Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

We're here at the 14th stop on the NHRA tour. The crown jewel of the Full Throttle/Lucas Oil series, the Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in beautiful Seattle, WA.

I know Patsy will keep you updated in her western swing thread. I will try to keep you updated here also, but like before it will probably be mostly pictures.

Here's some shots of the holding area where the rigs are waiting to be parked:

http://pic.leech.it/i/571b0/d2f7de4holding1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/45897/0b0c9f3cholding2.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

http://pic.leech.it/i/a9898/85e84b3holding3.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/8625e/e8455032holding4.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Here's Wallace and Harold handing out credentials to Super Street racer Howard Esping and chassis guru Phil Mandella:

http://pic.leech.it/i/91e55/da37131harold.jpg


Here's some shots from the top end of the track:

http://pic.leech.it/i/edfdf/e71e2b5track1.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

http://pic.leech.it/i/96613/539fa07atrack2.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/f255a/4089134track3.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Here's some shots of the Kart track they put in a few years ago:

http://pic.leech.it/i/c3259/94b09d6kart1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/f28ef/bc9485ekart2.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

http://pic.leech.it/i/0b80a/a9988a3kart3.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/8e143/ebf665c4kart4.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Here's one of the signs as you enter the track:

http://pic.leech.it/i/85718/a1afb0d2sign2.jpg


Here's a shot of the tower:

http://pic.leech.it/i/6a872/4b6e0fa9tower3.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Here's another shot of the tower:

http://pic.leech.it/i/bce4c/8703fd1tower2.jpg


Here's some shots from behind the starting line:

http://pic.leech.it/i/f7bb2/6a0e1d1fline1.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

http://pic.leech.it/i/571b0/d2cdb463line3.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/bcfcd/678dfbbline2.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

The bleacher behind the starting line:

http://pic.leech.it/i/8969d/5bc9a9ableacher1.jpg


Random pit shot:

http://pic.leech.it/i/84645/28ecff77pit1.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Great pictures Toby.

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Today has to be one of the hottest if not the hottest day of the year so far for this area. It got up to almost 90 degrees here today. It's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow with temps in the lower 90s. Friday is supposed to be in the upper 80s also. It's supposed to cool down a bit on the weekend with temps in the lower 80s. Don't think we'll get any rain here this year.

Tomorrow is tech day. We will get two qualifying runs on Friday and go into eliminations Saturday morning. We are supposed to run three rounds of eliminations on Saturday time permitting.

Here's a sweet 73 Camaro I saw when I was pulling my rig into the track:

http://pic.leech.it/i/65d07/964f7f873a.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/7cacc/f2b1a9273b.jpg

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Engine shot:

http://pic.leech.it/i/b6506/86330f1673c.jpg


After many years of hauling his car on a ramp truck, Don "The Worm" Elgin finally got a motorhome a few years ago. I'm sure his wife enjoys it:

http://pic.leech.it/i/54a74/1db5a5a0worm.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Casey Plaizier who purchased this car from Tom Gaynor last year:

http://pic.leech.it/i/3c3d7/933184f7caseyplaiz.jpg


57 Ranchero:

http://pic.leech.it/i/6a2f0/ab9ad38157.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

67 Pontiac Executive:

http://pic.leech.it/i/4de47/4f9bdb6167.jpg


The 67 is the push car for these nostalgia dragsters:

http://pic.leech.it/i/0ec8c/ed9e5cccrails.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

How is the pit parking this year? Thinking about just coming out Friday and hope to get lucky or is there ample space available. Thanks.

Norm Webber

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Toby -- Glad to see you're "on the job" with some great pics .And by the pictures in the holding area one can clearly see the recession is also in the great Northwest .


PS-- Say hey to Meaner ..................

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Awesome pics Toby. Keep up the good work!!!

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Nice pics. Thanks!

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

I'm at home right now and I didn't really look at the parking too close while I was there. I will check it out tomorrow, but I would think with your rig they could pit you just about anywhere. If worse comes to worse, you could drop your car in the lanes and park your trailer at the top end and share a pit spot with somebody. I doubt you would have to do that though as I don't think there are that many entries compared to years past.

