The questions about whether an IHRA license would be accepted on Drag Week popped up about three weeks before the event on the Drag Weekers facebook site, so Hot Rod's social media-internet guru Phillip Thomas felt compelled to inquire. I could have told them NHRA wouldn't play nice, but just like the last 15 posts on this thread everyone wants to drag everything out in the light and get clarification. So to paraphrase the quote from Cool Hand Luke, "that's the way they want it, so they get it. I don't like it any more than you men". The answer cam back through official NHRA channels that the crossover license procedure must be followed, and a convoluted process was laid out by which participants could make one run on Registration Sunday test and tune, then count their Monday time run as the required 2nd pass. Then they would need to get officials to sign off when they arrived at Gateway on Tuesday, and carry the paperwork with them to Byron on Wednesday. It sounded like a disaster on paper, and I knew it would be far worse in actual practice, so there was no way I'd want to be one of those guys struggling to get that done. To make matters worse for those trying to get their licenses in order at the last minute, Hurricane Irma forced the closure of the IHRA offices in Florida, so those who had licensed the week before at an IHRA track couldn't get their paperwork processed!

Boone had managed to sneak through for Drag Week 2016 on the strength of Dale's license, and had used Dale's gear to make his first ever nine second run on the last day. Being of stronger ethical fiber than I am, it bugged him to do it that way, so he was determined to be legal and legit for Drag Week 2017. But, as I documented earlier, they received the 400 engine block with one sleeve back on Friday afternoon, and when calling around, the last chance to hit an NHRA track and make license runs would be that Sunday at Thunder Valley Raceway in Noble. I showed pictures of the quickie build process earlier, and now you know why Dale looks so rough in the previous picture working on the carb. When they rolled into Noble Sunday afternoon, the only sleep he had that weekend was on the drive down to the track. Boone had to pay the track handsomely to be allowed 6 license runs in one day, during a big money bracket bracket race, but he got it done. They had to rotate drivers several times just to make the hundred mile drive back home Sunday night.