NHRA Fastest 128 cars

[Ron Ortiz]

Wow Unbelievable. By the way what does the "F" in HF/SA stand for?
No further questions.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA look no "F"

[Jim Wahl]

Gotta agree with Ed on this one! The Buick is a slug!

No Ron the "F" isn't for Foster's, it's for "front" as in FWD.
Jim

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Chuck Beach

Yes you can get a $3500.00 car and go .5 under. Look at #10 qualifier, he drove it to the race on Saturday.

1 4 B/FIA Nick Folk, Durand IL, '99 Camaro 10.457 11.70 -1.243
2 1117 B/FIA Wayne Totaro, Baltimore MD, '02 Firebird 10.524 11.70 -1.176
3 3340 G/SA Chuck Beach, Delaware OH, '68 Barracuda 11.148 12.30 -1.152
4 3474 G/CM Bob Marshall, Columbus OH, '73 Dart 10.887 11.85 -0.963
5 1169 A/FIA Bo Kenney, Manassas VA, '01 Firebird 10.345 11.30 -0.955
6 1922 B/FIA Paul Cambria, Buffalo NY, '00 Camaro 10.745 11.70 -0.955
7 9510 I/CM Scott Macy, Randleman NC, '78 Volare 11.207 12.15 -0.943
8 3118 A/SA Jim Bailey, Mantua OH, '63 Dodge 330 10.433 11.35 -0.917
9 313 D/PS Jeff Ross, Barton OH, '72 Barracuda 12.187 13.10 -0.913

