Broussard Notches First Win
of 2012 at North Star Dragway
Event 1 of 8 – North Star Dragway – Denton, TX – April 7th, 2012
Report: Chris Graves - Photos: Max Cackle Photography
The Painless Performance Outlaw Fuel Altered Association kicked off the 2012 campaign at the new look North Star Dragway in Denton, TX on Saturday, April 7th. With Painless Performance Products on-board for another season and several new bonus programs in effect for the new year, there were plenty of eager teams ready to make some noise and put on a show for the north Texas fans who always pack the stands in Denton.
(Team "Assassin" warming up)
Not much changed over the off-season for the OFAA teams, a few notable tidbits included a switch from blown alcohol to nitro for Chris Trussell and the "Assassin" team and Howard Farris debuted a new look paint job on his nitro burning "War Wagon" machine. A few new cars are still in the works and expected to debut this season but it was all familiar cars and faces at the season opener as teams warmed up their machines in preparations for their first passes of the season.
After thrashing into the late hours on Friday night and working all of Saturday before the event, Rich Howell’s "Power Play" crew made their best effort to solve a transmission issue, but their bad luck continued on a test pass and the team wisely opted to sit out the season opener to race another day. No doubt disappointing, but the PP team will be back for more later this season.
(Team "Power Play")
(2011 OFAA Champion Jimmy Jones warming up)
The last OFAA event at North Star Dragway featured twenty cars and a bump spot of a 4.15, so although there wasn't much news to report, the caliber of cars and performance standards were as tough as they have ever been as the series entered it's sixteenth consecutive season. A night of strong numbers and good racing was expected and that's just what the boys and girls delivered under the lights at North Star Dragway.
First Qualifying Session:
(Bobby Marriott waiting in the staging lanes)
With overcast skies and temperatures in the upper seventies, the call went out to fire up the first pair of cars which brought out Bobby Marriott and DoDad Burton. Burton had his hands full at the top end as the “Free Spirit” machine drifted across the centerline and he had the best seat in the house to see Bobby Marriott’s “Shockwave” lay down a nice 4.04 at 180 lap to start off the show.
(DoDad Burton's "Free Spirit")
Howard Farris was out next in the new look “War Wagon” 1923 T Bodied entry along side John Broussard. Farris laid down a 4.25 at 151 mph while Broussard missed the set-up and would head into the final qualifying session not in the show. 2012 OFAA “Rookie of the Year” Terry Brian with 2012 “Crew Chief of the Year” Kenny Trumble brought the “II N’Tense” machine to the line next along side Roger Hennen’s “Nitro Junkie”. Hennen, in just his third start with the series, posted a straight and smooth 4.59 at 164 mph while Brian led to a nice 4.08 at 181 mph.
(Roger Hennen in the "Nitro Junkie")
(Raymond Dawson in "High Octane")
Nick Poloson’s “Sundown” and Raymond Dawson’s “High Octane” were out next and Dawson stole the spotlight with a career best 4.06 at 170 mph to put his machine solidly in the field, while Poloson went right down broadway on a conservative 4.20 at 170 mph. As the session came to an end with only a few pairs left, David Purifoy laid down a nice 4.10 at 171 mph in the “Thrill Factor” ride and in the next pair Mary Reep posted the first three second pass of the night with a 3.99 at 180 in the “Grim Reeper”. Jimmy Jones closed the session on a single pass as the “Texas Tremor” gang went low for the round with a strong 3.97 at 171 mph.
(David Purifoy in Herb Whiseant's "Thrill Factor")
(Mary Reep in the "Grim Reeper")
Second Qualifying Session:
With the bump set at a 4.46 by Donnie Massey to start the final session, there were plenty of nervous drivers and crew chiefs hoping their tuning calls and driving efforts would be good enough to get them in the quick twelve field during this final qualifying session. Brad Rigler’s “Toxic” and Bobby Marriott’s “Shockwave” were the first two to roll through the waterbox.
Rigler stepped up in his Danny Wright tuned machine with a solid 4.04 at 174 mph to qualify number four, while Marriott posted a 4.10 and held down the number five spot. Chris Trussell brought his much louder and stinkier “Assassin” nitro burner to the line and with header flames high posted a 4.05 at 145 mph to secure a spot in the top half of the field, while Donnie Massey was forced to lift and had to hope no one would bump his 4.46 out of the show.
(Donnie Massey's "Showtime")
(Chris Trussell's "Assassin")
DoDad Burton improved to a 4.21 at 168 mph which kept him in the top twelve while Mike Wheeler also improved to a 4.51 at 154 in the “Rapture” altered but it was just shy of making the cut. John Broussard was outside looking in as he fired up the “Purple Haze” machine along side Howard Farris. Broussard posted a stout 3.97 at 179 mph to earn a spot in the top half of the field and end Massey’s hopes while Farris would use his earlier 4.25 to hold down what would be the final qualifying spot.
