Saturday's Norwalk Notebook
Saturday, July 07, 2012
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The star-spangled weekend continues at "America's Race Track" as do the attempts to beat the torrid heat. Even at 10 a.m., the heat index was almost 100 degrees and cool was where you found it.
Saturday's activities will be highlighted by the 28th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge for Pro Stock drivers with a cool $50,000 awaiting the winner. The first round will start at 11:30 a.m., followed by the event's third Pro qualifying session. The race's final qualifying session is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. |
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The participants in the K&N Horsepower Challenge took part in an autograph session this morning. Jason Line (above) is the No. 1 qualifier based on a season's worth of qualifying; he'll take on fan-vote winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. in round one.
The tour's most recent winner, Erica Enders (left), will face off with Line's Summit teammate, defending event champ Greg Anderson.
In the other two pairings, Mike Edwards will race Ronnie Humphrey, and Allen Johnson will take on Vincent Nobile.
Line, Edwards, Enders, Nobile, and Humphrey have never won the Challenge. |
Meanwhile, in the nitro pits, the first engines are being test fired in anticipation of the day's first runs. |
[noon] Vincent Nobile moved a step closer to the $50,000 first prize in the K&N Horsepower Challenge when he upset the main event's current No. 1 qualifier, Allen Johnson, in round one, 6.71 to 6.73. He'll have lane choice against Mike Edwards in the semifinals. The other semifinal will pit Summit teammates Greg Anderson against Jason Line; Line has lane choice thanks to a best-of-the-round 6.705. [Ladder] |
[12:15 p.m.] "The "Professor" of Pro Stock, Warren Johnson, is celebrating his 69th birthday today and has his machine solidly in the field after three of four qualifying sessions. |
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[12:30 p.m.] Although he wasn't able to surpass low qualifier Hector Arana Sr. on the qualifying sheets, recent Chicago winner Andrew Hines did outrun the Arana family's Buells in the heat — 94 degrees with a heat index of 107 — in the third qualifying session.
Hines' Harley ran 7.000, a tick better than Hector Jr.'s 7.001 and Hector Sr.'s 7.028. |
| Bob Vandergriff Jr., who entered the event just 11 points out of the crucial No. 10 spot in Top Fuel, picked up two valuable markers when he had the second-best run of a traction-plagued Top Fuel session, wheeling his Rob Flynn-tuned C&J Energy Services dragster to a 3.981. That pass has Vandergriff qualified No. 13 with one session remaining. |
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[1:30 p.m.] No one was hotter than Spencer Massey in the Top Fuel session nor cooler afterwards as the FRAM driver celebrated making the best run of the session — a 3.923 that was more than a half-tenth ahead of Vandergriff's next-best effort — with a refreshing Dasani shower.
Massey's run moved him to No. 7 in the field. Steve Torrence continues to lead the field with the 3.829 he recorded last night. |
[2:10 p.m.] Jack Beckman had the quickest time of a challenging Funny Car session, which his 4.310 best indicates. Only four cars were able to make a full-power pass. |
[2:15 p.m.] There will be a first-time winner of the K&N Horsepower Challenge because Jason Line (pictured) will take on Vincent Nobile for the $50,000 top prize. Line beat Greg Anderson, and Nobile took out Mike Edwards. |
A solid and hardy crowd of Ohio race fans have braved the heat to attend this year's event. |
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[3:15 p.m.] Home-state hero Ron Krisher, who hails from Warren, Ohio, had the best run of the final Pro Stock qualifying session, a 6.708 in his Valvoline machine. He's qualified No. 6 and will have first-round lane choice against Mike Edwards.
Allen Johnson remained in the No. 1 position and had the second-best pass of the round, a 6.716. |
[3:30 p.m.] Angie Smith took a wild ride at the end of a 7.102 pass that improved her spot in the Pro Stock Motorcycle field. She reported that she lost the brakes and ended up taking a tumble from the bike off the end of the track.
Smith declared herself fine and said she hoped to race Sunday if her team could repair her Buell to the satisfaction of the NHRA Tech Department. "That's probably not going to happen," conceded her husband, Matt, after surveying the damage. |
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[3:50 p.m.] Karen Stoffer's GEICO Suzuki was a pleasant surprise of the final bike session, recording a 6.992 that was the second best of the session. Andrew Hines took over the No. 1 spot by .001-second with a brilliant 6.961. |
[4:30 p.m.] TJ Zizzo had the second-best time of the final Top Fuel qualifying session, tiptoeing down the track to a 3.987 that was outdone only by Antron Brown's 3.978. Steve Torrence remained the No. 1 qualifier. |
Vincent Nobile's final-round holeshot defeated Jason Line to win the K&N Horsepower Challenge and the $50,000 top prize. To Nobile's right is tornado survivor Peggy Coleman, of Joplin, Mo., who won a new Toyota Tundra truck as Nobile's fan representative as chosen in an online competition. |
[5:10 p.m.] Second-generation Funny Car racer Daniel Wilkerson suffered a fire on his final qualifying pass in the Summit Racing Equipment Shelby. Wilkerson got out uninjured, but the car will need major repairs overnight. |
Ron Capps made the best run of the final Funny Car session, a 4.276, with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Dodge. |