You just have a truck and open trailer, right? If you can't find a spot, you're more than welcome to pit your car in front of my truck (I backed in.) We're pitted along the staging lanes.

See you there.

-Toby

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Norm there is still plenty of spots to pit. Just got home but there was still spots around the bowl inside and out side left there about 4:30

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Thanks for replying and keep up the great pictures. Toby and I have probably never said more than 15 words to each other yet he has offered pit space to me. That is what a true class act and sportsman racer he is. Again thanks.

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

It was just another typical day here in the Great Northwest. 90 degrees and not a cloud in sight ... well, maybe not that typical. :)

Not much going on today except the usual day before a race preparations. I'll try to get some pics for you all tomorrow.

Qualifying and time trials start tomorrow at 9:15 AM with Super Street followed by Stock. No race engines can be started before 9 AM here.

Norm, there is still plenty of room along the fence by the staging lanes. I don't know if they will let you park there or not, but it won't hurt to ask them when you get here in the morning, if you're not here already.


-Toby

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Toby,

Thank you for sharing the pictures this weekend for those of us not
able to be there in person.

It's always nice to see pictures of the Northwest heavy hitters.

But how about a picture or two of your car and your brothers two cars?

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

A Super Street car oiled down the track so they bumped Stock back until later in the day.

Here's a few pics.

Dave Jung:

http://pic.leech.it/i/79aa9/ac1adf2jung.jpg


Jim Boyce:

http://pic.leech.it/i/77d5c/053cd8e1boyce.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Chris Barnes driving one of Phillip Marvetz' cars. Chris blew the motor up in his wagon.

http://pic.leech.it/i/182aa/2e825fa9chrisbarne.jpg


David Rastad:

http://pic.leech.it/i/9c6e1/84f425frastad.jpg

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Kevin Cour:

http://pic.leech.it/i/35ffc/c84a97f8kevin1.jpg


Some shots from fuel check:

http://pic.leech.it/i/61c9a/6d91764efuelcheck.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Tom Gaynor:

http://pic.leech.it/i/05ae5/a93a8c2tom.jpg


David Rastad:

http://pic.leech.it/i/d39b1/fa7d1c6frastad2.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Toby, how about a close up of the Marvetz Dodge? Also, the 283 car?

Thanks, bud

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Kevin Cour:

http://pic.leech.it/i/66827/3fda8366kevin2.jpg


Kevin's motor:

http://pic.leech.it/i/44a40/f117b437kevin3.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Some shots of Super Stock round 1 qualifying.

Jim Storms:

http://pic.leech.it/i/4b6fb/095aae63storms.jpg


Troy Olsonawski:

http://pic.leech.it/i/d312e/31c8cectroy.jpg

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Alan Falcone:

http://pic.leech.it/i/1ad72/72e8154alan.jpg


Tony Mandella:

http://pic.leech.it/i/d59b9/5c27701mandella.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Jackie Alley's beautiful 69 Camaro:

http://pic.leech.it/i/115cb/db00775bjackie.jpg


Jim and Jimmy DeFrank:

http://pic.leech.it/i/dc065/8a31067jimmy.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Sean Cour:

http://pic.leech.it/i/99b1f/f6feece9sean.jpg


Scott Pearson:

http://pic.leech.it/i/b4b8f/c8d63f5scottpears.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Larry Hill...Take a good long look at Ryan McCalahans AA/SA Cameron and tell me what Travis would say...;)

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Scott Pearson:

http://pic.leech.it/i/9f402/3b4704dbscottpears.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/13b22/992253d8scottpears.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Mike Booker:

http://pic.leech.it/i/8d994/08cab3b3booker1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/70cd0/01ff13b8booker2.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Jim Isherwood:

http://pic.leech.it/i/51dde/b7633c2aisher1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/108d0/7a79b692isher2.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

Jody Lang:

http://pic.leech.it/i/2f93b/970ca68jody1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/cc114/9e2770bjody2.jpg

Re: Live From The Northwest Nationals
 

John Hill:

http://pic.leech.it/i/6f46f/1aa856dajohnhill1.jpg
http://pic.leech.it/i/ce2b3/a31545c1johnhill2.jpg