Volume X, Issue 9, Page 90

Words by John Drummond
Photos by Bob Johnson,
courtesy Goodguys
9/9/2008

Close racing and spectacular show cars highlighted the
Goodguys/DuPont 7th Blue Suede Cruise at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk,
Ohio, Sept. 5-7. In all, 230 race cars and close to 2,000 show cars converged on the pristine
facility. The event was the second of a three-race Midwest vintage drag racing series this season promoted by Goodguys.

Nostalgia Funny Car action brought fans to their feet all weekend long as eight vintage floppers did battle over two days. Newark, Del., racer Steve Nichols guided his “Mill Road Boys” 1970 Chevrolet Camaro to his first-ever Goodguys event win, defeating previous 2008 Goodguys Funny Car Champion, John Dunn, in the final.
Dunn, coming off a June win at the Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals in Indy, looked poised to make it two wins in a row this season, but Nichols saved his best performance of the weekend for the tension-filled final by cutting a .037 light and carrying the front wheels to a spectacular, engine expiring 6.060 at 236.34 to Dunn’s gallant 6.176 at 215.93. The run was the quickest-ever for a Chevrolet-powered Funny Car. Nichols gave credit for the performance to his California-based crew chief, Ray Zeller.