05/15/10 Brandimere Raceway,
Denver, CO. For the first time in the 2010 season nostalgia Nostalgia
Funny Cars filled the mile high air with nitro and and at the
end of the day the King of the Mountain was Steve Macklyn driving
Jack Harris' Nitro Thunder Firebird.
Running a Chicago style match
race format (the two low ET winners run for the title), Macklyn
was best every round and ran low ET and Top Speed in the final.
With the exception of Harris, the other cars made the tow from
California to tackle the mile high Colorado super track.
Getting to the final Macklyn
beat Bob Godfrey running a 6.23 to a losing 6.45. The other pair
featured Kris Krabil and Dale Pulde who was out with his brand
new Jim Hume built War Eagle Firebird. Krabil won their match
up with a 6.32 at 228 while Pulde experienced new car troubles.
In the final Macklyn carded a picture perfect 6.12 at 236 to
beat Krabil, who ran 6.17 at 234, literally by a nose.
In Top Fuel Rick White, Jim Murphy,
Mike McClennan and Mike Chrisman put on a great show for the
huge crowd who braved very cool and damp temps. In the first
round White got the best of Mike McClennan who was holding his
own until the engine went away at the 1000' mark. White ran a
6.02 at 254 MPH.
Murphy was on a huge run before
he got out of the groove and had to shut off to avoid the center
line. His 6.08 at just 189 suggests it could have been a track
record. Chrisman boiled the tires at the hit and was never a
factor.
The night session first pitted
Chrisman and McClennan with the latter prevailing. This was the
first time Chrisman had ever driven at night and the header flames
at the hit startled him to the point he got off the throttle
immediately. Once he realized what he was seeing, he got back
in it but spun the tires. In Mike's defense, if you have ever
driven a front engine fuel car at night you would understand
what a spectacle it is and its not something you get used to
in just one run
White and Murphy then paired
up for the title with White carding low ET and Top Speed of the
meet with a 5.98 at an incredible 259 MPH! Keep in mind, the
air density was at 7500 feet above sea level and it was 50 degrees
with dew over everything. That would be over 270 at a track like
Bakersfield or Pomona. Murphy spun the tires and shut off early
to a 6.30.
