2007 NHRA Finals in Pomona

Our Trip to Pomona,
Arriving in California

After a 7 hour trip waiting in between two flights and a layover in Denver to change planes we finally arrived in Ontario, California. I think flying this way rather than flying into LAX was the way to go as everyone else told us the same thing. And was a breeze driving to the hotel from Ontario. Driving from LAX would have been a nightmare apparently and the day we left the traffic to LA was backed up to Ontario on I-10 at 5.30 am! Not to say the I-10 traffic wasn't busy but still was easier than flying to LA, and our bags weren't lost either!

Day1 NHRA museum

Today we went to the NHRA museum and let me tell ya there is so much history there that it is overwhelming. It almost comes alive when you enter it. It was kind of a solemn mood as the founder Wally Parks has recently passed on a few weeks ago and the memorial ribbon on the Wally statue says it all. But you know he will always be looking down apon us making sure the NHRA community stays true to it's form. Anyway I was still excited to see Don Prodhomme's Top Fuel dragster and Kenny Bernstein's T/F dragster as well as some older cars from years gone by. Lots of old pictures and memorabilia there to as well. The museum is situated in a beautiful setting on Fairplex Drive with palm trees all around and green grass landscapes across the road, it is truly breathtaking. Here are some pic collages.




All pics on my Flickr site

John Force injured in accidend in Dallas

Only a day after my wife informs me she has booked a hotel in Pomona for the season ending NHRa race John Force has a serious accident in Dallas. He was racing Kenny Bernstein in second round of eliminations when he had his accident and crashed paths with Kenny and well the video is here:

John suffered multiple fractures to his legs and wrist and it sounds like he will be out for the rest of the season. I have seen John crash before and be on fire over his career but never seen his car split in half like this. I wish John and his family best wishes and hope for a speedy recovery as John Force is to NHRA as what was Dale Earnhardt to NASCAR.

Pics on FLICKR instead of geociites.

I have added a FLICK R link to my sidebar where I have added some pics from last weekends race. Some older pics are still on my geocities website as well.

Our TRip Home

Well on Monday we slept in a bit as the races are now over for another year. (Until Pomona right honey?) Anyway as we booked a late flight for Monday based on past experiences with rain delays in Seattle forcing the race to be run on Monday. And it was close to being run on Monday as well, boy was it close I still can't believe the weather cooperated enough o allow the race to be finished on Sunday even though it was still hampered by a misting rain which cause slight delays during the day. But hats off to the NHRA for getting it done and preparing the track for driver and fan safety.
So the wife and I go do a little shopping, apparently she wants to start running with her so bough me a pair of good running shoes, hi tech stuff this running shoe business. Then we went to Southcentre mall to kill a few more hours.
something to eat and wander around a bit.Well as the day is lagging on we decide to go drop off the rental car and head to the airport where we can get The concourse is pretty cool with a big glass wall that overlooks the airport and can watch all the planes come and go. So this was a good spot to get something to eat. Is awesome to watch all the planes fly in out they are just as powerful as some of the cars we were watching over the weekend and I am always amazed that these planes can ever get off the ground! Like this 747. After we eat we head down to our gate number. you need to take a subway to get out to the satellite terminal that is there but there is another good vantage point for some more pics.
Even The air force comes in here I guess to refuel or something but was still impressed whit this air force tanker as it taxied by us. There was all types of planes that came by us from British Airways to Japanese airplanes and various paint schemes, and we were close to Alaska Airline terminal so there was tons of those plane there to.

Finally our plane lands.....Air Canada/Jazz....and we load up and go home. The flight was about an hour and we are home after another fun weekend in Seattle.

