Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Stock round 3 in Phoenix. Drew Skillman AA/SA vs. Bill O'Connor E/FS.
7 second head start and 65 mph difference in speed at the finish.
2 green lights and no games at the finish. Both within .01 of their dial.

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

I'm just glad I wasn't sitting in the stands, trying to explain that race to some new drag fans...

Had to look bizarre, from ANY vantage point... but you're right, Bob... had to be exciting!!!

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Any video? Who won?

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Its on video in Toby Lang's coverage of stock round 3.

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I bet Drew's car two steped for five seconds.

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

link?

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Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Once at Pomona about 10-12 years ago, Bill had to race Don Little with that same car. He was dialed about a 17.35, Don around a 10.40.After a nearly 7 second head start, Dol left, the chase was on, and Bill's win light came on at the end. The crowd loved it. Bill still races that car at Irwindale in the Summit Series. He's about as nice a guy as you could ask for.

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

We pitted next to him and he is a nice guy and just as much of a racer as any of the rest of us - he borke out by .004 - had a great light too - the CJ was good by .002 - typical closer drag race

Not to interupt this thread but the Biondo/Fletcher race could be exciting too - even without championship point implications?

Biondo is on his game this year

:-) peace

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Good post Bob Shaw! I agree with that being an exciting race. It is one of many things that makes stock racing "way cool".

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That definitely was a fun race! I am glad that everyone enjoyed it. If only I had thought to tap the brakes just a little.....

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Got to love the little cars.

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Bill, Good job! Describe the sensation and how you were trying to figure out the strategy as you watched this CJ in your rear-view mirror. Did you feel you had cut a good light as you moved down track?

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Hey Jeff, As soon as I picked my spot on the tree and left, there is that split second where you wait to see if the light will go green or red. When I saw green, I knew it was a terrific light. I went through the gears and just just tried to pretend it was a time trial run, so I did not get myself distracted. When I was in high gear, I started looking for him in the mirror and he looked so far away! I immediately thought that he was never going to catch me, but he was coming up on me real quick. Around five feet from the finish is where I started to seriously consider what I needed to do. I was sure I had him at the tree. I figured he had to wait on me for 7 seconds, so the odds of him having a good light were pretty slim. However, I thought I had dialed the car really hard. I had a .59 on the window, then changed it at the last minute to a .57, thinking that was absolutely all the car had. When I hit the stripe, I was ahead by a bunch, but never thought my car would run too fast, so I was sure I was safe. He blew by me so fast at the finish, that I could not even tell who got there first. And then he was gone, I could barely even see him in the shut down area. It was just amazed at how quickly he was there at the finish. My car is slow, but the way he passed me made me fell like I was parked at the finish and was not even under power. When his win light came on, I thought I had dialed too hard and did not run the number. When I saw my time slip, I could not believe that I had broke out. When I passed him on the return road at the scales, he looked over at me and he looked absolutely worn out. He had the "deer in the headlights" look, so I knew at least I made him work for it. He was a real nice guy and did not mess with me at the tree, like alot of the stockers do. Then he goes and redlights in the next round! That is what I cannot figure out. He was able to wait seven seconds and go green. But then redlights in the next round!

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Congrats to both for a great race,just proves there is a place for new and old cars in nhra stock eliminator racing.

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How very , very true ! ! !

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congrats bill -we were all rootin for you[being a chrysler guy] but is what it is-------dave mann ss/e

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Bill,

I would like to thank you for your rendition of how you saw the race. There is no better way than direct from the racer himself(or herself). While a lot of spectators may not understand a race like that your fellow sportsman and a few of us hard core fans/wanna be racers, DO understand AND enjoy this race just as much as a heads up. You did a great job. Please don't anyone stop racing because you think some folks don't understand.

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

I was lucky enough to be in the suites behind the line watching the race and when those two came up, all I saw was confused looks. I being the former announcer, stood up explained who Bill was and who the mustang was and the factory racecar deal. The next thing I realized was the whole suite was rooting for Bill. Going for the underdog !!!! It was a great race from behind the line, I bet it was even more fun being in the race !!

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Great story Bill!
Did that CJ make your Horizon move when it blew by you? And since your car is relatively quite, I'll bet you had the best seat in the house to really hear that CJ scream through the lights!
I remember when I first started racing I had a Challenger that ran 14.00. And there was a VW bug that raced regularly. I think mid 21.00's. I raced him 3 times and beat him every time but I had to have everything right to do it.
Love your story!

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Was rootin` for you Bill!

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Congrats Bill. That was a great effort. And Rick you should have been down below the tower. A PRO racer who I shall not name along with his crew were making fun of us when I said "This is gonna be a great race! Now we get to see the real cars run and have some excitement!" his comment was "everybody has got their opinion, its a good thing we live in america" He had nothing but condescending contempt and a who gives a crap attitude about our type of racing. I unloaded on him much to his surprise and everybody elses. They are so used to being worshiped as heroes that someone who contradicts that shocks them. I asked him how much of his OWN money he paid to race here this weekend and he looked at me like a deer in the headlights. If more of us spoke up instead of just biting our tongues I think we would have more of a voice. I love the fact that it took a $100,000 car to beat that little car! that was the best race of the weekend!

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

I missed the controversy next to the tower, but I can tell you that some of us that were all done, hung around all afternoon just to watch that race. There were quite by the tower that did the same thing, I'm sure.
I've also been in the stands when that type of race was run, and at least half the folks were cheering for the 17 sec. FWD car.

I hope NHRA doesn't do something stupid with those cars.

They are as much a part of Stock Eliminator as the 100K factory ringers are.

Great job, Bill.

Re: Most exciting race of the weekend
 

Wow! Thanks everyone for all the kind words. Once again, I am glad that everyone enjoyed the race and my description of the race. A pair of jet cars ran immediately before my third round stock race and covered the track with diesel fuel. It took NHRA a while to clean up the mess, before stock could run. I was kind of hoping the wait might bother my competition and maybe work to my advantage. I was going to be the first pair of stockers to run and was waiting in my car, right by that gathering under the tower and I could see and hear that something very strange was going on regarding my pending race. I have been running that same car, for a long time and I have already heard every possible insult that anyone could possibly direct at me or the car. It has actually gotten way better than it was when I first started racing the car. I just figured that anyone that had the nerve to show up at a race with that car better be prepared to be insulted by those that think my car has no place in NHRA competition. It does not bother me at all. If it bothered me, I guess I would build a different car, rather than run that same car for so long! I am just having way too much fun racing that car and will probably keep driving it until NHRA takes the class away someday.

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What class does he race in? Iam guessing a puker.

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Dam I would love to been there for that one.

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I agree 100%!

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Congratulation to both racer Bill (the Turtle) O'connor and Drew (The Hare) Skillman for a great race, I'm sure that they both felt some presure. Aspen, give us a hint! seriously most pro-racer have never has run a sportsman deal anyways .Maybe Mark Yacavone will get the bug to race a Pontiac Sunbird to his next Wally. That is racing after all, race what you can afford.Claude