Drag Racing Action 

Images Bob Reed, John Charbonneau, and Todd Dziadosz

 

The 17th Annual Good Vibrations Funny Car Nationals Presented by Palco Power Systems at Keystone Raceway was, as expected, a complete success. The event, organized by track owner Greg Miller, has become a must for fans and racers alike, featured nearly 20 blown Funny Cars in a unique two-tier system to race. The Elite 8 was a “Run what ya Brung” affair with no breakouts and whoever got to the finish line first won. And a ¼ mile 6.90 index show.

Racers taking advantage of the Elite 8 were Steve Timoszyk in the Detroit Monza, Wade King in the Big Girl ’55 Chevy, Matt Stambaugh in the Generation X Vega, Joey Pirrone in the Screamin Eagle Trans AM, and Jon Wall driving the Cape Codder Arrow.

Joining the group was Chris Massarella in the Total Insanity Monza, Wayne Hofmann behind the wheel of the Al Hofmann tribute car and Cody Helger in the Dazed and Confused Camaro.

After two qualifiers, the quickest two came back for the finals. It looked like Timoszyk in the Detroit Tiger with a 4.03 would be racing Joey Pirrone who had laid down a 4.14. But in the last pair, Jon Wall in the Cape Codder bumped Pirrone with a 4.09 setting up a Wall vs Timoszyk final.

At the green Wall was off the line first and held on for a hole shot 4.09 to Timoszyk’s 4.07

TODD DZIADOSZ

“It was a great weekend for Ed Parkers Cape Codder,” Wall said after the win. “We were really excited to be a part of the inaugural outlaw elite 8 field with the fastest cars around.”

“Very fortunate to get the win over the toughest car on the property in the end. Thanks to Ed and Fireball Guys for making it happen in that heat.”

Wall tosses the laundry on the top end of Keystone Raceway

Rocky Pirrone, who tunes the Screamin Eagle driven by his son Joey said after just missing the cut. “It was a honor to be invited to this prestigious event. We competed against eight of the quickest alcohol nostalgia funny cars in the country.”

“We went into the event running well, but unfortunately our performance dropped off a little. We wound up third with a 4.14 that kept us out of the final. I’m pretty sure where I went wrong with the tune up and hope to have it corrected by the next race.”

The 6.90 Index class was for the racers that enjoy running in the low seven second and high six second zone and featured The Good Vibrations Tempo driven by Jim Maher, James Maher in the Junior Vibes Tempo, Bill Walls’ Red Wave Omni, Krista Massarella in the Temporary Insanity Monza, Troy Liebi in the Raider Datsun.

Jami Russell in the Iron Outlaw Mustang II, Drew Sweetman in the Frantic Ford Mustang, Rob Bundy in the Shellshock Vega, Andrew Armstrong in the Smokey Bonz Nova and finally the beautiful War Path Buick Somerset of John Cerchio rounded out the field.

As in the Elite 8, qualifying was a wild affair with who ran closest to the 6.90 index destined for the final two. After two sessions, it looked like Krista Massarella with a 6.93 and Jami Russell’s 6.91 were going to make up the finals, but Maryland racer Drew Sweetman in the Frantic Ford pulled of a last minute 6.90 to bump Krista out of the finals making it an all Ford Mustang final.

Sweetman made two mistakes in the final. First he was late off the line, second, went too quick

Russell was first off the line and ran a 7.03 as Sweetman, who was very late at the green, pushed the Frantic Ford a little too much and ran out with a 6.899.

“We came into the event with a totally new combination from years past and we’ve spent the first half of the season trying to it figure out,” Russell said after his win. “We really didn’t have any data for a 6.90 tune up so we took a bit of a stab at it. The 6.91 first round was a little bit of a surprise but from that point forward the strategy quickly morphed into “just don’t mess up”.

“I wasn’t driving great and was a little off routine with some things in our program and with the heat. Fortunately, I was able to pull it all together and left on time for the final. Can’t ever take the Sweetman boys lightly over there with all their experience, and it showed with them running a 6.902 2nd round and following it up with a 6.899 in the finals.”

“Can’t say enough about Greg Miller, his staff, and the facility along with our friends at Good Vibrations for keeping this event going. We have this one circled on the calendar every year. I absolutely couldn’t do this without the support of my family, Carl Skillman, Steve Miller, CenPeCo Lubricants, RPM Performance, Ken Moses Transmissions, Krash Menders, and everyone else who chips in where they can to keep us going up and down the road.”

Fellow racer Chris Massarella who along with his wife Krista fielded two cars at the event, said. “We must thank the folks at Good Vibrations, owned by the Maher Family as title sponsors. They brought 2 of their own cars all the way from California. James ended up in the sand trap during a Friday night test pass heavily damaging the body.”

“They thrashed all night and day and made the call for first round, and the car even made its first 6 second pass ever second round.”