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The latest update as of May 22, 2009

As promised in yesterday's quickie update, we're back and getting ready for what should be an awesome weekend of competition at Mission Raceway. The weather forecast looks about as close to perfect as we can expect on the wet coast: warm, but not too hot temps, no rain on the horizon for the better part of a week and the only downside could be the lack of cloud cover raising the track temperature into the smoky, shaky zone for the higher-powered cars. No whining allowed about the weather being too good though, right?

There just won't be time to post anything like a full blow-by-blow, pass-by-pass report on the alcohol category action like I tried to do in years' past (yeah, I know, quite a few of them) but we will try to get photos and at least a short report posted each evening. I'm not taking the laptop out to the track, and I've ditched the air card deal that I had, so the next update will be this evening. In the meantime, the qualifying results will be posted shortly after they happen on Drag Race Central so open up the link and refresh the page each time you check it out.

Another promise from yesterday was to "handicap" the entrants in the alcohol categories and try to put some odds on winning the event for each racer. There's not nearly enough time to do a good job on it like Dean did at SpeedZone but I'll give a quick rundown of the entries and probable odds for each before I finish this update.

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

• Shawn Cowie - Delta, BC - Santos - BAE

  He's got to be the favourite; winner of two divisionals already this season and the quickest car in the field. Only achilles heel is too much power at times, and the occasional slightly iffy reaction time. He's got some solid competition though, so the odds are 3-1




• Joey Severance - Spanaway, WA - Hadman - MBR

  These guys can run hard, and try to do so all the time... sometimes to their detriment, because they compete harder than their budget and parts inventory allow at times. Still, they have the capability to run low 5.30's, know the track very well and love to compete against the best (see above). Odds: 4-1




• Justin Davis - Murrieta, CA - CNE - BAE

  Fresh off a national event win at Vegas last month, the Steve & Patty Federlin owned and tuned car is running as hard as ever and has to be ranked just below the top two contenders. Another solid 5.30 car with lots of experience at MRP, this team should at least make the semi-finals, if not the finals. Odds: 5-1




• Brandon Johnson - Shelton, WA - Hadman - BAE

  A real Jekyll and Hyde deal here, as Brandon and his tuner father Mike have seen how well this car can work, winning their debut event at the Winternationals a few years ago, then nothing but up and down performances since. However, they are very familiar with Mission Raceway, run better in the cool, dense air in the Fraser Valley in May and have won many rounds of racing here. Don't count these guys out; they've got the smarts and the parts to compete with any of the runners I've listed above them. Odds: 7-1




• Dale Carlson - Yelm, WA - Hadman - BAE

  Dale has been here many times over the years, most notably in Mike Johnson's blown alky car, and latterly in George Swann's nostalgia fueler, but now he's got a new gig with Hugh Ridley's local car. They've got the experience, the right parts and lots of knowledge about how to get down this track and just may surprise the people who aren't familiar with their deal. Only problem is a slight lack of consistency. A longshot bet, but the odds could pay off big. Roll the dice, anyone? Odds: 10-1




• Doug Hegge - Vancouver, WA - Sarmento - TFX

  Bit of a darkhorse here, as this former Top Comp racer has stepped up to a hard-running injected fueler. In only his third season in the class, he's competed on a variety of tracks all over North America and has run 5.40's and mid-260's. With his background in Top Comp and steadily improving results, he should qualify and might be around in the semi-finals. Odds: 12-1




• Kim Parker - Graham, WA - Parker - BAE

  A late addition to the entry list, but a welcome one indeed, Kim is no stranger to Mission and has shown the ability to run with most of the big boys and beat them on occasion. A career best 5.42 two years at Seattle and a runnerup at this event in 2005 show that she can compete, but like so many other divisonal racers, the budget and inventory just don't match the tuneup. If she makes the field, watch out though, there could be surprises and another cinderella story in the making. Odds: 15-1




• Gregg Lawrence - Salem, OR - Hansen - KB

  This team has been around for quite a while, has run 5.30's and 260's, but just never seems to break through the invisible barrier that's keeping them out of the late rounds of racing. The potential is certainly there, but the car never quite delivers. Maybe this will be the weekend for it to happen? Then again... maybe not. Odds: 20-1




• Ashley Bart - High River, AB - Hadman - BAE

  She's run as quick as 5.60 at ONLY 217 mph, but hurt the engine badly on that effort and haven't been able to consistently get the car to the finish line under power. If there was a bigger budget this team would be dangerous, as they've got a sharp young driver, lots of experienced wrenches and tuners and more desire than most teams in the pits. Unfortunately, a first round exit will probably be the fate of young Ashley. But if she goes home with some solid runs and no broken parts, then the weekend will be a success for her and Kenny Gilmour (car owner). Odds: 25-1




• Bill Edwards, Jr. - Sumas, WA - Swindahl - KB

  Perennial winner of the "shortest distance towed to the race" award, this very local team hasn't missed a Mission divisional race since the second to last ice age, or so it seems. Rumoured to be their final year of competition, Bill Sr. & Jr. will be looking for some magic in the valley air and will challenge for a spot in the field. With a 5.60 governor firmly in place on the engine, don't expect anything out-of-this-world, but they will contend for the best 60-foot times and stay with the leaders in the first half of the track. Odds: 50-1




• Leo Grocock - Mission, BC - Sitko - BAE

  Another "if wishes were horse(power)s" this guy and his hard-working local crew would be winners. He's shown flashes of potential, unfortunately paired with flashes of expiring head gaskets at times, but has the parts to lay down a 5.60-ish pass when all the planets align. But if they align for Leo, then the ten cars ranked ahead of him will probably still keep him out of the field. Odds: 90-1




• Don St. Arnaud - Edmonton, AB - Hadman - BAE

  The darkest of dark horses, we've been unable to dig up any info on this guy except for a photo of his car in the pits at MRP on Wednesday. Presumably he's been testing for the last two days, under the aegis of noted tuner/innovator/madman Bob "Automan" Ottow and if they can get this new piece dialed in, could be a factor. Yeah, it's another A/Fuel car, and if the air is right and the new track surface is right, and Ottow pushes the right buttons, watch out. If not, just don't watch at all. No odds.

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Ran out of time to put any verbiage beside the entry list for the floppers, but will try to fill in some of the blanks this evening. My apologies in advance.

• Brian Hough - Junction City, OR - 2006 Monte Carlo

  Odds: 3-1




• Clint Thompson - Klamath Falls, OR - 2006 Monte Carlo

  Odds: 4-1




• Ken Webster - Red Deer, AB - 2008 Monte Carlo

  Odds: 5-1




• John Evanchuk - Edmonton, AB - 2002 Firebird

  Odds 8-1




• Rob Atchison - London, ON - 2006 Monte Carlo

  Odds 10-1




• Tim Nemeth - Chilliwack, BC - 2002 Camaro

  Odds 15-1




• Trevor Lebsack - Slave Lake, AB - 2005 Camaro

  Odds 30-1

Sorry, but there just isn't enough time to get any more written now, unless I want to be late getting out to the track and miss the 3pm qualifying session for the fast cars. Note that there is only ONE session for them today, not two, as shown in the typo on the MRP site, but there will be two more qualifiers tomorrow, at 1pm and 4pm. So, until much later today, that's it for now.

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PS: To see yesterday's update click here
To see updates/rants/blogs from March click here.