|
October 10, 2008, Rockingham Dragway - When the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) started qualifying today at Rockingham Dragway; the talk around the pits was the track was going to be fast this weekend. Fast indeed.
Twenty-One Screamin’ Eagle Top Fuel bikes took the track in the evening qualifying session and with a full six-second field already on the charts, Tak Shigematsu of Ehime, Japan pulled in the box for his opening pass. And on a pass that was picture-perfect from the start, the scoreboards told the remarkable story- 6.150 at 223.84mph!
Shigematsu and his crew chief, Don Johnson, stated earlier in the day that they planned to go for a 6.18 or 6.19 on the well-prepped quarter-mile dragstrip and the conditions were in their favor for the history-making prediction.
Afterwards, Shigematsu was wearing an unstoppable smile. “Unbelievable”, said Shigematsu. “I knew I was going real fast”, he added.
Johnson said that the problems the bike had encountered earlier in the season that kept them from making the field in Oregon and put them out in the first round in Virginia turned out to be bad clutch springs.
“There $2 parts”, Johnson remarked. “We changed them out, and ran a 6.30 in the Outlaw field that day in Virginia. Then we bring it out here and there you have it-6.15”.
Shigematsu spoke up and said with a big laugh, “Yes, it cost him $5, but it cost me $10,000!”
Shigematsu’s record will have to be backed up during the weekend to stand in the record books. AHDRA rules require the run to be backed up by one percent of the number.
The record heading into Rockingham was a 6.236, set by Doug Vancil at Rockingham Dragway in 2006.
Vancil, of Albuquerque, NM stood in the box ready to fire his own bike as he watched Shigematsu blaze down the track and he reacted with great excitement to see the teen’s strike in AHDRA Top Fuel competition.
And then Vancil would answer with yet another record breaking score-6.224 at 232.95, bettering his own E.T. number from 2006 and breaking the current MPH record (230.17) that was set by Shigematsu in April of this year.
With that, both Vancil and Shigematsu will be in a race not only to back up the national record numbers, but looking to move themselves into the lead spot in the National Championship chase that will be decided on Sunday at Rockingham Dragway.
Six riders are vying for the title. Steve Dorn of Gladstone, OR leads the standings. His 6.54 at 215mph put him in the No. 8 qualifying spot today. Mark Conner, of St. Louis, MO is in second place in the standings and after problems in today’s opener, he is not yet in the field. Vancil is in the third spot in the standings, followed by Phil Schmidt of Orangevale, CA (No. 4 qualifier today with a 6.40/211mph) and Shigematsu is in the fifth spot. Sixth place contender, Joey Sternotti, of Blackwood, NJ took the No. 3 spot today with an impressive 6.28 at 222mph on the Ray Price Top Fuel ride.
This line-up could all change in six-seconds, as there are still two qualifying sessions to go tomorrow, followed by Sunday’s elimination’s.
AHDRA officials report that over 300 competitors have entered the competition at the Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts National’s Presented by Kresto at Rockingham Dragway. Competition starts tomorrow at 9:00am.
For more information on the Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts Nationals Presented by Kresto visit www.ahdra.com. Live Updates from this weekend’s action are also available on the website at http://www.ahdra.com/liveupdate.html.
Schedule of Events:
Saturday, Oct. 11th
9:00am -Qualifying begins for Sportsman
11:00am-Qualifying begins for Pros
(2 rounds of qualifying for all classes)
5:00pm - Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts Shootout
One time trial round immediately followed by eliminations.
Sunday, Oct. 12th
9:00am - Sportsman Eliminations
12:15pm - Opening Ceremonies
12:30pm - Pro Eliminations begin
|
