Ray Martin uses a string of mid 5.5’s to open the 2023 NHRA Regional schedule with a win.
Consistency matters, ask Ray Martin when you see him. Martin, the driver from Anchorage, Alaska used a consistent and good running race car to get past Reigning NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car Champion, Doug Gordon in the final of the 2023 NHRA Western Region opener.
Martin chose to stay with the consistency he had found throughout the race and not chase the performance of the Gordon Team, and it paid off with a solid pass in the final for the win. (Martins 9th NHRA Regional Series win).
Going into the final round Gordon had dominated the race, setting low ET and top speed of every round. To put it bluntly, Gordon had “daylighted” the field by one-tenth of a second in every qualifying session and every round of eliminations leading to the final frame.
Martin wasn’t working with the performance he may have wanted but he did have a fast and consistent car that could cover any mistake made by the Gordon team. In the final, that mistake would appear.
A mix of too much power and/or not enough racetrack caused the Gordon car to smoke the tires before he got to the 60′ block, while Martin repeated with his fastest run of the weekend for the win.
How it happened:
Qualifying:
Doug Gordon qualified number one and his pole position was never really challenged. Gordon lit up the scoreboards with a track record 5.398 at 271.24 mph in Q2 solidifying the top spot for him and Team Estrogen.
Ray Martin used a solid line-up of 5.572 | 5.571 | 5.565 at 259.41 mph to take the number 3 spot on the ladder.
| 01 | Doug Gordon | 1 | 5.398 | 271.24 |
| 02 | Annie Whiteley | 584 | 5.544 | 263.26 |
| 03 | Ray Martin | 67 | 5.565 | 259.41 |
| 04 | Jake Guadagnolo | 783 | 5.577 | 250.41 |
| 05 | Hunter Jones | 7071 | 5.579 | 263.36 |
| 06 | Mike Doushgounian | 757 | 5.881 | 253.52 |
Round One:
Annie Whiteley and Hunter Jones squared off with Annie getting the win with her best pass of the weekend.
(W) Annie Whiteley (.081 RT – 5.506 – 265.06) — Hunter Jones (.053 RT – 5.588 – 261.83)
Doug Gordon was up against Mike Doushgounian. Gordon with a good reaction time and another solid 5.4-second run. The race was never in doubt when Doushgounian carried the front end, and shook, causing the car to never gain the pace it needed to be in contention.
(W) Doug Gordon (.063 RT – 5.470 – 268.60 mph) — Mike Doushgounian (.028 – 5.701 – 255.92 mph)
Ray Martin was paired with Jake Guadagnolo. Ray runs a little off-pace but gets the win when Guadagnolo shakes and has to abandon the run
(W) Ray Martin (.038 RT – 5.632 – 259.76 mph) — Jake Guadagnolo (.019 – 6.557 – 146.08)
Semi-Finals:
Gordon earned a laddered bye run and made another nice, clean, fast run.
(W) Doug Gordon (.073 RT – 5.435 – 269.94 mph) — Was Unapposed
Ray Martin was up against Annie Whiteley. Martin was down in performance to Whiteley but used a .023 reaction time to get the hole-shot victory.
(W) Ray Martin (.023 RT – 5.569 – 259.11 mph) — Annie Whiteley (.089 – 5.510 – 265.53 mph)
Final Round:
Martin was straight down the track with his best run of the weekend for the win. Gordon was up in smoke not far off the starting line.
(W) Ray Martin (.065 RT – 5.552 – 259.31 mph) — Doug Gordon (.087 – 7.658 – 139.13 mph)
Next Up: The NHRA Regional Tour resumes in Gainesville, FL this weekend with the “Baby Gators”. Followed by the Gator Nationals a week later. This will be the first time we have seen many of the top-running east coast TAFC teams as they get their first shot at the track in 2023.
Race Notes:
Hunter Jones: The Jones Team had a solid outing, setting personal best ET and speed numbers. The young driver and the team looked comfortable with these new performance gains. You can see the confidence starting to build in this young team. Under the guidance of veteran racer and tuner Randy Anderson, look for this team to perform well and start winning rounds.
Annie Whiteley: With favorable atmospheric and track conditions, the Whiteley team was surely looking for more than 5.50|265 mph runs. It could be that Mike and Jeff Strasburg were testing some new components. The Whiteley car is one of the most powerful cars in the world. Look for the very experienced and talented race team to have that car running harder in the coming weeks.
Maddi Gordon: Maddi is taking over the driving duties from her father in 2024. She is now warming the car up before every run. She is gaining valuable experience and will be taking some shots at the track later this season to get more comfortable in the car. Stay tuned, we will keep you updated on her progress.
About the PADR:
The PADR is an organization dedicated to the expansion and enhancement of opportunities for 1/4 Mile Professional Alcohol Drag Racing in every region of the United States. The PADR will present the Methanol Burning, Screw Blower, Clutch Driven Funny Cars, and Dragsters as a Professional Category. The PADR is actively developing a Racing Series and programs to heighten the level of media attention, revenue streams, and promotional opportunities for participating Race Teams, Sponsors, and Race Tracks.
Pro Alcohol Drag Racing is simply: The Best Drivers In Drag Racing – in the Toughest Cars To Drive In Drag Racing.
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