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Speed Magazine Reporter, Jack Korpela, Recaps The Rucker Performance Lonestar Nationals
from Texas Motorplex

They say everything is bigger in Texas.

Even the intense excitement of the AHDRA seemed amplified for round No. 3 of the Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts Championship Series from the Texas Motorplex in Dallas, TX.

The competition was fierce as always and for the third consecutive race a new victor emerged in Top Fuel.

Screamin Eagle Top Fuel

Screamin Eagle Top Fuel - Jay Turner

The first two Screamin' Eagle Top Fuel winners of the season shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to most. Defending class champion Mike Romine took the win in Gainesville, and 2005 No. 2 plate holder and former class champion Doug Vancil was victorious in Phoenix. In Dallas a new championship contender emerged - 2005 No.6 plate-holder and Pro Fuel standout Jay Turner.

Turner, with the help of crew chief Johnny Mancuso, qualified third for the competitive 16-bike field.

Tommy Grimes, riding Ray Price's machine, continued his impressive AHDRA rookie season by taking his second consecutive pole position with a 6.59 at 214 mph. Mike Romine was second with a 6.61 at 208 mph, followed by Turner's 6.63 at 208 mph. Vancil uncharacteristically struggled in qualifying with a best run of 8.32 to qualify in the No. 14 spot.

By qualifying third, Turner didn't expect to have to run former champion Vancil in the opening round, but that's exactly what happened.

"I was a little worried about having to run Doug," Turner said. "That's the nature of Top Fuel. Even the best can struggle in qualifying and you never know when you might have to run a former champ. I knew Doug was capable of stepping-up at any time."

In the opening round, Turner went on to take the win with a 6.69 to Vancil's 8.85. Grimes was upset by Mike Lehman with a 7.78 to an 8.09.

In round two Turner took out No. 11 qualifier Dale Nungesser with a 6.62 to Nungesser's 8.72. Turner went on to run his best pass of the weekend to upset Mike Romine in the semifinals with a 6.58 to Romine's 6.69.

Heading into the final Turner was slated to take on No. 8 qualifier Joe Timmons, who had upset Tracy Kile and Jack Romine in the previous two rounds.

Turner won convincingly with low-elapsed of the meet with a 6.54 to better Timmons' 7.11. For Turner, who won the Pro Fuel category at the first race of the year, it was his first win in Top Fuel since Rockingham last season. "It's a great feeling," Turner said. "I have to thank Mancuso Harley Davidson for making it possible."

Jims Pro Fuel

Jims Pro Fuel - Armon Furr

Armon Furr of Orangeburg, SC, apparently enjoyed getting his first Pro Fuel win since 1999 in Phoenix so much that he decided to come back for more in Dallas.

Furr qualified his Bill Furr built 60-degree Dixie-powered machine second with a 6.93 at 186 mph, behind defending class champion and the man Furr defeated in the finals of the last race, Chris Streeter, who ran 6.90 at 195 mph. "Chicago" Joe was third with a 7.03 at 197 mph, followed by Patrick Fenderson's 7.06 at 193 mph. All together 11 bikes showed up to qualify for the elite eight bike field.

Furr advanced to the final with consistent elapsed-times of 6.957 and 6.956 to defeat Jay Turner and Chicago Joe.

On the other side of the ladder Streeter was upset by No. 5 qualifier Jim Fagan, who ran 7.20 to Streeter's 7.23. In the final Furr notched his second straight event win of the season with a 6.94 at 188 mph to Fagan's 7.23 at 183 mph. "I feel like I'm getting better on this bike each time out," Furr said of his new ride. "My dad really knows how to tune."

Kresto Pro Drag

Kresto Pro Drag - Rick Moore

Dallas reaffirmed that it's still much too early to make any predictions as to who will be the next Kresto Pro Drag Champion. Like Top Fuel, the class has seen three different riders win the first three races. Mark Blackmer, Greg Brynes, and Rick Moore have all won events this season and are all in hot pursuit of the top spot that defending champion Phil Schmidt left open.

Will Simplot of Boise, ID, scored first in opening qualifying with a lap of 7.40 at 172 mph to take the top spot. Moore, who qualified No. 1 at the last race in Phoenix, ended up second with a pass of 7.53 at 171 mph. Scott Truett, of Wichita, KS, was third with a 7.57 at 167 mph, followed by Byrnes 7.59 at 167 mph. Only a little more than a half of a second separated the entire eight bike field.

Simplot broke in round No. 1 and his opponent and No. 8 qualifier Rick Casas came away with his second upset of the top qualifier this season. (Casas also defeated pole-sitter Brynes in the opening round in Gainesville).

With Simplot out of the picture Byrnes easily advanced to the final to take on Moore.

Brynes got a big holeshot but couldn't match Moore's impressive blast of 7.45 at 176 mph. With the win Moore has suddenly emerged as another serious championship contender.

