NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver Jim Whiteley and his YNot Racing Team scored a crucial win to regain the national points lead at this past weekend’s O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex just south of Dallas.  The win gives Whiteley a 15 point lead over two-time defending World Champ Bill Reichert.
 
Whiteley, from Grand Junction, Colo., qualified his Norm Grimes tuned blown alcohol dragster on the pole with a 5.278 second elapsed time at 271.08 mph.  In round one he defeated David Brounkowski with a career-best 5.275 at 270.16 mph, then defeated Courtney Force, daughter of racing legend John Force, in round two with a 5.326 at 270.10 mph.  Whiteley continued his march to the winner’s circle with a 5.315 at 268.76 mph to take out Brandon Pierce in the semifinals. NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver Jim Whiteley and his YNot Racing Team scored a crucial win to regain the national points lead at this past weekend’s O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex just south of Dallas.  The win gives Whiteley a 15 point lead over two-time defending World Champ Bill Reichert.
 
Whiteley, from Grand Junction, Colo., qualified his Norm Grimes tuned blown alcohol dragster on the pole with a 5.278 second elapsed time at 271.08 mph.  In round one he defeated David Brounkowski with a career-best 5.275 at 270.16 mph, then defeated Courtney Force, daughter of racing legend John Force, in round two with a 5.326 at 270.10 mph.  Whiteley continued his march to the winner’s circle with a 5.315 at 268.76 mph to take out Brandon Pierce in the semifinals.
 
Whiteley’s final round opponent would be young Australian, Kate Harker, who was piloting Randy Meyer’s A/Fuel Dragster.  Whiteley took the jump off the line and never looked back to run a 5.333 at 268.12 mph to Harker’s 5.423 at 265.33 mph.
 
“Everything fell back into place,” said Whiteley.  “Norm and the guys have the car running great.  I can’t stress enough how great a crew I have.  Dirk and Anita Olsen, Alan Russell, Tim Nunes, Don Pulliam, Jeff Strasburg and my wife Annie did a great job keeping the car in top shape between rounds.  The car wouldn’t be running at the level it’s at without them.
 
“It’s good to be back in the lead,” Whiteley continued.  “At least for a little while.  Reichert is running awful good right now, and he has a couple of divisional races left to claim on his points.  We have one divisional left, which will be Vegas in a few weeks.  We’re just glad to be able to stay in the hunt.  We’re having a lot of fun right now.”