Texas Scooter Times

�Top Fuel Eleminator at this years "Battle on the banks of the Little River" started off with Low Qualifier Hal Cort PUNISHING his Metal Craft Racing 151" nitro burner with one of the hardest smokiest burn-outs of the weekend. The Tom Young, Carson Vester crewed dragster because of an odd number of bikes left for eleminations had a competition bye run and he wanted to earn the bye run that would be available in the 2nd round. Cort, last year’s Temple "All Harley" Party Drags winner would be denied that though as breakage on the top end slowed the dragster that Noe Cartullo rooted for to a 5.98 at only 83 miles per hour.
�Next, the Ace Powder Coating - Phillips Garage entry ridden by Jocko Mitchell was scheduled to take on the Top Fuel entry of Reed, Moore & Greenwood with Shorty Reed aboard. Sponsored by Dragon’s Breath, Firing Line Tattoo, East Texas Equipment & Rebel Dreamers Machine the 132" entry was in competition for the first time. Jocko who has been riding nitro Harleys since they had clutch handles, 4" tires and burned $4 a gallon nitro settled into a "looked easy" 5.28 @ 133 mph pass after Reed was shut down on the line with typical "new bike" grimlins.
�Rounding out the First Round was a pair of evenly matched fuel bikes that were pitted next to each other all weekend. From Beckville Texas it was Jim Burgess aboard his famous bright red "Worlds fastest Panhead" fueler nicknamed "the firetruck". Jim Turner, Terry Haynes, Bonnie & Robin had the well known 150" motored fueler READY TO ROCK. In the other lane it was gonna be Tom Tomlin out of Floresville sponsored by Greytown Tractor, Jeff Peters Matco Tools & NAPA Ranger Supply on his 168" Fastcat fueler. Griz, Tedford, Russell & Posum Belly had "Slopoke" READY.
�Burgess left on Tomlin, .119 to .209 but the Alcohol Racing Team’s bike churned out a straight 5.44 pass at the quickest speed of the round - 138 to take out Burgess’ 5.80.
�By the 2nd round the carnage was starting to show as more bikes dropped out, leaving Jocko and Tom Tomlin each taking bye runs to determine lane choice for the Finals.
�Nitro carnage was sure evident as teams pushed their dragsters getting ready for Temple this year. Some bikes were torn up the week before in testing and the Father & Son team of Carl & Louie Guisto got to the track but lost their motor during Friday Nite’s Street Racing Program at Little River.
�Both bikes sounded healthy as they fired for the Finals and with everyone at the 50 plus year old track either on their feet in the stands or streching the fence they were off. Tom Tomlin in the Finals put up the fastest speed of the meet at 142.81. That’s pretty fast from a standing start to 660’!!!! - Jocko Mitchell, ever at ease only ran 131.58 miles per hour - BUT GOT THERE FIRST.. His Crew Chief Phillip Crouch read the track perfectly and put more clutch in the mid range to the 120" quiet sounding single cam motor� AND WON THE RACE