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OSH-WW2 Racing Dominates
Field - Scores "Hat Trick"
Jim Murphy
and the OSH-WW2 Racing team put it all together in Sacramento.
At the final Pro Nitro Series race of the year, Murphy set Low
ET (5.87) and Top Speed (252) of the meet and won Top Fuel Eliminator.
To top it off, they also captured the Drive Magazine Race Series
2002 Points Championship. Towards the end of a season with record
breaking performances punctuated with "gremlins", this
was a huge win.
Final Top Fuel Qualifying
1. Jim Murphy 5.88 @ 252
2. Glenn Hutchenson 6.02
3. Bill Dunlap 6.02
4. Lee Jennings 6.07
5. John Shoemaker 6.12
6. Brendan Murry 6.13
7. Mark Malde 6.13
8. Rich Howell 6.18 |
As the sun sets, Murphy
heats the tires prior to a perfect leave in route to a 5.88 which
was good for the # 1 qualifying position. Great start and the
OSH-WW2 Racing fueler never looked back all weekend.
At the end of the run Murphy had the back of the
chassis pull off when the parachutes were deployed, rendering
them useless. Thankfully Sacramento has a long shut down area
and the car was equipt with carbon fiber disc brakes that did
their job. The car was repaired Saturday night and ready for
eliminations on Sunday.
First round burnout.
In Top
Fuel, first pair up, Jim Murphy in the repaired WW2, up against
alternate, Howard Haight in Butch Blair's "Fugowie".
Murphy wastes no time in disposing of Haight, setting Low ET
of the event at 5.879 seconds at only 234.99 MPH.
Murphy does his burnout
prior to round two which would be THE race of the entire weekend.
Semifinals was the best race that this reporter has
witnessed - maybe EVER! When you've got a couple have seasoned
veterans like Jim Murphy and Bill Dunlap, basically toss a coin!
In this race they pair left a starting line together and stayed
that way for 1320 feet. Incredible as Jim Murphy and the WW2
teams win light came on with times of 5.89 @ 245 mph to Dunlap
matching time of 5.892 @ 234 mph. When talking to both drivers
neither knew right away who had won. I believe that this was
the quickest side by side in Classic Top Fuel History!
Tim Marshall report
This
weekend Jim Murphy was all smiles. When you run the board, what
else can you do but enjoy the moment.
Unlike
many of the previous races this year, the OSH-WW2 Racing pits
were basically in maintenance mode all weekend. No parts breakage
- just getting ready for the next round.
Another
hot and sunny California day brought out Cheryl Grisel with the
umbrella to keep some of the heat off of the firesuit clad Jim
Murphy.
After the historic round two race, the Top Fuel final
found Brendan Murry with his work cut out for him, as Jim Murphy's
slowest run of the weekend was a 5.89. Brendan's all time low
ET is only a 6.06. It's Chevy vs. Chrysler, and no holds barred.
Murry got a slight lead and it was a good drag race to about
the 900' mark where that Ron Rapadas and Tim Beebe horsepower
took control. Murphy takes the win with his slowest ET of the
weekend, a 5.953 @ a slow (for Murphy, at least) 232.68. Murry
cards a 6.349 @ 217.89. Kudos to Brendan for making the final...he's
worked VERY hard to get here. And so has all his crew. And more
so for Jim Murphy and the OSH-WW2 Racing team. After spending
the mid-season hunting gremlins that wouldn't let the WW2 get
past 900 feet without catastrophic engine failure, the WW2 brain
trust found something...and an all 5 second weekend is the result!
This says it all!
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