Minneapolis, MN USHRA

[dave3ba]

Date: September, 1989?

Track: Indoors, a strtaight stretch, an inside turn and 8 cars. Finish line is 20ft. past the cars.

Lineup: Fred Shafer (Bearfoot IV), Jim Kramer (Bigfoot IV), Gary Sartin (Skoal Crusher II), Jim Reis (AM/PM Rocket), Ray Piorkowski (Evil Force), Brett Engelman (Heartbeat), Doug Spanier (Master of Disaster II), Rob Fuchs (First Blood II)

Results:

Round 1:
Kramer def. Shafer
Reis def. Piorkowski
Engelman def. Spanier
Fuchs def. Sartin

Semifinals:
Kramer def. Reis
Fuchs def. Engelman
-Kramer broke a wheel

Finals:
Fuchs def. Reis

Notes: Fred Shafer's Bearfoot and Jim Kramer's Bigfoot collide at the end of the turn in the first qualifying heat, doing some damage to Kramer's front driver's side wheel that would eventually knock Kramer out of the race. This was one of the first events after Jim Reis' AM/PM Rocket wrecked the front end at Anaheim. Doug Spanier's Master of Disaster blew a transmission in a losingh effort to Brett Engelman's Heartbeat.

[fantruck3]

Kodak and Mr. Twister 2 were at the show as well. However, the TV show mentioned that only 8 of the 10 trucks qualified. This was imply that those were the two that DNQ.

[Tim T]

Just a correction. Jim Kramer was driving #7 that night. It looks confusing because of the gray wheels but for some reason for a couple races, #7 ran the gray wheels and Andy drove #4 with white wheels. You can see the shock setup and it's definately #7 plus #7 had a softer leaf suspension at that time then #4 had.

Great posts guys!

Tim

[dave3ba]

I could be wrong, but I believe this show was filmed before they were racing much with Bigfoot VII. I knew they ran the silver wheels with the truck for a short time, but I thought that was later in the year. I also remember Bigfoot IV being worked on because of this show, or so I thought, when the front tire slips back, it bends some of the front fender. I think this show was the reason Bigfoot IV was refitted with fiberglass there on the front. But again, I could be thinking of another show.

[Tim T]

Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. I'll have to go back and watch it again when I have the time.

Easiest way to tell #7 from #4 and #6 is that on #7s front axle, there are actually 2 or 4 shocks on the inside of the leaf springs along with the usuals on the outside. On #4 and #6 they are all on the outside. Also, if you have a sharp eye, #7 has a blue rollcage where #4 (when it had the "real" body) and #6 had a silver one.

#7 was made in may of 1988. I'm actually suprised that if this show was really that late in 1989 that Kramer was driving it. I figured he was devoted to testing #8 that late or nursing his hurt elbow. I guess they were probably short on drivers around this time.

This is one of my favorite races. Kramer really shows his natural ability with the rear steering. He could correct with the gas to the floor unlike most people. This was a classic case of the best trucks killing each other early in the comp.

Great memories.