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DAY TWO: Tuesday July 28, 1998 - TOP FUEL TUESDAY

I can't think of any name other than 'Flopper Friday', but it IS Tuesday, and baby it's hot outside already. By 9am I'm ready to go, Rich is snoring in the other bed. All the rigs are still outside and the Hofmann guys are getting out the hoses and buckets to wash it down. I go to the lobby to see if anyone has a schedule for the race. The nice lady at the front desk didn't, but offered to call (and if necessary wake up) Mr. Hofmann and ask him. I quickly told her that would not be necessary. Probably could have made for some 'entertaining' audio though eh?

I go next door to Dennys (I later learn and prove that it is the slowest such restaurant on the face of the globe), and get seated right beside Helen, Jimbo and a crew guy. Oh boy dirt! I'll hear so much cool stuff here...WRONG. Dull and boring does not even to begin to describe their conversation, so I open the local paper and look for something on the race. The only thing I find is a schedule in the box section that says gates open at 3pm. Well I guess Carlson had the right idea.

Back at the motel, Helen is walking the dog and her answer to my question of when they would be running results in a grumbling "7 or 8", so now I'm even more thrilled. I guess we'll have some 'shopping' time.

Ok, so we get to the track about one and immediately meet up with track manager Wayne Seldon. Now this guy simply does not fit the mold of a track manager, He's just too darn nice. I later learn so is most everyone else at Southern Oregon Dragway, from owner/promoter John Skinner on down. We learn that the 30 grand, winner-take-all deal has turned into a booked in eight car show. Four fuel coupes and four alky cars. No Top Fuelers...hmmmm.

Already set up in the shady spot is Sonoma FMD champ John Shoemaker and wife Judy. More super nice people...what a place! The newest 'Wally' is proudly on display beside the car, and we get to hear a complete rundown on the road to victory. Good stuff.

As nothing much is happening here yet, and since it's about 104 in the shade, we decide to go haunt a few liquidation stores...Carlson's specialty. By 4:30 we're at Pappy's Pizza place and are joined by a very marginal appearing Vietnam vet who goes on about how he used to frequent Lions, Irwindale and The County before he went overseas in '68. An interesting conversation to say the least.

Yes, that's a LIVE TV uplink!

Back at the track by 6 to what looks like a fine crowd nearly filling the place. Ah yes, a weekday evening of nitro-based entertainment at a small-town, blazing-hot west coast drag strip...It don't get no better!

First up however is a visit with Mike Smith of the Northwest Blown Alcohol Bad Boys. I pull out the Optura for a quicky interview that turns into an intro on every car they have here. It's obvious the well-versed Smith has done this kind of thing before as he quickly pulls off every one on the first take. "Ya, we sell appliances" he says "Done a few TV commercials as well". Just wait till you see this video!

Mike Smith's car is a former McEwen Hot Wheels Duster.

Unfortunately the first round for the 'Boys' is plagued with problems, but hilighted by the two shoeboxes of John Costello and Gary Fauble, both from Eugene. Costello leads off with a great 1/8th mile burnout in his all steel '57 before laying down a nice 7.55/184.53. Beside him the gorgeous naturally aspirated '55 of Fauble ran a close 7.84/172.41.

Costello's 7.50 all-steel Shoebox is very, very cool!

The new slingshot of Jeff Lauener from Eugene, Or.

Next up was an entertaining pairing of alky dragsters vs. funny cars. The Las Vegas FMD of Duane Shields faced off against Clint Thompson's Camaro from Kalmath Falls. A 6.45/161.45 from Shields easily outdistanced Thompson's 8.40.

Keith Shields during his 2nd hit later that night.

Local racer Clint Thompson.

Next up Shoemaker ran an outstanding 5.98/229.83 to defeat Rupert's 6.55/167.30.

Jason Rupet ran hard (like he always does) , but the big horsepower car had trouble hooking up here.

 

Then came the guys we were all here to see. With the hot sun just peeking above the burm to the west Cory Lee came up beside Hoffman. Lee, wheeling the Pioneer car of the injured Tom Hoover, laid down a strong burnout, as did the man-in-black. The race was a smokey affair with the Pontiac running a 6.03/189 to Lee's 6.81.

