Gary Gardella took the semi-final win over fellow Chevy-driver Jason Hunt with a razor-thin hole-shot.
Gardella's 7.239-second run got him to the stripe before Hunt's 7.237 second pass. Then, I blinked, squinted, and rubbed my eyes . . . the timing board displayed a speed of 209.59 mph for Gary Gardella.
"I knew he picked up a lot on the top half of the track, but . . . really? Seriously, thatâs what it said: 209 mph. I double-checked it on Drag Race Central."
Speaking of unusual occurrences, what the heck happened between Ladwig and Jimenez in Round 1? The only place I've seen lights dance like that is at disco night at the local club. There must be a Morse-code function on that tree . . . instead of turning the light green, it just dot-and-dashes the word "go." Only the GM drivers are smart enough to read it.
Okay . . . I apologize . . . I'm feeling a bit punchy after the weekend.
In all seriousness, it is absolutely exhilarating to watch these guys race. I know the pressure is bearing down on the teams this season, but, from a spectator's perspective, this is great racing.
And, yes, it is sponsor-utopia for Chevy and ECOtec, as three ECOtec-powered Chevy Cobalts now stand alone in the heated battle for the 2007 Pro FWD championship. I am soooo excited!
Although some were happier than others, each of Chevyâs top-three Pro FWD drivers walked away with something this weekend.
Marty Ladwig had a heartbreaking first round, but set a new national elapsed time record at 7.181 seconds and got the twenty bonus points that go with it. Jason Hunt was crushed over his hole-shot loss to Gardella in the semifinal, but held onto his reigning #1 position in the championship points race. Gary Gardella, while still in third overall, got another Powerade event win and narrowed his points deficit down to only 24 (3 points behind Marty Ladwig, who is in second).
Check out our flickr gallery for more great pictures from an exciting weekend of racing.
Finally, to the family, friends, and fans of John Force: our very best wishes for the successful and speedy recovery of one of drag racingâs greats.
Speaking of unusual occurrences, what the heck happened between Ladwig and Jimenez in Round 1? The only place I've seen lights dance like that is at disco night at the local club. There must be a Morse-code function on that tree . . . instead of turning the light green, it just dot-and-dashes the word "go." Only the GM drivers are smart enough to read it.
Okay . . . I apologize . . . I'm feeling a bit punchy after the weekend.
In all seriousness, it is absolutely exhilarating to watch these guys race. I know the pressure is bearing down on the teams this season, but, from a spectator's perspective, this is great racing.
And, yes, it is sponsor-utopia for Chevy and ECOtec, as three ECOtec-powered Chevy Cobalts now stand alone in the heated battle for the 2007 Pro FWD championship. I am soooo excited!
Although some were happier than others, each of Chevyâs top-three Pro FWD drivers walked away with something this weekend.
Marty Ladwig had a heartbreaking first round, but set a new national elapsed time record at 7.181 seconds and got the twenty bonus points that go with it. Jason Hunt was crushed over his hole-shot loss to Gardella in the semifinal, but held onto his reigning #1 position in the championship points race. Gary Gardella, while still in third overall, got another Powerade event win and narrowed his points deficit down to only 24 (3 points behind Marty Ladwig, who is in second).
Check out our flickr gallery for more great pictures from an exciting weekend of racing.
Finally, to the family, friends, and fans of John Force: our very best wishes for the successful and speedy recovery of one of drag racingâs greats.
Last modified on Tuesday, 26 May 2009
