Race Recap

Top Fuel

As has become routine throughout the 2007 NSDA season, Scott Whipple was once again the class of the field in qualifying. Scott’s Canidae-backed entry ran a sizzling 2.342/158mph shot in Saturday night’s qualifying session. Charlie Brown Jr.’s Team Extreme entry ran a 2.417 narrowly edging Dennis Rieck’s 2.418/158 for the number two position. Jeff Janoe’s new ride, an ex-Morgan Lucas NHRA Top Fueler, rounded out the top half of the field with a 2.474/162mph pass.

Sunday saw cooler conditions come in changing the ball game for the Top Fuel tuners. Round one saw teammates Jeff Janoe and Shane Switzer face off. Shane, driving Janoe’s old car, was able to pull off the victory with a 2.414 over Janoe’s blower belt breaking 3.627. The next pairing saw the surprise of round one as low qualifier Scott Whipple was unable to make the call after breaking during the Sunday morning warm-up handing a single to number eight qualifier John Cadzow. Cadzow ran a 2.848 on his single. Charlie Brown Jr. handled Rick Stewart in Glen Brown’s ride with a 2.424 E.T. The final pair of round one saw Dennis Rieck’s Hammer Down entry face off with Terri Blair and the Fugowie dragster. Dennis would turn heads with a great 2.353/165mph to defeat Blair’s 2.644.

The semi-finals started off with a huge match up between Dennis Rieck and Charlie Brown Jr. Dennis won their previous meeting in the final at Soboba in September and would take the win this time as well in one of the quickest side-by-side passes in history 2.378 to 2.426. The other match up would see a battle of the TF rookies with Switzer in his first TF race against Cadzow in just his second event. Switzer would drive the “Spooky II” dragster to a great 2.421 to defeat Cadzow’s 2.752.  The final round was record breaking as Dennis Rieck took the Hammer Down dragster to a 2.327/145mph pass for the victory which was backed up with his first round E.T. 2.353. Switzer was on a great pass, but had to lift early due to a huge wheel stand and coasted to a still impressive 2.650/102mph. 

Dennis’ win sets up a huge battle for the Top Fuel championship at the season finale in Soboba. Dennis currently is the point leader with third place Scott Whipple the only other racer than can overtake him. The scenario looks like if both Rieck and Whipple can advance past round one, Whipple has to go one round further than Rieck to take the championship.


Dennis Rieck was the Top Fuel champion and took home the E.T. record.


Shane Switzer was the Primm runner-up in his first TF event.


Charlie Brown Jr. made it to the semi-final round of Top Fuel. 

Top Alcohol

Top Alcohol qualifying was dominated by Dan Allen in the Allen Racing dragster taking the top spot with a 2.534/134mph pass. Dan was followed by TA point leader Shane Sanford in the Frederosa Racing dragster at a 2.610. Gary Mink ended up as the number three qualifier with Richard Montiel rounding out the top half of the show with a 2.633.

Round one started off with a huge match up between #1 qualifier Dan Allen and David Morton, who won NSDA’s last event at Soboba. Morton rebounded from his qualifying struggles to a 2.615/134, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Allen’s 2.558. Allen had everyone on their feet after a great save in the shut down area. The second pair promised to be a great pairing as the four and five qualifiers Richard Montiel and Mike DeNunzio faced off. DeNunzio went .041 red which threw away a 2.587 to Montiel’s troubled 3.090. Sanford was up next and he took the victory over Indiana’s Bob Piunti 2.586 to 2.754. The round finished out with Gary Mink taking the win on a wild 2.657 that saw him nearly suffer blow over while Jay Poortenga broke just off the line in the other lane.

Both Dan Allen and Gary Mink’s dragsters suffered chassis damage in their respective first round passes requiring them to thrash to make repairs so that they could make the call for the semi-final round. The first pair would see Mink roll the beams and turn the red light on handing the win to Shane Sanford won ran a 2.615 to send him to the final round. The thrash would pay off Dan Allen as he would defeat Richard Montiel on a hole shot 2.568 to 2.550. This set up a final round between the points lead Sanford and low qualifier Dan Allen. Sanford took a slim starting line advantage .089 to .099 and would narrowly take the victory over Allen 2.594 to 2.590. The win virtually locked up the Top Alcohol point series championship for Sanford, although Gary Mink does still have a slim mathematical chance of taking the title away.


Shane Sanford was the Top Alcohol class champion at Primm.


Dan Allen was the low qualifier in Primm with a 2.53 and ended up with a runner-up finish.

Top Eliminator

Top Eliminator once again saw some of the tightest racing throughout the weekend. Twenty-two entries attempted to qualify with New Mexico’s Tim Martin coming out as the #1 qualifier with a 2.960. DL King, Rick Morris, and Taylor Brewer were the 2-4 qualifiers in the field. Round one saw a few upsets as #3 and 4 qualifiers Morris and Brewer both experienced problems and were put on the trailer early. Pete Schenk, TE winner at the Spring ’07 Primm event, also was upset in round one by Paul Taylor.

