You would have to get in line... First would be his wife, then kids, then his trusted hard working trunk monkey.

Happy B-Day... trunk monkey

Yes, happy birthday to the Trunk Munk Extraordinaire! He kind of looks like David Spade with a haircut, doesn't he?

Swab and deboner... LOL

Sometime after noon, it became just warm enough to be uncomfortable sitting in the car looking at my eyelids, so I decided to stretch my legs, do some socializing, and check out the competition.
Glenn Bridger was back with his red 68 Camaro, and it was detailed to the nines, looking fantastic. We had battled last year for 2nd/3rd in Pro Street/NA, and he covered the Valiant and I by a few hundredths.
"Same class this year?" He asked me as he shook my hand with a big smile.
"No,I decided I wanted to spray it this year, so I'm jumping to Modified PA", I explained.
"Geez", he expounded with a surprised look on his face, "you better have a whole bunch of nitrous to play with those guys!"
"I can't possibly hang with all those turbo cars, and big blocks! I just want to go as fast as I can, and lay down some good numbers. What about you, any changes to the car?"
"No, exact same combination, just washed it off and brought it back", he replied.
"It looks awesome today!"
"Believe it or not, it looked this good on Registration Day last year too...by day three, not so much!"

I moved away, and headed towards a white Duster which had already finished the registration process and had a "D" on the windshield signifying it was a Pro Street NA competitor as well. One constant in Drag Week has been that if you stand still with your combination, and don't make improvements, you are backing up, I felt if I battled it out with Glenn again in the 10.50 range, we would be fighting for 5th/6th this year, even with the pair of 8 second monsters who had owned the class not in attendance. Jeff Atkinson had returned with the old yellow CARS Camaro, and that car ran easy 9.50's last year before bowing out because his buddy Jon Wischmann broke on Day 1. Both Jeff and Jon looked ready to put 2015 behind them, and Jon is a four time finisher, so I had no doubt they would make a full pull this year.

The white 70 Duster was beautiful, everything Dale had always dreamed the Ruster Duster would be when he was a kid. I chuckled at myself, "probably still wishes it had turned out this good". I looked over almost involuntarily to where Dale, little Billy, Boone, and Pops were working on the Ruster Duster. They had pushed it to the back of the line, and had the canopy draped over the front of the car. Darren and new girlfriend Sherri had his Silver Ram behind them in line, using it as an oversized jump box and tool bin. My eyes went back to the white Duster in front of me; big wheelie bars, parachute, aluminum wing, lift off 'glass trunk lid with a gas filler flap in the middle of it, steamrollers on bead lock wheels, 512 Wedge call out on the black six-pack hood and the fancy enclosed trailer it was set up to tow along. No way anything we brought could measure up to the quality of this car.

The thing to remember is that the experience is the the opportunity for both. $$ don't matter.

Many people who may read my stories or casually watch Drag Week as it unfolds may think it's roughly the same group of people and cars year after year, but the cold hard numbers tell a different story completely.

Over the past five events, we've averaged about 40% new entries every single year. Also, about 11% of the old competitors, show up with new rides every single year, so there is always plenty of new hardware to check out, and new people to meet on registration day!


2012-187 total entries 82 rookies
2013-230 total entries 93 rookies
2014-307 total entries 146 rookies
2015-305 total entries 118 rookies
2016-356 total entries 156 rookies

Think about that, they had 50 more cars to process this year, and 156 of them had never been through this gauntlet before!

The excitement I felt checking out Scott Hendrix's White Duster, reminded me of how I was last year when I first saw Terry Keifer's Bronze 67 Barracuda at St. Louis. Terry, and the fast back fish were back for another try, but even from across the parking lot something was clearly different. In 2015 Terry was running a single turbo through a carb on the 440, with the exhaust exiting just behind the driver's side front tire. This year the typical fender well exit headers with exhaust running just under the rocker panels that have been a dead giveaway of big block powered A-bodies for decades, were clearly visible under the 67.
"Terry, Terry, Terry! What have you done?" I thought to myself, as I spun away from the Duster and headed for the barracuda with the hood up. My jaw dropped, as I realized all the turbo stuff was long gone, replaced with a plate nitrous system!

top: 2015 turbo
Bottom: 2016 N20

That's great information, I kind of thought it was always the same group of drivers ever year. I really want to get a car together and run it this year if I can get entered...looks like it would be a good time.

Like a diamond set against a field of rubies and sapphires, the shiny natural aluminum body on Derek Mueller's 4wd 77 Toyota Land Cruiser was also demanding attention. I gave a cursory look, expecting to see yet another turbo LS, and was pleasantly surprised to find a nitrous assisted small block Mopar sitting between the gleaming fenders. Truly an amazing, out of the norm build that Drag Week is famous for.

