With 12 Fuelers possible I went back & looked up the 2005 show which to me was the best field in many years. This is kind of long, but I hope it's ok & hope you enjoy
In recent years, the biggest drag boat race of the year never really lived up to the “Hype”, but the 2005 version of the IHBA Coors Light World Finals did, and then some. When Sunday’s final rounds were complete, the capacity crowd left Charlie Allen’s Firebird Raceway, and all proclaimed the event was “the best drag boat race EVER”, and one racer definitely proved to be the “Top” story.
When the gates opened on Thursday morning for a day of “test n tune”, one look around the pit area at the Firebird facility gave good indication of what lie ahead. 238 of the best drag boats in North America crowded the pits, and better than a dozen fire breathing Top Fuel Hydros were among the entries. The staging lanes were packed all day long, as the drivers gained valuable information before the start of qualifying on Friday. Seven fuelers tested the water, and Rex Childers in the “Whiskey River II” led the way with an early shut off 5.27 at only 166.90 mph. Former Pro Mod standout Doug “the Rooster” Verstuyft was attempting to make the Huge jump to Top Fuel with the all new Hot Licks Enterprises backed “Nitro Chicken”. To upgrade his license Verstuyft needed to make a smooth half track pass followed by a full pass, and accomplished the first with a very nice half track 6.56 run. The plan was to finalize his license, but time prevented a second run, and Verstuyft would have to wait until Friday.
At 7:30 AM Friday morning the sportsman racers opened the day, and one professional round of qualifying was scheduled to end it. Most Top Fuel teams sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed a perfect Arizona fall day, but Verstuyft and the Chicken / Hot Licks crew still needed a full pass in order to finalize the license. A 9:30 AM attempt ended with a tossed blower belt, but the crew quickly readied the boat. The second attempt about an hour later “unofficially” kicked off the weekend as Verstuyft roared to a 5.06 @ 241 mph. blast, to not only gain his license, but to earn contender status among the best field of Top Fuelers ever assembled. All day long drag boats ripped up the quarter mile, and the crowd eagerly awaited the final class of the day, Top Fuel. The spectators watched as the jet skis pulled the “Kings of the Sport” one by one to the staging rope, and when all was said and done, 13 were at the ready, trying to crack Sunday’s 8 boat starting line-up. Two of the three Hot Licks Enterprises boats kicked off the session with team leader Daryl Ehrlich wheeling the radical “Berryman Bullet” to a decent 5.25 @ 225.56 mph pass, along side was John White in “Hot Licks” who posted a 5.40 @ 207.54. White had trouble getting out the chutes, and the “Hot Licks” Watercraft ended up on the Firebird beach. The second pair matched Verstuyft in the third boat out of the “Hot Licks” stable along side Glen Wilson in the powerful “Toxic Rocket” from San Francisco, CA. The “Rooster” proved that the earlier 5.06 was no fluke, as Verstuyft marched to a nice 5.11 @ 235.56 to Wilson’s early shut off 5.33 @ only 175.34 mph. The third pair matched Current World Champion Jerry Kutz in “Plumb Crazy” with many time World Champ Greg Tedesco and his Reno based “Loose Cannon”. Both boats closed the butterflies early, Tedesco posting a 5.24 @ 208 and Kutz 5.33 @ 177mph. The next three boats all encountered problems. Defending World Finals champion Scotty Lumbert was way out of shape in the Illinois based “Public Nuisance” and stopped the timers with a 7.07et. Childers and Canadian Ron McClellan in “Liquid Quiker” both broke shortly after their respective launches, and no et’s were recorded. Current points leader John Haas was up next in the Amos Saterlee tuned, Lou Osman owned “Speed Sport Special” along with Walt Ott in the beautiful “Performance Plus”. With 13 boats in attendance the St. Louis based “SSS” still needed to qualify to lock up Haas’s first championship, and Haas left No Doubt unloading a spectacular 4.82 @ 252.24 mph while Ott was exploding a motor in the other lane. The 252.24 was faster than the current record, and Haas would have the rest of the weekend to back it up. The final pair had World Record Holder (4.77) Dale Ishimaru posting a great 5.00 @ 239.80 mph. in Eddie Knox’s “Problem Child”. In the other lane was the long awaited return of Top Fuel legend Ron Braaksma in the all new “Madness”. After a great launch “Madness” appeared to be on a sure 4 second pass, but the chutes deployed just after half track. Braaksma kept his foot to the floor and still managed a good 5.26 @ 221mph while dragging the chutes. One session down, and the IHBA Top Fuel drivers had already established the quickest field EVER with a 5.33 bump. With Lumbert, Childers, and White leading the non qualifed list, Saturday’s two sessions slated for 11:AM and 3:PM were sure to be a war.