(Mike Wheeler's "Rapture")
Terry Anglin wheeled the “Psychotic Express” Fiat bodied entry to a 4.29 at 168 mph just a few ticks short of making the field and despite positive pre-season testing results, Aaron Leyda and the Dale Wilkens owned “Hemi Hunter” team also failed to make the cut with a best of 4.65 at 170 mph. Two good cars who just didn’t quite get it done at the season opener but will be back in a few weeks to redeem themselves at the next event.
(Terry Anglin's "Psychotic Express")
(Aaron Leyda in the "Hemi Hunter")
Roger Hennen improved to a 4.51 at 166 mph in the “Nitro Junkie” which was short of the top twelve, but all is good as the team continues to get their feet wet and improve on every pass. Jimmy Jones and Mary Reep rolled through next in a pair of powerhouse blown alcohol machines as Jones struck the tires at the hit while Reep blasted right down the groove to a 4.02 at 167 mph and looked very strong heading into eliminations.
(Jimmy Jones)
Nick Poloson and team “Sundown” closed the show and stepped up to a 4.04 at 166 mph to nab a spot in the top half of the field as Howard Farris rounded out the top twelve with a 4.25 and Mary Reep’s 3.991 (4.009) would qualify her in the top spot as the teams returned to the pits to prepare their machines for eliminations.
Final Qualifying Order:
1) Mary Reep (Austin, Texas) – 4.009 (3.991) @ 180
2) John Broussard (Lake Charles, Louisiana) – 4.025 (3.974) @ 179
3) Jimmy Jones (Cleburne, Texas) - 4.028 (3.971) @ 171
4) Brad Rigler (Heath, Texas) – 4.045 @ 174
5) Bobby Marriott (Pilot Point, Texas) – 4.046 @ 180
6) Nick Poloson (San Antonio, Texas) – 4.048 @ 166
7) Chris Trussell (Canton, Texas) – 4.05 @ 145
8) Raymond Dawson (Nevada, Texas) – 4.06 @ 170
9) Terry Brian (New London, Texas) – 4.08 @ 181
10) David Purifoy (Texarkana, Texas) – 4.10 @ 171
11) DoDad Burton (Tyler, Texas) – 4.21 @ 168
12) Howard Farris (Tyler, Texas) – 4.25 @ 151
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13) Terry Anglin (Terrell, Texas) – 4.29 @ 168
14) Donnie Massey (Little Elm, Texas) – 4.46 @ 114
15) Mike Wheeler (Paradise, Texas) - 4.51 @ 156
16) Roger Hennen (Denton, Texas) – 4.51 @ 166
17) Aaron Leyda (Bartlesville, Oklahoma) – 4.65 @ 170
It was time to play for keeps now as the top twelve returned to the staging lanes to get strapped in and paired up for first round eliminations. The two quickest winners from this round would advance straight the final and more often than not, it’s a pair of three second passes that advance, so the pressure was on.
The first pairing was a monster match-up as the 2011 OFAA Series Champion Jimmy Jones pulled to the line against number three points finisher Terry Brian. The cars backed up from their burnouts and were guided into the beams, bringing up the RPMs to a screaming rate and at the flash of amber they were off. Jones got a big starting line advantage but spun the tires and had the best seat in the house to watch Terry Brian lay down the quickest pass of the night with a 3.93 at 184 mph to take the win.
(Terry Brian in "II N'Tense")
Bobby Marriott was out next along side DoDad Burton as Burton was looking to pull off the upset. Burton was off the line first but soon lost traction and Marriott streaked down the eighth mile to a 4.06 at 182 mph to take the nod but likely wasn’t comfortable with his 4.06 holding up for a spot in the final.
Howard Farris and Nick Poloson squared off next as Poloson was off the line first by a huge margin but all eyes were on Farris as the flame belching “War Wagon” hiked the front end and reached for the sky. Farris was out of the throttle quick and the car slammed back down to earth while Poloson blasted to a 4.12 at 168 mph to take the round win.
(Howard Farris' "War Wagon")
(Nick Poloson in Tom Wood's "Sundown")
John Broussard was set to line up against Raymond Dawson but Dawson had issues firing in the water box so Broussard was given the signal to proceed on a solo run and the “Purple Haze” gang lit the scoreboards with another 3.97 pass. That time slip bumped Marriott from the final and put Broussard in with two pairs left to go. Dawson posted career best numbers in qualifying and despite the bad luck in first round, is eager to see what the next event will hold for his team.
(John Broussard's "Purple Haze")
Brad Rigler was out next along side 2010 Champion David Purifoy. Purifoy also had issues in the waterbox and was unable to fire and Rigler was given the go ahead solo pass. Rigler’s car was on a string to close the 2011 season and with a handful of passes in the high 3.80 and low 3.90 range and Broussard was biting his nails at the top end watching as the “Toxic” machine blasted down the eighth mile. As he went through the traps it looked like another three second pass as the boards lit up with a 4.05 at 179 mph. Hard to believe the team could be disappointed with a 4.05, but they were hoping for more in this highly competitive field. Team "Toxic" still qualified strong and earned the first round win at the season opener, not bad at all.
