As I've said before, with the series of deadlines that Drag Week throws at you, there isn't much time to champion your victories, before your attention must be firmly affixed to the next one in line. Darren tried unsuccessfully in Tulsa and Topeka to get his huge ET Streets balanced, and the vibration was driving him crazy, so as soon as his slip was turned in, he started calling shops in the OKC area. He was in the Dakota and out the gate fairly early in the process of preparing to begin our journey to Great Bend Kansas. I can't even remember when Robert, and John left Thunder Valley Raceway Park, it's a surreal scene every time it's played out. A slow procession of Hot Rods driving out of the facility, guys relaxingly packing up, chatting with their buddies, a few cars that are the hubs of furious activity, and a few that you can just tell, aren't leaving under their own power.

Noble marked the end of Drag Week for 2.3 Ford 4 cylinder turbo powered cars. Jon Huber's familiar high flying 79 Mustang burned a piston on his very first pass, an impressive 9.07-151, at Tulsa. Then Dale Knapke's awesome little Triumph TR6, after running 11.42-122.41 on the first day, limped to a 12.73-90 at Topeka, and a 12.67-93 at Noble, before calling it done.