Most oddball rounds you've seen? (1 Viewer)

Mike

Nitro Member
Just for fun, what are some of the most oddball races you've seen?

For example, at Seattle a few years ago when Jim Whiteley and Chris Demke had the coastfest final.

However, there are probably a number of races that are much more oddball/goofy than that one. What are the strangest/funniest/weirdest rounds of racing you've seen?
 
Vegas 2001 I think it was Bob Bode against Force rd. 1 both left the starting line before the tree was activated so both were disqualified. I think Bruce Sarver had a bye 2nd rd. because of it.
 
The Cruz Pedregon/John Force 1992 Texas Motorplex FC final round was the craziest thing I’ve had the fortune to witness.
 
Just for fun, what are some of the most oddball races you've seen?

For example, at Seattle a few years ago when Jim Whiteley and Chris Demke had the coastfest final.

However, there are probably a number of races that are much more oddball/goofy than that one. What are the strangest/funniest/weirdest rounds of racing you've seen?

No question about my answer. 1983 World Finals at OCIR. Frank Iaconio leading in the Pro Stock points. We were seated front row across from the tree. 1st round Iaconio racing Reid Whisnant. We thought Reid red lighted because he was ahead so far at that point. But he did not and he picked up 2 tenths from qualifying and ran the quickest run in history at 7.62. Iaconio loses the championship as a result. Next run Whisnant goes back to running 7.82. NHRA could not find any evidence to warrant a re-run. But after retiring, Steve Gibbs told Comp Plus that this incident was the only regret of his career as he was sure something was funny.
 
The Demke & Whiteley final in Seattle was legendary, I remember watching that one on the old ESPN 3 and I remember Bob Frey and I think Dave Rieff just losing their minds. Another one that sticks out in my mind was Atlanta that one year when it rained all day and they tried to run in late evening and I think Pat Dakin beat Brittany with an 11 second pass and then Vandergriff nearly rolled the dragster over against Millican who had blown up.

As far as ones I've seen in person Jianna Salinas at the World Finals was the most bizarre, every opponent either broke or red-lit and it was surreal listening to Reinhart over the PA announcing Jerry's bike was wounded.

In Phoenix there always seems to be at least one whacky race every year. One year I remember Steve Chrisman beating Larry Dixon in the first round and I think that was the year Larry won like 11 races and the championship. I think that was also the year Steve Torrence beat Tony Schumacher in the first or second round and everyone in the stands (including me) was like, "who was that?" Most memorable year as far as upsets was 2018 (sorry Alan, Phoenix 18 > Phoenix 92) My buddy Palmer going to the finals but in doing so had to beat a local guy in Greg Carrillo in the semis. Also I remember Richard Townsend coasting from like 330' but won when he beat Jack Beckman who popped on the line.
 
I'll share a few I've seen:
Top Alcohol dragster in the late 90s, early 2000s at Bandimere. I don't remember for sure if it was the National event or the Divisional event, but I think it was the Mile Highs. Melanie Troxel is in the right lane and her opponent red lights by a mile. Almost before the tree was activated type of red light and then the car breaks and coasts to a stop about 300 feet down the track. Meanwhile, Melanie took the green light, flew past her red lighting and broken opponent, then started drifting, and drifting, and drifting until she knocked off the last timing block at the finish line disqualifying herself. We couldn't believe it as she had to have known her opponent was red by a mile, yet she never took her foot out of it.

Comp Eliminator Round 1 at the U.S. Nationals in 2001. Hurley Blakeney is running his Silent Thunder twin turbo charged Ford Thunderbird. He is in the right lane and he does a long, crazy burnout, but the car gets away from him and he darts across the center line nearly hitting the left guard wall. He gets the car stopped past the 330 timing block in the wrong lane. He puts it in reverse and once he passes the 330 timing block, he moved back into his correct lane and proceeded to back up like no big deal. I thought the race was over. I thought anytime the center line was crossed the driver was disqualified but this is not the case. This was the day I learned you can cross the center line during your burnout and you are still allowed to stage the car and run. Drag Race Central notes below:

Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET--(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
58 Mauri Rose 7.384 -0.246 Q 7 Hurley Blakeney 6.810 -0.590
C/D Index: 7.63 AA/AT Index: 7.40
*****WINNER***** 0.710 7.363 -0.267 E1 0.545 7.455 0.055

Blakeney got real loose on the burnout heading toward the wall and then darting back across the centerline almost collecting the left wall.

Top Fuel Round 1 at the Mile High Nationals in 2005. Brandon Bernstein is the #1 qualifier after running a 4.596 and the first 330+ mph run in Bandimere history on Friday night (Still didn't best Amato's 4.584 run from July of 1999 though!). Bernstein, being the #1 qualifier, chooses to run last in round 1. Rob Passey can't make the call so Bernstein will have a bye run into round 2. They start the car, he rolls through the water box, and when he steps on the throttle, the supercharger pops. He pulls over near the wall and the #1 qualifier is eliminated without even having an opponent! Drag Race Central notes:

Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Brandon Bernstein 723 Rob Passey
E1 No Time No Time
Qualified: #1 4.596 330.88 #16 6.571 158.30

Passey is not able to make the call and all Bernstein has to do is stage the car for the win. Right when Bernstein hits the throttle on the burnout there was a big bang and he rolls to a stop and he will not be able to stage the car. No one wins this one, and that will give Grubnic a bye into the next round. Lucas will have lane choice over D. Kalitta, Schumacher will have his choice over Herbert, and Dixon will get to pick his lane against McClenathan in the next round.
 
Gainesville 2018
hagenvshight2018.png

 
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When I posted last night I can not believe I forgot about the craziest round I ever saw. When Tommy Johnson broke the rear end, blew up and then lost a tire but got the round win when Jim Campbell knocked the blocks out in front of him.

TJ-5.jpg
 
PSB both bikes broke and the riders jumped off and started pushing.
Anyone remember who this was?
 
found it Australian 400 Thunder bike race

What happens next is a true display of determination in doing whatever it takes to win. As the reigning series champion, Maurice Allen soon hopped off his bike and began pushing it towards the finish line. It did not take long for Ryan Learmouth, who was still far behind at the starting line, to do the same and attempt to catch up with Allen.
 
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