The All Harley Drag Racing Association visited Seattle International Raceway in
Kent, Washington this past weekend, July 8 & 9. The AHDRA Pacific Nationals
was run under mostly overcast skies with cool weather most of the weekend, that
did not stop a huge crowd of motorcycle enthusiast from turning out though.
Action in Top Fuel was worth the price of admission alone, as 14 Top Fuel
Harley-Davidson's showed for this event for some incredible nitro burning racing!
In the end Stan Verheijen of Heerlan, Holland, stood in the winners circle with his
first ever AHDRA event win. Stan had qualified # 1 with 6.85 @ 201.05 miles per
hour, which held up as low e.t. and top speed of the meet. In the final Verheijen's
Dixie Frames/Orangeburg Cycle prepared Harley ripped to a 7.01 second blast at
197.67 miles per hour to trailer the AHDRA Top Fuel national points leader Dale
Nungesser's 7.06 @ 196.80 on the Chromatic Racing Harley, which lost a close
run. Verheijen was a happy winner, making his trip from half way around the
world worthwhile with his first ever victory in AHDRA action. He hits all of the
AHDRA races during the year, with the bike staying stateside in Georgia, while
he flys back and forth to Holland. Event highlights included Kris Becker becoming
the first woman to enter competion with the 700 horsepower Harley-Davidson's in
AHDRA Top Fuel. Kris and her husband Arlie, racing out of Everett, Washington,
lost in the first round. They still enjoyed the weekend though, as it was their
seventeenth wedding anniversery. The Trust Me Racing/Arizona Motorsports
team of "Chicago" Joe Scotella looked like the all time "king of the burnouts" at
Seattle, as every qualifying run was proceeded by one of the biggest burnouts
ever seen on a motorcycle! Chicago Joe and company continue to thrash on their
new monster sized 175 cubic inch V-twin that won the AHDRA race a few weeks
ago at Denver. At the Seattle race their results were not as good, as their points
rival Dale Nungesser knocked them out in Round # 2 of Top Fuel.
Pro Fuel went to "Mr. Consistency" Steve Heidner of Marysville, Washington.
Heidner's Liberty Machine Harley was able to lay down solid 7.0's all weekend to
take the victory. In the final defending AHDRA Pro Fuel Champion and # 1
qualifier Mike Bahnmaier of Wichita, Kansas, faced Heider's ultra-consistent nitro
bike. Heidner once again found the 7.0's, using a picture perfect 7.04 @ 179.89
to stop Bahnmaier's trouble plauged 12 second pass on the Mid-Continent
Harley-Davidson entry.
The large crowd of Canadian fans at Seattle International Raceway were glad to
see Lee Uhrich of Abbottsford, British Columbia, take home the win. Uhrich
qualified # 1 with an 8.13 @ 158.22 aboard his Jarz Performance sponsored
Buell. He had an easy time of it in the final needing only a 12.52 shot to defeat
the red-lighting Buell of Doug Stepp of Kent, Washington.
Pro Dragster action saw some of the most incredible nitro runs of the entire
AHDRA Pacific Nationals. Marc Augustine of Cave Creek, Arizona, was ripping
off national record times at will. Pro Dragster has a 122 cubic inch engine size
limit in AHDRA competition. Augustine's best shot of the weekend was a 7.447
@ 168.16, good for low e.t. and top speed, along with being the quickest run in
Pro Dragster history! In what looked to be a tough final round, Augustine faced off
with defending AHDRA Pro Dragster Champion Scott Truett of Wichita, Kansas.
The 7.62 @ 159.23 pass that Augustine produced was one of his slower runs of
the weekend, however it was enough to stop the 7.98 @ 159.37 laid down by the
Truett & Osborn team.
Other winners at the AHDRA Pacific Nationals included Mark Biernbaum (Pro
Gas), Steve Dorn (Modified), Rod Cavanaugh (Street Pro), Gene Thomason
(Super Gas), Steve Larance (Super Sport), Tim Johnson (Street Eliminator), Todd
Canavan (Sreamin' Eagle), and Dan DeGood (ET).
Next stop for the All Harley Drag Racing Association is at Budd's Creek,
Maryland on July 29 & 30. The Budd's Creek event traditionally produces a big
turnout of racers and spectators so it should be a fun event!
Posted on Jul 13, 2000, 10:48 AM from IP address 209.52.192.67