20 minutes later, with 25 minutes officially left in the "class cars" session, I idled around in the lanes for another shot. While the DD cars had already began filling thier lanes, there was only a few cars in ours, and none appeared ready to make a run. I clicked off the Valiant, zipped up my jacket, and with the door open, started putting on my belts. The lane director, a tiny lady easily in her seventys or eightys, with the brightest red lipstick I've ever seen, stuck her head between me and the door and said, "You can go when you are ready, and you can pick your lane!"
I let that proclamation settle in for a second, smiled and said, "Absolutely perfect! Thank you!" I thought to myself, other than possibly "You've got a single into the next round", that's the best thing a lane director has ever told me!
I drove into the right lane water box, did my burnout, and staged on a single. I failed to bring the RPM up anywhere near what I usually do, and it resulted in a lackluster launch, and I motored through with an 11.44-114.8. I was frustrated with myself for taking 3 shots and not getting a perfect run, but I also saw no need to keep beating on it when we were just one day from the end, and even a half-second gain wouldn't help my position. I had checked out the mystery camaro that was on my heels and it was a no-bar car, so anything sub 11.50 would keep him in 3rd, so second place was safe, and it was time to get back to Tulsa and finish this thing.