they are going to be awesome competition.  It was a little gut wrenching from a drivers stand point to see that and know once the track is clear it is your turn to be shot down the track.  We were given the signal to fire up and off we go.  Mike helped me through the water box and I start smoking the tires.  I go a little ways and smoke starts coming inside so off the throttle I go.  She slips into reverse nice and easy and we creep back.  Troy and Mike line me up and we wait for Dunn to do his awesome dry hops.  Mike tells me it is time and I wait for Dunn to roll in first.  We are both prestaged and I get ready to go, down with visor, on with the fresh air, check first gear and roll into the beams.  I hammer down the pedal and she is pulling pretty good until 900’ or so.  No sign of Dunn and Gone and here comes the cones so I lift a little early and out with the chutes.  We get her stopped and off the track.  My guys come down and tell me that we are now the #2 qualifier.   60’  1.013, 330’ 2.766, 1/8 4.14 at 181, 1000’ 5.299, ¼ 6.304 at 210 mph.

get backed up.  Down with the tree and I step on it.  

We get back to the pits and service the car (run the valves, fuel it, change oil, and cool the clutch).  Troy decides to make some tuning changes to make the car a little more aggressive and we are ready to rock.  We were told with Bowens unable to race I would get the bye run.  Troy looks at me and says “it’s your parts and money do what you want but if the car isn’t doing what it should be lift!”  Around 4:30 or so we are called to the lanes to start racing.  I was the first pair or single to run.   We are fired and I do my normal burn out and

She is pulling just like before but never got a little lazy around 900 to 1000’.  I stayed with it and right down broadway she went.  The car went strait as an arrow.  I ran it out the back door and was a little late with the chutes.  Well I should say chute.  One decided it didn’t want to come out and play.  I thought to my self oh no we aren’t going to get stopped.  On the brakes I go hard and we are slowing but not enough to make the turn off.  I brace myself for the sand.  All I could vision was a big nose dive and messing everything up.  We coasted across really smoothly and stopped safely in the grass.  Whew that was lucky to not hurt anything.  Now with that over what did we run?  60’ 1.003, 330’ 2.699, 1/8 4.040 at 187 mph,  1000’ 5.163, ¼ 6.098 at 241.07 mph.  Wow it felt like a great pass just didn’t think it was 3 tenths better than earlier.

We get back to the pits and leak her down and the top end of the motor looks like new so the heads stay on.  We take the clutch out and check all the bearings.  Everything looks great!  We all had smiles on our face with a 6.09 and not having to replace one part felt great.  

We are ready for Sunday and get called up around 1 or so.  I have Dunn and Gone as my competitor.  I get in the burn out and everything is fine.  I put her into reverse and my foot slips and I give her way to much throttle.  Now I can’t move at all.  So Mike starts pushing along with everyone else on the crew.  I get back behind the line and now can’t get it into forward.  I try the clutch pedal, I try more fuel to the system, I ask the tranny very nicely please just one more time and I will let you rest for the day.  But nothing.  So I shut her down and watch John do wheelies all the way down the track eventually having to lift.  We left a little broken hearted because I knew this was the place for the 5.  At the same time we left smiling because our changes worked and no carnage!  Congrats to the Dunn and Gone team and the Steve Nichols team!  That must have been an awesome final!
Kyle