Like It or Not 2018 Has Come To a Close

Timothy Fletcher | November 16, 2018

End of the season blues may have already started for some drivers (like myself), while others may be glad its over and looking forward to 2019 to bounce back, regardless of what the feelings are the Auto Club NHRA Finals are now again in the books. Only a few Championships were still up in the air coming into the event, with 1 being Competition Eliminator and when registration closed on the Monday of the event, Clint Neff’s name was not on the sheet… therefore the Champion was decided before a rig pulled into the gate. Like always, the California weather was beautiful which made for a picture perfect was to end the year at everyone’s favorite place… the racetrack.

Once again, when it was time to crown the event winner in Comp Eliminator, it was time to give a Wally to David Rampy, which just happened to be his 100th. Rampy was the #11 qualifier and didn’t have to go past the 1000′ cone under power to be victorious, going only a few tenths under his index in all rounds when his car is more than capable of going -.600 under. In the final, Doug Lambeck lined up with a similar “problem”, not taking a CIC hit in any of the first 4 rounds. Fortunately for Rambo, Lambeck was too quick on the trigger and turned it -.010 red. As Rampy was giving chase he let go .040 and coasted across the finish line for his milestone win, becoming only the 4th driver ever to accumulate triple digit national event wins.

The red lights would continue in Stock when Ryan Mangus turned it just -.003 red to Jeff Taylor, giving him his 46th national win and what seems to be his 900 millionth round win of 2018. Taylor waited patiently at the starting line for just under 1.5 seconds and hit the tree in a perfect spot with a .012 light, then ran it down to a 9.267 on his 9.23 dial. Mangus was only collecting data going down the track, as he dumped it at the 2nd to last cone to go dead on the S/ST index at 10.90 on his 10.77 dial.

Steve Wann would face off against Gary Emmons in the Super Stock final, with Wann putting down 1 of the best laps of the entire weekend. He would dial in his button-less “SS/DA” Plymouth Fury at 9.77 and was ready for the race with a .002 reaction time. Emmons was a little tardy with a .064 light and ran his Mustang down to a 8.780 on the 8.77 predicted et. Wann had alot of room to work with at the finish line and grabbed himself a .060 MOV to run 9.782 and keeping the trophy in D7.

When you have a 7 hun advantage at the starting line, 9.999 times out of 10 that is going to turn into a win for any racer, as that was the case here this weekend in Super Comp when Tony Helms let go .083 to the .013 of Chad Webber. And at the end of the track Webber ran 8.916 on the 8.90 index while Helms ran 8.942. Meaning Webber’s total package was 4 times better than that of Helms, giving him his 1st ever win. Another 1st time winner was Roger Kato after Greg Ventura could not turn his .004 light into a win light. Kato wasn’t bad with a .018 light but the 30 mph difference might have played a factor at the stripe when Ventura broke out by-.003 at 9.897 @144.03 when Kato was on the plus side of the 9.90 index at 9.945 @174.98.