With the two cleanups factored in, it took thirty-five minutes for the last twenty-nine cars to clear the lanes. As soon as that session ended they brought the group the Valiant was parked with in the pre-staging area up to fill the two lanes vacated.
I had just pulled up and shut off as Brian Lohnes explained what was going on while the Cordova crew gave the first 100 feet of the track another quick prep job.
It was just after 1 pm, so he announced that the final session "would be an hour or so". I looked back at the lanes from my position beside Boone in the Duster and laughed. "We'll be running cars for more than an hour if they shut off the back of the lanes right now!"
"Yeah", Boone agreed as he tossed his hands up, "but they have time for Lutz to make another no time, 1/8th mile exhibition pass!"
Boone's frustration was shared by many in the lanes; if you included Sunday's registration, some of us had spent thirteen hours in various lines at and around Cordova Dragway without so much as a sniff at the track, and many were openly questioning whether 400 cars was just too much for this kind of event.
"One and done for you?"
"As long as it throws a nine on the board", Boone agreed as he pulled on his helmet.
I stood behind the Ruster Duster as it jumped up on the super stock springs first, lifted the driver's side front tire second, then drove out of the groove to the right third, all in the first sixty feet.
"Hard to run nines when it leaves like an eleven second car", I thought to myself as Boone brought the A-body back in the middle of his lane at the 1-2 shift. The 512 sounded great until just after a thousand foot then started breaking up a bit as he went into the traps. 10.01-137.2 was not going to make him happy, so I knew he'd be back in line as soon as possible.
25 cars later Scott Abbott's Millenium headed Hemi powered 67 Belvedere made a second pass, and the 10.50-132.7 hit was deemed a good starting point for his 2017 Drag Week. Rick was in the very next pair with his green Swinger, but more oil on the track prompted another twelve minute mop job, and a 12.60 at only 94 meant he would be hustling back around for a third try.