Next up was the Mr. Magoo ride of Don Sosenka from Spring Beach Texas and Densham from Bellflower Ca. Another smoke-filled race saw Densham light up the boards with a 5.71/252.98 to a troubled 7.50/133.58 for Sosenka. Regardless of the outcome the crowd went nuts, as the bracket bashers came out.

Densham made it this far before loosing traction. Compare to pic above.

Try to catch this with your SLR. Note the exiting flame on the left. At 30 frames-per-second it's easy with the Canon Optura. Too bad TNN bans such cameras from the starting line of National Events. Welcome to the 90's people.

Pug Hoover of Grants Pass Took the Bracket One victory in his cool Brogie Roadster running a great 9.261/141.55 on a 9.24 dial. His competition, Denny Guilland from Central Point ran a 10.329/123.35 breakout on his 10.34 dial-in. Bracket Two saw the nice '70 Chevelle of Dan Mason win in a double breakout final over the '64 Fairlane of Glen Bogart. Mason went 12.857/105.41 on a 12.92 number while Bogart, despite a .491 to a .621 reaction time advantage, ran a 12.18/111.62 on his 12.25 dial.

With the track announcers, including a 'booked-in' Stevie Wong, pumping the crowd in anticipation of a 300 mph run, we got ready for the final round of the fast guys. You see there's $5000 up for the first run over 300 in Oregon, as somebody announces that this is the only track in the state able to cope with such speeds. I wonder if Mr. Livingston felt a ringing in his ears when that was said.

Stevie "I love you man" Wong.

At about 10pm the cars came out, surprisingly with Hofmann in the first pairing alongside Densham. (You may have though they would save the two fastest guys for last) The two track record holders (Hofmann 5.46 and Densham 278 back in 1995) laid down great burnouts, especially Hofmann in the left lane. When the cars left it was only a matter of seconds before both went up in smoke. Anyone could hear the difference in sound between the two with the black car set on stun, Big Al wanting that five grand. It was not to be however as Densham peddled to a 5.62/260.19 while Hofmann ran half the race with no flames out the left bank, but plenty of white stuff off both slicks. The teacher showed his many years of match race experience on less-than-optimal race tracks by taking the 'win'.

You can see Hofmann starting to smoke the tires, as Densham just keeps on truckin.

Lee and Sosenka closed the program with the Pioneer car pounding out a slow super-smoky burnout before launching hard to a tire-blazing 6.07/182. The Magoo car in the left lane went sour at about 800ft. From the wicked sound we expected to see flame through the cloudbank engulfing the strip, but thankfully there was none.

Lee & Sosenka. (Ok, so the Optura is a bit weak in low light).

Afterwards Skinner promised more money and more cars in 1999. For hard-core, old-time nitro junkies this is a pretty cool race. The facilities are fine, though toilets are the infamous portable types. The security here was very good, the seating, epsecially on the burm nice and close to the action. It will be a hard decision NOT to come back here for the next Top Fuel Tuesday. My only suggestiopn would be to either change the name, or better yet, bring in four Fuelers too!

After the race I ran into long-time email buddy Dave Loney and his friend, whose name escapes me right now. Since I wasn't driving, the beers flowed freely, and I got to know the guy I had been communicating via the web for a few years. Neat deal. Neat guys too. Hell, they got here at 9 in the morning, so with nothing to do all day had a tailgate party all afternoon. After a four hour drive from Portland I can assure you the boys had a GOOD time!

BONUS Photo section...like you need to wait for more...

Densham, Lee & Hoffman share a giggle.

Jimbo: Oh man I just stapled my shoe to the track...

Super nice guy, Track Manager Wayne Seldon, with the live TV van. Ya, that's a NETWORK station, not some bogus local cable company.

First car I saw go down the track was this neat altered. Sorry, but I didn't get the names of any of these guys. Anybody help?

This was interesting.

Good looking, hard running '57 wagon.

Access to the nitro pits was great.

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