Wasn't Mark Covey's car (the Buick) the one that was eating valvesprings like they were Lay's potato chips?

nom nom nom

Same guy Pete.

They were cool guys, drove the whole thing on race fuel!

Apparently valve springs on a Buick are a fusible link.

#8 Darren Gebhart Red 96 Dodge Dakota
Day 1: 11.070 109.38
Day 2: 11.421 117.35
Day 3: 11.583 116.27
Day 4: 11.133 120.94
Day 5: 11.098 121.38
Final Average: 11.261-117.06

3rd Place, Pro Street NA.

When Darren and I were comparing notes Sunday after the event he immediately jumped me with, "My 10.49 was with an 0, what was yours?"
"Mine was during Drag Week, it counted. Yours was during the shootout, so it didn't count!"
"Yeah, right! What was it?
"10.497!"
"I kicked your butt!"

After all the hoopla made over Larry Larson's 6.16 during the shootout, maybe Darren was right, maybe driving the entire route, and having a faster average doesn't mean anything...maybe just one killer run is all you need?

I'm with Darren!






btw fantastic write up, Billy... thanks!

#9 Brian Gebhart Barnyard Viper 65 Dodge D-100 Utiline
Day 1: 11.261 118.75
Day 2: 11.402 115.89
Day 3: 11.312 116.55
Day 4: 11.242 118.74
Day 5: 11.115 118.86

Final Average: 11.266-117.75

5th place Gasser class.

Boone attended the Tulsa Mopar race later this year, and ran two 11.12s one at 119.57, and one at 119.96, then he blew the tires off, tossed the fan belt and trapped 121.25. The ten is there, just going to require a little more coaxing! A tighter converter to better manage the torque down low, and accelerate the truck quicker in the first 330ft. is the key in my opinion.

#10 Ross Dudley Yellow 68 Plymouth Road Runner
Day 1: 11.550 115.54
Day 2: 11.571 114.89
Day 3: 11.609 115.31
Day 4: 11.723 114.78
Day 5: 11.679 115.00
Final Average: 11.626-115.10

At Bowling Green, on the final day of Drag Week 2013, Ross found himself in a hard fought battle of hundredths to barely secure the 32nd qualifying spot in the Daily Driver quick 32.

So like thousands of men with performance anxiety, he turned to the little blue pill...whoa, wait a minute...wrong thread.
So like thousands of hot rodders looking for a couple of tenths just to make sure, he turned to the little blue bottle!

The three tenths, and three mph improvement locked him solidly into the 15th spot in the Daily Driver field!

#11 Scott and Kim Abbott Orange 70 Plymouth Road Runner
Day 1: 11.717 119.37
Day 2: 11.734 118.69
Day 3: 11.534 120.54
Day 4: 11.826 117.74
Day 5: 11.528 120.06
Final Average: 11.667-119.28

If the numbers look a little out of sorts, that's because this couple from Indiana bring a 10 second street car with no roll bar, and then devise ways to keep it above the 11.50 NHRA mandated ET restriction. That left them qualified 19th in the Daily Driver class. Hopefully, next year, we will see a Hemi powered 67 in place of the 70!

#12 Clark and Bill Lamb Blue 68 Plymouth Barracuda
Day 1: 11.736 115.39
Day 2: 11.820 113.30
Day 3: 11.780 114.05
Day 4: 11.819 113.82
Day 5: 11.701 115.83
Final Average:11.771-114.47

Clark and his pretty little A Body have successfully completed three Drag Weeks in a row, and have been in the quick 32 all three times. This year he was the number 24 qualifier.

#13 Charley Ogle Gold 72 Dodge Challenger
Day 1: 12.391 114.43
Day 2: 11.533 119.02
Day 3: 11.614 118.14
Day 4: 11.785 120.19
Day 5: 12.344 109.54

Final Average: 11.933-116.26

Charley was the 29th qualifier in Daily Driver. The four speed car is a pleasure to watch attack a drag strip.

#14 Rachael Gebhart Blue 67 Plymouth Belvedere
Day 1: 12.067 112.53
Day 2: 11.806 113.27
Day 3: 12.756 110.67
Day 4: 12.377 111.60
Day 5: 11.967 111.64
Final Average: 12.194-111.94

Rachael ended up in the 36th qualifying spot, and was very happy with her DW14 outing. I wasn't happy with the Belvedere's performance however, as it is my car, and I've thrown quite a few parts at it without a noticeable improvement. I'd like it to be more like Scott's 70, or Ross' 68, where I can dial it real close to that 11.50 number on a regular basis.

#15 Clark Strong Yellow 69 Plymouth Road Runner
Day 1: 13.118 99.80
Day 2: 12.041 108.91
Day 3: 12.006 110.18
Day 4: 12.231 95.82
Day 5: 11.894 115.44
Final Average: 12.258-106.03

This was the Ninja Mopar of Drag Week 2014!

I say this because I never had the opportunity to talk with him or even check the car out up close, and when I looked through all the pictures on the internet, I couldn't find a single one of this car on any of the tracks!
With the ETs and speeds all over the place, I would speculate it either has nitrous like the Belvedere, or is a 4 speed car, but honestly I have no idea! He was the 38th qualifier in Daily Driver.

#16 Casey Cunningham White 72 Dodge D-100
Day 1: 12.566 107.28
Day 2: 12.714 105.84
Day 3: 12.416 107.62
Day 4: 12.415 107.27
Day 5: 12.411 107.10
Final Average: 12.504-107.022

Casey's big long bed hauler was making it's second go at Drag Week, in 2012 it was wheeled by his brother Clay, while he drove his 63 Plymouth.

Curing the truck's propensity to snap axles with alarming regularity, Casey was able to bring a 200 shot to bear on the mild, stock stroke 400.
Like most Amarillo hot rodders I've met, Casey is a bit of an anti-conformist, so he entered his Dodge in the Unlimited class, finishing 13th.

#17 Michael Beeler Purple 70 Dodge Dart Swinger
Day 1: 12.525 111.65
Day 2: 12.422 108.52
Day 3: 12.747 110.40
Day 4: 12.941 108.66
Day 5: 12.141 111.66
Final Average 12.555-110.17

With a stroker 408, 4 speed, drag radials, and very little seat time before the trip, DW14 was a learn as you go proposition for Michael. The Dart finished 47th in DD.

On day one, he was questioning whether we needed to follow the route. On day five, he had left the track when the rain-out was imminent, was at his son's high school football game, then came back to finish up when they started racing again.
"I didn't think I'd see you back!" I questioned him late Friday night.
"Are you kidding? I put way too much into this week not to finish the deal!" he exclaimed.
Ok, he's a Drag Weeker now!

#18 Dustin Hasse White 68 Plymouth Barracuda
Day 1: 12.548 109.01
Day 2: 12.956 99.22
Day 3: 14.066 98.66
Day 4: 12.457 111.00
Day 5: 12.110 112.67
Final Average: 12.827-106.11

My brothers and I were describing this entry as "the old guy in the barracuda with the 3rd gen hemi, who has been helping Larry all week"!

You can imagine our surprise when we figured out it was Dustin, Moparts' own mcat4321! We last saw him on Drag Week 2006, and he's aged a bunch in the last eight years, while we all look exactly the same, how does that happen?

The car was super clean, well done, and understated to perfection! Dustin and the Barracuda finished 16th out of the 24 entered in Street Race Small block NA.