18TH CALIFORNIA HOT ROD REUNION, Bakersfield, CA, October 18th – With twenty-eight machines lighting it off and jostling for the eight-quickest positions during Saturday’s AA/Funny Car Eliminator qualifying round, one has to expect some broken hearts — and broken parts.
For “Nitro Kitty” Mendy Fry and her mount, McCain’s Bomb Squad, that meant a broken rear end — and one that was impractical to mend. At the shift-point during the first of what should have been two qualifying runs, a puff of smoke came out of the ‘73 Duster’s headers, a signal that the pinion gear lost more teeth than two cowboys in a bar fight, and the damage spread throughout the drivetrain, including destroying the axle and snapping a steel input shaft like a pretzel. With power to the slicks dis-engaged, Fry coasted to a quarter-mile elapsed time of 7.13 at 131 mph, netting a provisional 19th position, insufficient to qualify for Sunday’s race.
Which was academic, because after the damage was assessed, in hopes of making Sunday’s qualifying round, a frantic search for a replacement rear axle was met with sympathetic responses from members of the Nitro Funny Car community, most specifically by the teams of Claude LaVoie and Todd Lesenko, but to no avail. And after McCain’s Bomb Squad spent the night disassembling the drivetrain in hopes of putting it back together in time for more qualifying, the team’s season came to end for want of a spare axle. Which begs the question: How do you mend a broken heart? Or even a broken rear end? -30-
This weekend it’s a Fiberglass Forest at Famoso Raceway! A Plethora of Plastic Fantastics! A Carbon Fiber Cotillion! With thirty-two (32!) nitro-burning coupes entered in competition, never has the battle for Funny Car Eliminator at the California Hot Rod Reunion been so cut-throat: Indeed, on the eve of the event’s 18th running, all of these wicked machines will vie for a mere eight spots, with these quickest contestants participating in Sunday’s final showdown. To that end, “Nitro Kitty” Mendy Fry — shoeing McCain’s Bomb Squad ‘73 Duster — will have to claw and scratch her way through the field when time trials begin on Saturday at 4 pm.
Indeed, qualifying will be ruthless! Among the legion of fuel floppers duking it out with Fry in what is the last race this year in the NHRA Heritage Points Series: “Northwest Hitter” Bucky Austin, Kris Krabill in the Pedaler, and Mark Sanders’ Mr. Explosive Nova. In addition to those stalwarts, former NHRA Funny Car champ Cruz Pedregon has entered his just-finished Joe Pisano ‘77 Arrow tribute funny car. The last-minute details behind Pedregon’s late entry underscore the camaraderie amongst otherwise pitiless competitors…. Indeed, because of scheduling conflicts last weekend Pedregon was racing in Virginia and not able to leak-down and warm-up his brand spankin’ new machine, so in preparation for its debut at this weekend’s drag race, Joe Pisano crew chief Donnie Couch enjoined Fry to light off the untested Hemi-powered Nitro Coupe last Sunday. Upon ignition, everything appeared buttoned-up properly and no leaks were to be found, so Fry signed off on the systems-check and handed the steering yoke back to Couch to give to Pedregon, its righful owner — just in time to fight it out on the drag strip this weekend in Bakersfield. -30-
People ask me: “Where do you post your 2009 schedule?” I often get asked that question, and now I can point them to this post, detailing appearances by McCain’s Bomb Squad Nitro Funny Car. They are as follows:
Mendy is currently #3 in the points, behind the entries of Steve Romanazzi and defending Reunion champ Bucky Austin. For all practical purposes, in order for the Nitro Kitty to win the Title, Romanzzi and Austin must not only lose but the Bomb Squad Duster has to also win the event.
What makes this even more challenging is that the Funny Car eliminator at the Reunion will be contested in a variation of a “Chicago Style” tournament. According to the NHRA, “(i)n Chicago-style racing, only the top eight qualifiers advance to eliminations. At Bakersfield, all entered cars will run for time, sending all but eight home after just one qualifying run. The eight-fastest will run again, with the two quickest winners, advancing to the final.”
Which means every pass is do-or-die for the McCain’s Bomb Squad entry…
The first round for Nitro Funny Car is 11 am Sunday. With over 20 floppers entered, will the Nitro Kitty be among the top 8 after 1st Round? And if so, will she then be among the quickest two winners? And finally, the event winner? And therefore, ultimately the NHRA Heritage Series Nitro Funny Car Champion…
Friday night, Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA – To tell you the truth, I had me some butterflies two nights ago in Bakersfield. I hadn’t been in a funny car since the final round in May (Vegas HRHS event), and well, that pass didn’t go so well… If memory serves, after the Future Flash Funny Car kicked the rods out 100′ into the run, I ended up crashing, on fire and confused. So, as we waited in the staging lanes Friday night before the first squirt, my tummy was definitely dancing. So there I am in the dark isolation of the Famoso staging lanes, alone with my thoughts in a new Nitro Funny Car. But, as always, when the 426 fires and the body comes down, those butterflies are nowhere to be found…
Mike McCain’s Bomb Squad Duster leaves the line harder than any car I’ve ever driven. I went in the car nervous – I jumped out of it elated! We made two half-track passes to get me acclimated to the car and to get a baseline on the new engine. I felt immediately comfortable, which is due to Donnie Couch’s tuning abilities and the McCain crew’s attention to detail. This is, by far, the most meticulously maintained car out there, and I get to drive it!
So, in answer to the question, “What happened on Friday,” I say this: We got together, ran the car, and bonded as a team. Now, we will turn our attention to the California Hot Rod Reunion. Come by and see us on Sunday, October 12, at Famoso!
(Seemore photosfrom Friday’s test and tune in the Bomb Squad Nitro Funny CarHERE)
Posted by kerobomb 
