70th US Nationals Wrap-up

Blackbird Performance was campaigning and/or supporting two entries…our Factory X entrant, BlackbirdX and Team Underdawg Racing ‘s Drag Pak (and also excited to be helping a bit on one of the awesome SS/AH Hemi entrants).

Both cars qualified and made their way through the competition and were still in the Big Go on Monday. The collective efforts of so many awesome and fantastic people put BlackbirdX into the Semi Finals, and the TUR Drag Pak into the Finals.

BlackbirdX had struggled a bit in qualifying due to changes intended to improve but which caused a few steps back as we strove to go forward. Backing up a bit to compete with a more understood setup proved a wise call and improved things. BBX was able to win in round one as well as record the quickest pass of the session. In round two, our competitor was unfortunately unable to get started and on a wild and woolly wheels up pass, we learned we had pushed a bit too far and as in round one, it was also unfortunately clear BlackbirdX’s engine, a bit beat up from 200+ MPH runs in the prior race and then more testing, was down on power, with let’s say only 75% full military power afterburner available. Despite that, we made it to round three, with three cars left, where we faced the eventual winner and in a decent effort , especially considering the tired engine, went 7.0s but not the hoped for 6s, nor the victory.

With the TUR Drag Pak running strong, having made the fastest and second quickest run of all the Factory Showdown cars at the event and being driven very well by Raymond Nash, our hopes for a selfie with another Wally were still high and alive. Having made it through four rounds, headed into the fifth and final round, and having just moments before, started the car to pull forward into staging, when going to start to pull forward for the final, the car would not even attempt to turn over. A heroic effort involving lots of folks lifting the car and Keaton Vester diving under to check a suspected starter wire loose, only to find it was something else, unfixable in the moment. A very sportsman like Kevin Skinner waited patiently but was asked by the starter to make the solo pass and won his well deserved first Indy Wally.

Among all this, many, many other things transpired, some wonderful, some delightful and some sadly very disappointing and disheartening concerning rules clearly broken, folks you once respected and in ways looked up to, who now are in a different light and confusion on the no real actions yet taken.

So, so many memories but what will always, always stick out in my mind and be in my heart is NOT getting both cars to Monday, the big wheelie runs by both, the field leading passes, the difficult round wins that led there, the heart breaking non start going into the final (just as our competitor had experienced against us earlier) … no, what stands out in my mind is how thankful I am for a higher power who made it all, even possible and all the great contributing and supportive people.

It’s a long, long list that deserves more thanks than I can give beginning with God, next, here on earth, my human angel and greatest supporter Jena Turk; a passionate, always on it, doing anything you ask and always learning, Keaton Vester; a rag tag crew of stalwart volunteers including Kyle Brandt, his dad and very, very long time friend Danny Brandt, who not only show up and put the work in, but also bring me Starbucks; to hard core, figure it out, make it happen Mopar and racing players and just great people, Michael Ware and Chuck Senatore; to the no nonsense, make it happen, quickly, efficiently and consistently, widely experienced crew man of Keith West; to a driver who has a remarkable ability to drive anything we hand him, helps work on the car and is also a remarkable human, Alex Laughlin; to another race car driver doing his best and gaining on it at this event, Don Turk and his wife, Rae Ann Turk; to honorary crew man, 83 years young , Richard Bradshaw; to great friends Jeff and Charlene Stukenborg who came a long way to see a glimpse of this craziness; to so many fans and supporters on social media and at the track; and to all those who do such great work and produce so much of what makes BlackbirdX fly, but are not always at the track starting with a decade plus long great partnership in making fantastic power BES Racing Engines, Ram Clutches and Pat Norcia; Liberty Gears and Craig Liberty: Indy Gear and Wayne Henderson; Mickey Thompson; VP Fuels; JR1 Oil, DRE Engjne Diapers and Mike Roth; many, many more and certainly the class sponsor and EFI maker, Holley.

This is not a complete list but all that my weary damaged brain can muster after such an eventful six days at the greatest drag racing event on earth.

Indy ….thanks for the memories.