FALLON, NV (JULY 12) – Top Gun Dragstrip held two days of drag racing this weekend. The event was punctuated by heat, both off and on the track.
One of the youngest drivers did some thing no one else matched that weekend. In fact it was a great day for a pair of Junior Dragster drivers.
There were six Junior Dragster racers on hand Sunday. After the eliminations it was time for the final round.
Dakota Sasser took his place in the right lane and rolled forward first through pre-staging then for full staging. In the left lane was rookie Abigail West, in her very first final and third race.
That’s when the contest was decided.
After pre-staging West likes to take a deep breath, relax then creep forward until she’s staged. Unfortunately once the first driver fully stages the other only has 10 or 12 seconds to do the same thing and West was too late.
The result was a red light for her although Sasser took off and did his run ending at 64.28 mph since this classes only races for 1/8th of a mile.
“I was happy with the run,” Sasser said later. Then he explained what he does getting ready for a run. “I just kind of look at the lights, the people’s lights ahead of me. Before my car is started I just push the pedals and get mentally prepared.”
Then he thanked his sponsors, Hoof Beat Gates and Corrals was well as Frank’s Automotive.
Even thought she was disappointed West had an amazing day until the end. After essentially being disqualified in the final run her parents and the starter talked with her. Then she got to do her run and her mother explained they didn’t realize the time rule.
Up to that point it had been amazing day for this soon to be second grader. Earlier she aced the timing and was the only driver to have set an 0.000 ET for the weekend, which got her a special sticker that goes on the side of the dragster.
Then she won a round, another first. Racing is a learning experience and West got a real education this weekend. Next time she’ll be even more prepared.
The only other driver coming close to West’s ET was Sportsman winner and fast qualifier Walt Stacey who had a 0.001 ET. On Sunday there were only a dozen drivers in the field as they worked their way to the final two.
That was close with Stacey posting a 13.247 ET while runner up Jim Horne had a 13.314 ET.
Asked about racing in the heat Stacey said, “It was very hot out there and I had to beat everybody I raced against as nobody gave me anything. It was a test of the car and the driver. Traction was fine with the car and the ET, once it gets hot and stays hot the car settles into a groove.”
Then he thanked his wife Rebecca, who runs the ambulance service at the track. He also thanked his son Cody, who has Autism but not only cleans the tires, acts as crew chief in the pits and video’s his father’s runs.
There were 11 Super Pro racers on hand and their final on Sunday closed out the weekend. The winner was John Garafola who won over Schmidt. (Unfortunately his first name wasn’t listed in the results.
At victory circle Garafola said, “It was too hard to cool it down as the car usually doesn’t run hot but was hot all weekend. At the 60-foot mark it started going away so the track was getting slicker.”
Then he thanked his wife for being there for him and his job for letting him go race.
The big winner of the weekend was the track photographer Alvin Clarke as he scored a double in the Pro class, the largest group on both days.
On Sunday there were 13 cars and Clark won over John Kriner while the number one qualifier was Hal Lockett. In the final run Clark had an ET of 10.495 going through the tracks at 128.81 mph.
Sunday had 7 motorcycles racing. While most were street bikes there was one Harley giving it his all.
In the final round Zach Clarke got the win light with an ET of 10.22 while runner up Tommy Brown had an ET of 12.042.
After the races were done Clarke said, “It was a good run, right on my number. I did a 10.20 with a zero.”
Then he thanked his girl friend Candice and his young pit chief Skyler.
Checking how hot the day was around 1 p.m.. the started said the air temperature was 100 degrees. Then he checked the temperature of the track in the starting area and that was 140 degrees!
• The weekend was divided so each day was a separate event. Saturday started the racing weekend and it too was a very hot day for everyone at the track.
This time there were eight Junior Dragsters on hand to duel for the victory. That final came down to a pair of young California drivers that had to leave right after their race.
Carson Wells, who was the fast qualifier, faced off against Grace Harmon. At the end Wells scored the victory as apparently Harmon broke out.
On this hot day there were two very close races with the motorcycle final probably having the narrowest finishing margin.
The day started with seven bikes with Dominic Davis being the number 1 qualifier but the final came down to Tommy Brown and Dave Asher. And it went down to the final inches of the quarter mile.
On the green Asher had an .020 reaction time while Brown’s was 1.25. At the end both riders were essentially side-by-side but Brown won the day.
” It was a good race today, I won by .0083 seconds,” he said. “So it’s only about eight inches at the finish line. It was a good close race, I ran a 11.97 with a 5.”
The other squeaker was in Super Pro where 15 cars were on hand. Laurie Pickett was the number one qualifier and wound up paired with Lonnie Grace in the final.
On the green her reaction time was .045 while Grace was quicker with a .008 still it was a pretty good match up with the race decided at the line going in the favor of Grace.
