Boise. ID 2013 NightFire Nationals Results
42nd Annual Pepsi Nightfire Nationals, Firebird Raceway, Boise ID—After three fiery nights of action that wowed capacity crowds in Boise, Utah-based Brett Harris dropped the drawers on an unsuspecting contingent of AA/Fuel Dragsters and claimed the event win at Firebird’s 42nd Nightfire Nationals.
Harris swung his first gauntlet late Saturday night in the final session of qualifying, posting a fierce ¼-mile elapsed time of 5.80 seconds and a full-throttle top speed of 247 mph, numbers which propelled the Steve Harwood-owned “Nitro Hemi” into the #1 qualifying spot, a position previously bogarted throughout the meet by Adam Sorokin in San Francisco’s “Champion Speed Shop” streamlined dragster.
But Harris’s coveted slot meant more than just bragging rights: Because of a 7-car eliminator, the “Nitro Hemi” was granted a bye run into the semi-finals, where Harris’s 5.88 withstood the efforts of San Diego’s Neal & White. Harris also ran the final round unopposed after veteran racer Jim Murphy failed to make the call when he mortally wounded his “WW2′s” mount in the semi-finals while dispatching Sorokin. Murphy’s spectacular clocking of 5.73 seconds at 258 mph served as both Low ET and Top Speed of the Meet, but he said afterwards: “We hurt the # 5 piston real bad and have aluminum everywhere.”
Harris is the Boise AA/Fuel Dragster winner, but Murphy could hardly consider his efforts a defeat. His long-term goal—to claim the 2013 Heritage Series Top Fuel Points Title—became much more viable after his runner-up efforts allowed him to push past the two competitors in front of him before Boise, #2 Jim Young and #1 Denver Schutz, neither of whom drove at the Nightfires. Murphy now has a commanding lead in the points race with two events left on the Heritage Series schedule: The inaugural New England Hot Rod Reunion and the 22nd California Hot Rod Reunion.
42nd PEPSI NIGHTFIRE NATIONALS RESULTS
AA/Fuel Dragster Final Qualifying
1. Brett Harris, Hooper, Utah, 5.80, 247.38.
2. Adam Sorokin, La Crescenta, Calif., 5.83, 224.83.
3. Jim Murphy, Santa Rosa, Calif., 5.84, 237.52.
4. Rick White, San Diego, Calif., 5.85, 248.00.
5. Tony Bartone, Long Island City, New York, 5.93, 218.92.
6. Brendan Murry, San Jose, Calif., 6.36, 230.35.
7. Ron August, Pleasanton, Calif., 6.39, 212.91.
AA/Fuel Dragster Round One
Win-Jim Murphy, 5.913, 244.16.
Brendan Murry, 6.300, 194.13.
Win-Brett Harris, 13.409, 62.65.
Win-Adam Sorokin, 5.938, 226.13.
Ron August Jr, 6.493,216.19.
Win-Rick White, 5.974, 231.30.
Tony Bartone, 7.595, 117.61.
AA/Fuel Dragster Semi Final Round
Win-Brett Harris, .095, 5.884, 245.29.
Rick White, .134, 6.589, 219.40.
Win-Jim Murphy, .132, 5.739, 258.17.
Adam Sorokin, .053, 6.838, 144.27.
AA/Fuel Dragster Final
Brett Harris, Hooper, Utah, .315, 6.99, 132.95 def. Jim Murphy, Santa Rosa, Calif., broke.
2013 NHRA HERITAGE SERIES TOP FUEL POINTS*
1. Jim Murphy–265
2. Denver Schutz–195
3. Jim Young–173
4. Rick White–151
5. Brett Harris–118
6. Adam Sorokin–109
7. Brendan Murry–106
8. Tony Bartone–86
9. Ron August–85
10. Randy Bridges–75
*unofficial, pending confirmation