(Brad Rigler's "Toxic")
In the final pair of first round, Mary Reep and Chris Trussell rolled to the line, both cars fully capable of running threes. Reep was off the line first and never trailed as Trussell’s flames went out a few hundred feet off the line while Reep blasted to the win, lighting the boards with a 3.97 at 176 mph to take the win.
It took a second for everyone to find out the third digit in Broussard’s 3.97 and it was confirmed that his 3.975 held up for a spot in the final over Reep’s 3.977. So Terry Brian and John Broussard and their excited crew members returned to the pits to prepare for the final. Reep qualified number one and held her own against all the boys with three strong and consistent passes, so watch out boys, she’s coming to getcha!
First Round Eliminations:
(W) Terry Brian (.166 rt) 3.93 @ 184 vs. (L) Jimmy Jones (.083 rt) 4.92 @ 125
(W) Bobby Marriott (.145 rt) 4.06 @ 182 mph vs. (L) DoDad Burton (.115 rt) 7.14 @ 56
(W) Nick Poloson (.032 rt) 4.12 @ 168 vs. (L) Howard Farris (.332 rt) 6.94 @ 63
(W) John Broussard (.095 rt) 3.975 @ 178 mph vs. (L) Raymond Dawson (No Time)
(W) Brad Rigler (.213 rt) 4.05 @ 179 mph vs. (L) David Purifoy (No Time)
(W) Mary Reep (.046 rt) 3.977 @ 176 mph vs. (L) Chris Trussell (.214 rt) 5.43 @ 113
Terry Brian and the “II N’Tense” crew were looking to continue their momentum after their dream season in 2011. Brian’s first year in the OFAA resulted in two number one qualifiers, two wins and a championship chase that came down to the elimination rounds of the final event of the season.
Broussard and the Louisiana based “Purple Haze” crew also enjoyed much success in 2011, qualifying number one and posting a runner-up finish at the World Fuel Altered Nationals in Eddyville, Iowa and running career best numbers throughout the OFAA season to finish seventh overall.
A betting man couldn’t have made the call on this one; two equally matched cars with plenty of ponies as the call went out to fire up the final pair of the night. The cars backed up from their burnouts and started to roll towards the beams. That’s when things got whacky.
Broussard bumped into the pre-stage bulb, then proceeded to light the second bulb. A split second later Brian lit the pre-stage bulb, brought up the RPMs and rolled on into the stage bulb. Broussard brought his machine up on the trans-brake and at that exact moment Brian suddenly burst off the line before the ambers dropped, possibly leaving on the noise from the other lane when Broussard decked his motor.
With Brian leaving before the tree was activated, Broussard took the automatic win. Although it wasn’t the side by side three second passes everyone had expected to see, a win is a win and it was all smiles in both camps after a successful night at the drags.
Final Round Results:
(W) John Broussard (-.140 rt) 11.92 @ 37 mph vs. (L) Terry Brian (No Time)
(Team "Purple Haze" - North Star Dragway Winners)
“It feels great to get this win for our team. Terry Brian and his team have been running so strong and I got lucky tonight, but we’ll take it and I want to thank my dad Kevin, Dale and Celia for their help in making this car go down the racetrack. We hope we can keep it up this year, this group is a tough running bunch and we’ll have our work cut out for us. We’re looking forward to the next race at Kennedale,” said Broussard.
The “Purple Haze” team took home the biggest paycheck and the most Painless Performance points of the night and the highly sought after event winner piston trophy hand made by Walt Meger. Broussard would lead the OFAA points standings for the first time in his short career and become the youngest points leader in series history at the age of 21!
The OFAA would like to thank major series sponsor Painless Performance for continuing to support the series as the title sponsor! The series would also like to thank Napa Auto Parts of North Texas, B&J Transmissions, Competition Sales of Dallas, Wizard’s Warehouse, Lone Wolf Machining and Fuelish Habit Racing for their involvement in the 2012 OFAA Bonus Programs at each event this season.
The next stop on the OFAA tour brings the series to Texas Raceway for a special two day event as the fuel altereds share the stage with the DragRacingOnline.com Nostalgia Funny Car series. You won’t want to miss this one folks!
Click Here to see photos from this event.
Low Elapsed Time - Terry Brian (3.93)
Top Mile Per Hour - Terry Brian (184 mph)
North Star Dragway Bonus Winners:
Good Vibrations Quick Reaction Time - Nick Poloson (.032)
DFW Napa Auto Parts Top Speed - Terry Brian (184)
B&J Transmissions "Outside Looking In" - Terry Anglin
Competition Sales of Dallas "Luck of the Draw" - John Broussard
Lone Wolf Custom Machining "Luck Of The Draw DNQ" - Donnie Massey
Wizards Warehouse Finalists - John Broussard & Terry Brian
Fuelish Habit Racing's "Final Cut" - Howard Farris
