We'll open with a typical scene
in the pits preparing for a run. Ron Rapadas and Tim Beebe tend
to the engine while Michael Beebe takes care of the clutch.
Dan Wilkison who has
several rolls on the team.
Murphy takes care of
hiw own nitro.
1st
Qualifying Session
Friday 2:45 p.m. Weather conditions:
air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer
29.31 inches, adjusted altitude 2,762 feet.
Murphy's first look at the track
was with Bill Dunlap in the seat of the High Speed Motorsports
car.
Both cars had decent
leaves with Murphy being the quickest to the 60' mark.
Murphy made a great baseline
pass of 5.792 at 226.01. Dunlap clicked it early, as planned,
to a 6.134 at 200.08.
Top Fuel Second
Qualifying Session
Saturday 2:13 p.m. Weather conditions:
air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer
29.18 inches, adjusted altitude 2,435 feet.
The second and last qualifying
session paired up Murphy and eventual event winner, Rick Williamson.
Murphy
left hard and had the better early numbers.
Murphy stayed #3 with a 5.858
at 238.30, while Williamson stayed #1 with an engine killing
5.791 at 256.50.
Top
Fuel - Round One
Saturday: 4:40 p.m. Weather conditions:
air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 33 percent, barometer
29.08 inches, adjusted altitude 3,209 feet.
In round one #3 Murphy was paired
with #13 Mendy Fry in Mike Fuller's "Forever Young"
fueler.
Beebe makes the final
adjustments to the fuel system.
Michael eases Murphy
to the beams.
Taking a shot at the tree Fry
cut a great light (.029) but Murphy ate that up by the 100' mark
and marched away for the win.
Murphy's 5.817 at 245.00 easily
covered Fry's 6.099 at 219.54. Jim would move on to round 2 on
Sunday.
As usual, Fuller's titanium
skid plates put on a world class fireworks show.
Round
Two
Sunday: 12:06
p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative
humidity 44 percent, barometer 29.24 inches, adjusted altitude
1,853 feet.
In the third pair on Sunday Jim
Murphy fanced Paul Romine in the Ousley's "Crop Duster"
out of Indiana.
Romine took the lead
at the hit and never looked back.
Both cars had hurt themselves
by the 1000' mark but neither driver gave up.
In spite all the damage Romine
still carded a 5.694 at 235.84 for the win. Murphy slowed as
well to a 5.810 at 227.38.
Oiled in, driving
a new car (to him) Romine got into Murphy's lane and smacked
the guardrail. The hit was enough to tweak the chassis thus ending
the Ousley's weekend. Without the break rule in effect, Murphy
was also done for the day.
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