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DESERT CLASSIC WARM-UP
Full Round-Up from the Desert Warm-Up
02/29/04
Tucson, AZ - The Desert Classic Warm-up proved one thing this past weekend - It DOES rain in Arizona. Though not racing on Friday, that day's down poor put a scare in races and CITGO Series promoters alike.
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| Bob Chagnon |
Saturday morning the clouds broke up leaving decent skies but a cold, wet track. That didn't stop the racing, however, and it certainly didn't stop the flow of money. SIR crews dried to the track, prepped to a safe temperature and by the end of the day over $10,000 was handed out.
The Sportsman class Saturday saw Seth Levy, Charlie Boyd, Tim O'Moore, Terry Markley, Fred Baca, Tom Payton and Chuck Hawk make their way to the quarter finals. Hawk would watch from the side with the bye run while Levy took a red light win over Boyd. Markley fell asleep at the tree giving O'Moore the round win. Baca, though slower off the line used a better package to take out Tom Payton.
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| Fred Baca |
The semis paired Baca (Santa Fe NM) and local Seth Levy. Baca again used his overall package to secure a close win. Chuck Hawk Jr (Tucson) would return to the line to take a red light win over O,Moore (Tucson). The final round run between Hawk and Baca would go the finish line with comparable lights - .110 and .104 respectively. Hawk, however developed lead foot, running 10.352 on a 10.37, giving the breakout win to Baca along with a $1000 check.
In Super Pro, Max Tafoya, Brian Lopez, Noel Zweigler, David Johnston, Cory Beatty and Dennis Schrage lined up for the quarter round run. Beatty ran dead-on to take out Scharge while Zweigler used a .037 light to top Johnston. Finally, Brian Lopez took a .012 light to the finish line but got passed by the faster Tafoya at the last second.
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| Max Tafoya |
Zweigler's quarter round package gave him to bye the finals leaving Tafoya (Albuquerque) and Beatty (Lamesa TX) to fill the second spot. The faster Beatty hit a slow .107 light and left himself playing catch-up - breaking out at the other end. In the finals, Tafoya would again enjoy a break out in the other lane as Zweigler (Tucson) ran 12.076 on a 12.16 dial, even after getting a .072 advantage at the tree. Tafoya took home a $2500 winners check.
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| Jeff Veek |
On the Jr Drag side it was Kevin Huffman, Jeff Veek, Kevin Dockins and brother Eric Dockens fighting for a final round spot. Huffman and Kevin Dockins both had good lights with Huffman putting together the better package. Eric Dockens would drop next, unable to find his dial, sending Veek to the finals. There Huffman (Tucson) ran dead-on but that alone could not make up for a .346 light. Veeks (Sahuarits AZ) used a .127 light and 9.677 run on a 9.60 dial-in to secure the win and $100.
As predicted, Sunday's weather was perfect and an additional two dozen or more drivers showed up to take advantage. To start the day CITGO Series officials rounded the pits to make a final choice for the Best Engineering and Appearance awards - Billy Maddox of Sidney Nebraska taking the Engineering trophy and Scott Stauth of Vail Arizona taking the Appearance award.
The track too was it its best, giving the series one of the smoothest race days in years. Scott Sturm, a Tucson native made the best of it - running a perfect package in round five. Sturm received a $400 gift card from RON'S Fuel Injection along with a Door Cabinet from Cargo Pal and a $50 check from DragRaceResults.Com.
The Trick Cable and Switch Buyback Giveaway made its premier Sunday with Rob Amereno taking a $150 gift card from Trick and Max Tafoya taking a free full weekend entry to a future CITGO Series event.
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| Skip Reed |
As for the bracket race Sunday, Sportsman class gave us Ruben Arreta, Victor Sandoval, Luis Valenzuala, Doug Hammond, Terry Markley, Dexter Clausen, Skip Reed and Bob Chagnon in the quarters. Arreta slept at the light but took the win on a Sandoval breakout. Valenzuala edged past Hammond at the line while Markley topped Clausen with the better package. Reed and Chagnon finished the round with Reed taking the easy win on Chagnon's .132 light.
In the semis, Reed (Tucson) paired with Arreta (Bisbee AZ) and both immediately went red - Arreta first giving Reed the first slot in the finals. The Valenzuala / Markley match-up proved again that it doesn't matter how good of a light you get if you don't drive the finish line. Markley (Benson AZ) hit a .002 light and then let himself get pushed right out the back door by Valenzuala (Tucson) who was playing catch-up from a .166 light. Valenzuala moved to the finals on the double breakout.
After such a huge recovery in the semis, the finals were a heart breaker for Valenzuala. A -.001 light ended his day 10 seconds earlier than he had hoped. Skip Reed would take home the second $1000 Sportsman check.
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| Bill Kidd |
In Super Pro, Don Meziere, Jody Davis, Scott Sturm, Dennis Brownfield, Bill Kidd, Scott Strauth, Don Tola and Harold Meziere made up the quarter round field. Don Meziere took a breakout win over Davis, Sturm used his perfect run against Brownfield and Stauth gave the red-light win to Kidd. Tola took the final spot on a Harold Meziere foul.
In the semis, Meziere (Escondido CA) took an edge at the light but gave it up with a breakout - giving Kidd (Tucson) the final round gift. Tola (Tucson) would then use a .011 light to wrap-up a final round spot against Sturm.
The final gave us a good clean race, no fouls, no breakouts. Kidd and Tola hit good lights, .023 and .020 respectively and finished at the line with Kidd producing the better package. Kidd, driving the Brian Lopez Malibu (one of the most successful cars in Tucson), took the second $2500 check of the weekend.
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| Brittany Blakely |
In Jr Drag, Kevin Huffman would return to the semis along with Brittany Blakely (Anthony NM), Jordan Hart (Tucson) and Brad Hawk (Tucson). Hart gave up a foul win to Blakely while Hawk would do the same for Huffman. In the finals Huffman would again fall to a bad light. Blakely grabbed a .147 light a close enough dial in her 78 mph dragster to win the $100.
Though Al Huffman came close with a .001 light / dead-on with a 3 run, there is no lead change in the RaceTech Run for the Dragster. There are however new ATC Championship Points leaders in all classes. Don and Herald Meziere are tied for the lead in Super Pro (which surely made for an interesting ride back to LA), Bob Chagnon has now taken the lead in Sportsman and Kevin Huffman takes the early lead in the LUNATI Jr Drag Points Series.
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