Rage at the River
Ed Note: One of the toughest problems we have here at DRO is getting quality coverage of IHRA/NHRA Sportsman coverage. We simply can’t afford to pay pros to photograph and write about these races. So we are trying something. We are soliciting efforts such as the one below by Gateway’s announcer “Radical” Rich Tivitt. There is no pay but it is an opportunity for your track to get some ink for divisional races. We don’t guarantee accuracy of names spelled or any other thing for that matter but we will do the best we can to get it right. If you are a track owner, track announcer, PR flack or track photographer and want to see coverage of your track’s division races and your name in lights in DRO then send the stuff to us and we’ll do what we can with it. That we do guarantee.
Well racers and fans, I have been asked by The Burkster himself to give you the low down on my perspective of the Rage at the River LODRS race at Gateway this past weekend!
From my nitrous infused mind comes drag racing at its finest! 400 + cars invaded Gateway International Raceway on Thursday to be parked and racing activities started Friday morning! We had great expectations of mild weather bringing many record breaking performances!!! But guess what, the weather men were wrong once again. The heat was on a blast furnace setting at above 90 degrees. The air definitely offered little horsepower potential and the track temp went from about l18 degrees at the start of racing to a high of 146+! So yes it was a tuning nightmare for just about all that attended. I knew as the weekend progressed it was gonna get nuts in the pits much less on the track.
Let's start off with Top Alky Dragster and Bill Riechardt would be the one to beat in Top Alky once again! I will let The Burkster sort thru the ladders and run sheets and give you all the numbers but it was Riechardt vs. Condo in the final. Parts attrition from a tricky track and high heat led to Condo not being able to fire the engine in the final so Riechardt went down track on a single to win a "Wally" at Gateway's "Rage at the River 2007." On to Alky Funny car were a seven-year-speed record of 253.71 was just itching to be broken.
Everyone tried but the only alky flopper racer who got close was Marty Nothstein with his Texas Roadhouse backed '07 Dodge Charger with passes in the 252-253 zone. It got close but it was "no cigar" as his best pass was an oh-so-close 253.47. Nothstein went on to defeat the young gun Dan Wilkerson (son of NHRA fuel funny car pilot Tim Wilkerson) in the final.