Much like Mike and Lane Sporrong did in previous years with their Silverado "Pre-Runner". Derek and his co-driver were doing the full on 4 wheel switch-over every day, pulling off a big ole' set of off-road mudders to swap on front runners and slicks! My back stated hurting just contemplating the thought of doing that twice a day.

I was relishing the opportunity to finally see James Pranis'(572charger, Moparts) bad 68 Hemi Charger, having admired it on this site, and the pages of magazines for years. I have to say the car doesn't disappoint close up and in person! It has roughly the same effect on people as the Terminator walking through a police station with dark shades, black leather jacket, and sawed off shotgun!
I was walking around the B body, taking in the sheer brute force of it all when the sound of Dad's voice shook me from my reverie.
"I've got to run into town for some parts, you need anything"? He asked, holding something with wires hanging down in his right hand.
"No, not that I can think of, but what is that?" I gestured towards his hand.
He turned it palm up, and opened his fingers to reveal a broken turn signal switch.
"Came out of the Duster, Dale called around and found one, so I'm going after it", he explained.
"How did he get the steering wheel off?" I shook my head in disbelief.
"Borrowed a puller from either Jesse or Squirrel, I'm not sure which", Dad smiled.
I had to chuckle, "Yeah, those would have been the first two guys I'd have asked, for sure!"

Notable among the Mopar entries were the pair of twin turbo wedges, which have already proven their seven second mettle on previous Drag Weeks, the Canadian based 72 Swinger of Matt Blasco, and the Australian based 72 Valiant Charger of John Faraone. While the contrast in their cars, and personalities is readily evident, both seem to share a yearning to constantly push their rides to the limit in search of another tenth, or a couple more mph! This would be Matt's second attempt at Drag Week, and John's fourth, should they make the full tour, one of these two would be the quickest Mopar of DW 2016.

heh...that was me....

"There are walls made of paper, and walls made of stone. And some that are made out of livin' alone" is the first line of a song by the Steeldrivers. I sat back in the Valiant and looked at my NHRA tech card, and my Drag Week entry sheet with pen in hand, and rubbed my eyes. I had no intention of letting a wall of paper stand between me and my dream of a nine second Drag Week. The car was legal, cert was in place, as well as all required safety equipment, and I was a licensed driver...emphasis on the was. When I renewed my license in 2014 I had dropped the 7.50 portion because I didn't want to go take a physical (a requirement they have since dropped), and since the plan was a 10.00 street car, I just renewed my competition numbers and let the 4b code go. I would run the 6 passes and renew it once I returned to Phoenix, but I needed to get through tech today with a green light to 8.50.
Dale had just renewed his, and had a temporary sheet from NHRA, because their license printer was down and they were a month or more behind on printing new licenses. I decided to list him as driver and carry his sheet through tech, figuring they were going to be looking at those temp sheets all day long.. I practiced spacing the letters of "Dale" out enough to cover it over with "Billy" after the fact, and once I had it down I wrote Dale on the driver line as lightly as I could. I knew they would give the tech card back, so writing over it would be easy, still I was worried about getting a hold of the white Drag Week sheet again.

I saw that Ray (sixpackgut, Moparts) and the "Black Pearl" Barracuda had cleared tech, so I went over to see how it went for him. Like me, he intended to run nines this year, and while his paperwork was all in order, there had been a few minor things that didn't meet the letter of the law on the car. Ray is not as versed in such subterfuge as I am, so I had given him a few tips to make sure these infractions went undetected.
"Are you good to run as fast as you want?" I asked as we exchanged greetings.
"Yeah, I'm good to 8.50! You need to come over and pick up all that nitrous stuff you bought from me though, since I'm in an N/A class, it doesn't look good having two bottles in my pit!"
I had answered a facebook ad months earlier, and purchased much of Ray's N20 parts inventory, but we agreed to save on shipping and just have him bring the stuff to Drag Week.
"Cool, I'll do that, I'm just glad you reminded me the other day, as I had already forgot about it!"
Conversing with Ray always puts a smile on my face, even after the long trip. He just exudes enthusiasm, and it seems contagious, I headed back to the Valiant with a little more pep than I had earlier.

I moved the Valiant another 60 feet up in the line while I filled out my paperwork then decided to check with the brothers. They were still stringing wire throughout the Duster, with no end in sight.
"You gaining on it?" I questioned Dale and Boone, who were hanging out around the trunk.
"Taillights work, and the turn signals. Just finished putting the ends on all the battery cables." Boone explained as he handed Dale a couple more butt connectors.
"Did we get the brake lights, Boone?" Dale looked up as if clearing a checklist in his head.
"Yeah, just had to fiddle with switch on the pedal a bit."
"Ok, what do we need to move forward in the car? I want to finish out the trunk and be done with this part."
They looked pretty hammered by this point, and I moved on, not wanting to hold them up. I checked on Rachael, and explained to her that Darren would have to be with her when she went through tech, since we were using his entry.
"They will probably list him in the results", I explained.
"I don't care about that", She smiled. "Just as long as I get to make passes on all five days, I'll be happy!"
Well...at least one of us was going into this with the right attitude!

