35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals
NOTE: Click on the thumbnails to display the full-size images
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR - Qualifying Session #1
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER - Qualifying Session #1
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
JET FUNNY CARS
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
FUNNY CAR - Qualifying Session #1
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP FUEL - Qualifying Session #1
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR - Qualifying Session #2
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
Another hot sunny day was on the agenda, with the sportsman cars beginning eliminations, while the Top Alcohol cars had a final qualifying session and the first round of eliminations on the schedule. The PRO categories had their final two qualifiers before elimninations on Sunday. We start wiht some sportsman action before moving into Top Alcohol.
TOP SPORTSMAN Eliminations - Round ONE
(LEFT) In the near lane, the '06 Cavalier of local (Renton, WA) racer, John Ermish cut an almost perfect .002 light to force opponent Yeshua Wilcox (far lane) in the late model Camaro to breakout in a vain attempt to catch Ermish. He broke out also, but by a lesser amount and took the win.
(RIGHT) A closer look at Wilcox's 2018 Camaro as it speeds away to a 7-second run.
(LEFT) A battle of two Mustangs, with the '70 version of Paul Gladden in the near lane, and the '00 model of Paul Gladden in the far lane. Strohm took a HUGE starting line advantage with an .010 light compared to Gladden's tardy .187, and held it all the way as the both ran within two hundredths of their dial-ins.
(RIGHT) Here's a closer look at Paul Gladden's Mustang, with some very intricate artwork adorning the body.
(LEFT) Stopping at the end of his burnout, Idahos' Darren Shank prepared to reverse his 6-second '10 Cobalt.
(RIGHT) In the near lane, dropping the hammer in his '68 Camaro is Dan Lundmark, while barely visible in the far lane is Darren Shank. who turned on the winlight with a 6.939 - 184.40 when Lundmark faded on the top end.
(LEFT) Laying down a hard burnout in his '68 Firebird was Shawn Herbst.
(RIGHT) Leaving just a few thousandths (.009) early and igniting the redlight was Herbst in the near lane, while opponent Scott Sandvigen, barely visible in the far lane, took the automatic win with a very slow .673 reaction time, and an off-pace 8.401 on his 7.72 dial-in.
(LEFT) Burning out is David Scutt in the '10 Cobalt.
(RIGHT) Lined up and ready to go are David Scutt (near lane) against Lynsi Snyder-Ellington in her '69 Chevelle in the far lane. Scutt took the win with a perfect .000 light and ran a tenth closer to his dial-in, while Snyder-Ellington fell off her 6.80 pace and slowed to a losing 7.082 - 195.42.
(LEFT) Here's a closer look at Ms. Snyder-Ellington's beautifully painted Chevelle.
(RIGHT) The second to last pair of the opening round featured Gerald Bucklin (near lane) in the bright red '63 Corvette against California's Dave Cook in the vintage '67 Mustang.
The final pair of the first round of eliminations pitted Maple Ridge, BC's Joe Mellof in his '09 Pontiac GXP (far lane) against Seattle's Barry Hobson in his '06 Pontiac Grand-Am in the near lane.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER - Qualifying Session #3 (FINAL)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR - Qualifying Session #3 (FINAL)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP FUEL - Qualifying Session #3
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
FUNNY CAR - Qualifying Session #3
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP FUEL - Qualifying Session #4 - FINAL
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
FUNNY CAR - Qualifying Session #4 - FINAL
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
PRO STOCK - Qualifying Session #4 - FINAL
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER - Eliminations Round ONE
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
We've only got a few photos from the first round of eliminations to show - so far - but there's a lot more to process and post as soon as we have the time....
TOP FUEL - Eliminations Round ONE
(LEFT) After the traditional invocation by the Racers for Christ chaplain, the Canadian and American national anthems were played in front of a large audience.
(RIGHT) Standing ready to race, the Josh Hart team awaited the signal to start their engine as the national anthems played out. With the best atmospheric and track conditions of the weekend, including 66 (F) degree track temp, 70 (F) air temp and a corrected altitude of less than 1500 feet, the crew chiefs were literally salivating at the prospect of awesome performance conditions.
(LEFT) Qualifying closest together, #7 Antron Brown (far lane) faced off against #8 Josh Hart (near lane) to begin eliminations. They qualified just two thousandths apart and were just three thousandths apart in this round. Hart left first by a hundredth of a second and that was pretty much the margin at the finish line. Brown made his best pass of the weekend at 3.745 - 330.07, but it was quite enough to catch Hart's 3.742 - 328.94 effort. Hart's quickest e.t. of the event came in handy when it really counted.
(RIGHT) Next up was Clay Millican in the Parts Plus car and he laid down a solid burnout to get things warmed up.
(LEFT) Another closely matched pair featured local favourite Shawn Reed in the far lane, and Tennessean Clay Millican (near lane). Both drivers laid down their best passes of the weekend but the quicker reaction time (.079 to .095) for Millican was the decisive factor. Reed's excellent 3.726 - 328.70 wasn't quick enough to hold off Millican's much improved 3.713 - 334.48 that advanced him to the second round.
(RIGHT) The third pairing included two racers fighting to stay in contention in the points standings, and especially so for Brittany Force (far lane), after she skipped the Norwalk event and jeopardized her position in the battle to be in the Countdown to the Championship. Her opponent in the near lane, Tony Schumacher was solidly in the Top Ten but came into eliminations from the #12 position, as opposed to Force's #3 qualifying slot. Schumacher had to pedal early but recovered to post a 3.986 - 326.00 that proved to be enough to get past Force, as she lost power early and coasted to a losing 4.271 - 193.21 timeslip.
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
FUNNY CAR - Eliminations Round ONE
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
All photos copyright 2024 by National Hot Rod Association
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
PRO STOCK - Eliminations Round ONE
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE - Eliminations Round ONE
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP FUEL - Eliminations Round TWO
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
FUNNY CAR - Eliminations Round TWO
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
PRO STOCK - Eliminations Round TWO
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR - Eliminations Round TWO
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER - Eliminations Round TWO
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)
(LEFT)
(RIGHT)