RACE #1 2016
The one constant truth in drag racing is that we are never really in control at all, but we are always at the mercy of the one who is. If we were keeping score over the past 7 years Mother Nature has won her fair share of battles with the RRA but she has also blessed us with many events filled with beautiful blue skies, or ones with perfect fall air in which to race so I have come to terms with the fact that in the end we will always answer to her. But that doesn't mean we will tuck our tails between our legs and cower to the forecast...we will coordinate a plan of attack and fight until there is nothing left to fight for.
Opening Day 2016 proved to be one of the days, she was in no mood to smile upon the racers of the RRA instead she would test our will. Knowing what we were up against a plan of attack was coordinated the night before but we quickly realized it wasn't going to be enough to beat her to the punch so as 11.50 was already into round #1 of qualifying I made my way through lanes to let everyone know it was now or never, we were going with one and done! The decision had been made to cut their 2nd qualifier and we would move directly into eliminations following that round. It was a tough decision to make especially when April racing is already hard enough, most are coming in with very little testing under their belts. But sometimes sacrifices must be made if we are going to have a shot at victory and as the sky almost lost its hold on the rain as the 10.50 and 11.50 class were about to run their final round and to see the track consumed with rain not long after we finished there was a sense of peace in our battle plan and such a sense of pride in the racers of the RRA for rolling with the punches and giving it 110% despite the chaos of the day.
Opening Day 2016 proved to be one of the days, she was in no mood to smile upon the racers of the RRA instead she would test our will. Knowing what we were up against a plan of attack was coordinated the night before but we quickly realized it wasn't going to be enough to beat her to the punch so as 11.50 was already into round #1 of qualifying I made my way through lanes to let everyone know it was now or never, we were going with one and done! The decision had been made to cut their 2nd qualifier and we would move directly into eliminations following that round. It was a tough decision to make especially when April racing is already hard enough, most are coming in with very little testing under their belts. But sometimes sacrifices must be made if we are going to have a shot at victory and as the sky almost lost its hold on the rain as the 10.50 and 11.50 class were about to run their final round and to see the track consumed with rain not long after we finished there was a sense of peace in our battle plan and such a sense of pride in the racers of the RRA for rolling with the punches and giving it 110% despite the chaos of the day.
QUALIFYING
John Sahli - 8.909
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ELIMINATIONS
ROUND #1
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1st round of eliminations definitely left everyone talking when Bill Diauto's Cutlass left the line, aimed straight for the sky and found itself on the bumper with 3 wheels in the air!! It was a competition single when his opponent didn't show to the lanes but that pass would prove costly and Bill would be done for the day and for at least the next few weeks as he assesses and fixes the damage that photogenic moment caused! Jim Loveland and Al Matuska would also fall 1st round as well.
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ROUND #2
The day would come to an end in round #2 for Bob Keaton and Troy Wotring, who couldn't quit cover the number and also for Eric Tuuri, who covered it a little too well going an .02 too fast.
SEMI-FINALS
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Clay Courson and John Sahli would once again face off in eliminations. It seems these two have found themselves on the same side of the ladder and eventually matched up in every event since John joined the ranks of 8.90 last season.
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Bill Benson, the defending 8.90 Champion, would take himself out of competition when he went .003 red in the semi's just one round short of the finals and Brian Prior would find himself going to the finals in his 1st time back in competition with the RRA since 2014!
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FINALS
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Brian Prior's Camaro is all about the Top end but allowing the guys to push you under is a risk you take when you play that way. If you look at the stats the semi's and finals were almost identical except this time the win light would come up for Prior's opponent John Sahli. John has been racing with the RRA since 2013, last year he decided to step up to 8.90 with his Monte Carlo. He lost most of the year when he hurt his motor early on but got it back up and running with 3 races to go. He wrapped up 2015 in the Winner's Circle for the 1st time since he began racing with the RRA and began 2016 by putting another a win in the books.
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CONGRATS TO JOHN SAHLI AND CREW!!
QUALIFYING
Tom Hecker - 9.902
A true Rookie to the 9.90 Class Tom secured the #1 position in his very 1st race with the RRA. |
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ELIMINATIONS
ROUND #1
With 16 cars ready to battle it out no one was getting off easy in the 9.90 class...no bye runs means EVERYONE has to earn their way into round two!
