Image credit: Promedia

Although it certainly won’t get the headline attention that it deserves, history was made this morning during the opening round of qualifying in Stock Eliminator at the NHRA Four-wide Nationals at the zMAX Dragway in Charlotte when Don Fezell recorded the first ever eight-second pass in the history of Stock Eliminator driving his 2008 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet. Fezell, from DuBois, Pa., ran 8.954 at 153.88 MPH on the 10.00 AA/S index to place himself atop the provisional qualifying order. We kind of doubt being No. 1 is the first through on Fezells’ mind right now.

According to reports from the track, weather conditions just prior to the beginning of Stock qualifying was 42 degrees, barometric pressure of 29.58, 69-percent humidity, and an impressive density altitude of minus 573 feet. That’s horsepower-making weather there.

It was on May 6, 2001 – just a little less than 11 years ago – that the elusive and highly-chased nine-second barrier fell by the wayside when Bobby DeArmond recorded his historic 9.99 at the Mission Raceway Park in Mission BC Canada in what remains one of the most legendary and talked about NHRA divisional races in history.

The all-time Stock Eliminator record has certainly come a long way in 11 short years, thanks in large part to the introduction of the incredibly quick and fast Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks. The question left to ask now is, will we ever see a seven-second Stocker?