There were six Fuel Altereds in the program including the infamous Cannonball Johnson, Lisa Coil in Tom Motry’s “Drastic Plastic” and of course “Nanook” and the “Rat Trap”. By the end of the evening, in typical fuel altered style one of the altereds crashed, one had contacted the cement walls and one racer announced his retirement as a driver.

Cannonball Johnson was racing the Newburgh altered in the first round when Johnson severely impacted the right guardwall about 400 feet down track - knocking him out.  The car then drove across the track and hit the other wall and skidded through the traps in 57.553/38.47. In the other lane Newburgh had traction problems and eased through the lights with a 7.372/131.83

Johnson was life-flighted out of the track, but later checked himself out of the hospital and returned to the track.  In an interview with track operator Scott Gardner, Cannonball told the crowd that was his last drive, he has retired.

In other first round AA/FA action Randy Baker ran an 8.372/9925 in the “Nanook” Ron Hope in the “Rat Trap” broke on the burnout and was shut off.

AA/FC Chicago Style

Six AA/FC cars were part of the show at Cordova with the winner of the class being determined in a Chicago Style final.

In the first round a pair of Cuda’s, Greg Jacobsmeyer’s 72 Cuds vs Joe Haas in the “Wonder Wagon” ‘70 Cuda. Jacobsmeyer got the win with a 6.569/191.57 to the “Wonder Wagon’s” 6.683/211.76.

The second pair saw Doc Halladay get the win over Kyle Wurtzels 73 Vega “Motown Shaker” with a personal best for this car 6.150/220.94 single when Wurtzel broke on the burnout.

Shawn Bowen in his 77 Pontiac Trans-Am that uses a Fontana engine also got a single when his opponent “Rapid” Randy Baker in Danny Miller’s Hemi-powered ‘70 Maverick also broke on the burnout. Bowen legged it anyway and ran a 6.223/231.48.

Bowen and Halladay will race for the title in the next round.

The first of two rounds of competition scheduled for the 55th World Series is in the books.

The Saturday session marked the first time in 40 years that Pro classes ran a 1000ft track instead of the quarter-mile. The last time was the 1968 World Series according drag racing historian Bret Kepner. So new track records for a 1000ft were re-set today in the first round.

The first pair of Fuel Coupes down the track matched up defending NHRA World Champ Tony Pedregon versus Del Worsham. Pedregon proceeded to rip off a 4.309/281.48 to Worshams 4.372 at a shut-off 230.92.

The next pair was current NHRA points leader Tim Wilkerson matched up against Iowa’s only NHRA Fuel Coupe driver Jack Wyatt. Wilkerson left first with a .050 light to Wyatt’s sleepy .124. Wilkerson motored to a 4.450/257.09 to Wyatt’s wounded 8.650.

The Top Fuel matchup featured the ageless Chris Karamesines vs TJ “the kid” Zizzo. Karamesines left before the tree activated but was timed at 4.30/277.33, but Zizzo still got to the stripe first with a 4.062/277.43

So going into the second round of Pro Fuel The new 1000ft records are held by Tony Pedregon in Fuel Coupe and Zizzo for Top Fuel.

The action starts at 7 PM local time… Saturday’s report is coming!