Team “Excitation” Triumphs at North Star Dragway
North Star Dragway - Denton, TX
Event #5 of 8
Story: Chris Graves - Photos: David Graves & Gena White
To celebrate the North Star Dragway’s 2nd Anniversary under new ownership the Royal Purple Outlaw Fuel Altereds headlined a spectacular event Saturday July 5th in Denton, Texas. Over a dozen fuel altereds and junior fuel dragsters competed at North Star and a pair of alcohol funny cars and a/fuel dragsters put the icing on the cake as a record crowd jammed into the facility. The Outlaw Fuel Altereds started the second half of their eight race season with Nick Poloson and the Tom Wood owned “Sundown” team atop the points standings. The team is coming off career best performances at the last event which they won, marking Poloson’s second OFAA win of the season. Winning an Outlaw Fuel Altered event is not an easy thing to do as any team will tell you. The fields are heavy and strong; let’s just say you have to bring your “A” game if you want to hoist the trophy at the end of the night.
(Bill Stephens and the Inside Drag Racing crew were on hand to film the huge event at North Star Dragway)
Fans were lined up two rows deep past the track entrance as the fuel altereds towed to the lanes and fans were eager for some wild and wacky fuel altered fun. Circuit President Bobby Marriott kicked off the show in fine style as usual with Chris White along side. Marriott clicked off a 4.05 at 185 mph with White following at 4.60 at 155 mph in “White Lightning.” Next up Brad Rigler laid down a 4.15 at 170 mph, a nice start for the Danny Wright tuned “Toxic” machine. Points leader Nick Poloson made a monstrous 4.03 at 181 mph, re-setting his career best performance with a stout Tom Wood tune-up. Former North Star Dragway track record holder Travis Bouchey rolled out and clicked off a 4.19 at 137 mph in the “Excitation.” Donny McSwain closed the first qualifying session with a stout 3.97 at 179 mph in the “II N’Tense” which also re-set a career best mark.
The second qualifying session got going under the lights and eyes of thousands of fans as Brad Rigler stepped up to a 4.14 at 171 mph to grab the sixth qualifying spot. Amongst many nice passes during the session, Travis Bouchey improved to a 4.07 at 144 mph. Donnie Massey found the magic qualifying mark at 4.00 at 179 mph to lead the qualifying field into eliminations. This was his second number one qualifying effort in the “Showtime” AA/FA this season. David Purifoy wheeled Herb Whisnant’s “Thrill Factor” altered to a 4.23 at 167 mph, a career best for Purifoy. DoDad Burton and the “Free Spirit” put together a great 4.28 at 164 lap to qualify ninth. Tim Hay returned to competition in the “High Voltage Hayride” and clicked off a solid 4.22 at 172 mph and would face Donny McSwain in first round. McSwain backed up his 3.97 with a 4.02 at 177 mph and looked like a favorite after qualifying.
Yorba Linda, California based west coast hitter Rich Howell made his OFAA debut at Denton in the “Power Play” AA/FA. The team made major changes to their set-up to comply with OFAA rules and clicked off a 4.68 which fell short of the 4.35 quick ten bump spot occupied by John Broussard, the youngest OFAA driver at age 19. Howell put on a great show and fit right in and will be a heavy hitter as he finds his groove with the new set-up. Travis Bouchey won the Smiley’s Racing Products “Progressive Qualifier Bonus” for qualifying fifth at the fifth event of the year. Bobby Marriott took home the Disciple Cycles “Luck of the Draw Qualifier Bonus” and DoDad Burton and John Broussard won the “Meador Dodge Chrysler Jeep Best Burnouts” $100 bonuses. Broussard has qualified for each event he has entered this year proving his consistency in the Louisiana based “Purple Haze” ride. Larry Reep surprisingly missed the cut with a best of 4.87 after a runner-up finish at the last event in Evadale. Clint Cross and the “Crossways” team struggled with fuel pressure gremlins but will be a factor before you know it, so don’t blink. J.T. Heslink and Chris White also came up short of the quick ten cut but all will be ready to bounce back at the next OFAA stop at Mo-Kan Dragway for the Labor Day Weekend Classic.