After a winter of online banter among a handful of the racers of the 9.90 class, Dave Gebauer, TnT King himself, kept his word and threw his hat back into the ring for the 1st time since he raced 10.50 in 2013. He also made it out of round #1, a round which had a bounty placed on his head so I believe he will be the one who collects the rewards!
The 1st round of eliminations in the 2 Fast Garage 9.90 Class found a former Renegade Champion challenging the defending 9.90 Champion...Mike Walker vs Brian Kennelley. Kennelley all but dominated 9.90 last year and came out in 2016 with guns blazing! He literally annihilated the tree .000 a perfect light and snagged the 8 bonus points to go along with it! Kennelley put up a 9.92 so not a bad package at all but it would not be enough, not when Walker is in the other lane running dead on 9.900 for 8 bonus points of his own and the round win!!
There were rookies and heavy hitters who would also make a round one exit during opening day. Tom Hecker, Jack Brown, Brian Pendleton, Frank Porterfield, Brad Courson, Bill Bowman and Jerry Siwiec.
After a winter of online banter among a handful of the racers of the 9.90 class, Dave Gebauer, TnT King himself, kept his word and threw his hat back into the ring for the 1st time since he raced 10.50 in 2013. He also made it out of round #1, a round which had a bounty placed on his head so I believe he will be the one who collects the rewards!
The 1st round of eliminations in the 2 Fast Garage 9.90 Class found a former Renegade Champion challenging the defending 9.90 Champion...Mike Walker vs Brian Kennelley. Kennelley all but dominated 9.90 last year and came out in 2016 with guns blazing! He literally annihilated the tree .000 a perfect light and snagged the 8 bonus points to go along with it! Kennelley put up a 9.92 so not a bad package at all but it would not be enough, not when Walker is in the other lane running dead on 9.900 for 8 bonus points of his own and the round win!!
There were rookies and heavy hitters who would also make a round one exit during opening day. Tom Hecker, Jack Brown, Brian Pendleton, Frank Porterfield, Brad Courson, Bill Bowman and Jerry Siwiec.
ROUND #2
Round two could have been mistaken as a 10.00 Index Class with only two racers, Chico and Alex Brown running in the 9's and both were eliminated from competition. It was odd to see Chico running anything but 8.90 after all these years but it was awesome to see him out there and to know that the curse of Sportsman of the Year might be a figment of my imagination after all. Dave Gebauer would fall to Mike Walker this round and Dave Janu would be eliminated as well.
SEMI-FINALS
Tom Brown would be on the losing end of a double breakout round against Wanda Johnson sending her to the finals. She would make history with this round win as the 1st female racer to make it to the finals in the 9.90 Class.
Chad Pokopatz seemed to struggle to run the number all day, most likely early season kinks that just need to be work but he still made it all the way to the semi-finals before being taken out of competition by Mike Walker.
FINALS
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Wanda Johnson would reach another 9.90 milestone in her 2nd season with the RRA when she made it to the finals but the event win eluded her and will have to wait for another day. Mike Walker played around with his street car in 11.50 all last season while waiting on his new motor to be finished. Its back and as the 1st race of 2016 goes to show so is he!!! Walker is one of a handful of racers who know what it feels like to be crowned a Class Champion and I think he is hungry for another!!
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CONGRATS TO MIKE WALKER AND CREW!!!
QUALIFYING
Bob Singer - 10.52
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ELIMINATIONS
ROUND #1
A couple years ago we decided to go with 32 car fields in order to grow the series to its fullest potential, this is something we will adhere to at all costs so despite the weather we stuck to our ladder and ran out the cars the way we normally would. For 10.50 and 11.50 who both had 18 cars in competition this ensured most another crack at the tree before facing a true opponent.
But the 1st round would take out a rookie and one of last year's title contenders. Adam Courson has joined his brothers in running the RRA this season and Gene Adamic who finished up 2015 in 3rd place overall.
But the 1st round would take out a rookie and one of last year's title contenders. Adam Courson has joined his brothers in running the RRA this season and Gene Adamic who finished up 2015 in 3rd place overall.
ROUND #2
During round two Bob Singer, Jack Battafarano, Rick Russell, Chad Carner, Mike Blair, Dennis Moore Jr, Jim Slaughter all took an early exit on race day and along with them Dennis DeWeese, the Defending 10.50 Champion who found himself on the losing end of a close round with a close friend, Paul Carillon.