In victory circle he said, “It was really, really close and was a double breakout at the end. I just had a little better light so came out on the winning end of it. It’s pretty amazing in the heat that you can get any traction at all when the track temperature was 143 degrees and the ambient temperature was 100.”
There were 14 drivers in the Sportsman Class with Walt Stacey being the number one qualifier. However when it was time for the final the pair were Mark Klose and Jim Horne.
When the light turned green Klose took off while Horne didn’t have such a good reaction time. In the end Klose in his ’72 Vega Wagon beat the ’72 Camaro of Horne.
“It was a walk away, had him at the light, he was sound asleep at the light,” Klose said. “That’s where 90% of all racing is won, at the light.”
Once again the Pro Class had the most cars with 22 on hand. Mark Gonzales was number one qualifier but he wasn’t in the finals. That was between track photographer Alvin Clarke and Hall Lockett.
In the end Clarke had a .006 reaction time while it was .014 for Lockett who ended up second in this match up. For Clarke it was his first victory as he swept the weekend.
Now the track goes dark for a couple of weeks until Saturday, August 1st. Then it will be “Arm Drop Saturday.”
This means the yellow lights in the tree will be gone although staging and red lights will still work. Each race will start with an arm drop by the starter so it should be interesting.
REPORTER’S NOTE: Results are at the end of this article.
OTHER RACING NEWS:
• Once again the Tuesday night cruise will happen between 5 and p.m. at the South Meadows Parkway Steak ‘N Shake. There are awards, prizes and music.
• Teresa’s Garage Radio Show is on from 2 until 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. In the Reno/Sparks area one can hear the show at 1180 AM.
I have a preview section at 2:15 p.m. and the show can also be heard on a Podcast at amm.streamon.fm. One can also watch us life on Face Book.
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Among the services offers are Surface and Mineral Title Reviews and Cartographic Services. The website is www.gislandservices.com.
Another great sponsor is General Transmission and Power Train Specialists. The shop is located at 2515 Sutro Street in Reno, a few blocks below Hug High School.
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The phone number is 775-786-5888 and the shop’s website is www.generaltransmissionreno.com.
Another sponsor is fantastic race photographer Melissa Coker. If you have raced at Summit in Elko, Battle Mountain, Lovelock, Rattlesnake Raceway or Diamond Mountain Speedway she probably has a photograph of your car on the track.
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RESULTS:
TOP GUN DRAGSTRIP
• Sunday, July 12:
Super Pro:
+ 1, John Garafola, ET8.971, 156.84 mph, 2. Schmidt, ET 9.840, 139.66 MPH.
+ #1 Qualifer: FrankBarrett, ET.0.005, 143.43 mph.
Pro:
+ 1. Alvin Clarke, ET 10.495, 128.81 mph, 2. John Kriner, ET 10.919, 118.56 mph.
+ #1 Qualifier; al Lockett, ET 0.006, 133.94 mph.
Sportsman:
+ 1. Walt Stacey, ET 13.247, 86.10 mph, 2. Jim Horne, ET 13.314, 102.29 mph.
#1 Qualifier: Walt Stacey, 0.002 ET, 110.54 mph.
Motorcycle:
+ 1. Zach Clarke, ET 10.200, 132.90 mph, 2. Tommy Brown, ET 12.042, 111.77 mph.
#1 Qualifier: Zach Clarke,ET 0.019, 135,49 mph.
Jr Dragsters:
+ 1. Dakota Sasser, ET 10.011, 64.28 mph, 2. Abigail West, broke out.
#1 Qualifier: Abigail West, ET 0.000, 46 .22 mph.
• Saturday, July 11:
Super Pro:
+ 1. Lonnie Grace, ET 8.788, 155.10 mph, 2. Laurie Pickett, ET 10.435, 144.97 mph.
#1 Qualifier: Laurie Pickett, ET 0.004, 149.18 mph.
Pro:
+ 1. Alvin Clarke, ET 10.635, 127.20 mph, 2. Hal Lockett, ET 9.888, 134.02 mph.
#1 Qualifier: Mark Gonzales, ET 0.002, 138.84 mph.
Sportsman:
+ 1. Mark Klose, ET 13. 830, 81.91 mph, 2. Jim Horne, ET 13. 207, 102.45 mph.
#1 Qualifier: Walt Stacey, ET 0.001, 111.77 mph.
Motorcycle:
+ 1. Tommy Brown, ET 11.975, 10, 104.10 mph, 2. Dave Asher, ET 9.818, 137 .02 mph.
#1 Qualifer: Dominic Davis, ET 0.010, 117.40 mph.
Jr.Dragsters:
+ 1. Carson Wells, ET 7.926, 81.95 mph, 2. Grave Harmon, ET 7.898, 78.62 mph.
#1 Qualifier: Carson Wells, ET 0.007, 83.03 mph.
