(Photos by the author) – Earlier this week we showed you some photos from the NHRA Phoenix pre-season test session and now we are back with another pile for you. The Winternationals started yesterday so the work that was completed at that test will show itself in competition this weekend. By the time Monday and Tuesday rolled around in Phoenix the field had really thinned out. It was down to mostly pro stock cars, a couple of alcohol cars, and some sportsman runners making runs. The impressive thing was watching a couple of the pro stock teams really get a handle on their respective cars.
Coming into the Winternationals and looking at the data from the test, it is impossible to ignore what Elite Motorsports did. Erica Enders 6.56 was one of if not the quickest run of the week, it was made in warmer conditions at a track with some elevation. Jeg Coughlin Jr, her teammate ran 6.572 right behind her. The cars were deadly consistent all session and they had few aborted runs. Drew Skillman and Chris McGaha also laid down big numbers with McGaha capturing a 210mph speed which was a rare number to see on the boards all week long.
KB Racing and Gray Motorsports had their moments of success but overall they did not project the same level of consistent speed that Elite did. Does that mean the back to back championship team is struggling? No, that’s necessarily the case. The KB guys do not put as much emphasis on big numbers during testing as they do trying ideas that may or may not work. Like the invention of the light bulb, they found a few ways how NOT to go quick. They also had some sickness run through their team so that could have played a bit of a factor as well. Manpower was down as guys were knocked flat by the creeping crud that everyone in the country seems to be getting.
The pre-season test was a big success for the teams that used it. We’ll see how much they can apply at the 2018 NHRA Winternationals this weekend!
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