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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK - THREE FIRST TIME WINNERS CROWNED AT BAKERSFIELD

Relive the Bakersfield March Meet with this video recap from Competitionplus.tv.

 

THE UNLIKELY CHAMPION -  James Day wasn’t supposed to win this race, but he did.

Day, the decided underdog, used a huge holeshot to defeat Dan Horan Sunday in the Funny Car finals at the prestigious Bakersfield (Calif.) March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.

Day clocked a 5.883-second run at 228.31 mph to defeat Horan’s quicker 5.726-second run at 255.19 mph.

Day won the race at the Christmas tree. He had an .043 reaction time compared to Horan’s .200 light.

“Coming into this final round, I just told myself we ain’t going to be beat,” said Day, who was appearing in his first Bakersfield March Meet final round. “I’ve driven everything under the sun and I have never really had a great opportunity. I want to drive whatever I can and I will jump in with a moment’s notice. I want to drive and Gary Turner has finally given me the opportunity to build something here and to get comfortable in something and we are some winners. This is huge. To win the March Meet and put your name up there with (Don) Prudhomme, and (Don) Garlits and (Raymond) Beadle and those guys. You can’t beat that.”

BARTONE BRINGS HOME THE BACON - For years, Tony Bartone has been chasing a Top Fuel title at the Bakersfield (Calif.) March Meet.

Sunday, the veteran driver’s chase ended.

Bartone clocked a 5.623-second run at 262.13 mph to defeat Rick White’s 5.715-second lap in the finals at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.

“I have won a lot of races, but I will tell you one thing, any time you are in a final round and you get that win light on the other end I still get goose bumps,” said Bartone, an NHRA star Top Alcohol Funny Car driver. “I will continue to get goose bumps and I will continue to race as long as I still feel like that. That’s what we come out here for, to bring home the bacon.”

Bartone was well aware of his team’s past history at this prestigious race in NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series.

“We struggled here a number of times, been low qualifier and we just couldn’t make it all happen and (Sunday) we ran well and we brought home the bacon,” Bartone said.

A BIT OF BAKERSFIELD HISTORY - Let the record reflect, Dan Hix has his place in Bakersfield March Meet history. Hix defeated Jeremy Sullivan to become the first Bakersfield March Meet Fuel Altered champion in modern history.

"It doesn’t get any better than this," Hix admitted.

The weekend was a culmination of intense labor leading up to the event, behind the wheel of a car he built originally for Funny Car.

"I started building it about 12 years ago," said Hix. "It’s been sitting idle finished for about eight.  This just a first opportunity and next to my friends and family, my partner John Cagley, Mike Mosby, and I have a lot of sponsors that helped we were able to get here and make it happen.

“I had the heads off the last two rounds fixing, I had a burnt piston one round, just issues, no big deal but thanks to my crew we really worked hard."

Even more impressive was the fact Hix only earned his license one week before the monumental win. For Hix, the AA/Fuel Altered division was a welcome diversion from the Funny Car division which has priced some aspiring racers out of contention. The new division features variety for those race fans who, during Bakersfield, enjoyed a measure of modern nostalgia and the true old school.

"Personally I like the variety," said Hix. "That was the old and kind of new there racing in the finals and I hope the fans love it because we did everything we can do."

Hix believed his team would eventually have their place in the class, but admittedly didn't expect to be a monumental part so early.

"I never thought this would happen so soon," admitted Hix. "I mean we were here and we were in it to win it and by God we did so it feels good. Mark Lee came on board to help us out tuning the car. It’s just like clockwork you know? This is as good as it gets.

"I was licensed in Fuel Altered years ago so I probably had maybe a dozen passes under my belt before last weekend and it felt good to get this win."

 

Shirley Muldowney's 1977 championship winning Top Fuel dragster is a real looker. Sunday in Bakersfield, the dragster which has been purchased and restored by Dave and Twila [pictured in warm-up] Mendella. Turn up your speakers and watch as the beautiful car, with assistance from Larry Fullerton Jr., cackles for a crowd of onlookers.)

They are either awful or awesome, depending on how you describe them.

If you're talking about trying to drive a Fuel Altered from one end of the track, even a seasoned driver will describe the experience as awful. However, if you were one of the thousands of race fans who made the pilgrammage to Auto Club Famosa Raceway, you likely will describe them as AA/Freaking Awesome.

Over the weekend, the Fuel Altereds of the modern area graduated from exhibition to official professional category within the NHRA Heritage Series.

 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - PACKED HOUSE WITNESSES INCREDIBLE SECOND DAY OF MARCH MEET

HORAN IS STILL THE MAN – On Saturday, Dan Horan was unbeatable a he once again thundered to low elapsed time of the day. This time around the AA/FC racer ran a 5.683 elapsed time at 258.22 miles per hour to defeat Dale Van Gundy.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Horan. “Ron Swearingen [crew chief] and my team have been together for three years. It’s not something which evolved overnight but it is here now to stay.”

