2014 Drag Boat Racing’s Season Opener “Run for the Ring”
The 2014 Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series has once again rocketed through Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona last weekend April 11-13, 2014. With qualifying on Friday and Saturday, Top Fuel Hydro, Top Alcohol Hydro, Top Alcohol Flat, Pro Mod and more blasted across the lake for position on Sunday’s final elimination.
During qualifying, the Top Fuel Hydro teams consisting of Toxic Rocket owner Joe Cassidy of South San Francisco,Problem Child owner Eddie Knox, Spirit of Texas owner David Kirkland, and others thrilled the fans with flame blowing exploding engines as they competed for the number one qualifying spot. Eddie Knox racing’s Problem Child, piloted by 2013 Champion Daryl Ehrlich, secured the top spot. EKR ran hard at a pace like they never left last years.
While were always happy to report no accidents. The Whiskey river top fuel hydro boat suffered an explosion during a Saturday qualifying and the blower fell off and cartwheeled down the track as is visible from our reporter video. (See video Black boat)
During elimination rounds on Sunday, Problem Child faced off against the Spirit of Texas in the final rounds of eliminations. Knox with a hotter tune up put some power to the boat for the final run. The extra power might have been a bit much as Ehrlich had to pedal off the the start giving the Scotty Lumbert and the Spirit of Texas an early lead, but once the boat took a set, Problem Child made a hard charge, to run down Scotty Lumbert. Scotty and the Spirit of Texas would make it to the 1,000 foot mark just before Ehrlich, taking the first Top Fuel Hydro win of the 2014 season. Lumbert ran a 3.60 at 239.23 mph against Ehrlich’s 3.80 at 248.83 mph. Glen Wilson and the Toxic Rocket team finished in 4th place due to a few broke parts. Some early teething through a new engine program we are told. .
The next event will be held on May 2, 3, 4 in Lake Havasu AZ. Special thanks to our on location race reporter Don Heldoorn.
