Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Good morning racers and fans -Welcome to the 37th annual PEP BOYS Nationals and believe it or not stacking started yesterday morning - early because the Dave Stine Memorial race was going on Friday,Saturday and today was rained out .As of last evening while the race still going on the lines were already six across and by now i'm sure more .BTW, a free CLASS RACER t-shirt to the first person to guess who is first in line .

Speaking of PEP BOYS my earliest memories of them was a small store in my hometown ( and on the 'wrong' side of town) that sold mostly used motor oil that had been re-refined, recapped tires and old batteries that were refurbished along with a small supply of parts .My- my- my have they come a long way since then .Today they have huge shops with many service bays along with trained techs that can fix modern cars and service them well and a parts dept that stocks many top name brands .All that plus they have been sponsoring the NHRA ALL-STAR CALLOUT this year.Manny,Moe and Jack would be pleased ! ! !

Many of you haven't been to Maple Grove since the Koresky family took over the reins and will be able to see the diff - much new paving - manicured very well and a great general appearance .

More to come ............Opps - one last thing --- it's Maple Grove and it's raining ! ! ! !

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Won't take much of a guess on my part to say Bob and Penny are number 1 !!

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Well, so much for my shot at a T-shirt!

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I'm with Tom on #1. Bob and Penny for sure.

Ken Kopecky

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

For those of you diesel guys who need fuel - on rt 222 south near Kutztown the Sheetz station on the left side has fuel for $4.49

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I'll guess my pal Dean Mowery is 1st in line. He said he was running the memorial race and then getting in line (and hopefully saving me a space for nats).

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I'll guess Kyle Koretsky.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Damn, guess I don't get to guess

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

No shirt for you!! :D

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Good morning to all,
My guess - Is it you Jack ?
Have Good Day and a Great Weekend!

Respectfully,
Henry Kunz 1534 H/SA

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

There's not a time I haven't seen Bender in line first! My money is on Bender!

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Yes, I was the promoter of the Dave Stine and about mid-afternoon a large darkness crossed over the track, and I looked into the field and noticed the eclipse of the "Fat Girl" had arrived in the field.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Any report on how wet it is out there? Hoping everything is dry by the time they start parking tomorrow.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Looking good

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I hope the Bender's hoist the Wally!

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Good morning - Parking started this AM - should have been at 8am but someone decided that 7:20 was close enough and a lot of folks looked like they were in the shower when it started .As for the parking there wasn't much direction - head out to where the cows hang out and park was pretty much the order of the day .The ground isn't too bad considering all the rain we had in the last few days - I don't see anyone getting stuck here during or after the event.

On the weather side it's pretty much a nice deal right now with it being in the low seventies and extra sunny and blue skies - can't ask for much more.

Later ........

PS- for those of you wondering it was Bob & Penny Bender who were first in line ! ! !

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

So it's a slow news day - get car out -clean it and charge the batteries then head to the scales - come back and fill the fuel and it's time for lunch.

In keeping with the free t-shirt theme look at the pic below ----what's missing??????

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Where is Bender?

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Hi Jack. How about the missing items are how you labeled the photo.......
"No garbage". There are no trash cans in sight either.
Good luck this weekend.
Good luck to all and be safe everyone.
Walt

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Walt - Because of my 'senior' moment you're a winner ........send someone over to me for your shirt .

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

No Puddles Of Water or that R_____ word ??
Is my guess.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Hi Jack. I'm a bit surprised about that. Lucky too. Please drop an xl tee-shirt off to Ally Doll or Al Smyth if they attend as I'm at home in Syracuse routing from a distance.
Thanks so much.
Walt

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Hey guys, we made it. Thanks Jack for getting this thread going. I pulled in around 1pm... no line The stacking area was empty, Dan and the parking crew did another bang up job... just like Indy. I did find a few cars out. I also did a video rolling into the track along with a ride through of the pits. It will be up later.

Tomorrow Stock is out first at 9am. We get 2 shots tomorrow and Stock goes into Class. Super Stock gets 3 qualifiers. The weather for this week looks great with highs in the upper 70's and no rain in the forecast.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

In Pittsburgh, is it right 4 hours to Maple Grove? What is happening Saturday morning?

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I see Indy SS winner Pete D'Agnolo is not attending Maple Grove in SS or Comp .. thought close to home would be there

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Good morning Kenny and to all,
Thank you for the ride!
i always felt Maple Grove Raceway was a beautiful race track, and it looks like the "New" owners have done a Bang Up job of keeping it that way.
Best of luck to all the competitors and safe racing to all.

Respectfully,
Henry Kunz 1534 H/SA

P.S. Thank You Jack for your great pictures.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I’m a few trailers down from Jack. First time here (or anywhere in D1 land) and it’s a cool place! If you’re 2 blocks from any entrance, you wouldn’t know there’s a track here.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Good morning all... its a little chilly, the weather numbers from my weather station are below. A few more photos from yesterday. It will be a busy day but I will do my best to get photos and hoping to get a in car camera video done later.

Temp 61
Humid 88%
Bar 29.58
DA 1316
Water Grains 71
Vapor Pressure .4756
Wind calm

Be back later...

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Hey guys, I know its late the in the day... its just been a hectic day. We had a oil down that took one hour to clean up. They had to go back a prep the track a few times after the oil down. Super Gas was running and they spinning down track... It was a bad oil down, or should I say Trans fluid oil down. A Super Gas car oiled almost the entire track when trans line broke. Stock was in the lanes at that time, over an hour sitting there.

I have videos and lots of photos, I will try to get them upload as soon as I can... please check back later.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Congrats on your class win Ken. And on top of a Indy class win to boot.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Is George Vignogna racing a 69 440 Barracuda OR a high compression 340 duster ?

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Duster...

Hey all, I'm so sorry for the lack of reports. What a crazy day. I do have lots of stuff to edit and upload, here are a few photos from Super Stock to hold you over until I can get this all done. Its gonna be a long night, so stay with us.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

George Vignogna , D/SA, 10.345 @ 125.38, -1.205, and he didn't need it. Maybe it felt too good to lift. Bless his heart, George is a good dude. Congratulations on your class win.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I'm sure he was trying to keep it tight but RT difference made it a little closer and tougher to judge.
Besides. That's why you build it fast.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

Stock Q2... more to come. I saw two cars go to the barn. Not sure what they were looking at. Bubba Linke and Joe Santangelo

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

I take it George V is running aluminum heads. Possibly hearing mineshaft
makes one forget about the 1.20 rule.

Paul

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

More Super Stock... in the lanes video coming up soon.

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals
 

More Stock Q2...

Re: Live from Reading,PA - NHRA PEP BOYS Nationals