SAME DAY COVERAGE
O'Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals
Bristol, Tenn.
By Matthew Brammer; Photos by Roger Richards

SUNDAY - Finally, they get to race

You can’t get much better than this…

In his second National event win this year, Tony Stephenson took bragging rights in Competition Eliminator by defeating Paul Pittman who red-lit in the final. Stephenson commented about the rain delays, “I loved having the race all in one day. The more you run me, the better I am.”

Stephenson, still glowing from his win at the National event in Gainesville, said, “I could get used to this. I want to come her [to the winner’s circle] a lot more often.”

Now, that’s a tough weekend!

The rain was just the beginning of the problems for Super Stock winner Andy Fogle this weekend. When he arrived, a fellow competitor suspected Fogle of foul play, so $950 was posted to require a complete engine tear-down and inspection of his car’s rods and cylinder heads.

“We had to go through an extensive process to lay down and take the pistons out – lying in the rain. We were soaking wet,” Fogle explained.

“We didn’t figure we were going to get to run the next day because we’d have had to stay up all night and put it all back together in the dark. When it was all done, though, we were cleared and got $850 for what we had to gone through,” he said.

“I just got really lucky today. My reaction time was horrible. You’ve got to have a lot of luck, and get some breaks along the way. This is my first gigantic Wally and I’m really excited,” Fogle said.

In the final, Fogle cut an 0.064 light and ran a 9.444 against his 9.44 dial in. R Young ran a 9.650 against his 9.67 dial.

For screamin’ out loud!

Stock Eliminator -- Clint Blezien, Chevy Camaro, 12.256, 101.64 def. Lee Zane, Buick Apollo, 11.968, 107.75.

Clint Blezien cut a psychic .002 light in the final round to take the win in Stock Eliminator. The 23-year-old defeated last year’s NHRA champion in the final with a .008 package to Zane’s break-out run. Blezien ran 12.256 against his 12.25 dial to defeat Zane’s 11.968 attempt to hit his 12.01 dial.

“I won the division championship twice, but this is my first National event win. I was screaming in the shut-down area. I think it was louder than my engine,” Blezien said.

“The rain played into my hand, I think. I only had one time run, and I had a really good run, so a lot of guys had to adjust in the first round, but I was already dialed in for the first run,” he said.

You want them all in one day?

Super Gas winner Tom Seeman has a long trip back to New Jersey in front of him and his wife, Barbara, but with the company of a National event Wally, the trip will be much more enjoyable.

In the exciting double break-out final, Seemann defeated Ronnie Duke, 9.896 to 9.893 seconds, both against the 9.90 index.

“I like having a one-day race. It was nice having the rounds back-to-back. Maybe we should do all the races that way,” Seemann suggested.

SATURDAY - If you're a sportsman racer, you're just crap out of luck today

(4-30-2005) - Tomorrow will be a really long day - It's been a disappointing weekend for the sportsman racers, struggling with rain delays and schedule changes. After only two classes ran Friday before rain cancelled qualifying, Saturday didn’t see any sportsman racers get down the track.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, sportsman are scheduled to force a full day of qualifying and eliminations into one day. Long after the Pros complete their day, the faithful sportsmen will battle until only one driver is left standing in the Comp, Stock, Super Stock, and Super Gas classes.

FRIDAY NOTES - Soggy sportsman tidbits

(4-29-2005) - You can't drag race in the rain - The rain might delay the show, but it can't dampen the spirits of these die-hard racers. Dan Fletcher, currently the Super Stock National Points leader, is looking to get back into the final round like he did in Gainesville. This time, however, he’s hoping to come out on top: at Gainesville, Fletcher lost in the final round to Joe LoCicero by approximately 15 inches.

Cancelled - At 3:00, Stock Eliminator ran the first round of qualifying and Super Stock came within just a few cars of finishing a round of qualifying when the skies opened up once again.

Before the rain spoiled the revised schedule, plans were for Stock and Super Stock to get one qualifying run, then the Pros were supposed to make their first run. Nitro Harleys, Pro Mod, and Comp Eliminator were schedule to next, followed by another session of Pro Stock, Funny Car, and Top Fuel to wrap up the evening. Super Gas had already been pushed to tomorrow, eliminating all of their runs for today.

At 5: 30 p.m. Bristol time, Track Officials announced that the session for today was cancelled and would re-commence Saturday morning.

FRIDAY, April 29, 2005

Pit and Spectator Gates Open 7:00 AM
Final Registration and Tech Inspection (all categories) 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Sportsman Qualifying/Eliminations 8:00 AM
Comp Eliminator Qualifying Sessions (2) 12:00 PM & 3:15 PM
Comp Eliminator Qualifying Session 6:00 PM
Secure Track

SATURDAY, April 30, 2005

Pit and Spectator Gates Open 7:00 AM
Sportsman Eliminations 8:00 AM
Comp Eliminator - Round 1 11:30 AM
Comp Eliminator - Round 2 2:30 PM
Secure Track

SUNDAY, May 1, 2005

Pit and Spectator Gates Open 9:00 AM
Pre-Race Ceremonies 11:00 AM
Final Eliminations 12:00 PM
Secure Event 5:30 PM   

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