Hot Weather Keeps Racers From Smoking Srp Track

According to the engineers, Spokane Raceway Park sits at 2,240 feet above sea level in Airway Heights.

But to the drag racers gathered for the AHRA World Finals, ever-changing weather conditions can vary the elevation thousands of feet in a matter of hours.

Most pro, and many of the sportsman race teams, all have portable weather stations they use to help gauge the right fuel combinations for an optimum run.

In the heat of the afternoon, pro alcohol dragster owner Larry Van Unen of Priest River measured the “corrected altitude” at 5,587 feet. By the time first-round qualifying was underway at 9 p.m., the air conditions were at 3,547 feet.

“At 5,500 feet, we have to lean the hummer and take out some fuel,” Van Unen said. “It’s a real guessing game.”

Van Unen’s driver, Spokane’s Brett Hordemann, shut down his dragster just off the starting line, wanting to preserve the car for today’s second round of qualifying that begins at 1 p.m. A third round is scheduled for 8 p.m.

“We had a little more power than the track could handle,” Hordemann said. “The track’s just not quite there, but it will be there (today).”

That ever-changing air, and a slick track, gave racers fits trying to figure the right combinations in the first evening of qualifying.

It showed as a number of the pros struggled to make full-power passes down the quarter mile.

But even some of the partial runs were impressive. Bobby Baldwin of Chicago pushed Chris Karamesines’ top fueler to a 5.67-second pass at 234 mph and Friday’s No. 1 run, despite shutting it off at the 1,000-foot mark. Ron Smith of Renton was the only other fueler to run under 6 seconds, posting a 5.963.

Paula Martin led funny car qualifiers with a 6.688 at 214.55. Tony Pedregon was on and off the pedal, turning in a 7.399, but sped through with the top speed in the class with a 234.98 mph pass.

“That was amazing, wasn’t it?” Martin said. “The track’s good, but it’s not up to the point where we could load up the car. We’ve run a 5.58 here before. We’ll go after it (today).”

“I came to town saying this is a real learning experence for me, and boy was I right,” said Pedregon. “We need to cut back the horsepower. We went up too agressive. It’ll get better (today).”

Former World Finals winners Gary Densham and Tom Hoover each had troubled runs. Densham shut down at half track and coasted through the top end at 12.73, while Hoover ran a 12.43.

Brad Davidchuck of Edmonton led in alcohol dragster at 6.28, 221.00 mph. Spokane’s Chris Denison was second at 7.03.

John Knox was tops in pro alcohol funny car with a 6.52, 214.