Horan faces Brad Thompson in Sunday’s second round.

MOVING ON – The remaining Funny Car drivers advancing to the second round included Thompson [J. Adams], Krabill [T. Paton], Tim Nemeth [R. Overholser], Steven Densham [G. Bateman], James Day [D. Worsham], Jason Rupert [R. Garten], and Pete Gallen [R. Townsend].

QUALIFYING LEADERS – Horan was relishing in his moments as No. 1 qualifier. He was joined by Tony Bartone and Keith Wilson as the nitro leaders.

“I always wanted to be No. 1 at this event,” said Horan. “Winning this race is important. This is the race where we test our momentum for the year. We know this is a long season but we could really pick up some great momentum by winning this weekend.

Tony Bartone remained atop the qualifying list for the dragsters with a 5.63 to fend off Rick White’s 5.691.

Keith Wilson remained leader of the inaugural modern day Bakersfield AA/FA show with a 6.261 against the universal 6.00 standard.

NOT HIS DAY – For the second season in a row, Del Worsham had to race James Day in the first round of Funny Car eliminations at the March Meet. Last season, Worsham dominated Day before falling in the second round. This time the shoe was on the other foot as Day was .01 off of the line first, and this was a deficit Worsham couldn’t make up as he fell .005 short at the stripe.

“That wasn’t what I wanted,” said a disappointed Del Worsham, who worked the bottom end of engine maintenance on his Plymouth Arrow AA/FC. “The car ran great, just wasn’t enough to win today. Either way, the March Meet experience was worth it.

 

 

 

THE CHAMPION’S GALLOP - Roger Garten gave up .03 on the starting line and by the 60-feet mark had made the deficit up. Garten held almost .03 at the eighth mile but a 203 mph speed for Jason Rupert was enough for him to snake past at the finish line to score a 5.722 to 5.755 victory.

 

A MANLY MACHINE – Dave Hirata has one of the stronger running Top Alcohol Dragsters on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag racing series. This weekend he parked his traditional ride for something a bit more manly.

“I wanted to drive a front-engine dragster because they are just manly race cars when compared to what I normally run,” said Hirata with a smile. “After racing in this thing, I’d call my car a sissy car. I’ve really always called the front engine cars – men cars, and that’s clearly an understatement.”

Hirata’s first runs in a front engine car came in the day leading up to the event, and it didn’t take long for him to receive his baptism in racing oil.

“I made the statement once, I always wanted to eat some oil,” admitted Hirata. “I got my oil the first time, and it was good for once. It’s a lot to clean up.”

During Thursday practice Hirata took a bath in oil and while the experience might have been overwhelming for him, his crew quickly reeled him back in.

“They told me that wasn’t even a good one,” said Hirata. “But I got my experience. ‘Radar’ Randy Lichtenburg told me before my first race to bring a lot of shields.”

Hirata brought more shields than experience.

“My mind is still behind this thing,” said Hirata. “You can never really believe these cars are going to make it [to the finish line]. Every time I started to think this way, it made a move abruptly. You have to be on it and after it for a quarter-mile.”

And just to be racing this style of car at Bakersfield, Hirata understands he’s experience something great for a life’s lesson.

“Bakersfield is the pinnacle for nostalgia,” said Hirata. “The race has been around forever. This was my first trip to here. To actually get to race a Nostalgia Top Fuel dragster in my first visit is beyond what I can explain.”

Hirata has Bakersfield ties as his father, Kenny Hirata, won the event in the 1960s when it was referred to as the Bakersfield Fuel and Gas Championships.

SCHOOL’S IN – Steven Densham kept pace with Dan Horan’s torrid pace as he became the second driver into the 5.60s during the weekend with a 5.685 to beat Garrett Bateman. Densham races James Day in the second round.

MURPHY GONE – In a battle between past and present champions, Adam Sorokin beat Jim Murphy, when Murphy left before the tree activated.

DON’T COUNT – The great equalizer for the new Fuel Altered class is the 6.00 “speed limit” index. Two drivers drove under but it was Dean Oberg who had the worst transgression when he drove his 1948 Fiat to a 5.77, 242. Low qualifier Keith Wilson in his “Witch Doctor” Fiat was too quick during the last session with a 5.98.

 

 

 

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - FAST FRIDAY AT THE PATCH

DAN IS THE MAN - Thursday testing at Auto Club Famoso Raceway might not count against the official competition at the Bakersfield March Meet, but for AA/FC racer Dan Horan, his run counted for something significant.

Horan lost the 2013 Heritage Series AA/FC championship to Jason Rupert by one point, a deficit which was more stinging than had he trailed by 1,000.

“We just have to go one round further than we did last year,” said Horan. “We just need to go one point better.”

Horan admits he struggled with the loss in the weeks following the California Hot Rod Reunion, where the final round determined the championship.

