Dirt
Past NHRA Funny Car
world champion Ron
Capps checked one
point off his bucket list
piloting a Fuel Altered
down the Bakersfield
quarter-mile. He drove
the Ron Austin-built
“Good News” Fuel
Altered through some
wild runs and qualified
with a 6.17 e.t.
Performance Meets Drama
Explosive record performances
highlight 61st annual March Meet
By David Beitler
Some teams had to burn the midnight oil to be able to
make the call on race day.
S
38 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Sidelined driver James Day was given the opportunity
to jump in the seat of “The Tramp” Fuel Altered. He
went to the final, where he beat Dan Hix on a holeshot.
ince the very first March Meet,
which was launched by the Smokers of
Bakersfield in 1959, the March Meet has
always been a highlight for drag racers
and fans alike. The 61st edition turned out to
be an event full of thrills and spills, especially
courtesy of the 19 Nostalgia Funny Cars trying
to get into the 16-car field. For some teams the
trouble started even before race day.
During the first qualifying session, Matt Bynum
driving the “Nitro Nick” Funny Car got out of the
groove and flipped two times before landing back
on its wheels again. Another pre-race shocker oc-
curred when Jim Maroney’s engine exploded right
at the finish line, sending the Candies & Hughes
tribute body skywards. Maroney still recorded a
5.88-second pass at 241 mph but couldn’t return
for the next round. In the end, it was Dan Horan
who qualified No. 1 with his blistering 5.66 at a
record-setting 265 mph.
The drama in Funny Car continued in the first
round of eliminations when Rian Konno met
Steven Densham. Densham exploded an engine,
throwing body parts of his “Teachers Pet” AA/
FC in the air right after the finish line. He still
clocked a valid 5.81 against another 5.81, beating
Konno on a holeshot. Due to a lack of a replace-
ment body, the team was unable to return for the
second round, which earned No. 3 qualifier Bobby
Cottrell a single run and a free semifinal-round
ticket. By beating Kris Krabill with a stout 5.66
at 256 mph to Krabill’s tire-blazing 5.69 at only
150 mph, Cottrell entered the finals, where he
Dan Hix was on double duty this March Meet,
racing the “Heatseeker” Fuel Altered as well
as the “Meanstreak” in Classic Funny Car.
Issue 144