Finally We've come Back to Seattle Day 2

After a fun interesting night in the bar last night (Meeker Street Bar and Grill) with some very addicted Nitro Methane maniacs (I thought I was the only one!) we are a little hungover but on our way to the track. One guy last night kept going on about how proud he was of Ashley Force, hell I thought he was her father at one point! Mind you everyone is proud of her if you follow NHRA on a regular basis and watch the program Driving Force. Oh well another round please waitress.They sure pour good rum and cokes in this part of the world , let me tell you!
Anyway after checking the NHRA.com website in out hotel lobby's free computer access we see that NHRA is running on two qualifying sessions today so we are excited to get there. And the weather looks good for racing. Cool and overcast, perfect race conditions for record setting runs! I think this guy breathed too many Nitro fumes in his day, or was he at the bar last night with us? Actually it was in Max Naylor's souvenir trailer. The first pro qualifying sessions went pretty well without a hitch and the day looked good for racing. Bob Panella's Pro Stocker was done in a Sox Martin Tribute them, pretty cool! I love the old paint schemes and nostalgia cars cause they are the founders and pioneers of the sport.
Anyway I took about a million pictures of the races which I will post some on my geocities website this week as I have finally figured out how my camera works! And I took some sweet photos. Like this one of Kurt Johnson doing a burnout.


The Alcohol cars got one qualifying session in as well but all the rest of the sportsman categories were out of luck as the weather started to rain again before round 2 of qualifying could get started. The day was rained out after that point and NHRA will run Sunday after one round of qualifying instead of four so we are off to more shopping and get some more pics. Like the ones with me and John Evanchuck's top alcohol funny car. He is from Edmonton and we have seen this car race in Calgary and at car shows on display but haven't seen him run in the big show yet. He is a heavy hitter in the class along with Roger Bateman pictured below in the Nobile smile.com car who hasn't retired yet. We also took time out to sign the memorial banner to Eric Medlen who passed away earlier this year in a testing accident. Oh well the day is done so we are on our way home and back to the bar for some more dinner, for some more of those 50/50 free pour drink systems they have here.
We met some more crazy Nitro Methane addicts in there and everyone is upset the weather isn't cooperating as well as could be, but oh well can't change the weather! On our way out of the bar we met a couple who were feeling no pain as was I and we proceeded to explain about the rock my wife has in her lanyard! HAHAA oh yes the infamous rock my wife cherishes so much and so do I actually, didn't tell her that I lost it 3 times on the weekend but found it every time by my feet.


The Infamous rock Story:
Well not much too tell other than we like to sit behind the starting line on Sunday's races and one year I think in 2000 or something my wife was hit by a flying rock from one of the car"s burnouts! we thought cool! A piece of the track just hit me I think I'll keep it so we did. A piece of history and fun plus the fact my wife's arms were covered in little pieces of rubber and teraction compound combined with being hit by a piece of the track makes for some interesting conversations at the track or the bar!

Finally We've Gone Back To Seattle!

After a long 5 year absence from the Seattle NHRA Northwest Nationals, now called the Schucks NHRA Nationals my wife and I finally returned to the spot where we got hitched! Right down on the starting line. See my personal geocities page for pics. You can imagine how excited I was too get back to the track and not just any track, a professionally run NHRA event track.

I couldn't wait to board the plane Fri morning from Calgary. The wait in the airport was agonizing as I knew we would be a little late for the start of the race as we wouldn't be arriving at the track til around noon after we got our rental car and checked into our hotel. Everything was going to plan until we landed at Seattle airport. It was raining and raining hard! Now I'm worried but know that the start of the race has likely been postponed for a few hours so maybe that bought us some time. After we get our car check into the hotel we are off to the track, finally!

When we got there no one was moving too fast as the track was super soaked and they had sucker trucks pumping water out of pit areas and souvenir trailer areas. Oh well time to do a little shopping for driver apparell and get my National Dragster membership renewed. Maybe get a few autographs and more pics.

Hey take a look at the new grandstand that was added a few years ago, a liitle wet to be seated though.


I'm feeling a little fat these days so we can get lots of exercise walking through Nitro Alley a million times.

The day is not looking too well for racing but being the hard core race fans that we are we are hoping for tech best! After all have been through this before and seen them run. Ok get the jet dryers out already! Finally late that day we talk to a member of the Budweiser racing team and tells us that the race has been called for the day. So now they are down to two qualifying sessions on Saturday for Sundays eliminations. Oh well back to the hotel for dinner at the new bar down the road and a hot tub later on.

But check out some more pics of some of the nostalga cars, one of which was the original Ed the Ace McCulloch's dragster from the early days of drag racing.

Hey check out who sponsors Clay Millican's New ride!