The latest update as of May 30, 2021
In case you're wondering why we're not getting any top end shots or closeup starting line shots, there's two reasons: one, media credentials were allegedly in short supply (according to Famoso Dragway management), hence we have our correspondent shooting from the spectator side grandstands, and secondly, as you'll see in the photo below, there's a virtual tent city erected over the top rows of the pit side grandstand, preventing him from getting high enough above the track to get any really good shots.
You've got to get there pretty early in the morning to snag a spot at the top of the grandstands for your pop-up canopy
We've got photos from Saturday's final qualifying sessions, starting with Xtreme Pro Mods West, then moving right into the Nostalgia Funny Car & Top Fuel classes, followed by some of the California Injected Funny Car Association entrants, and finishing with the always popular and unpredictable AA/Fuel Altereds. Hope you enjoy them!
(LEFT) While not strictly speaking a nostalgia class, with the 2014 Challenger of Troy Ferry in the near lane, the Pro Mods put together a fairly tightly
bunched field, with a quarter second separating the top seven qualifiers. Ferry's best time in qualifying was
(RIGHT) In the near lane, veteran Sean Renteria topped the field in his unique '65 Valiant with a very good
(LEFT) Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of Brad Thompson's System One sponsored "Jailbreak" car, but we managed to snag a pic of his helpful BUG (Back-Up Girl). We can however, report that she must have helped as Brad snuck into the bump spot with an improved 6.033 - 211.96 that was good enough to anchor the field
(RIGHT) The first pair of cars we can show from the final AA/Funny Car qualifying session are Billy Morris and his Camaro-bodied "Problem Child" in the near lane, paired up with the Northwest's Michael Peck Jr. in the Quote Wizard-backed "Instigator". Morris stepped up in a big way on his last shot, climbing from the #19 spot all the way to #6 with a very good 5.727 - 247.02, while Peck picked up a tenth and five mph, to move from #12 to #8 on the final qualifying list
(LEFT) One of the longest competing Funny Car teams in the pits, the Van Gundy, Clark & Monise group, with their iconic "Quarter Pounder" (near lane), were barely hanging on to a spot in the field with a 15th best 6.098 - 219.40 from Friday, but they pumped up the volume to the tune of a 5.813 - 232.75 to move up to #13 in the field. In the far lane, the "Cacklin' Critter" Challenger of Matt Melendez kept the throttle open to the finish line, picking up a full tenth from his Friday best of 5.923 to a #15 qualifying 5.852 - 233.20
(RIGHT) Running by himself in a last ditch attempt to stay in the field, Terry Jongewaard in the '79 Omni failed to hang onto to the bump spot (from Friday) as he couldn't improve on his earlier 6.136 - 232.43 and ended the weekend in the 2nd alternate spot and an early trip home
(LEFT) Before we move on to the Top Fuel Dragsters, Don Nelson's "California Hustler", with Hawaiian import Kamaka Pocock at the wheel,
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