Top Fuel after Session #1: ET
1) Haas-------------------------4.829
2) Ishimaru--------------------5.002
3) Verstuyft--------------------5.118
4) Tedesco---------------------5.246
5) Ehrlich----------------------5.256
6) Braaksma-------------------5.261
7) Wilson----------------------5.335
8) Kutz-------------------------5.337
Alts: White- 5.40, Lumbert 7.07, Childers (DNF), Ott (DNF), McClellan (DNF)
Perfect weather again greeted Saturday’s packed house, and the fans were buzzing as the first session of Top Fuel prepared to attack the liquid quarter mile. RFC chaplain Paul Neighbors opened the festivities with the morning invocation, and as the last notes of the national anthem were sang, Glen Wilson and John Haas launched from the start and engaged in a great side by side 4 second match. Haas wasted no time backing up the 252.24 mph record run with a 250.66 blast coupled with a 4.91 et. Wilson was right there with a 4.94 @ 237.12. After a 5.19 by Childers, Ishimaru unloaded a 4.88 @ 246.90 blast. Verstuyft improved once again with a great 4.93 @ 241.24 firmly locking the rookie into the top half of the field. Kutz and Lumbert finished the ultra quick session with a 4.95 for Kutz and 5.00 for Lumbert. The bump was now at an ultra quick 5.19 with one round to go.
Top Fuel after Session #2: ET
1) Haas-------------------------4.82
2) Ishimaru--------------------4.88
3) Verstuyft--------------------4.93
4) Wilson-----------------------4.94
5) Kutz-------------------------4.95
6) Lumbert---------------------5.00
7) Childers---------------------5.19
8) Tedesco---------------------5.243
Alts: Ehrlich – 5.25 , Braaksma – 5.26 ,White- 5.40, Ott (DNF), McClellan (DNF)
The top five qualifiers sat out the last session, but with several heavy hitters sitting on the outside the final order was still in doubt. Tedesco lost a motor , but was able to improve with a fireballing 5.17. Ehrlich was unable to repair the “Bullet”, and Braaksma, White, Ott, and McClellan tried hard but could not crack the top 8. Lumbert was the highlight of the last session as he stormed to a 4.95 at the second fastest speed EVER -253.04 mph. He now established a leg on the 252.24 speed record established by Haas just one round earlier.
Top Fuel final order: ET
1) Haas-------------------------4.82
2) Ishimaru--------------------4.88
3) Verstuyft--------------------4.93
4) Wilson-----------------------4.94
5) Kutz-------------------------4.95
6) Lumbert---------------------4.95
7) Tedesco---------------------5.17
8) Childers---------------------5.19
Alts: Ehrlich – 5.25 , Braaksma – 5.26 ,White- 5.34, McClellan- 5.54, Ott (DNF)
The Final day of the 2005 Coors Light World Finals was a mirror image of the previous three days, as huge crowds enjoyed Mid 70’s and a light, cool breeze. With an unheard of six Top Fuel boats recording sub 5 second et’s , and a record bump time, there was no clear cut favorite going into round one. The first pair began with John Haas screaming to a 4.80 @ 250.52, BUT he left .004 too soon and handed the win to Childers who was unable to cross the finish line. The second pair was scheduled to be Wilson and Kutz, but Kutz’s “Plumb Crazy” was swamped by the previous pair, and ended up on the bottom of Firebird Lake. In IHBA racing alternates are allowed, and third alternate John White in “Hot Licks” was ready to go. While White was being launched Ishimaru followed Haas’ lead , and red lighted away a great 4.90 handing the win to Tedesco who posted a 5.15. Lumbert was the third victim of the red bulb, but the rookie Verstuyft was more than ready as he blasted to the second best run of the weekend at a 4.81, 249.40 charge to advance to the semi finals, and a date with Tedesco. The last pair turned into a great duel as Wilson’s 4.92 @ 229.06 just nipped White’s 4.99, 230, and Wilson would be heavily favored agaist the fortunate Childers. The semis began with Childers suprising Wilson as he ran his best run of the weekend, 5.03 to outdistance Wilson’s off pace 5.55. The second half of the semis pitted one of the most experienced, and decorated, Top Fuel drivers in Tedesco, against a 3 day old boat / driver combination in Verstuyft. When the green light flashed Tedesco left slightly ahead of the “Rooster”, and at half track looked like the winner, but the motor let go, and Verstuyft roared by with low et. of the meet, the fourth quickest et., and Fastest speed EVER , 4.768 at a whopping 254.40mph to Tedesco’s 5.29 @ 164. For the third time in the weekend a leg was set on the speed record, and only Verstuyft would have an opportunity to claim it. The pits were buzzing as Verstuyft and the entire Hot Licks Enterprise/ Nitro Chicken crew poured 99% nitro in the tank , and after a crowd dispersing warm-up, were ready to meet Childers and “Whiskey River II”. As the other class champions were being crowned, darkness fell over Firebird as the two red fuelers readied for the final. At 5:42 PM the start sequence was activated, and at the green Childers engine went silent as Verstuyft buried the pedal, six foot header flames following the “Nitro Chicken” to a 4.87 @ 242 mph triumph. Verstuyft had seemingly done the impossible. He brought a brand new crew, boat, and driver combination to the biggest race of the year, strung together consecutive runs of 5.06, 5.11, 4.93, 4.81, 4.76 @ the fastest speed ever (254.40), and a final round 4.87, and left with the IHBA World Finals gold man.