LIVE from Darlington IHRA Pro-am

[Michael Beard]

Live, but kind of on tape delay. ;-). Sorry, just been running behind. Keeping busy running around and keeping tabs on what's going on, studying the ladder, etc. This weekend is an IHRA Pro-Am double header at Darlington Dragway, just a few miles up the road from the famed oblong oval track... The final two Div 2 races on the docket.

Qualifying on this beautiful sunny day with a few wispy clouds is already in the books, about 41 Stockers and 23 SS. This high pressure that helped push Hurricane Earl off the coast is just what the Doc ordered! Wind is coming and going and moving around... Gonna be tricky. 1st Q, weather was 79.2 deg, 46%, 29.65, 2074' DA, with a 6-7 mph headwind. By first rnd of eliminations, the heat has caught up to 86.4 deg, 38%, 29.64, 2549, but a flagging flag led to a surprising number of breakouts.

Some notables here are No. 1 Q Grant Lewis, a new Chevy II for Bob Earnhardt, and Johnny Fisher is already on to Rnd 2 after having to miss Indy due to some upgrades that didn't go as planned... But looks like it's working now!

Rough side of the ladder, I got around Terry Taylor's .001 light when the nose took the stripe and he broke out .005. I'll pick up his Rnd 2 bye. All the Top points guys in Div 2 are hanging tough. Bianchi's in, the Mongrel John Boyer got a red-lighting Ed Longhaney Sr, and the two winners from last week run each other: Myron Piatek (MIR Nat'l) vs Owen Birkett (SGMP Southern S/SS Combo), and many more great matchups to come!

[Randy Parker]

Michael i really hope you got a pic of the heads up stock final! TY for your great post and pics.

[butch8908]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Sorry, I missed it. I blew the tires off 3rd round, and headed 40 miles up the road: now LIVE from Pageland Dragway, Pageland, SC. Going into 4th Rnd of Modified. :-)

I'm tickled to death for Johnny Fisher -- a great win for "that darn Dodge" in a great heads-up final with AJ Currie from Fayetteville Motorsports Park. Congrats also to Jake Sealy for his SS win -- came up through the Jr Dragster ranks at Carolina Dragway.

Another Pro-Am tomorow, 1 Qualifying run at 10am, then race.

Just called us for 4th Rnd... Gotta roll!

Hope you have a good night in Pageland. Here are some shots I took today. Good luck tomorrow.

[butch8908]

Here are a couple more.

[Michael Beard]

Sorry, I missed it. I blew the tires off 3rd round, and headed 40 miles up the road: now LIVE from Pageland Dragway, Pageland, SC. Going into 4th Rnd of Modified. :-)

I'm tickled to death for Johnny Fisher -- a great win for "that darn Dodge" in a great heads-up final with AJ Currie from Fayetteville Motorsports Park. Congrats also to Jake Sealy for his SS win -- came up through the Jr Dragster ranks at Carolina Dragway.

Another Pro-Am tomorow, 1 Qualifying run at 10am, then race.

Just called us for 4th Rnd... Gotta roll!

[Michael Beard]

2am, just got home from Pageland.. A good night indeed! I won Modified ET in a 7-rnd race, car was absolutely deadly, and only took more than .015 stripe once all night! The .0001 in the semis might've been a weeee too tight, but got away with it!

Gotta get a couple winks, then head back to Darlington... Night y'all!

[butch8908]

Congradulations on your Stock Eliminator Win today at Darlington.

[Phil Veldheer Racing]

looking at the results, it looks like you and Chip were in the groove. Congratulations to both of you.

Phil

[Michael Beard]

Thanks guys! Turned out to be an awesome weekend. Darlington has been very good to me... last year a Pro-Am win and won 3 out of 4 races at the Bracket Finals, then a Pro-Am win this year!

Sorry I didn't get to do more reporting. There's not a whole lot of "hurry up and wait" at IHRA events... you gotta come to RACE! I forgot my real digital camera at home, so all I had was my cell phone camera... not good quality pics, but it'll give you a little more flavor of the cars at least. Thanks for your far superior contributions, butch, and nice to meet you!

Photo gallery is up at http://www.staginglight.com/photos/d...n10/index.html

Here are just a few selections from the complete gallery...


Div. 2 Super Stock Champ Clay Bullard and former Hot Rod World Champ Eddie Bolton, who slipped into the Top 3 to make the Tournament of Champions in his rookie year in Super Stock, driving Dale Wilson's (not that Dale Wilson) ;-) new GT/DA Daytona.


Saturday's winner, Jake Sealy and his GT/KA Mustang.


Brian Rowe shoed the Richie Decola-owned Camaro to the Div. 9 Stock Championship.


Day #2 Super Stock winner, Frank Lambert


Day #2 winner and Div. 2 Stock Champion, Michael Beard

[Randy Parker]

Congrats Michael