Lazy? No, why do you ask? Oh, could it be that it's taken me two and a half years to get coverage of the 2000 Nightfire Nationals at Firebird Raceway up on the 'net? Nahhh...I'd just misplaced the stuff.maker.exe

And if you believe that, have I got a great deal for you on some used parts!maker.exe

The text here is cut and pasted from what we posted on Header Flames back in August of 2000...comments from various guest personalties...We'll start off with Friday night's festivities, and Tom Shelar's recollections, as he had the laptop, I'd been scribbling in wire bound notebooks, and those were stolen last year.maker.exe

T-Slick sez,maker.exe

"I was on the return road at 1000ft when one of the funnycars with the altered bodies burst into flames.maker.exe

I was 100 yards away and could feel the heat from the fire when it went off. The car was a fire ball from the front of the motor to about 15ft behind the car. The Fiat body was blown off and landed on the track upside down and spinning much like Del Worshem's car at SIR. The driver was on the bottle and had the fire out by about 1600ft and then he popped the chutes to come to a safe stop.maker.exe

I was told that he was shooting sparks out of the pipes at * track but he didn't lift.( I doubt he saw the signs but he must of felt the car lay over) He was side by side with the car in the other lane and I am sure he was caught up in the competition and didn't want to lift. Glad he was ok and he did a great job of handleing the car. I believe it was Michael Monroe from Colorado but I am not 100% sure.maker.exe

I don't know these guys by name so if I am wrong please correct me. The most impressive pass of the night was shot by Ron Fassl who cranked out a 5.97 @ 244 to take the pole. I was told that Ron has run in the 5.60's in Utah so there seems to be plenty left in that car.maker.exe

#1 Fassl- 5.97@ 244
#2 Daebelliehn- 6.014@224
#3 Bennett -6.09@227
#4 Ruiz- 6.42@215
#5 Gary Read - 6.68@192
#6 Monroe - 6.795@185 on fire in the lights - I think they packed it in for the weekend
#7 Mac McCord - 6.94@192 - Mack had some exhaust valves hang but he was fixing it when I left
#8 CJ Nelson - 13.582@67 - CJ did a big wheel stand at the hit of the throttle. maker.exe

These cars are fun to watch."maker.exe

Notes from Sunday's finals...maker.exe

The U.S. Fuel Altered National Championships blew everyone away Sunday night. The opening round saw Ron Fassl blaze to a 6.00-241.41 to stop Mack McCord who ran 6.28-221.29 before sailing off into the wheat field at the end of the Firebird quarter mile when no chutes deployed. McCord was A-OK, the car a little dusty after reportedly leaving the track at 120+ and keeping it upright for better than two football fields...an amazing feat in its own right.

Jeff Bennett then charged to a 6.29-227.38 to reach the final when Greg Daebelliehn didn't move when the tree went green, later diagnosed to be a broken cable to the throttle pedal.
maker.exe