Marriott’s Third Win Strengthens OFAA Points Lead
Texas Raceway - Kennedale, TX – August 3rd and 4th
Event #6 of 9
The B.H.R.A. (Bill Hielscher Racing Association) Nationals always guarantees the fans at Texas Raceway two action packed nights of drag racing fun under the lights and for the fifth consecutive year the Outlaw Fuel Altereds packed the house to entertain the wall-to-wall crowd that jams into Texas Raceway for the biggest show of the season. Travis Bouchey’s “Excitation” fuel Fiat has won two of the last three events prior to this, the sixth outing of the nine race season. The performance from the “Excitation” team this season has been stout with multiple sub-four second passes and two wins to their credit. Only one team can better their record, the “Shockwave” crew headed by Bobby Marriott, who has put together an amazing string of races this season. After taking home the season opener at Shreveport, Marriott advanced to the final of every event except Caddo Mills and collected a win at Prescott. Bouchey and Marriott have lined up in two finals (Lufkin and Denton) with Bouchey taking home both event wins. These two nitro burners have provided some great racing that resembles the Reep & Rigler battles from past seasons. Friday night the altereds lined up for their first qualifying session under the lights at Kennedale where it is known that big power can be put down by these blown monsters!
Friday’s qualifying session was highlighted by great runs from the top five in points heading into this event. The top five cars actually claimed the top five spots on the ladder after one session. Travis Bouchey clicked off a 4.04 at 159 mph after carrying the front wheels past the 330’ cone! Larry Reep’s “Grim Reeper” went 4.25 at 148 mph but “hung the bones” and had to pack up early and head back to Austin with engine damage. Jack Hodgson’s Waco based “Southern Outlaw” gang threw down a 4.03 at 173 mph to claim the third spot. Brad Rigler’s “Toxic” machine tripped the clocks with a very stout 4.02 at 169 mph and Marriott’s “Shockwave” blistered to a 4.11 at 182 mph which set high mile per hour for the evening. Donnie Massey claimed the sixth spot with a nice 4.31 at 158 with Wayne Lewis right behind at 4.36 at 157 mph. Nick Poloson rounded out the quick ten field with a 4.96 at only 127 mph which left DoDad Burton and Chris White on the outside looking in with one session remaining on Saturday evening. Twenty one year old White debuted his family run “White Lightning” blown Chevrolet and will be a welcome regular at all the OFAA events.
(Jack Hodgson's Waco based "Southern Outlaw")
Saturday evening the call went out to crank up the first pair of altereds for round two of qualifying. Massey stepped up to a 4.29 at 157 mph in the “Showtime” machine. Rigler set low elapsed time of the session with a 4.21 at 163 mph. John Tappan wheeled the “Time Warp” Ford to a 4.77 at 142 mph to claim the bump spot after Poloson stepped up to a 4.47 at 158 mph to jump in the eight qualifying position. Bouchey fired up his Fiat and was soon shut off due to a front seal leak on his blown nitro Hemi.
(Travis Bouchey's "Excitation" nitro Fiat)
Chris White failed to run quick enough to make the field but he was inserted into Reep’s number five position after Reep lost his motor Friday night. Burton was bumped into the field for Bouchey he realized he would not be able to make the call for first round. That put a big hurt on his chances to gain ground on Marriott. Hotter track temperatures prevented many teams from improving on their times from last night’s session but the sun started ducking behind the stands and first round would bring better conditions and some great racing. After the ladder was set the following qualifying bonuses were awarded: Travis Bouchey won the Disciple Cycles “Roll of the Dice” award, Donnie Massey took home the “Marriott’s Progressive Bonus” and Bobby Marriott took home the Meyer Enterprises “Luck of the Draw” bonus.
Final Qualifying Results:
1. Brad Rigler - 4.02
2. Jack Hodgson - 4.03
3. Travis Bouchey - 4.04
4. Bobby Marriott - 4.11
5. Larry Reep (Broke) - 4.25
6. Donnie Massey - 4.29
7. Wayne Lewis - 4.36
8. Nick Poloson - 4.47
9. John Broussard - 4.58
10. John Tappan - 4.77
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11. Chris White - 4.99
12. DoDad Burton - 5.06
Distinguished NHRA Div. 4 drag racing announcer, Lynn Nickerson, was guest announcing this event at Texas Raceway and made the call at 8:30 to crank the engines. The first pair matched up two former Kennedale winners, Brad Rigler and Donnie Massey, who laid down side by side burnouts to kick off eliminations. Rigler got caught sleeping at the tree but Danny Wright horsepower drove the “Toxic” car to a 4.09 at 170 mph to Massey’s 4.35 at 160 mph. John Tappan laid down a 5.03 to take his first elimination round win of the season defeating Chris White’s off pace 5.43.
