Page 27 - NM Spring 2018

were full of floppers ready to battle narrowly taking the win with a from Reno Nevada and the Little
for a shot at making the cut for 4.76 at 145 mph over Jordan’s City Cuda team. Somewhere in
the A or B field of the inaugural ‘Ballew Thunder’ very close 4.77 at the desert outside of Albuquerque,
Funny Car Chaos event. The final 146 mph. Andy, Jordan said he will New Mexico, the rods kicked out
round of qualifying went off very be looking to even the score at of the tow truck. After visiting a
smooth in comparison to Friday Funny Car Chaos 2 in Amarillo. local dealership, a brand new truck
night’s chaotic happenings. Under was secured, hooked to the trailer
a capacity crowd in Denton, Texas, The A Field finals were a bit and they pulled into Denton about
the fields were set. chaotic with some of the crowd twelve hours later with time to
favorite heavy hitters going out spare. Chris said it only cost him
1 Mark Sanders: . . . . 3.68 at 205 in the early rounds. John Hale’s $80,000.00 to get there.
2 John Hale: . . . . . . .3.77 at 194 Addison, TX. based ‘One Bad
3 Marc White: . . . . 3.7800 at 197 Texan’ went out in round one after Best longest and loudest warm
4 Chris Morel: . . . . 3.7863 at 205 losing traction and getting close to up on nitro: Ray Stringers ‘Blown
5 Ronny Young: . . . 3.82 at 192 out the wall. Marc White, driving Frank Cent-Less’ 89 Olds Cutlass bodied
5 Dave Gallegos: . . . . .4.06 at 189 & Debra Ousley’s ‘Crop Duster’ Funny Car. Ray said the reason for
6 Mark Billington: . . . .4.07 at 159 Funny Car also went out in round the long warm up was transmission
7 Keith Jackson: . . . . .4.21 at 181 one with a 3.87 at 198 mph to Mark troubles, it wouldn’t go into reverse.
8 Charles Ware:. . . . . .4.24 at 148 Billington’s stout 3.75 at 201 mph. That cast iron block, stock stroke,
9 Ray Stringer: . . . . . .4.56 at 158 standard bore, cast iron headed
10 Clay Cunningham: . .4.57 at 151 Round two saw Keith Jackson 427 cu. In. Chevy absolutely
11 Larry Bradford: . . . .4.66 at 148 winning the round with an off pace thundered on 90% nitro. There was
12 Daniel Butherus: . . .4.67 at 143 4.58 to Mark Billington’s ‘No Time’ much talk and surprise in the pits
13 Andy Mears:. . . . . .4.75 at 144 run. Mark Sanders 3.82 at 184 in when people found out it was an
14 Jordan Ballew:. . . . .4.87 at 142 the ‘Mr. Explosive’ funny car took all cast iron BB Chevy. Without a
15 Wes Breiten: . . . . . .4.89 at 146 out Chris Morel’s Reno NV. based doubt, it was the loudest hotrod on
16 Nick Poloson: . . . . .5.09 at 101 ‘Little City Cuda’ in round two. In the property. Sadly they broke a
17 Robert Slaughter: . . .5.33 at 110 the A field final round both cars cylinder head in the first round and
18 Brad Thompson: . . .5.73 at 102 were off pace with Mark Sanders were done for the weekend. Ray
‘Mr. Explosive’ taking the win
19 Rick Krafft: . . . . 5.63 at 76 out with a 4.12 at only 141, over Keith has confirmed they will be at both
20 Damon Kuhn: . . . . 6.64 at 128 Jackson’s losing 4.25 at 154. Funny Car Chaos races in 2018
21 Mike Buchanan:. . . . 9.24 at 73 with new aluminum cylinder heads.
Special thanks to Steve Scott
With the ladders finalized, it was Photography as the sponsor for the Long distance Racer Award: This
time for B field elimination rounds. “Best of” awards - $100.00 each would be ‘Mr. Explosive’ Mark
Ten cars were in the lanes for first Sanders and crew from Maple
round of eliminations. Ray Stringer, Best A Field Burnout: Valley, Washington, approximately
Daniel Butherus, Jordan Ballew, Marc White (Crop Duster) 2100 miles one way. When it comes
Clay Cunningham, Andy Mears, to interviews, John Force is a light
Damon Kuhn, Larry Bradford, Best B Field Burnout: weight amateur compared to Mark.
Robert Slaughter, Wes Breiten and Clay Cunningham (Still Crazy) Best Golf Cart Fire Burnout:
Mike Buchanan. As the rounds Best A Field Back Up Girl: Chris Graves. (After hours and off
dwindled down, the final round of Stephanie Parker (Little City Cuda) track)
‘B’ eliminations saw Andy Mears’
Lubbock, TX. based ‘57 Chevy Best B Field Back Up Girl: Kim Badge of Honor awards: North
and Jordan Ballew’s Bartlesville, Wendt Collinsworth (Smokey Bear) Star Dragway track crew &
OK. based ‘69 Nova square off for Honorable Mentions personnel. David Strickland,
the B Field championship. At the Blake Strickland, Robert Hicks,
stripe it was Andy’s ‘Dragon Slayer’ Hard Luck Award: Chris Morel Continued on next page

Spring 2018 Nitro Madness Magazine 27