S&S Cycle Pro Gas/ Pro Stock

S&S Pro Gas - Dale Raudenbush

Like the first two races this year S&S Pro Gas and Pro Stock were combined, with a total of seven entries.

Dale Raudenbush captured his second straight pole position with a 7.50 at 169 mph, followed by David Feazell, who ran 7.67 at 161 mph, and Joe Sternotti and his 7.77 at 160 mph.

Defending class champion Mike Lozano continued to struggle and could only muster an 8.10 at 154 mph for the No. 5 spot. Lozano, who failed to qualify in Gainesville and was upset in the opening round in Phoenix, was hopeful Dallas would put an end to his misfortune.

Lozano got the much needed break out performance he was looking for in round No. 1 with an upset win over No. 4 qualifier Stan Sheppard. Lozano ran a 7.74 to Sheppard's 8.00 and was immediately back in the hunt.

Lozano further improved in the second round with a 7.70, but was unable to catch Raudenbush's 7.60.

Raudenbush went on to defeat Feazell in the final with a 7.51 to Feazell's 7.56. The win was the first of the season for Raudenbush.

Samson Pro Modified

Although he's on a different motorcycle for 2006, two-time Samson Pro Modified champion Junior Pippin seems to once again be the dominant rider of the category.

In Dallas, Pippin scored his third consecutive No. 1 qualifying position with an impressive 8.27 at 153 mph.

In opening eliminations Pippin set low elapsed of the meet with an 8.19 at 162 mph on his bye run. In round two Pippin slowed to an 8.80 at 153 mph, but was still able to get around No. 3 qualifier Bruce Beltramini's 8.42 at 152 mph.

On the other side of the ladder it was all No.2 qualifier Shaun Reno, who won easily in round No. 1, thus gaining a bye into the final.

Pippin and Reno put on a great side-by-side show in the finale, with Pippin crossing the finish line first with an 8.27 to Reno's 8.34.

G-Squared Street Pro

The G-Squared Street Pro final in Phoenix between class powerhouses Andy Simon and Zach Johnson may have provided a sneak preview of what could turn into a season-long rivalry.

In Dallas, the duo qualified in the top two spots with Simon getting the pole with an 8.73 at 155 mph followed by Johnson's 9.18 at 146 mph. Gainesville runner-up Jeff King was third with a 9.23 at 151 mph.

In the first round of eliminations Simon began to separate himself from the rest of the pack. He recorded a new elapsed-time record of 8.63 at 157 mph, shattering the mark of 8.71 he sent in Phoenix. Simon was so dominant on race day that he was the only competitor to run in the eight second zone.

In a Phoenix rematch, Simon defeated Johnson with an 8.78 at 156 mph to Johnson's 9.75 at 144 mph.

Screamin Eagle V-Rod

Screamin Eagle V-Rod No. 2 plate holder Larry G. Edmondson Jr. of Battle Ground, IN, proved in Phoenix that he is on a roll. After trying to chase down teammate and defending class champion Jamie McNaughton in 2005, Edmondson has enjoyed a flawless start to 2006, qualifying No. 1 and winning each of the AHDRA's tour's first three events.

Edmondson used a 9.56 at 140 mph to take the spot and secure a near-three-tenth advantage on the rest of the field. Phoenix runner-up Terry "Vicious" Vaughan was second with a 9.828 at 135 mph. McNaughton qualified fifth for the 10-bike field. Edmondson and Vaughan both advanced to final easily with a montage of nine-second runs.

In a rematch from the Phoenix final, Vaughan scored a .117 to .194 holeshot over Edmondson, but it wasn't enough to hold off the point's leader. Edmondson collected his third consecutive victory with a 9.58 at 138 mph to Vaughan's 9.80 at 136 mph.

Drag Masters Hot Street

Cleve McConnell of Shreveport, LA, put on an impressive display in Drag Masters Hot Street qualifying, holding off the defending class champion and each of this season's two event winners to take the pole with a 10.45 at 127 mph. Phoenix winner Dan Norlin of Aurora, CO was second with a 10.46 at 131 mph, followed by 2005 class champion Mike Roberts of Clinton, OH, at 10.47 -128 mph, and Gainesville winner John Burdynski at 10.58 -125 mph.

Norlin, who finished second in the 2005 points chase, advanced to the final with a quarterfinal victory over Robert McConnell of Greenwood, LA, to earn a bye in the semis. Roberts went on to upset Cleve McConnell with a 10.47 at 129 mph to McConnell's 10.56 at 127 mph.

In the final, the 2005 champion took his first win of the season with an impressive run of 10.36 to Norlin's off-pace 11.76. Although Roberts took the win, Norlin was the quickest and fastest of the event with a run of 10.25 at 131 mph earlier in eliminations.

