Bakersfield,
CA - March 018-20, 2011: It took two weekends with damn near every imaginable
weather condition to get 'er done, but the 53rd March Meet is
in the books with Rick White mowing down a stellar Top Fuel field
besting co-favorite Brett Harris in the final. Harris beat Murphy
in the semi-final on a holeshot, something Jim feels real bad
about.
Backing up seven days, its a
miracle the meet got finished at all. Weeks before the event
the weather on the West Coast had been bad to say the least.
Days before kick-off the Bakersfield weather reports were for
rain and snow most of the weekend... and other than Friday, it
felt like rain all the time but it never came. In the end the
villain was wind - a very strong wind that whipped the area mercilessly
from early Sunday morning on.
The race was rescheduled for
the following Saturday and the week in between also offered a
mix bag of bad weather. Like the weekend before, just the chance
it would rain out kept fans home. In fact, the AM drizzle at
The Patch held off any racing until afternoon.
In reflection
Murphy stated, "It was very disappointing but was easier
to take with the car running as well as it is. It dropped a cylinder
against Harris from being too rich so it has some more in it.
We pinched five pistons all weekend and hurt nothing else. They
pinched from being rich so we are pretty happy with a happy engine.
The late light
was strange. I started to leave and got a thought that I was
early and I hesitated for a moment and by then there was a lot
of yellow showing and I was a day late, never had anything like
that happen to me before. Oh well, we will go on but I would
have liked to have a shot at Rick in the final."
There is only
one thing you can count on, Murphy will be back to try again
in 2012.
Photos and the
whole story below.
Friday
morning found the crew starting as always, taking the car out
of the trailer.
The rest
of the morning was spent making sure everything was as
it should be.
At every race you need
to pass Tech Inspection.
Jim, Tim and Michael
checked the clutch settings.
After warming
up the engine for the first qualifying session all that was left
to do was wait to be called to the lanes.
Friday Qualifying
- Session One
Friday, 2:07 p.m. Weather conditions:
air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer
28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,778 feet, track temperature
101 degrees.
For his first shot at the track
Murphy was paired with Brett Harris - two proven winners that
would make a marquee final round at any event. They had to wait a while for a track
clean up.
This first shot at the brand
new cement track provided the fans with two proven winners that
would make a marquee final round at any event. Jim Murphy in
his WW2 Racing entry and Brett Harris in the Utah based Jack
Harris Racing "Nitro Thunder".
Both cars left hard and
collected outstanding early numbers.
As advertised this was a dandy.
From start to finish both cars were glued together with Harris
carding a 5.740 at 258.07 and Murphy a mirror 5.743 at 251.81.
Both agreed it was a FUN deal.
Murphy's incremental times: 60ft-1.016
sec., 330ft-2.605, 660ft 3.828/203.77 mph, 1,000ft-4.861.
Harris' incremental times: 60ft-1.035
sec., 330ft-2.633, 660ft-3.856/204.79 mph, 1,000ft-4.876.
The crew liked it!
2nd
Qualifying Session
Friday, 5:08 p.m. Weather conditions:
air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer
28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 1,502 feet, track temperature
83 degrees. With the drop in temperature the track was getting
suspect. Several cars passed.
For the
second session Murphy was paired with New Yorker, Tony Bartone.
Both
cars left good but that was short lived.
Pushing the now
cool new cement track a little too hard, Murphy spun the tires
before the 60 foot lights and clicked it. Bartone shut off early
as well.
Between sessions maintainance
was routine.
Putting warm oil into
the dry sump sysem.
The warm up between runs is the
same procedure everytime with Michael Beebe in the seat, Murphy
doing the tweaks and Tim Beebe overseeing.
Saturday
- 3rd Qualifying Session
12:08 p.m. Weather conditions:
air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer
28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 1,502 feet, track temperature
83 degrees.... very nice racing conditions.
For the
final session Murphy was paried with Mike McClennan.
Tim Beebe did his final
tweeks.
Murphy once again left
hard gathering nice numbers at each increment.
Good numbers
down the track for Murphy to run close to yesterday's best with
a 5.746 at 254.23 which kept him #3.
FINAL
QUALIFYING ORDER
1 Rick White
5.664 251.53
2 Brett Harris 5.740 258.07
3 Jim Murphy 5.743 251.81
4 Tony Bartone 5.746 235.06
5 Denver Schutz 5.747 240.34
6 Rick McGee 5.797 251.77
7 Howard Haight 5.907 223.65
8 Bill Dunlap 5.963 217.67
9 Mike McLennan 5.976 222.11
10 Roger Lechtenberg 5.983 222.11
11 Larry Gotelli Jr. 6.174 181.28
12 Adam Sorokin 6.220 219.86
13 Brad Thompson 6.417 160.06
14 Terry Cox 6.693 146.26
15 Brendan Murry 8.159 109.72
Saturday - Round
One of Eliminations
Saturday 4:55
p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 58 degrees, relative
humidity 44 percent, barometer 28.81 inches, adjusted altitude
1,477 feet, track temperature 74 degrees. It was cooling off
quick and the track temperature with it.
In the first
round Murphy drew Terry Cox. Murphy, the #3 qualifier was big
odds over the #14 car.
This one was Murphy all
the way.
It cost him a couple of more
pistons but a solid 5.761 at 237.52 would give him lane choice
in round two.
Murphy's 5.813 at 249.03
easily covered Cox's 6.554 at 164.23.
Saturday
- Round Two
One week later
Saturday March
26: Due to conflicts two cars did not come back. Tony Bartone
who had a commitment with his Big Show Alcohol Funny car at Vegas
(which he won) and Mike McClennan who just passed. Also only
a few fans and photographers retuned leaving the stands nearly
empty and a huge lack of photos.
After a weeks
delay and more nasty weather the class eliminations were underway.
After morning drizzle the pro cars took to the track just after
noon. The temps etc. were similar to the previous Saturday.
Jim Murphy and local
favorite, Rick McGee started off the new weekend.
McGee left first (.071
to .117) and gave Murphy a race.
Try as he did, McGee's
5.854 at 238.05 was no match for Murphy's 5.763 247.97.
SEMI
FINALS
Jim with Darrell Tedford , whos
car he beat in the previous round, before getting into cockpit.
As always, Michael Beebe
backed Murphy up.
Harris didn't have a great light
but his .086 was a ton better than Murphy's .161 and it would
make all the difference 1320 feet later.
Murphy played catch up all the
way to the stripe and had they been racing 1340 feet he probably
would have passed Big Red. Harris' 5.777 at 260.81 barely held
on to beat Murphy's quicker 5.714 at 253.61. The margin of victory
was a scant .0133 seconds. Murphy had given away the best chance
he may ever have to capture his elusive fifth March Meet crown.
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