3-SECOND FUNNY CARS LIKELY IN ETOWN

There was a three-second electric energy floating through the NHRA Funny Car pits at Heartland Park Topeka. The competitors believe the magical milestone is within grasp and conceivably could have been reached during Friday qualifying at the NHRA Summer Nationals if the moon and stars had aligned perfectly.

The moon in this scenario was the track condition and the stars were represented by the atmosphere. Friday evening, the track was there but the air, with the traditional nature of poor atmospheric conditions, just didn’t materialize.

“The track was good enough last night,” tuner/driver Mike Neff confirmed the day after Friday's quick session. “The problem is the air – it’s pretty bad here. When the track gets that good and there’s that much traction, it takes more horsepower to get that wheel slip up there to run that good. I think the track as good as it was last night almost bogged the engine down a bit. If the track would have stayed that way and we were given a couple more shots at it, we might have been able to get it.”

Neff believes the feat could be attained as soon as the NHRA SuperNationals next month in Englishtown, NJ.

“Last year during the night session at that event, Robert Hight and John Force, ran a 4.02 and a 4.03,” said Neff, who was Force’s crew chief on the run. “It’s gonna be during a night run. The track will have to be cooled off into the 80 degree range. Plus the air is good, sea-level.”

 

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