(Photos by Annette Barton, Kim Fuller & Robert Grice) – With consistent 5.70’s during eliminations, four-time NHRA Mello Yello event winner Jeff Arend dominated NHRA Heritage Series nitro funny car competition at the 48th NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor in Don Nelson’s “California Hustler” nitro funny car with Crew Chief Ronnie Swearingen.
Arend led qualifying with a 5.682 elapsed time at 255.77 miles per hour, numbers that would stand for low elapsed time and top speed of the event at the high altitude facility in Eagle, Idaho. The remainder of the field included: #2 Mark Sanders’ 5.779 ET, #3 Shawn Bowen’s 5.787, Heritage Series points leader Bobby Cottrell’s 5.812 in 4th, Tim Boychuk’s (5.930) in 5th, #6 Scott Stanger (6.041), #7 Garth Widdison (6.592) and Jon Rice’s Corvette (7.169) sat 8th.
On the way to the final round match against Michigan’s Shawn Bowen in the sparkling Bartone & Lebore Camaro, Arend defeated Jon Rice with a 5.720 in round one, ran a 5.707, setting low elapsed time of eliminations in the Semi’s taking out a tire-smoking Bobby Cottrell.
On the other side of the ladder, in Round one Bowen dispensed Scott Stanger when the “Bad Manners” Cuda dropped the parachute on the burnout, then had the win handed to him with a 5.890 when “Mr. Explosive” fouled on the starting line with a red light start. Stanger’s 6.041 qualifying pass at 232.31 MPH was a big step forward, running straight as an arrow, with no engine damage at all, a personal best for the Utah team.
In the Sunday afternoon Stinker Stores Nitro Knockout final, Arend piloted the “California Hustler” ’78 Firebird to a winning 5.741 ET at 249.76 to defeat the Bartone & Lebor Camaro of Bowen who ran 5.866 at 224.62 mph.
Arend said of his first Heritage Series victory, It was a dream weekend for us at the Boise NAPA Ignitor, It’s not very often that you qualify number 1 and then go on to run low et of each round of eliminations and come home with the Wally. Speaking of that, I had no idea until I spoke to Ronnie on Saturday and he said we really need to get Don Nelson a Wally. I was like huh, he had never won one with the FC at a Heritage race? I said don’t worry, we will take care of that tomorrow.”
Arend then said, “I knew with the way that Ronnie was tuning the car and the flawless work by the Hustler crew that it was our race to lose! If we all did our jobs properly, we would win…and we all did! So happy for Don and the crew! I have a feeling that there are more Wally’s coming so Don better make some room on the mantle!
Veteran fuel racer Garth Widdison recently sold his rear engined top fuel dragster to purchase this sleek, black ’74 Camaro nitro funny car.
The next west coast event for the Heritage Series nitro funny cars is the Summer Kick-off at Utah’s Rocky Mountain Raceways on May 25-26. Followed by the United Nitro Funny Cars Championship presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports on July 4th at Spokane County Raceway and the UNFC event at Pacific Raceways July 6-7.
Next up at Firebird Raceway is the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals on August 9-12, 2018. The track’s signature event offers Heritage Series points in both Funny Car and Fuel Dragster, along with eliminators for Fuel Altered and Pro Modified.