Screamin' Eagle V-Rod Destroyer

Screamin' Eagle V-Rod Destroyer - Tripp Nobles

Phoenix winner Tripp Nobles seemed to pick up in Dallas right where he left off in Phoenix. Nobles took the win in the Phoenix final with an ET of 9.39. In opening qualifying at the Texas Motorplex Nobles stepped-up to run a 9.33 at 141 mph to take the top spot. Behind Nobles was Erik Ryder of New Orleans, LA, with a 9.37 at 140 mph. It was apparent that the riders have been getting better and becoming more accustomed to their band new Harley-Davidson factory dragbikes by the third race of the season. Of the 30 entries in competition, the top 20 had run 9.70 or better in qualifying.

On race day Nobles, one of the first competitors to ride a Destroyer late last season, dominated the field. Nobles marched to the final with consistent elapsed-times of 9.57, 9.45, and 9.45.

On the other side of the ladder No. 3 qualifier Jeff Stevens of Bloomington, IN, upset Ryder, who fouled out with a -.006.

In the final Stevens scored a slight .029 to .042 starting line advantage over Nobles, but could only run 9.59- not enough for Nobles' 9.47.

S&S 124 Challenge

For the third consecutive race defending S&S 124-Challenge class champion Michael Ray qualified his 2005 Garsted in the No. 1 spot. This time Ray used a 9.51 at 139 mph to capture the pole. He was followed closely by the hard-charging Mike Roberts of Clinton, OH, who ran 9.57 at 139 mph. Phoenix winner Robbie McCaa was third with a run of 9.71 at 139 mph.

"We're a little down on power compared to Ray," McCaa said. "That doesn't mean we're going to stop trying though. I feel like we are getting a little quicker each race."

Ray and McCaa met up in the semifinals with McCaa red-lighting with a -.040 and Ray stayed consistent with a 9.55 at 139 mph. Roberts defeated No. 5 qualifier Chris Scism of Lexington, NC in the quarterfinals to score a bye to his first final of the season.

In the final Ray continued his bracket-bike-like consistency with a run of 9.56 at 139 mph to easily defeat Roberts' 9.95 at 131 mph.

"I'm really pleased with our performance," Ray said. "It's great sponsors like Alamo City Harley Davidson, Budweiser, and Larry and Steve McBride that make it all possible. It's a great feeling."

Rucker Performance Super Gas (9.70)

In Phoenix Shawn Vantucci of Frederick, MD qualified his 2006 Destroyer second in the Rucker Performance 9.70-index Super Gas class with an impressive run of 9.702. However the stout qualifying performance didn't earn him what he really wanted - an event win. Vantucci was determined to keep the trophy from slipping away in Dallas.

This time Vantucci qualified in the No. 11 spot with a run of 9.73. Valerie Thompson of Scottsdale, AZ, took the top spot with a 9.70, followed by Tom Ocasio, of Howell, NJ, and Chris Vaughan, of Santa Clara, CA.

Pole-sitter Thompson was upset in the quarterfinals by No. 8 qualifier and eventual finalist Charlie Walker, who also advanced to the final in the SEP category. Vantucci defeated multi class competitor and No. 18 qualifier Joe Boyd in the semis.

In the final Walker fouled-out on the starting line with a -.021, thus crowing Vantucci with his much anticipated event victory on the H-D of Frederick ride.

S&S Super Sport (10.30)

Larry Maynhart of Swanton, OH, was the man to beat on Sunday in the S&S Super Sport 10.30 index class eliminator.

However Maynhart didn't appear to be the man to beat in Saturday's highly competitive qualifying sessions. Maynhart ran 10.36 to capture the No. 7 spot. Qualifying was so tight that the top ten competitors ran 10.40 or better, with Allen Fong, of Plumas Lake, CA, taking the pole with a perfect 10.300, followed by champion Julia Holliday's near perfect 10.301. Steve Rodgers of Denver,CO, and Phil Cantrell of Parker, CO, also hit the 10.30 mark, with Rodgers qualifying No. 3 with a 10.305, and Cantrell qualifying fourth with a 10.309.

On race day No. 9 qualifier Eleanor Walker came up short in the semis against No. 5 qualifier Jack Wagner. Maynhart defeated Phoenix champion and No. 18 qualifier Joe Boyd in the quarterfinals to earn a bye run to the final.

In the final Maynhart banked nearly a tenth advantage off the line and was able to hold off Wagner with a 10.32 to Wagner's 10.33.

Performance Corner Super Eliminator (10.90)

Performance Corner Super Eliminator - Donnie Huffman

Defending class champion Donnie Huffman just missed winning the event at the Phoenix race. In Dallas multi-class competitor Huffman enjoyed an incredibly consistent and successful weekend - the kind most bracket racers dream of.

