It’s a cold, windy morning in Las Vegas, but cars are going down the track, and we’re just a few minutes away from the pros getting their third shot in qualifying. The forecast calls for a 50% chance of precip after 10AM, but right now the rain seems to be confining itself to the mountains to the South and East. The question is whether the cold track or the low density altitude and tailwind will win out and be a bigger factor in whether we see improved times this morning…
Once again, special thanks to our event coverage sponsor Mickey Thompson Tires for making this possible. You can check out their full line of wheels and tires at www.mickeythompsontires.com
FINAL QUALIFYING
With as many cars in the mix as we have this weekend, uncooperative weather, and the occasional oildown, it took more than 12 hours to get through the rest of the qualifying schedule – rain began to fall in the middle of the fourth and final Pro Street session, bringing things to a halt for more than an hour. But once the sky stopped falling and the track was dry and prepped, the remaining racers still looking to get into the show tomorrow hit it, and hit it hard.
Pro Street
We didn’t see a five, but we did get a new polesitter in Pro Street, and the bump spot moved all the way up to 6.576. There are a dozen drivers with six-second passes to their credit yesterday and today who will be spectators tomorrow – in total, 56 cars were fighting over the available 32 slots in eliminations.
Outlaw 10.5
In the final two rounds of Outlaw 10.5 qualifying, we saw the bump fall to 7.913 for the 32 car field, and some reshuffling in the middle of the field. Kurtis Tamez remained at the top of the list, but he’s done for the weekend – his first hit turned out to be his last, and as a result, number 32 qualified Smiley Cordero gets a freebie first thing tomorrow.
Hot Street
None of the other ten drivers in Hot Street managed to find the tune up to get around Robbie Blankenship in Saturday’s closing qualifying, but with the top three all running within three hundredths, and 9 out of 11 competitors solidly in the 8’s, eliminations should be a close battle.
Extreme Drag Radial
Yesterday’s top time of 7.051 in Extreme Drag Radial did indeed fall, with Mike Keenan slipping in underneath with a 7.039. Unfortunately for Mike, our other prognostication came true as well – Paul Major upped the ante and held on to top honors with a 6.856, maintaining his tenth and a half lead on the rest of the field. We’re told that he’s even running with a handicap this weekend; no intercooler due to plumbing issues. The 31 car field means Major has a bye in the opening round.
Wild Street
Limited Street
Street Challenge
Mustang Maddness
Open Comp
Double Index
Super Index