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Kuhls, Dow win grudge shootout in Sonoma

Steve Kuhls (Small Tire) and Cole Dow (Big Tire) came out victorious in the special Team Boddie Racing grudge shootout exhibition held as part of final qualifying at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
29 Jul 2017
NHRA National Dragster staff
Race coverage
Cole Dow

Steve Kuhls (Small Tire) and Cole Dow (Big Tire) came out victorious in the special Team Boddie Racing grudge shootout exhibition held as part of final qualifying at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals. The event featured eight small-tire entries and eight big-tire entries battling for supremacy in a street-racing-style contest where e.t.s were not displayed, only win lights.

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Kuhls wheeled his ’66 Chevelle, near lane, to victory in the Small Tire division, defeating Scott Ray’s ’73 Camaro in the final.

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In Big Tire, it was an all-nitrous final round featuring the ’55 Chevy of Dow, far lane, and the ’68 Camaro of Shawn Burr. This one was decided at the Tree when Burr left too soon and triggered the red-light, giving the automatic win to Dow.

The grudge shootout kicked off Friday with a single time run for all competitors, and the group certainly caught the eyes of many during that time run when Monti Fitzgerald’s entry went wheels up at the launch, bounced multiple times, and made contact with the wall.

After that crazy time-run session, the group returned Saturday for eliminations, in which pairings were determined by a special call-out.