A Nitro Night of Fire
At Sacramento Raceway


Got JP-8 (Jet Propellent 8)? Jeff Atamian does and this kerosene-based elixir
 propelled his J34-powered “Beast” down the Sacramento tarmac to a 6.085
at 247.19 mph.

Sacramento Raceway’s annual Nitro Night of Fire was the place to be on this unseasonably cool May evening. With not one, not two, but three jet dragsters on hand, maybe this event should have been called the “Kerosene Nationals.”  Darrin Bay brought both his “Black Rat” and “Incinerator” jet dragsters and Jeff Atamian towed up from Madera with “The Beast”. What better way to warm up the fans that came not only for the “wienie roasters”, but also for the nitro dragsters and funny cars, Pro Slammers, 7.0 Pro, and West Coast Pro Gassers. Once that large yellow disc in the sky had slipped safely below the horizon, the jets got the show rolling. Because of dangerous crosswinds, car owner Bay cautioned his driver, Barry Richter, to click the “Incinerator” early. On the first run, Richter obeyed (5.555-180.28). But, in a blazing salute to the fans on his second run, Barry took it out the back door to a 5.171-305.07 run. “The Beast” also made two runs and later returned to end the evening with a jet car burndown that left a couple of old junkyard cars torched to the ground. For the nitro cars, Brendan Murry and his “Running Wild” top fuel dragster returned hoping to repeat his Funny Car Fever win. However, it was Arnold Birky with his “Birky Bunch" Chevy-powered dragster that emerged the winner after the round robin competition. In round one, driver Mark Malde defeated the Dickie Harrell tribute funny car of Lee Jennings Jr., and then outlasted Mike Irwin driving the new “Nitro Fever” dragster in a good old-fashioned pedalfest. It was Birky’s first return to the winner’s circle at Sacramento Raceway since his Governor’s Cup win in 2005.


Mark Malde was at his skillful best negotiating the tricky Sacramento Raceway
surface to the NNF title. Excluding the jets, Malde had low e.t. of the meet at 6.51.

7.0 & 7.60 PRO SLAMMERS

The Pro Slammers Door Car Association showed up at NNF with seventeen entries, ten of which were entered in the 7.0 category. As he had done at FCF, Mike Doushgounian was the pacesetter laying down a 6.92 during the Test-N-Tune session before settling in as the number one qualifier with a more sedate 7.050. Doushgounian was followed closely by Fresno’s Bruce Sanders and FCF winner Mike Henry. In eliminations, Mike D. did not show any weaknesses as he dispatched Justin Wake in E1, took a single in E2, and then easily pushed Ken Christiansen out of the way in the semis. On the other side of the ladder, Bruce Sanders was likewise moving through the field with stealth-like efficiency. Sanders’ 7.015 single in the semis showed Doushgounian that he was ready to tangle. As hoped, it was a “killer” final. Mike was on his game with a .012 RT with Bruce just .030 back. Doushgounian got to the finish line first, but this double breakout race went to Sanders. 7.60 Slammers was all Rob Patten from Tracy. Although FCF winner Mark Lawson and Jim Godec were lurking close by, Patten had the quickest time in each round leading up to the final. In that duel between Lawson and Patten, Mark uncharacteristically fouled by a significant amount (-.081), handing Rob an easy win.


The best race of the event was the showdown between #1 Mike Doushgounian
and #2 Bruce Sanders in Pro Slammers. The double breakout result went
Sanders’ way as his 6.988 was just a tick slower than Mike’s 6.977.


Rob Patten, no stranger to the winner’s circle, was in completely different form
from his prior performance at FCF. After that troublesome time in April, Patten
returned to dominate the seven-car field at NNF.

7.0 PRO

Richard Phillips has a stranglehold on 7.0 Pro right now as the Visalia owner/driver has not lost an event this year. At NNF, Phillips qualified number one, did not run slower than 7.066 in eliminations,  and simply  crushed the field in the process. His main antagonist, number two qualifier Leonard Hain, could have challenged Phillips for the win, but broke out in E2 with a 6.989 against San Jose’s Mike Salinas. In the final, it was FED versus altered just like FCF. This time, the competition was Mike Cross and not Dave Rosenberg, but the result was the same. Phillips left first and his 7.066 was more than enough to handle Cross’ tepid 7.677.

 

Richard Phillips is definitely on a roll with back-to-back wins at FCF and NNF.
The number one qualifier (7.030) was equally impressive in eliminations
averaging 7.051 for three rounds of racing.

WEST COAST PRO GAS

B/G

Winner: Jerry Jahnsen; ’67 Nova__0.047  8.583-153.41 (bo)
RU:  Gary Ryan; ’32 Bantam_____0.027  8.532-144.08 (bo) 


Jerry Jahnsen survived two double breakout decisions including one in the
semis where Tarii Moorhead not only went too quickly, but also left before the
green light.
C/G
Winner: Todd Lindgren; ’70 Chevelle__0.042  9.541-140.53 (bo)
RU: Tim Beeman; “32 Bantam_______- 0.001  9.622- 134.72 (rl)  


After taking a single in E1, Todd Lindgren, the #1 qualifier, watched his
competition either breakout (Chris Rea and Arnie Paiva) or red light (Beeman).
D/G
Winner: Jack Nilson; ’63 Chevy II______0.036  10.561-113.74 (bo)
RU: Michael Corradi; ’73 Vega______- 0.001 10.627-125.29 (rl)


Jack Nilson was one of three drivers to repeat their FCF win (also, Phillips and
Golden).The secret to Jack’s success? How about RTs averaging .022 for
four rounds of eliminations.

E/G
Winner: Mark Golden; ’93 Mustang__0.039 11.685-105.78
RU: Dan Bagwell; ‘71Cougar________0.059 11.760-116.34


Mark Golden duplicated his FCF success with another win at NNF. In E2 against
the always tough Jesse Adams, Mark cut a 0.006 light making Jesse stay on
the gas too long and break out.

F/G
Winner: Vincent Reali; ’71Nova___0.069  12.612-101.62
RU: John Cutright; ’65 Rambler__0.089  12.625-99.36


Vincent Reali beat FFC winner Greg Rudd in E2, took a bye in E3, then turned
back Cutright in the final by a .033 MOV.

DRAG BIKES                                                                       
Winner: Mike O’Neil; ’89 GSXR______0.038  9.207-141.67  (9.14 dial)
RU: Craig Holsey; ’00 Honda______-0.081  8.856-155.96 (rl)


Michael O’Neil beat a Kawasaki, a Harley, and a Suzuki to win his class at NNF.


“The Beast” jet dragster had enough JP-8 fuel left to torch a couple hooptees
over at the oval track—now you know why they call them “wienie roasters.”