First Divisional or National event stories

[Justin Graham]

ONLY because I saw Adam Strang! post a comment I had to share this. I snapped this pic at the '19 AutoClub Finals.

I really wish budgets would make it possible to see more racers make cross country trips.

[ALMACK]

My first event in NHRA Stock was a National Open in May 2013.

I bought my '86 T-Bird Turbo Coupe in Dec. 2012 from Marty Buth ( turnkey)

I agreed to pay him his asking price in exchange he would help me thru tech teardown when I attempted to set the National Record in Q/SA the following May at the 2013 Sportsnationals. He kept his word and showed up at Bowling Green the day before.

The pics below are of the very first pass I ever made in the T-Bird class racing it. ( 2 photographers)
This was after 30 years of waiting to race with NHRA.

The T-Bird ran it's quickest pass ever at that weight.( 3290 lbs) 12.36 on a 13.80 index.
So I went 1.438 under and was the # 2 qualifier for the event on my first pass.

The backup run was 12.5x so it set the record and the car passed tech just like Marty said it would.

For me it was a great experience after waiting 30 years.

Within a 30 month span from May 2013-Oct. 2015, the T-Bird set 8 national records for both e.t. and mph and in May 2014 became the first 4 cylinder Stocker to run in the 11.80's





The car