Taylor continued playing the role of spoiler by taking out the #1 qualifier Martin in round two on a hole shot 3.045 to 3.000. The rest of the round saw Jeff Mamer, DL King, and Darrell Cypert advance to the semi-final round. The semi-finals started off with Taylor’s luck running out after rolling through the beams causing a red light handing the win to Jeff Mamer who ran a nearly dead-on 2.971. DL King would single in his “Animal Control” dragster after Cypert could not make the call. King ran a 3.008 on his single pass. An all four-cylinder final ended up with a double breakout decision victory for Mamer 2.932 to 2.914. Mamer even took the stripe on the pass after cutting a great .005 RT to King’s not far off .063. This race also had big points implications as Mamer took the lead heading into the final event by one point.


Jeff Mamer was the Primm Top Eliminator class winner.


D.L. King was the runner-up to Mamer at Primm. 

Pro 1

Friday’s Pro 1 action was won by Washington’s Don Boespflug in his Jeep, who defeated Tracy Malan in the final round. Joe Janoe was the only semi-finalist. Sunday’s race was a points bearing race, and George Amos made the most it by taking home the race win over Dave Marcroft. Amos’ win moved him into third in the point standings and gives him a mathematical shot at the title heading into the final race. Jeff Liston was Sunday’s lone semi-finalist in his “One More Time” dragster.


Don Boespflug was the Friday Pro 1 champion.


George Amos took home the Pro 1 title on Sunday.

Pro 2

Jose Beas tore through the Pro 2 class on Friday to take the win over Donnie Burns, who made some wild runs en route to his runner-up finish. Don Boespflug, Friday’s Pro 1 winner ended up with a semi-final finish in Pro 2 as did Mike Bolton. Even though Sunday’s race was for points, the point leaders were once again shut out as Boespflug took home the victory defeating Donnie Burns who repeated as runner-up. David Cox extended his point lead with a semi-final finish. David Cox and Steve Anthony are the two racers left with a chance at the Pro 2 points title with Cox currently leading.


Jose Beas was the Pro 2 winner on Friday.


Don Boespflug won the Pro 2 class on Sunday. 

Pro 3

Charlie Johnson took the final round win on Friday defeating Chris Adamson in an all-Jeep final round. Joe Simeone’s “Got Jeep” Jeep was the lone semi-finalist. Sunday saw Michigan’s Tom Hartman driving his Blazer to the victory over Grant Fraysier’s Hummer in the final round. Fraysier’s runner-up finish locked the Pro 3 class title for him. Gary Gebert’s Jeep was the only semi-finalist on Sunday.


Charlie Johnson won the Pro 3 class on Friday.


Tom Hartman took the Sunday Pro 3 class victory.

MC Pro 1

Ian Brown swept MC Pro 1 on both Friday and Sunday. Ian’s Sunday win locked up the class point series title for the 2007 season. Brown defeated Jaclyn Wehier and Lee Bethel in those final rounds.


Ian Brown doubled up by taking the win in MC Pro 1 on Saturday and Sunday. 

MC Pro 2

Cody Rhoades won the MC Pro 2 category on Friday defeating his dad, Dad Rhoades in the final round. George Amos was the semi-finalist on Friday. Jake Russell took home the Sunday class victory over Garrett Goorsky. Point leader Randy Mings and Dan Rhoades were the semi-finalists. Mings heads into the final race with a comfortable point lead despite George Amos still having a mathematical shot at overtaking him.


Cody Rhoades won the MC Pro 2 class on Friday. 

Pro Mod

Jay Poortenga came from Michigan with his “Drag Nasty” Jeep to take on Pro Mod class dominator Geoff Gill’s “Black Tie” Jeep. The final round was an extremely close race with Poortenga taking the victory. Gill’s runner-up finish locked up the Pro Mod point series championship for him.


Jay Poortenga's "Drag Nasty" Jeep won the Pro Index category in Primm.

Pro Index

The Pro Index class once again saw some great racing with Dave Stidham running a nearly dead-on 3.952 in the final round to defeat Mike Erwin. Justin Adamson locked up the class point championship with a semi-final finish in his Jeep.


Dave Stidham won the Pro Index class at Primm.

Sportsman 1

Don Boespflug continued his weekend domination taking the Sport 1 victory on Saturday night over Ken Munoz in the final round. Gary Corbitt, from Texas, was the lone semi-finalist. Billy Morris hung on to the points lead going into the season finale with four other racers having a mathematical shot at the title.


Don Boespflug won Saturday's Sportsman 1 class.

Sportsman 2

Steve Bertram won an all Jeep Sport 2 final on Saturday night over Eddie Spears. Justin Taylor and Brandon Montgomery were the semi-finalists on the night. Carl Jennings has clinched the points title in Sportsman 2 for the season.


Steve Bertram won Sportsman 2 on Saturday.

MC Sportsman 1

Ian Brown swept the weekend in the MC 1 classes also taking Saturday’s victory over Rudy Kurtz Jr. Don Boespflug took third in the class on his ATV. Brown’s win locked up the MC Sport 1 points title for him.


Ian Brown won the MC Sport 1 class on Saturday.

MC Sportsman 2

Cody Rhoades backed up his Friday MC Pro 2 win with a MC Sport 2 victory on Saturday over Garrett Goorsky in the final round. Ian Brown was the class’ lone semi-finalist. Randy Mings has locked up the point series title for MC Sport 2.

 
Cody Rhoades took home the MC Sport 2 title in Primm.

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