Final Qualifying Order:
1) Donnie Massey (Little Elm, Texas) – 4.00 / 179 mph
2) Donny McSwain (Rockwall, Texas) – 4.02 (3.97) / 179 mph
3) Nick Poloson (Bulverde, Texas) – 4.03 / 181 mph
4) Bobby Marriott (Pilot Point, Texas) – 4.05 / 185 mph
5) Travis Bouchey (Stephenville, Texas) – 4.07 / 144 mph
6) Brad Rigler (Heath, Texas) – 4.14 / 171 mph
7) Tim Hay (Burleson, Texas) – 4.22 / 172 mph
8) David Purifoy (Texarkana, Texas) – 4.23 / 167 mph
9) DoDad Burton (Tyler, Texas) – 4.28 / 164 mph
10) John Broussard (Lake Charles, Louisiana) – 4.35 / 163 mph
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11) J.T. Heslink (Sasche, Texas) – 4.49 / 154 mph
12) Chris White (Mansfield, Texas) – 4.60 / 155 mph
13) Rich Howell (Yorba Linda, California) – 4.66 at 167 mph
14) Larry Reep (Austin, Texas) – 4.87 / 173 mph
15) Clint Cross (Cross Roads, Texas) – No Time
Eliminations are when the big dogs eat. It’s go hard or go home. Ten cars have a chance, but only two will advance. Run what you brung and hope you brung enough. Marriott racked up another round win with a 4.089 at 180 mph to defeat Burton’s 4.36 at 162 mph. Burton laid down three straight 4.30 zone passes and the “Free Spirit” seems to have rid their demons that plagued them at the beginning of the year. Good job guys! Rigler and Massey rolled out next in a great blown alcohol vs. blown nitro battle. Both these boys can click off 4.0 passes all day. Massey repeated his last pass with another 4.00 lap to narrowly defeat Brad Rigler who got out of the gate first and lost by only four thousands of a second with a 4.07. Can we see a finish line camera replay on that one? Next, McSwain lit up the boards with a 4.01 at 178 mph to defeat Tim Hay who laid down a strong 4.15 at 174 mph in his nitro burning Chevrolet. Purifoy and Poloson squared off in the next pair with Poloson getting the win with a 4.085 at 178 mph to Purifoy’s 4.21 at 164 mph which re-set his career best again. Congrats to the “Thrill Factor” team on a great showing at Denton. Poloson experienced quite a ride in the “Sundown” machine as the car hiked the front end up and rode the wheelie bar as he grabbed second gear. “It felt cool, and it was still charging and going (basically) straight so I stayed with it and got a 4.08 for the win,” said Poloson.
So with one pair left in the water box it was Massey and McSwain heading to the final as the quickest two winners so far. One problem though, Travis Bouchey and John Broussard were about to fire up and knock one of them out! Broussard did his job on the tree with the best reaction time of the entire round, but his 4.31 was no match for Bouchey’s 3.87 at 178 mph. Oh and did I mention, Broussard had the best reaction time in both qualifying sessions too, with a worst light of .010! Unbelievably, Marriott’s 4.089 was the slowest winning time in first round. That’s where the “A” game part comes into eliminations, proving how strong the competition is in the OFAA.
Bouchey seems to really shine under the lights at North Star Dragway and here he was, heading to another final round at Denton, his third consecutive final in his last three starts here. In an unfortunate twist, Donnie Massey discovered a crack in his fuel tank after his first round win and was forced to play it safe and call it a night. The third quickest winner, Donny McSwain, moved in to fill the spot and set up to do battle with Bouchey in the final.
First Round Eliminations:
(W) Bobby Marriott (.164 rt, 4.089 at 180 mph) vs. (L) DoDad Burton (.134 rt, 4.36 at 162 mph)
(W) Donnie Massey (.118 rt, 4.00 at 186 mph) vs. (L) Brad Rigler (.047 rt, 4.07 at 175 mph)
(W) Donny McSwain (.237 rt, 4.01 at 178 mph) vs. (L) Tim Hay (-.034 rt, 4.15 at 174 mph)
(W) Nick Poloson (.092 rt, 4.081 at 178 mph) vs. (L) David Purifoy (.037 rt, 4.21 at 164 mph)
(W) Travis Bouchey (.132 rt, 3.87 at 178 mph) vs. (L) John Broussard (.027 rt, 4.31 at 164 mph)
Bouchey and McSwain were the last men standing. It was time to crown a champion at Denton. McSwain got the jump at the tree and went 4.08 at 172 mph but lost to Bouchey’s 3.77 at 205 mph, low elapsed time and top speed of the event, which came when it counted most. McSwain settled for the runner-up finish for the second time this season but believe me, that is nothing to be ashamed of. Bouchey collected his first win of the year as the fourth different winner in the first five races of the season.
Final Round Results:
(W) Travis Bouchey (.136 rt, 3.77 at 205 mph) vs. (L) Donny McSwain (.075 rt, 4.08 at 172 mph)
Congratulations to the entire “Excitation” team on their win and great final round pass. “It was good to be back with the ground at Denton. We had no problems with the car and with an excellent track we made some great laps, but we weren’t the only ones. North Star Dragway packed the house and put on a great event for the fans,” said Bouchey.
Nick Poloson maintained his points lead over second place Bobby Marriott. The Outlaw Fuel Altered Association will headline the Mo-Kan Dragway Labor Day Classic August 30th and 31st in their sixth of event events on the season.
Click Here to see photos from this event.
Low Elapsed Time – Travis Bouchey (3.77)
Top Speed – Travis Bouchey (205.29 mph)
Bonus Winners:
Smiley’s Racing Products Progressive – Travis Bouchey
Disciple Cycles Luck of the Draw – Bobby Marriott
Meador Dodge Chrysler Jeep Best Burnouts – DoDad Burton and John Broussard