10 1145 HF/SA Wild Bill Collett, Grafton WV, '88 LeSabre 17.700 18.60 -0.900

11 5274 B/FI Brent Darroch, Monaca PA, '94 Camaro 10.757 11.65 -0.893
12 3473 G/CM Craig Marshall, Columbus OH, '73 Dart 10.972 11.85 -0.878
13 1 C/SA Anthony Bertozzi, Ashland VA, '69 Camaro 10.851 11.70 -0.849
14 2 I/CM Michael Beard, Seagrove NC, '80 Volare 11.312 12.15 -0.838
15 368 I/S Denny Hillman, Indianapolis IN, '67 Camaro 11.682 12.50 -0.818
16 3421 B/FIA Dick Kincaid, Canton OH, '98 Firebird 10.889 11.70 -0.811
17 1128 B/FIA Wallace Dent Jr., Charlotte Hall MD, '98 C 10.906 11.70 -0.794
18 1036 H/SA Kevin Anderson, New Oxford PA, '69 Camaro 11.714 12.45 -0.736
19 3423 G/SA Dan Velenosi, Stoney Creek ON, '68 Camaro 11.565 12.30 -0.735
20 1189 B/SA Wes McCracken, Williamsport PA, '70 Camaro 10.825 11.55 -0.725
21 7 B/CM Aaron Allison, Grand Blanc MI, '76 Vega 10.385 11.10 -0.715
22 1676 G/FIA Mick Klacik, Monaca PA, '87 Mustang 12.443 13.15 -0.707
23 113 C/SA John Leach, Baltimore MD, '69 Roadrunner 11.021 11.70 -0.679
24 116 H/CM Terry Knott, Butler PA, '73 Dart 11.328 12.00 -0.672
25 338 A/CM Alex Miller, Mansfield OH, '68 Camaro 10.286 10.95 -0.664
26 504 H/FIA David Mercer, Benton IL, '89 Mustang 12.788 13.45 -0.662
27 5043 C/PS Kim Gallagher, Rillton Pa, '71 Demon 12.137 12.75 -0.613
28 3425 H/FIA Steve Klacik, Aliquippa PA, '88 Mustang 12.845 13.45 -0.605
29 105 J/SA Mike Gardner, Catlett VA, '85 Camaro 12.152 12.75 -0.598
30 1442 F/SA Mark Capellupo, Penfield NY, '70 4-4-2 11.558 12.15 -0.592
31 1029 J/S Jim Henderson, Pittsburgh PA, '65 Malibu 12.089 12.65 -0.561
32 1723 H/SA Randy Butter, Pittsburgh PA, '69 Camaro 11.892 12.45 -0.558
33 312 A/FCM Zac Ross, Barton OH, '00 Avenger 11.028 11.55 -0.522
34 1045 S/GTB Jeffrey Gardiner, Waldorf MD, '86 Cutlass 11.129 11.65 -0.521
35 1416 D/SA Bart Kilraine, Carrolltown PA, '69 Cougar 11.378 11.85 -0.472
36 1366 H/CM Eddie Bolton, Mechanicsville MD, '73 Dart 11.570 12.00 -0.430
37 1010 E/CM Anthony Platania, Rochester NY, '69 Nova 11.127 11.55 -0.423
38 3972 S/GTF Bob Shieff, Chardon OH, '80 Aspen 12.450 12.85 -0.400
39 1648 F/CM Mike Hayek, W. Seneca NY, '79 Malibu Wgn 11.321 11.70 -0.379
40 399 I/CM Lindell Hilling, Troy IL, '55 Bel Air 11.790 12.15 -0.360
41 1529 K/CM Chris Bowman, Grafton WV, '84 Mustang 12.191 12.45 -0.259
42 3438 AA/SA Harley Day, Dellroy OH, '64 Savoy 10.904 11.15 -0.246
43 956 E/FIA Danny Waters Jr., LaGrange NC, '90 Camaro 12.377 12.60 -0.223
44 1112 A/SA Britt Mizia, Carnegie PA, '63 Savoy 11.148 11.35 -0.202
45 360 S/GTE Laverne Eberst, Chardon OH, '80 Volare 12.307 12.50 -0.193
46 1551 A/PS Phil Baldacchino, Hammersley Fork PA, '63 11.912 12.05 -0.138
47 3377 I/SA Joe Marcinowski, N. Royalton OH, '78 Camaro12.464 12.60 -0.136
48 1695 E/CM Dave Erny, Alden NY, '67 Camaro 11.415 11.55 -0.135
49 1059 D/S Terry Confer, Mill Hall PA, '67 Camaro 11.670 11.80 -0.130
50 1882 R/SA Jason Weaver, Saxton PA, '72 Nova 14.274 14.35 -0.076
51 9 D/CM Mike Leopold, Indianapolis IN, '69 Chevelle11.387 11.40 -0.013
52 1417 H/SA Chris Kilraine, Carrolltown PA, '67 Fairla 12.441 12.45 -0.009
53 488B AA/SA Luke Bogacki, Woodville AL, '68 Nova 11.234 11.15 0.084
54 1504 D/CM George Yago, Pittsburgh PA, '86 Camaro 14.434 11.40 3.034
55 1722 A/FIA Paula Cambria, Clarence NY, '94 Camaro 28.000 11.30 16.700

Great job Wild Bill, hope to see your Hemi back at the track soon !!!

Chuck, Glad you brought that up . The only motor in a LeSabre is the 231/155 or 170 V6, according to the NHRA books.

What's the HF/SA break in IHRA? 27.5?
It would have to weigh almost 4500#.

Now I hear he drove it in off the street?

Something's wrong with this picture.

Somebody please enlighten me

[Tim Kish]

What about the suggestion that ONLY class winners should get to run eliminations like the old days. That would make it real class racing, everyone would have to run their A-game regardless of individual class factoring as I know there are combos that in "bracket mode" could still run 1-under consistently while other combos have to be running a quart low and iced to run .8 under in good air (not Indy!!) - those are the guys getting screwed by this rule change. If you want a bracket race go to a bracket race, if you want to earn the right to run for eliminator you should win class. You'd see more diversity of classes than we do know but of course the ultimate down side would probably come down to cubic dollars but that is unavoidable. Added bonus for NHRA - there be fewer cars first round. As it is now most people agree that a faster car has an advantage, hence you see more running. With a few phone calls you and build and A/B/C car that will run 1-under with little/no ingenuity, just a checkbook. That isn't what class racing was built on either.

