(Topl Pro Stock winner Terry Vance (near Ianel takes on Bob Carpenter in a semi round. In the finals. Vance defeated Mika Keyte for the title. (Above left)
Geoff M...... continued hi. domination of Pro Comp. (Above right) Mike Bru. . (near Ianeland Kenny Blackburn met in the Funny Bike final. Bru.. winning.
Southeastern N at'ls
to O'Brochta,
Bruso & Vance
By Tom Pitts
Photos by Mike Church and Pitts
GAINFSVILLE, FL, MAY 3
The first all-bike round of the 1981 NMRA
Championship Series at Florida's Gainesville
Raceway had something for every fan of drag
racing. Bo O'Brochta, Mike Bruso and Terry
12
Vance t~ped the Top Fuel,
Funny Bike and Pro Stock
I
classes, respectively, while Geoff
Masten had an easy win in Pro
Comp at the Southeastern Na·
tionals.
The event opened with Marion
Owens showing the fans a real
burnout. Owens lit the rear tire on his
double-engined Harley-Davidson Top
Fueler and then literally went up in
flames when oil from the engine
ignited. Owens repaired the damage,
only to have his bike go up in flames a
second time. "The right side engine
casing blew out emptying flammables
under the rear tire," said Owens. He
qualified, but didn't show for the first
round of eliminations.
Mechanical problems plagued many
racers, among them Bo O'Brochta in
Top Fuel. "We aren't sure how it will
run until we make a pass." said
O'Brochta prior to qualifying. Despite
a feeling that the Terminal Van Lines
Kawasaki wasn't putting out enough
horsepower. O'Brochta laid down a
7.59 second/ 185.95 mph run for the
number one qualifying spot in Top
Fuel and low ET of the meet.
. O'Brochta advanced to the final by
shutting down former NMRA Top
Fuel champ Jim Bernard and his
Teson/Bernard Yamaha. Next it was
Sam Wills who broke on the line giving
O'Brochta a solo and a ticket to the
final run.
Larry
McBride,
the
second
qualifier. charged his way into the
final with a winning pass against
rookie then put R.C. Engineering/
Davis Engineering's Wayne Davis on
the truck with' a sharp ride on his
Da~y Johnson Kawasaki.
Both O'Brochta and McBride put in
strong runs in the Top Fuel final. but
at the lights it was O'Brochta winning
out.
Defending Pro Stock champ Terry
Vance took his Vance-Hines Suzuki
to third spot in qualifying behind
