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EDITOR'S NOTE: I have not been able to get on-line recently, and thus could
not send the newsletter until today.
Welcome to the November 15th, 2002 edition of "On The Road with Kenny
Racing," the bi-weekly newsletter featuring the Landa Pressure Washers Super
Comp Dragsters of Alan and Jason Kenny.
The Lucas Oil Series race got underway Thursday with the resumption of the
Pomona divisional, as well as test & tune for anyone who wanted to pay the
extra $$$. We skipped on the test & tune.
The schedule called for two time trials on Friday, beginning with Stock
eliminator at 7:30am. Under bright blue skies, they actually started racing
at 8:30am. Not sure what caused the hour delay, but I'm thankful I'm not
competing in that category ... I am not a morning person.
After about 20 minutes of Super Comp time trials, we unloaded our dragsters
and warmed them up. When one hour of Super Comp had been run, so we decided
to head up to the lanes. 210 cars takes a while to run. Our time slips
read 4:00 and 4:01pm. We did the math, and at that pace our second round
would be at about 11:30pm. I told Dad I was ready for eliminations, so we
both loaded up. The temperature was going to be in the low 50's. I know
that seems warm to those of you running the Dutch this weekend ... but with
absolutely no humidity, and a strong wind, it was very cold.
They ended up canceling Super Comp, and giving them another time trial
Saturday ... after every other class ran first round. I'm glad they didn't
run us at 7:30am, but to run our time trial at 4:00pm seemed a little
strange. First round of Super Comp was the last thing down the track
Saturday night, starting around 8pm. Temperature was about 55 degrees, with
the humidity dropping into the low teens.
Dad went up when the class was called. I went to watch the first 40-50
pairs from the finish line. What I saw was slow runs, after slow runs,
after slow runs. Even super class hitter teammates Steve Cohen and Scot
Lamar had troubles. Steve went first, smoked the tires at the starting
line, and dumped at the finish line, running a 9.30 on the 9.05 index. Scot
then went up, and did the exact same thing. All this did was confuse the
heck out of me. I had no idea what to dial. In order to run 9.05 smoking
the tires on the line, I would have to take half-a-second out of the timer.
As was the case with the national event, Dad was in the lane that was run
last. I came up exactly one hour after he did, and I was 5 cars behind him
in lane #7. His time slip read 9:54pm, while I ran two pairs behind at
9:56pm. Dad tree'd his opponent by over one second, taking the easy win. I
was unable to get a read on the track/air, because he backed out of the
throttle so early.
After a .387 red light in the bright and sunny time trial, I wacked .030
into the box for the dark round one. As it turns out, test & tune could
have helped me. I wasn't sure if the quicker light was a result of the new
tranny/converter, or of me loosening up on the button again. Well, I got
tree'd by .004, and took way too much finish line, breaking out with a
9.029. My sixty foots were consistent in the sunlight, a pair of 1.50's.
The night run produced a 1.46. Oh well, at least Dad was in round two.
The wind on Sunday was strong, about 20 mph, and it was directly in your
face on the racetrack. Dad took .025 stripe, easily defeating his slower
opponent. In round three, with the possibility of racing the current
national points leader, and fellow D1 racer, Kent Hanley in round four, Dad
ran into a .010 package produced by William Boxold. A dead-on 9.050 with a
.410 reaction time. Kent also lost that round, going red.
We left Vegas around 9pm pacific time, hoping to sleep at the Flying J
halfway between Vegas and Pomona. It was too full, so we opened up a couple
Powerades and attempted to get all the way to Pomona. We made it, and were
number 93 in line.
Monday, we picked up a rental car and visited Universal Studios in the
afternoon, followed by the NHRA Museum in the evening. Tuesday was fun as
we took a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, riding along the Pacific Ocean
for a couple hours.
We got one time trial Thursday, as the second was rained out. After
complete washouts Friday and Saturday, first round was moved to 7pm Sunday
evening, right after the Alcohol semi's and Top Fuel final. Dad was the
fourth pair, and defeated his opponent with an 8.903. I drew West Coast
hitter Rick Beckstrom, and took a confidence-building win, cutting a .429
light, running a 8.904 and taking .035 stripe against the 177 mph dragster
of Beckstrom.
Round two didn't get any easier as I had to take on former National Champion
Frank Kohutek, and his 175 mph dragster. Just as was the case with
Beckstrom, I tree'd Frank with a .413 and then "let him go" on the top end,
dumping to an 8.93. He took the stripe, and brokeout with an 8.897.
Holding .020 on the starting line gave me the advantage I needed. Dad ran
too quick in losing to the same guy who beat me in the first round of the
Las Vegas Lucas Oil race. Cutting a .416 light, and taking .008 stripe, Dad
did his job but just ran into some bad luck.
My round three opponent was Brent Cannon. He held a huge advantage at the
starting line, but took too much win stripe in breaking out. I dumped about
14 mph knowing I couldn't get the stripe. I then lost in round four to
Eddie Olpin, who was .401 on the christmas tree. My .471 reaction time was
good enough in round three, but my .417 in round four was not even in the
ballgame.
We packed up immediately, leaving Pomona around 3:30pm pacific time.
Stopping only for fuel, we arrived in San Antonio about 24 hours later and
had dinner with our relatives, the Villani family. We usually spend
Christmas with them, but this year we won't be able to. It was nice to
spend some time with them, and we'll probably see them again in the very
near future. More on that in a future newsletter.
The 2-3 hours in San Antonio were the only hours of the trip when the truck
engine was off. Almost exactly 48 hours after departing Pomona, we arrived
at the track in Bradenton. As I write this, day one ended with NHRA racers
winning big. Brian Folk won the Wednesday $10,000 race, while Scotty
Richardson won the 2003 Undercover Dragster Chassis. There will be four
more $10,000-to-win races, three $5,000-to-win races, and one more
Undercover Dragster Chassis race. The overall points champion will also win
a dragster.
2002 Schedule
November 13-17 = Bracket Race @ Bradenton, Florida.
November 20-24 = Bracket Race @ West Palm Beach, Florida.
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