“I never really thought it would hinder me,” admitted Horan. “I left Bakersfield feeling that I had lost but in reality we had a very stellar season. We reached three final rounds out of six races and even won the Boise Blitz. I should have left Bakersfield feeling pretty good but I left feeling like I didn’t even know what I did. That was a pretty hard feeling to accept.”

Horan was the quickest driver in Thursday testing as he belted out a 5.768.

“There’s a 5.60 in it by the end of the day,” Horan predicted before qualifying. “It was a real conservative run and didn’t tighten one ring at all. It went right down there. That’s exactly what (crew chief Ronnie Swearingen) wanted it to do. Once he establishes a baseline, he just plucks away at it until he gets it where he wants it.”

Horan returned with a 5.754, 253.52 in the first session and ended the day with the provisional pole at 5.668 seconds.

“That’s what you get from Ronnie,” said Horan. “He wants to go from point A to point B every single time. Consistency wins races. That’s his theory on the whole process.”


And in working with Swearingen, yes Horan is living a dream.

“It’s a blessing to work with him, really,” Horan said. “He brings out the best in me and the best in the team. He has assembled a team which can compete on a higher level. I think he’s great and the best crew chief out here.”

RIGHT ON WHEN IT COUNTED – AA/FD racer Tony Bartone struggled in Thursday testing and didn’t fare much better in Friday’s opening session. At the end of the day, his efforts came together.

“Funny thing is we’ve been No. 1 qualifier a lot at the nostalgia events with very few wins,” Bartone said. “We are working on consistency and the program. We want to try to stay qualified and go some rounds this weekend.”

Bartone said his team studied the first couple of runs closely and adjusted properly for the important Friday Q-2 session.

“We even tested on Thursday and the car stalled,” said Bartone. “The motor shut off on the starting line. In the first round of qualifying we shook. We had some data to look at, so we adjusted and the car ran well.”

BOWLING FOR CONES - Denver Schutz scores a strike during Friday's AA/FD Q-2 session.

VIDEO BLOGGING WITH DEL - Go behind the scenes with big show driver Del Worsham as he brings out the family's AA/FC Plymouth Arrow to race at the Bakersfield March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.

DIFFERENT WORLDS - They have different geographical backgrounds but when it comes to their goals at the Bakersfield March Meet -- they are one in the same.

Jimi Young, a Nostalgia Top Fuel driver from Wisconsin, has won the event the last two seasons behind the wheel of Frank Ousley’s “Crop Duster” dragster. This year he's driving his own slingshot dragster.



Jim Murphy, who lives in Santa Rosa, Ca., has driven to four Bakersfield titles and is the defending NTF series champion. Murphy is racing this weekend in the same dragster Young won the last two March Meets with.



Young is aiming for a three-peat, joining the late local legend James Warren as the only driver to win three consecutive titles. Warren did it in 1975, '76 and '77.

“Joining Warren in Bakersfield history would be great. In my opinion the March Meet is the most prestigious race there is,” Young said. “Never in my wildest dreams would I think that we would win not one, but two of them. It is truly an honor to be on the list with all those great names that have won in the past fifty-plus years.”



Murphy likes his chances for the weekend as well. His goal is to win a fifth March Meet Top Fuel title, thus tying "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, who won Bakersfield five times between 1965 and 1987.



“I believe we have one of the top two or three cars on the circuit right now,” Murphy said. “There was only one round all of last year that when that car went to the starting line, it did not win. Our plan is to keep that performance going.”

THAT’S GONNA LEAVE A MARK - Anthony Bronge, driving the Frank Ousley-tuned "Crop Duster" Funny Car, got a little warm on the top end during Friday’s Q-2 session.

 WELCOME TO THE DARKSIDE - Mendy Fry will returned to the Heritage series chase after taking a year off and helping Denver Schutz and his Top Fuel team. The popular Fry was invited by Larry “Smokey” Alleman to pilot his 1978 “Smokey’s Darkside” Challenger for the 2014 season. Alleman and crew will be running a 426-cubic inch Arias Hemi, a “Hemi heads on a Chevy block” combination, unique to the 30-plus expected entrants for the 2014 March Meet Funny Car class.

YOU’RE NOT FROM AROUND HERE - Peter Gallen and his “Poverty Stricken” Funny Car made the trek from Pennsylvania to California. This was Gallen’s first trip back to Bakersfield in three years.

REUNITED - Tim Boychuk in the Troy-Lee Designs funny Car has once again teamed with nitro tuning guru Roland Leong for a run at the 2014 March Meet title. Boychuk and co-owner Ron Hodgson won the 2013 version of the big race.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW - Every year the crowds cheer the short wheelbase, flame-spewing, nitro-burning Altereds as they wiggle their way down the quarter-mile. Usually ran as an exhibition class, this year the Fuel Altereds are competing in a six-second index class allowing all the drivers a chance to compete for an NHRA “Wally” trophy and be crowned March Meet Champion. Another addition this year will be the 6.90 Doorslammer class. These giant-motored beasts will be a new class competing at the 2014 March Meet.