It was 4:15pm by the time I finally approached the head of the lanes, where Keith Turk was standing with the go/no go tire gauge, and directing people from the two lanes we had been in all day to the four lanes of cars in tech.
Just as I pulled up, he handed the gauge to Hemi Joel, and decided to take a break. I had no qualms about trying to influence Keith into putting me in one of the left two lanes, heck I may have even bribed him with a cold diet Coke, but I didn't feel comfortable trying to use my friendship with Joel to my advantage; in the words of Doc in Tombstone, "My hypocrisy only goes so far"!

He directed me into the right lane, behind his buddy Jay Brown in the 69 Shelby Mustang. This meant I would be teched by the gal who wasn't giving the drivers back the white sheet...not an ideal situation for me. I staged all my safety equipment on the passenger's side seat and floorboard, then sat the temp license on the tunnel facing that door. This meant if she wanted to examine it closely, she would have to reach past everything else to pick it up. I made it through the gauntlet of volunteers checking lights, horn, brake lights and signals with no problems, then pulled up to the NHRA tech official.
I felt sorry for her as soon as I handed her my paperwork. She had been teching cars for eight hours staight, and looked worn to a frazzle.
She checked the seat belts on the drivers side then made her way to the passenger's side. I stayed on the drivers side, and pointed out the cert, all my equipment, pulled back the padding to reveal the Snell rating on my helmet, and mentioned the temp license.
"Ok", she muttered then straightened her back slowly as if it pained her and set the clipboard on top of the Valiant. I watched as she signed me off for 8.50, then she handed back the yellow tech card, and put the white Drag Week sheet on her clipboard with a few others.

I pulled the car around out of line after my numbers were installed, and my registration/insurance info had been checked off by Tonya Turk and crew. I gathered up my banner, t-shirt, and goodie bag, then went and got Dad so he could sign up as co-driver, and get his arm band that would gain him access to each track, and the starting line area.
It was 5:30pm by the time I parked back in our pit area. Rachael was entering the tech area with Darren in the Belvedere, but Boone and Dale were still a good 30 cars back as the shadows began to grow long.
"This registration process is going to take more than twelve hours to complete!" I shook my head as I looked at Dad.
"Yeah, and they will still be working on the Duster when it drives under the canopy to get looked at!" he laughed.

Now through all the years I can't remember if you guys have actually done this - but it seems like a real missed opportunity to not save a bunch of the stuff that could be done inside the car for the trip and have someone ride IN the car ON the trailer doing dash wiring, gauge install, heck maybe even ride in the trunk and do that light harness stuff....

Billy, you over-estimated me. I could have been easily bought off with something cold from the snack bar.

Oh-oh. He's got the finger out. Now you're in trouble.

Jeremy,
It hasn't happened on Drag Week, but Dale has spent time rebuilding a Glide in the trailer on the way to a SST Divisional race back in the day!

Joel,
I figured you were the "by the book" guy, and Jeff was the outlaw...

For us, Sunday was a 14 hour ordeal of trying to get our four cars through tech and registration. I have tons of pics that share the story of two hundred cars sitting in the parking lot for an eight hour car show. For the lucky few who actually show up on time, prepared, and happen to be in the first hundred through tech, there also happens to be a Sunday Test and Tune.

Over the years, I've become quite jaded about the Sunday test and tune as it has become famous for the Drag Week ending engine and/or transmission failures that it has produced. Most memorable, but much less frequent are the wall slapping incidents that really put the screws to the unlucky participant's vacation plans!
2016's opening session was no different, with one very bad crash from a very unlikely source.

Jeff Pagano was bringing his 70 El-Camino back for it's third Drag Week. The big tire, ladder bar car has always ran Pro Street N/A, completing 2014 with a 12.54 average, and improved to a 12.03 average in 2015 with a best run of 11.73. He had stepped up his engine program for 2016, and was hoping to move into the tens. Still when you think of the cars most likely to get out of control on the big end, a high ten second, N/A, big tire car isn't the usual suspect.

While I was not even remotely focused on the test and tune cars, when you've spent as many days at the races as I have, you become accustomed to the sounds of sets going down the track. When that sound is interrupted by relative silence for a few minutes, the spidey sense goes off and you start looking around to see what has happened. Worst case is when you see emergency vehicles converging from both directions towards the finish line.

Reports circulated later in the evening that the diagonal link had failed or came loose as the car approached the finish line, causing him to lose control and contact both walls. Jeff was taken to a local hospital for observation, but was later released. As the owner of a ladder bar street car, I can attest that those parts take a ton of abuse, and I have been guilty of not checking mine over as often as I should, so this incident served as a grim reminder of what can happen.