OOPS!..... My Bad....

My reporting on last week's "Baby Gators" event at Gainesville Raceway contained numerous references to record setting - AND - backup runs required to certify them. Apparently the 1 percent "backup" run required was eliminated just over NINE years ago. With the full adoption of laser activated timing systems, the margins for errors in e.t.'s and speeds have been reduced to practically zero.

While the records set at the Baby Gators event weren't affected by the change, today in the first qualifying session of the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals the national e.t. record for Top Alcohol Funny Car broken again. You get only one guess as to who is the "new" holder at 5.317 seconds. Of course it was Sean Bellemeur in the runaway "Pirate Ship" of the "Killer B's" (Bartone, Boggs & Bellemeur). The speed on that run was "only" 278.29, and not even close to the new-ish record of 281.42 mph set last weekend. The adjusted altitude today was 763 feet, and the air temp was 66 (F), conditions conducive to very quick runs.

We can only wonder what the rest of this week's event will produce in the way of new records in the class. Interestingly, the Top Alcohol Dragster session saw veteran Jackie Fricke in the John Finke-tuned A/Fuel Dragster lay down a career best e.t. and speed of 5.130 - 284.33. The half track speed was an amazing 235.68 mph. It was very good to see that hard working team achieve such a result.

We'll have more to report about the event throughout the weekend. Stay tuned!