Huffman qualified in the No. 12 spot with a 10.98 in the 10.90-index category. Steve Galati, of Osteen, FL, took the pole with a 10.904 at 117 mph.

On race day Huffman and his 1995 Sportster performed flawlessly. Huffman advanced to the final to take on friend and No. 26 qualifier Dan Hope of Nevada, MS.

Hope banked a critical seven-hundredths of a second advantage off the starting-line but broke out with a painful 10.898, as Huffman took the win with a near-perfect 10.906.

Huffman, who also competes in the Screamin' Eagle Performance class, says running in several classes isn't a distraction, in fact, it's an advantage.

"I'm used to running two classes," Huffman said. "In fact the more classes I run the better I get. The only time it gets hard is when they are back-to-back. Lucky for me, I had a class in-between us."

Screamin' Eagle Performance SEP (11.50)

When defending Screamin' Eagle Performance champion Donnie Huffman says "The more classes I run the better I do, especially in Dallas," - He means it. Huffman continued his Dallas dominance with another convincing win in SEP. Huffman qualified No. 1 with an 11.502 at 106 mph. "Before I knew it I was No. 1 qualifier," Huffman said. "I had my game together. I've always done well at Dallas." Behind Huffman was No. 2 qualifier Wayne Pugh, of Rio Rancho, NM, with an 11.505, and No. 3 qualifier Dan DeGood, of Mountain Top, PA, with an 11.51 at 109 mph.

Huffman dominated the field on Sunday and rode his 2004 Sportster all the way to the final to face teammate Charlie Walker of Brandon, MS.

In the final Huffman ran dead-on the 11.50-index to take the win. Combined with his 10.90 run in the final of Performance Corner Super Eliminator, Huffman had run dead-on the index in each of his finals. Huffman credited the awesome Texas Motorplex facility for help with the "Dallas Double." "I've went to the finals here each of the last three years I've been here," Huffman said. "I really love this track. It's a nice facility."

Huffman now hopes to repeat his coveted season championship in each of the categories.

"It was just the kind of race I needed," Huffman said. "I want to thank Harley Davidson/Buell of Lakeland Florida, Ridge Harley Davidson Shop, Metzeler Tires, Vanson Leathers, and VP Fuel. I also want to thank Bill Rucker for sponsoring the event."

SYN 3 ET

Two-time defending SYN3 ET Champion, Dan DeGood held off a strong contingent of riders to secure his much-anticipated first event win of 2006 at the Texas Motorplex. DeGood has been openly dissatisfied with what he calls a lack of consistency at the starting line this season. However, after cutting several stellar lights- there wasn't much the champ could complain about in Texas.

"After cutting a .056 light in the second round at Gainesville and getting treed pretty badly, I started practicing for better lights than the mid five's. This practice paid-off in Dallas," said DeGood, who beat all of his opponents off the starting-line. DeGood credits the fourth round win over last year's ET champion, Donnie Huffman, as a critical round and the key to the Dallas victory.

"Donnie ran 11.531 on his 11.50 dial, and I ran 11.401 on my 11.40 dial. It seems that whenever Donnie and I get paired-up, we raise our game just a notch or two", DeGood said.

DeGood went on to defeat Roberta "Bert" Seaman in the finals, in her first-ever final round appearance. After the victory, DeGood said, "I used to run that Buell of Bert's some years ago with Julian (Roberta's better-half) onboard, and it's a whole lot faster now. I suspect we will see Bert in the winner's circle before the year ends, as she has shown what it takes to go rounds in ET."

Casa Bella X-Mod

Five competitors showed up to battle in AHDRA's first Casa Bella X-Mod race of the season. X-Mod will be contested at a total of six AHDRA events throughout the 2006 season.

Despite the slim turnout, the competition was fierce. In qualifying the top three bikes were separated by a mere four-hundredths of a second.

Stephen Galati of Osteen, FL, led the charge with an 8.96 at 143 mph on his 114 cubic-inch machine.

Galati received a bye in round No. 1 and went on to defeat No. 3 qualifier Donnie Huffman with a 9.04 to Huffman's 9.07.

In the final No. 2 qualifier Greg Kuypers fouled out on the starting line and Galati cruised to the first X-Mod victory of the season with a 9.03 at 150 mph.

Get Well Soon

In Saturday's opening Top Fuel qualifier, Oregon rider Steve Dorn met with an unfortunate circumstances on his new Team Latus H-D ride. Dorn laid down a 6.69 at 206mph before veering into the retaining wall. He was airlifted to a nearby medical facility suffering from a broken arm and hand. Dorn is recovering at home after surgery and plans a return to racing following his healing process. We all wish him the best and look forward to his return.

For more information on the 2006 Screamin' Eagle Championship Series contact 336-924-2095 or visit www.ahdra.com.

Photos by EagleStar Photography and Magicolor Photos