RAINY DAY RACING
NHRDA VISITS STORMY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH DIESEL DRAG STRIP ACTION
It has been one of the wettest years on record for California, and as we watched raindrops puddle up on truck windshields, all we could do was hope for the best. The National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA for short) made the trip to Sacramento where it would host dyno, drag racing, and sled pulling action. Three events became two as the sled pull was rained out. Still, everyone rallied in between rainstorms to get the dragstrip prepped, and the NHRDA was able to pull off a race!
With only one round of qualifying, the action was immediate as soon as the fi rst tire hit the track. There were Sportsman, 11.90, and 10.90 Index classes, as well as heads-up classes like Super Street and Pro Stock. The drags kicked off with the Sportsman class, which is a bracket class where competitors must run as close as they can to their dial-ins without going under. In a highly competitive fi eld, the title came down to local favorite Russ Wullenwaber in his ’17 Chevy against Scott McKinstry in a ’17 Ford. In a heck of a race, McKinstry ended up edging out Wullenwaber by the slimmest of margins and took the win in the most smoke-free final ever.
The 11.90 class was another battle for all involved, and a class that held a unique variety of trucks. Mike Ostrowski’s sleeper, a 4bt-powered classic Chevy, was perhaps the most interesting of the bunch, and we doubted the single-turbo rig could be a serious competitor. But Ostrowski made believers out of us when he ran a 12.1-second pass the first round, and eventually dipped into the 11.90s to make it all the way to the semi-finals. The finals saw an all-GM battle, as Brian Howard’s low 4×4 broke out, posting an 11.86 to Nate Morgan’s winning 12.00 at 111.52 mph.
Dropping a whole second off a truck’s elapsed time can be tough, so it was mostly race vehicles in the 10.90 class. Rick Flete’s Chevelle had traction issues, which left the door wide open for Chris Krebs’ Dodge. One of the quickest VP-pumped trucks around, Krebs had run in the 10.90s every qualifying pass, and an 11.00-second ET in the finals. The last class was Pro Stock, where the MBRP-sponsored G&J Willys made some shakedown runs in its first appearance of the year.
Despite the weather, the NHRDA and Sacramento Raceway were able to overcome adversity and put on a great drag race. The quality of vehicles in the show was a reminder of why we attend these types of events. Whether it was an 11-second sleeper, lifted screaming four-wheel-drive, or diesel-swapped musclecar, just about everyone could find something they liked, which is why these events are so fun. The next stops for the NHRDA will be in Ennis, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as they continue their yearly tour.DW
RESULTS
PRO STOCK
WINNER: Jarid Vollmer ’41 Willys BROKE
SUPER STREET
WINNER: Chris Weyl ’06 GMC 13.94 at 76.45
RUNNER-UP: Ron Reiswig BROKE
10.90 INDEX
WINNER: Chris Krebs ’99 Dodge 11.00 at 123.19 mph
RUNNER-UP: Verlon Southwick BROKE
SUPER DIESEL (11.90 INDEX)
WINNER: Nate Morgan 12.00 at 111.52
RUNNER-UP: Brian Howard 11.86 at 105.27
SPORTSMAN
WINNER: Scott McKinstry ’17 Ford 14.88 on a 14.883 dial-in
RUNNER-UP: Russ Wullenwaber ’17 Chevy 15.24 on a 15.43 dial-in
