When it comes to Hot Rod Drag Week, what more is there to say about Larry Larson? The Kansas-based chassis builder has won it all, done it all, and he’s done it in near dominant fashion. If they were ever to place a likeness on the trophy ala the NHRA “Wally” trophy, they’d have to put the humble Larson on it. Each year, a new crop of challengers attempt to knock him off his perch atop the Unlimited category, and year after year, they fail to do so.
[1]Larson rolled into this year’s Drag Week presented by Gear Vendors Overdrives as the favorite once again despite some staunch competition that’s gradually upped its ante with each successive edition, but Larson and his world-beating Nova made it known on the very first day of Drag Week 2012 that the road to the title goes right through him.
Larson and his insane Nova reeled off not just the quickest run of the day and only six-second lap on the sheets, but in fact, the quickest elapsed time in the history of Drag Week with a 6.941 at 208.97 mph at the Tulsa Raceway Park to solidify his role as the face of the grueling annual test of man and machine.
Other challengers, including Dave Ahokas (7.006) and Tom Bailey (7.108) weren’t far behind, but a few hundredths to a couple of tenths isn’t exactly easy to come by. Unfortunately, runs of the first day don’t count toward official records, but in truth, we all know Larry’s time slip is legit.
On the second day at the Texas Motorplex, Larson was second quick with his 7.11 behind the 7.01 at a booming 212 MPH put up by Jeff Lutz, but it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of the six-second runs.
(Video credit: Hot Rod Magazine)