Now that also brings back performance into the whole equation - the National champion wouldn't just be a really good bracket racer that can afford to travel, he'd have to have one of the baddest cars in the land too because you don't get points if you can't make the show.

The real question to everyone is how much money do you want to spend to race a class car.

The timing of this change is bad as it really only affects Indy and it's marginal that guys that may only have a .6-.8 under car in a lower class can do anything to pick up 3-4 tenths in 6 weeks.

.

[Jack Matyas]

All of this may be a moot point -- just looked at Indy entry list -- 56 entered out of 180 that they are willing to take -- even with the fact that only 128 will make it into the field -- it sure doesn't seem the quota will be met -- tommorow grade 4 opens up -- everyone who bitched (opps) that they couldn't get in the field this should be a great opportunity for you..............Sure doesn't look like it will take -86 to qualify this year ! !

[Jim Wahl]

Jack, I have an answer for that also. Next year the rule will be changed to a 64 car field. Then what has this accomplished? Mr. Kish has hit the nail on the head. Only class winners should race at Indy! Can you imagine what the competition would be like? I bet you would find more cars filtering down into the lower classes, even down into the FWD classes. No more qualifying games some of the "pro" sportsman racers are so good at. This BS of qualifying at the bottom of the field and then remarkably picking up .4 or .5 when needed in the eliminator would be gone! Then you could call it RACING again! Jim

[Jim Wahl]

Amen Ed, amen. Jim

[Jack Matyas]

Jim-- You have some very valid points but do you know something the rest of us don't -- 1) do you have positive knowledge of a 64 car field coming ? 2) Are there going to be more FWD cars coming next year? The front wheel drive classes have been around a very long time and the numbers are dwindling every year so what makes you think there's going to be a comeback ? Listening to your theory every FWD racer in the country should be signing up for Indy -- it could be their last chance to qualify .

PS -- Just to keep the record straight I'd be OK with only class winners in the eliminator - ( yes , even with FWD cars) - but it will never happen . BTW , the "Pro" sportsman qualifing at bottom affects you how? And they can't do that at Indy -- they would never get in the field ! ! !

[Jim Wahl]

Jack, my friend ( I say that even though I have never met you, but hope to one day)__1) the only thing I know is "***** happens". But, you can't tell me that a 64 car field will not happen can you? Hell, none of us saw this last rule coming or even got an idea it was being talked about!__2) You missed my point on this one. What I meant was with only class winners able to run in the eliminator there would be more guys scrambling to get into those "easy" FWD classes so they would be a class winner. There wouldn't be 7 A/SA cars and 5 B/SA and 6 C/SA cars in the eliminator anymore! Only one, the baddest dog in the class, would be left. Make it a 64 car field and you will see a comeback in FWD. As much as some people dislike the FWD cars, there are really only a handful in the country that are capable of bumping the 100 or so Camaro, Firebird or Mustang combos out of the #1 qualifying slot, and yet we are looked at with such rebuke it makes me sick. There has been only ONE FWD car win a major race in the history of NHRA, ask Mark Yakavone how easy that was to accomplish.
How does game playing affect me? It affects me and everyone else who qualifies by giving me Biondo, Bertozzi, Fletcher, (insert name here) in the 1st round instead of the final! I'm at a loss to understand how this last rule did anything but insert more F bodies into the show? Somebody clear it up for me, please!

[Dick Butler]

Jim Wahl, I understand some of your thoughts about only class winners in Eliminator.How did you get to 64 cars in eliminator. What do you see happening to all the rest of the classes? Consolidated? That is where more racing could come from for Class but I mean no disrespect when I say not many feel racing a fwd car is their deal. It was created to give opportunity but never caught on just as SS/X and XA were not popular enough to draw a following. If winning class became THE game again recognized by NHRA you would see Killer Class racing day and Spectators and sponsors return.. The popularity of a FWD car would not suddenly increase in the eyes of RWD racers..It is a special interest car... I have been wrong before...