Live from Atco,NJ - NHRA PC Richard National Open

[Jack Matyas]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

I can't find anything on dragracecentral?

They are covering the race at MIR .........and are not here .

[Jack Matyas]

Race day - finally ! ! We're going to start in half an hour or so and most racers are chomping at the bit to get going .Stock will be out first with Jeanne Linke getting bye run she earned by getting the best reaction time on her time run.

Yesterday - Jim Daniels made a very nice pass in his SS/AH car - 8.29 @160 plus with a terrific 1.13 60' with his 68 Dart .

Today is overcast so far with temps in the high fifties and later might touch 60 degrees .I'll try not to use the rain word much but it could happen later .

Pictured below are the Division One NHRA PC Richard Certification Team that endured some really nasty weather this weekend but got it done .

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by E MAN 1982

What happened down there? News story on channnel 6 said they flew out a spectator. They gave no details other than hit by flying debris from car. Where is our crack reporters when there is 'real news'? (lol) E

I was about 20' from the incedent.Didn't want to post anything but since you asked.A T/S cars exhaust part,collector I think,came off during the burnout and went under his slick which launched it into a spectators leg.The guys was bleeding heavy and was eventually
put in the ambulance.Don't know if he was med evaced.The part also hit Dave LeClair,
(SS racer) and he was down and in real pain.I'll skip any more details,don't want to speculate.I'm hopeful that the fisrt guys injury looked worse than it really was.
It was nice to get out to Atco again,even just spectating.Saw Dave Thomas's 9.48 run.Beautiful car.The Joe Cieri chevy malibu was real impressive.It ran five runs between
13.06 and 13.09.And he was .018 and .033 on the tree.Us slow pokes are coming after you fast guys:>):>)
Hoping to get to Englishtown national in June.

[Bryan Worner]

There's a shocker.....having to scrape the track during the event!!! I sure hope they wise up there and scrape it the day before we go there for the divisional race!!! It's a real waste of time for us all to have to sit there for 2 hours while they do that! I know it needs done every now and then, so do it BEFORE we get there!!

[Jack Matyas]

Rd1 Stock-Zane out ,Infantino wins , Curcio wins,Cortezz0 out,D.Ficcachi wins a double BO,M.Ficcachi goes red , Cieri red,Germanski wins his first round, Sawka goes red to Bardicoff,Bender over Fizell,Robinson wins,Szupka goes .006 but runs out to Calabro,Mocci over Richard, Barton over Roberts who spun.

SS1-R.Morehead ov Garbarine , Scardelli out,Lawrence out,Fazio wins with a .119,D.Linke wins,Hanly wins,Jacque wins,Richard wins,Sal singles.

[Carl Juliano]

For those interested, you can follow the event on 1320go.com, live timing and results.

[E MAN 1982]

Thanks Ed for the update. That sounds like a real freak accident. I hope everyone is doing well. E

[Ed Fernandez]

Congratulations to Brian Van Poppel and James A Jr winner and r/u in SS.Also Steve/Fitty and Tom O'Loughlin aka the 4th Stooge in Stock.Also Iggie on his S/G r/u.And old man JA in S/C.

[Jack Matyas]

Better late than never - both for the race and my reporting .In my defense the Internet service was just awful - and talk about frustrating - at times if would come on and let me do several paragraphs and them go off without posting .On top of all that I was kept pretty busy this past weekend so here we are .

Anyway congrats go out to Steve Calabro for his win in Stock as it wasn't a gimme and he earned it with solid driving .His Corvette worked like a champ all weekend .And we can't forget his owner Joe Fasano who worked hard to prepare a car that has won this event the last two years - well done gentlemen . And let us not forget runner-up Tom O'Laughlin was drove great all day and just came up a little short in the final .

And then we have SuperStock winner Brian Van Popel who actually won this race when he won the semi-final .Because of the third semi-finalist ( Gary Richard ) broke his car the round before and could make the call all VP had to do was break the beam and it made him a winner .Congrats to Brian and his crew chief and helper Lee Zane ( yes, that Lee Zane ) .And again I shouldn't forget James Antoinette who drive his GrandAm super all day to a RU finish . Great job fellas ............

[Jack Matyas]

Special Awards ---

Best Engineered -- This award went to Dave Thomas with his new '11 Dodge Viper Powered Challenger that also set the NHRA National Record on Thursday .

Best Appearing Car -- This award ended up as a double-header with car owner Gary Richard getting the nod with his pair of new Mustangs that race in Stock and SuperStock .Both entrys were painted by Ryan Korek of Korek Designs .