(Chris White launches his "White Lightning" Blown Alky Chevrolet)
“While drag racing in other classes we always followed the OFAA and always enjoyed the events we attended. Since our car was brand new the week of Kennedale just making the show was more then we could of expected. We could have never asked for a better group to join and last weekend proved our feeling about the OFAA circuit and members,” said White.
John Broussard got almost a tenth of a second advantage on Marriott out of the gate (which earned him the Cen-Tech Scales Quick Reaction Bonus) but Marriott’s 4.08 at 181 mph took out Broussard’s 4.89 at 139 mph. Jack Hodgson blasted down the strip to a 4.07 at 175 mph to knock off Wayne Lewis’ 4.35 at 157 mph and in the last pair Nick Poloson’s 4.51 at 154 mph defeated DoDad Burton’s 4.57 at 150 mph.
First Round Eliminations:
(W) Brad Rigler (.115 rt) 4.09 at 170 mph vs. (L) Donnie Massey (.053 rt) 4.35 at 160 mph
(W) John Tappan (.237 rt) 5.03 at 134 mph vs. (L) Chris White (.253 rt) 5.43 at 124 mph
(W) Bobby Marriott (.130 rt) 4.08 at 181 mph vs. (L) John Broussard (.037 rt) 4.89 at 139 mph
(W) Jack Hodgson (.052 rt) 4.07 at 175 mph vs. (L) Wayne Lewis (.181 rt) 4.35 at 157 mph
(W) Nick Poloson (.185 rt) 4.51 at 154 mph vs. (L) DoDad Burton (.249 rt) 4.57 at 150 mph
Too bad the quickest three winners can’t advance to the final because poor Brad Rigler’s 4.09 would have been a ticket to the final on any other day, but Hodgson and Marriott went lower with a 4.08 and 4.07 to advance them to the final round as the quickest two winners. Marriott would appear in his intimidating fourth straight final round and Hodgson would be making his first final round start this season. Hodgson was favored on paper by a slim margin but his reputation to be a killer on the starting line had Marriott sweating bullets.
(Brad Rigler missed his ticket to the finals by .008 (eight thousandths) of a second)
Hodgson has lit the red bulb twice in eliminations this season. A final round is not the time for number three and maybe Hodgson played it a little too safe because Marriott brought the heat on the tree and on the track! With the starting line advantage out of the gate Marriott steadily pulled away from Hodgson with a 4.01 at 186 mph! The “Shockwave” set low elapsed time and top speed of the meet in the final round to claim his third win of the season and extend his points lead by 55 over Bouchey. Hodgson’s 4.12 at 173 mph was no slouch and had Marriott made a mistake the title would have been going home to Waco, but not tonight! Hodgson did make up ground in the points and now trails Bouchey by only eight points for second.
Final Round Eliminations:
(W) Bobby Marriott (.073 rt) 4.01 at 186 mph vs. (L) Jack Hodgson (.114 rt) 4.12 at 173 mph
(Bobby Marriott and the "Shockwave" team celebrate their win with runner-up Jack Hodgson)
“Snorter and Allen have worked very hard this year to keep the car running well and we have taken full advantage of that and a little luck helps too. Things are really working out this year and we are having fun doing it. The car is happy and we are happy and that’s all we could ask for,” said Marriott.
The Outlaw Fuel Altereds have three more stops in the 2007 racing season with the next event scheduled for September 1st and 2nd when the OFAA headlines the Mo-Kan Dragway Labor Day Weekend Classic. Brad Rigler has dominated Mo-Kan and taken home the win for the past three consecutive events there. A huge field of cars is expected to pack into Mo-Kan Dragway so be there and if you can’t stop by www.ofaa.net to stay on top of the latest news and results!
Click here to see photos from this event by David Graves and Clinton Warren.
Low Elapsed Time – Bobby Marriott (4.01)
Top Speed – Bobby Marriott (186 mph)
Event Bonus Winners:
Meyer Enterprises Bonus – Bobby Marriott
Marriott Progressive Bonus – Donnie Massey
Cen-Tech Scale Quick Reaction – John Broussard
Disciple Cycles Roll of the Dice - Travis Bouchey