ROUND #3
Paul Carillon followed that round up by taking down yet another Champion, 2 time 10.50 Champion Mike Carroll. Three veteran racers would join Mike...Dan Addair, Gary Paine and Doug Paine.
SEMI-FINALS
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Paul's streak would come to an end in the semi-finals when he would go red off the line and give the round win to Mike Herno.
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Two rookies would face off on the other side of the ladder both having participated in an event last season but going all in this year. Rick's 10.50 pass just wasn't' enough to make up the deficit left off the starting line and Scott Fury would be on his way to the finals.
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FINALS
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The final round would have been an insanely tight round if you look at the stats, if both guys were on the right side of green that is... Scott Fury would find himself in the Midwest Mine Services Winner's Circle on his 2nd outing ever with the RRA. Not an easy task with the level of competition this series holds and particularly this class.
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CONGRATS TO SCOTT FURY AND CREW!!
QUALIFYING
Tim McKenzie - 11.503
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I wanted to welcome Clarissa Griffith to the RRA, she had intentions of making this her 1st Renegade Race but unfortunately the motor had other plans for 1st round of qualifying. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of her!
ELIMINATIONS
round #1
As with 10.50, we had 18 cars so only two pair were in true competition 1st round. Bill Kennelly and Rick Jaekle would not be moving on to round #2. This would be the highest car count 11.50 has seen since joining the RRA in 2014, so even though it complicates the ladder just a bit it is well worth it to see this class have a chance to grow!!
ROUND #2
Jim Harty, Tyler Green, Mark LaRoche, Zach Zapp, Pat Maro, Zack Bartos and Shawn Matis would make their exit during Round #2.
ROUND #3
Where things begin to get interesting...Jimbob Davies went down to Tim McKenzie, Jim Parrish spun off the line and it was all over from there. Renee Blair was uncharacteristically late on the tree and it would cost her the round. Then we have Champion vs Champion...the 1st racer to claim the title taking on the defending Champion. The defending Champs .003 light would be enough to send Mark Franko home early.
SEMI-FINALS
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Big Ricky was not going to make it easy for Tim McKenzie to get past him and into the final round, he gave him a run for his money with a .005 light while putting up a 10.52, but Tim's .01 light and 10.504 would be enough to get it done!
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On the other side of the ladder a Rookie would square off against the Champ and he would hold his own pretty well. Both racers ran an 11.53 but Scott had Jacob Matis by .03 on the tree and he would move on to meet up with Tim McKenzie in the finals.
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FINALS
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Tim McKenzie practically held the points lead all of 2015 but it wasn't meant to be, he would fall and Scott Chitty would fight his way into the Top position claiming the Title for his own in the tightest points race we have ever had in the RRA. 1st race out in 2016 would find the two squaring off in the final round, both racers would run an 11.52 but this time Scott did not have the quickest reaction time, Tim had him by .02 to take the 1st win of the year in the Jim Clere Memorial 11.50 Index Class.
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THANK YOU
I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to everyone involved in making this series what it is...
Thank you to Jim Curtis and his staff for all their hard work giving us the best possible track they can!
Thank you to the TRP racers for putting up with us and sharing your home with us!
Thank you to all of the Sponsors who support our program, and believe in what we are doing!
Thank you to my VOLUNTEER race day staff, couldn't do it without you!
Thank you to the guys who help out behind the scenes!
Thank you to the people who follow the series and are there cheering us on race in and race out!
Thank you to the family and crew members that help support the racers of the RRA!
Thank you to the Racers, You truly bring the series to life, You make it all worth it!!
I'm sure I missed a Thank you or two but please know
if you have played a role in bringing us to our 7th season WE ALL THANK YOU!!
Hard to believe we have just kicked off our 7th Season and we are only getting stronger!
Thank you to Jim Curtis and his staff for all their hard work giving us the best possible track they can!
Thank you to the TRP racers for putting up with us and sharing your home with us!
Thank you to all of the Sponsors who support our program, and believe in what we are doing!
Thank you to my VOLUNTEER race day staff, couldn't do it without you!
Thank you to the guys who help out behind the scenes!
Thank you to the people who follow the series and are there cheering us on race in and race out!
Thank you to the family and crew members that help support the racers of the RRA!
Thank you to the Racers, You truly bring the series to life, You make it all worth it!!
I'm sure I missed a Thank you or two but please know
if you have played a role in bringing us to our 7th season WE ALL THANK YOU!!
Hard to believe we have just kicked off our 7th Season and we are only getting stronger!