Bradenton FL - Duane Shields likely surprised some loyal fans and even a few competitors by not competing at the 50th Anniversary NHRA Winternationals. Shields was still in the driver seat though, just not in California. Instead, the Nevada based racer was in Bradenton Florida for the first Divisional event of the year. “We certainly wanted to be a part of the Winternationals but racing in Florida almost assured us a spot in the Jegs All Star race (to be held later this season in Chicago) and we have a divisional race scheduled in Gainesville next weekend. This way we don’t have two races in a row on opposite sides of the country” Shields said.
The down side to racing in Florida was the cold track conditions that lasted most of the weekend which made tuning decisions very difficult. During the first round of qualifying Shields shook the tires but still ran a 5.76 at 236 MPH to claim the fourth qualifying position. With the cold track conditions, the final qualifying round was postponed until Sunday. On the second and final qualifying pass Shields did not improve and had to shut off early in the run.
In eliminations, Shields had a first round match up with Dan Mercier. Shields responded well to the challenge by making one of his fastest runs ever. Shields got down Broadway with a 5.22 at 273 MPH to Mercier’s 5.48 at 246 MPH. “The first round pass really helped our confidence and served notice that we got a handle on the track”
Shields said.
In the second round, Shields would face John Finke. Shields was out of the gate first with a great 0.051 reaction time to Finke’s late 0.262 light. Shields’ 5.43 was enough to cover Finke’s close 5.47. “I shook the tires 150 feet out and I had to pedal it. I was very fortunate to have a good light against Finke in order to win the round” said Shields.
In the final round, Shields took on west coast competitor, Darren Nicholson. At the light it was Shields once again with the advantage as he got off the line first with a 0.106 to Nicholson’s 0.131. Both cars were side by side all the way down the quarter. However, Shields better reaction time paid off as he crossed the stripe first leading the way to a big victory to start off the 2010 season. Shields ran a 5.384 at 272 MPH to Nicholson’s ever so close 5.391 at 262 MPH.
“Nicholson ran quicker than we did in the semis. We tried to tone down the tune-up a little bit in middle. It was a difficult race for us but it still had a winning result” said the celebratory driver.
In the end, Shield’s decision to race in Florida paid off as he earned the same amount of points as if he would have won in Pomona. He also sewed up the Jeg’s All Star program and secured the lead in the Division 2 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. “Last year we were a little slow getting out of the gate on the divisional side so this year we’re already ahead of the game. We’re very happy to begin the season with a win” Shields said.
The down side to racing in Florida was the cold track conditions that lasted most of the weekend which made tuning decisions very difficult. During the first round of qualifying Shields shook the tires but still ran a 5.76 at 236 MPH to claim the fourth qualifying position. With the cold track conditions, the final qualifying round was postponed until Sunday. On the second and final qualifying pass Shields did not improve and had to shut off early in the run.
In eliminations, Shields had a first round match up with Dan Mercier. Shields responded well to the challenge by making one of his fastest runs ever. Shields got down Broadway with a 5.22 at 273 MPH to Mercier’s 5.48 at 246 MPH. “The first round pass really helped our confidence and served notice that we got a handle on the track”
Shields said.
In the second round, Shields would face John Finke. Shields was out of the gate first with a great 0.051 reaction time to Finke’s late 0.262 light. Shields’ 5.43 was enough to cover Finke’s close 5.47. “I shook the tires 150 feet out and I had to pedal it. I was very fortunate to have a good light against Finke in order to win the round” said Shields.
In the final round, Shields took on west coast competitor, Darren Nicholson. At the light it was Shields once again with the advantage as he got off the line first with a 0.106 to Nicholson’s 0.131. Both cars were side by side all the way down the quarter. However, Shields better reaction time paid off as he crossed the stripe first leading the way to a big victory to start off the 2010 season. Shields ran a 5.384 at 272 MPH to Nicholson’s ever so close 5.391 at 262 MPH.
“Nicholson ran quicker than we did in the semis. We tried to tone down the tune-up a little bit in middle. It was a difficult race for us but it still had a winning result” said the celebratory driver.
In the end, Shield’s decision to race in Florida paid off as he earned the same amount of points as if he would have won in Pomona. He also sewed up the Jeg’s All Star program and secured the lead in the Division 2 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. “Last year we were a little slow getting out of the gate on the divisional side so this year we’re already ahead of the game. We’re very happy to begin the season with a win” Shields said.
