I walked over after sending Rachael to the lanes in the Belvedere, and looked down at the numbers scrawled on a piece of paper:
170----170 90-----30 30-----0 170----170
"Wow, that's pretty bad...", I stopped because I didn't know what else to say. "Yeah", Dale laughed, "she's pretty used up, so I put 175 on the first hit and 200 on the second...hopefully that will get her there."
Billy you are such a tease, you know we are all waiting for the "and then it......."
I'd love to tell you all about it Rod...but I do have a timeline to follow, you know!
As the Street Machine Eliminator session entered the second hour, the number of cars coming back for multiple time runs dwindled, while the pressure and anticipation rose for the drivers on the bubble. Jay Williams ran a solid 10.88-128 in his bright yellow 2013 ZL-1 Camaro to finish his week with a 10.75-132 Five day average, then promptly told his co-driver James (Billy's step-dad) that he was going to turn it in, and ask not to be included in the bracket race. "We finished the week, and I proved to myself I could do it, I don't need to bracket race, I did what I came to do!" James re-told the story in our pits shaking his head. "I don't understand it! We worked all week to secure the 13th qualifying spot...and he doesn't want to race!" "I've seen it time and time again James", I explained, "Street car guys are usually street car guys because they don't like to race!" "They love having a fast car, they enjoy driving it, making time runs in it, but they don't like competition...or they'd be racers", Dale added. "No biggie", Boone chimed in, "That leaves one more spot for one of those guys on the bubble that are out there beating on stuff just trying to squeak in the field."
That extra spot was quickly claimed by a long shot, who made up several spots to leapfrog into 31st on his third run. Michael LoCascio and his 08 Pontiac G8 went 11.30, and 11.17, but his third pass of 10.99 was the one he needed to overcome the 11.62 he turned in on day 1. Clark's 11.18 was good enough to slot him in the 30th spot, but he came back around for an insurance run, and improved to an 11.17-120. Burke's Pontiac LeMans used a last ditch effort, 3rd pass of the day 11.18-119, to finally move around Charlie Ogle for the 32nd spot. As Charlie alluded earlier, his stroker big block was going away, and the 72 Challenger was slowing every pass. He made his final pass of Drag Week 2016 beside his nephew Dillon, in Jason's 73 Barracuda. Dillon took the win 11.79-114 to 12.06-104. We had all been standing at the end of the bleachers watching, and we were fairly silent as the Barracuda and Challenger made their way into the shutdown area. "That was cool", Dale managed to get out, with his head turned away from us. "Yeah...it was", Boone added "Dillon represented Team Ogle quite well this week", I observed, and the brothers nodded in agreement. Rachael suddenly spun away from the track and announced she was going to make another run. "What for", I asked. "I'm here, the car is here, we have time left, and the lanes are empty", she shrugged and walked back towards the Belvedere.
"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks"
4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
