First pass
When I stopped in the lanes, Boone was about 7 cars ahead of me, and seemed much calmer at this point, after some small talk, I started back toward the Valiant, and noticed oil dripping in the area of the filter, the filter adapter has given me trouble in the past. I thought, "just do an easy burnout, stage quickly, and get a run in...then we can look into it".
Boone did a quick, efficent burnout, and staged. he launched, then grabbed the nitrous at about 30ft out. When he did, the driver's front rolled up noticeably, and the back walked out toward the wall, 2nd gear, and a steering correction sent him back toward the centerline, then it just started a slow walk in the tailend, "Geez Boone, you don't have nearly enough air in those slicks" I thought. I heard him lift off the nitrous for a second as he shifted to third, gather the big B-body, then hit it again.
12.146-112.02. Freiburger had announced at the driver's meeting that we had 100 Daily Driver Class cars, but I thought that number would be good for the quick 32!!
I tightened the belts and pulled in the water, just a quick run-up to 6 Grand in 2nd then walked up to the line. Set the transbrake, but only went about 3/4 throttle, hedging my bet a little. When I let go the drag radials went up in smoke, no attempt at traction at all, the back washed out towards the wall, I lifted to half throttle and steered into it, then nailed it, I was already at 6 grand with the low gear set, and the ignition was breaking up terribly, so I instinctively hit 2nd. The car started pulling hard, but the body staring oscillating from side to side, hitting drive made it worse...you didn't feel it in the wheel, but the rear end was getting worse. I leveled out my speed and just prayed for the finish line to finally get there. 13.472-101.54...I was devestated, simply embarrassing..disgusting!! I walked over and talked to a few guys with Drag Radial experience, trying to comprehend what just happened. Went over and talked to Dale, "This is gonna be a horrible Drag Week, If this the way it's going to go", I lamented.
"No", he said, looking out from under his hood, "this is a minor setback", "that..." he stretched out his right hand, and my eyes followed his index finger toward the oncoming roll-back, perched on the bed was the beautifull Orange Fox body Mustang that was only moments earlier, behind me in the staging lanes, "is a horrible Drag Week"!!! The Mustang was crumpled on a least 3 corners..kinda changes ones perpective real quick.
Scott Abbot rolled up to our pits in his Orange/primer/body work 70 Road Runner, introduced himself as a Moparts member, complimented our trio of Mopars, then said, "What the heck is the deal with all the nitrous?? Haven't you heard of motor-only??"
"Sure Scott, but we're just trying to get in the show"! "Hows your 70 running?"
"Couldn't turn the first pass in...no roll bar, slowed it down to an 11.56", he said as he lifted the hood. The engine was a sea of turquoise, which tried to deceive the unwashed masses...we were duly impressed...with the E.T, and the workmanship.
Shortly afterwards, Dale grabbed his horn button, and the engine RPM jumped on his idling smogger, "Hehe, I'm ready".
He went to the line with about 30 minutes left in the session...12.86-106.8, with black smoke trailing. Back in the pits, "Need more nitrous jet", he surmised, his second pass as time was running out on our day was with 73 Squared in the Plate, 30 degrees timing, and 91 in the tank. 12.66-106.29.
"Our work is done here boys, let's load em up". No sooner had Dale spoke those words than a rental car started heading to our pits at a high rate of speed. Keith Turk stepped out with "naughty list" in hand and my heart sank.
"Boys, we get these issues taken care of.." he started. "Well, we are still working on wiring"...I stammered. "YOU GOTTA BE S***'in me", he was ready to attack. Dale quickly flanked him, "you mean the taillights? Heck yeah we got em' fixed!!"
"Well..my paper says taillight issues..."
"No Problem! this baby is ready to roll", Boone came up from the other side.
This wasn't the tech barn, this was our pits, 4 on 1, I started to feel we might pull this off..
Keith walked to the back of the car, we showed him the taillights, then the blinkers. "I didn't see the left one" he said. Darren stepped up and cupped his hands around it, "See there it's on!!"
He turned his attention to Dale's Satellite, "What about your lights"?
"I showed 'em to you the 2nd time yesterday and they worked, remember"?
"Show me again!!" As he put Dale through the test, he commented, "Did you know there is a difference between a Satellite, and a Road Runner??
"Goodness Keith, you didn't make THAT mistake!"
"Yeah, I didn't know, I went up to that guy with the 68 RoadRunner, and told him I had his Satellite on my list...and he went off on me!!"
We all laughed, "Mopar guys are sensitive"!
"You know Keith", I went on, "We had these cars fixed earlier today, and I told Dale we needed to find you, and he said let him chase us down!!"
"All you Drag racers are the same", he started in on a profanity laced tirade, "cheatinest suckers I've ever seen, We don't cheat in Land Speed racing, and we don't call people out, but you drag racers can't be trusted"
As he drove away, Dale crossed his arms and smiled, "Guess we don't have to chase down those brake lights now."

One more hurdle, then we were faced with the task of loading up everything we'd hastily tossed out of the truck that morning. Boone's Belvedere has 5 leaf springs that are basically shot, so his 245/50/16's will rub at the slightest inkling of weight thrown in. His own slicks and a few light bulky items, and it was loaded. The Valiant has a fuel cell, 2 batteries, and a bottle in the trunk..no back seat makes room for bags and other items, but a truck it isn't. Dale's Satellite has massive HD leafs, and the 235/70/15s don't come close to rubbing..2 floor jacks, the generator, power tools, jack stands, bolt bins, 2 sets of jack stands...poor thing had to be over 5000 lbs., with the slippiest converter of the group..this was going to be an interesting trip!!
We headed under the roadcourse tunnel, out to the open road, and shot this picture...