Drag Week 2014 officially kicked off at the Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park bright and early on Monday morning, with well over 300 entrants in the Unlimited, Pro Street, and Daily Driver categories taking their first time cracks at the race track before hitting the open road for Topeka, site of the second day of this year’s Drag Week tour.

Reigning champion Tom Bailey led the day’s events with his 6.54-second shot, pacing Jeff Lutz in his “Evil Twin” ’57 Chevy with a 6.69 and Doug Cline’s 6.84 best.In all, 18 drivers were forced to drop out of the event prior to or during day one of competition, but for those still alive, a more than 200-mile drive lay ahead before the next stop at Heartland Park Topeka. Mike Roy led the way in the Pro Street – Power Adder category in his ’71 Monte Carlo with a 7.67, while Eddie Miller leads in the Pro Street- – Naturally Aspirated category with his familiar Plymouth Duster at an 8.81.

Five-time Unlimited class and overall winner Larry Larson, who has captured all of the headlines this year with his brand new, trick Chevrolet S-10 pickup, returned from early troubles to click off a 6.99 at just 164 miles per hour after shutting his track down well before the finish stripe.

Keep up with Hot Rod’s own coverage of Drag Week, including their daily live feed, on the Hot Rod Magazine website.