2017

Bowling Green, Kentucky - June 18, 2017:

Headlining the 15th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion was a stellar Top Fuel field featuring the quickest and fastest fuelers in the world. At the end of the day, Jim Murphy grabbed a long anticipated NHRA Heritage Series Top Fuel event win at the with a 5.71 ET at 257 MPH over opponent Jim Young who posted 5.92 ET at 253 MPH. Murphy welcomed the victory after climbing to five consecutive Nostalgia Top Fuel final rounds marked by unfortunate flukes. “We’ve had a dry spell for a couple of years, so this feels really good. It’s nice to get the monkey off my back”, said Murphy

Murphy drove the Roland Leong-tuned WW2 front engine Top Fuel dragster with remarkably consistent power and speed throughout the 8-car Eliminations battle, posting a 5.72 ET at 245 MPH Round One win over Julius Hughes in his Atlanta Speed Shop fueler and a 5.73 ET at 240 MPH Semi-Final clincher over March Meet winner Mendy Fry, who footed the High Speed Motorsports dragster to a 5.81 ET at 260.21 MPH against Murphy in a tight race that had the capacity crowd going wild.

Final round opponent Jim Young set low ET and Top Speed of the event with 5.61-seconds and 260.36 MPH and he moved up the Eliminations ladder over Tyler Hilton in the Great Expectations III and Tony Bartone in the Semi-Final while fighting tire shake so severe that it warped sections of the Young Guns dragster body. The Wisconsin-based Young was shaken but unbowed. “We’re making good horsepower, now I just have to get it down the track. I wish we could have sealed the deal, but we had a good outing”, said Young.

Jim Murphy and the WW2 team were last victorious at Bowling Green in 2013 and took the points Championship the same year. His win at the 15th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky capped a weekend of blazing Top Fuel racing action that puts the California-based Murphy as current points leader moving into the 3rd race of the 5-race 2017 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Top Fuel Championship.

THURSDAY   If you've ever been to a NHRR at Bowling Green you know the odds are very high that you'll see some rain during the weekend. This year it all hit on Thursday postponing any track time to late afternoon.   Like everybody else, all Murphy and crew could do was wait the weather out.           Top Fuel Qualifying Session 1   The first session of Top Fuel qualifying went off after 9 pm. Pair four pitted the winner and runner-up of the 2017 March Meet. Jim Murphy in his WW2 Racing entry and Mendy Fry in the potent High Speed Motorsports fueler.                                   Murphy went to the #2 spot with a slowing 6.013 at 192.58 while Fry shut off early as well carding a 7.018 at 158.02.       FRIDAY - Top Fuel Qualifying Session 2   Friday proved to be rain free but hot and humid. First out for session two was Jason Greenwood on a single. The final pair of the second session pitted two of the big dogs, Jim Murphy and the reigning Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series champion, Tony Bartone who passed on the Friday night session.                                                                   Murphy got there first with a solid 5.692 at 239.61 putting him in the #2 spot. Bartone carded a 5.756 at 243.68.       FRIDAY - TOP FUEL SESSION THREE       Session three was the Big Dog redux from Q2. Tony Bartone and Jim Murphy pair up in what many saw as a possible preview of a final round match up.                                                 Bartone improved a tad with a 5.727 at 238.34 which was hardly the back breaking numbers we're used to seeing from the Champ. Murphy clicked it way early to a 6.372 at just 166.58 but remained #2 with his previous 5.692.       ELIMINATIONS Page 2