“It was a good final, but the only thing was I made a little mistake, I didn’t pay attention to where the sun was on the tree,” Helms said later. “ I thought I hit it pretty good, but I had a .040 light instead of in the .020s, so that was a little mistake there, but I got away with it.”
The Stock final featured double-breakout Camaros, with Jarrod Granier of Labadieville, LA, coming out on top in his 1997 version over the ‘95 model of Jeff Strickland, from Red Bay, AL. Granier, who also won his C/FIA class on Saturday, went 10.950 at 118.59 against a 10.98 dial in, while Strickland was 11.038/123.68 on an 11.06 dial.
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When Tim Cole ’s SS/AX entry takes off it sounds like no Corvette that ever left the Chevy factory. That’s because Cole, who works in the engine builder group at Comp Cams, has a self-built 281 c.i., V-6 between the front framerails of his Performance Acceleration Vehicles-built chassis. “It’s splayed valve, really like three quarters of a Pro Stock Truck engine,” Cole said. “Very reliable.” The engine, of course, carries a complete Comp Cams valvetrain and is topped by a pair of Dominator carbs built by Gary Williams. Stainless-steel headers by Performance Welding escort the spent gases and This year, he qualified 8th of 71 Super Stock entries at the Cajun SPORTSnationals and made it to the third round of eliminations. |
it’s all backed up by a TCI convertor in a three-speed automatic transmission. Cole, whose best prior finish in national NHRA Super Stock points was 6th in 2004, also won the Belle Rose event that year, then backed it up with a win at the Atlanta national event three weeks later. “The final was pretty interesting,” Granier said. “I thought I’d be a lot more nervous, to be honest, but I really wasn’t. I had a blast.”
In the always tough Super Comp 8.90 index class, Steve Cohen of Trilby, FL, launched with a stellar .008 reaction on his way to winning with an 8.936 at 156.03 mph over the 8.933 at 149.20 by Jim Hughes, who made the long tow from Phoenix, AZ.
“I got real fortunate, had good lights all weekend and drove a pretty good race. You’ve got to be good and lucky, have it all happen in one day. It just worked out for me today,” Cohen said. “The win light came on and that was definitely the plan. He was a little late on the starting line and came into the btakes a little early so it gave me plenty of room to come in and be safe.”
Number-six qualifier Jerry DeBusk picked up the 9.90 Super Gas event win with his 1992 Probe, putting together a 9.923/160.02 combination in the final round against the 9.932/165.25 by David Tatum III in a 2004 Cavalier.
DeBusk, from LaPorte, TX, said he arrived at the track on Thursday and made five “hits” to work out a few starting-line bugs, then after making two qualifying passes on both Friday and Saturday, he also made it through six elimination rounds on raceday.
“So we wore the car out pretty hard, but it seems like we’ve got it now where I’m getting a good light and it’s repeating real well, so I think that was our biggest benefit this weekend, we were able to get it on the tree,” DeBusk said.” The dial in seemed to be real good, too, the car stayed right on the number all weekend. And as long as it’s giving you the win light, so what? Let it keep going, it’ll quit when it’s through, not me.”
The only defending event champion to repeat at Belle Rose was Super Street racer Sid Norwood in his 1980 Corvette. Running against the 10.90 class index, Norwood, from Brandon, MS, broke out at 10.889 at 151.43 mph, but it was still good enough to beat the 10.855 at 120.68 run by Bart Dufrene Jr. in his Des Allemands, LA-based ‘71 Nova.
“To be honest, we were a little bit lost on the dial in all weekend because of the weather changes down here, the front coming through, the storms,” Norwood admitted.“But once we got in a couple of rounds and got everything squared away, really once I got past the fourth round, I really thought I had it. I felt pretty confident. Any time you can come to south Louisiana and get past these guys, you have done something, I can promise you. It’s been a great day for us.”
No problems.
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