The BME Bulletin
Bill Miller Engineering's Top Fuel
Blog
#4 BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN Although a round win proved elusive in Illinois, the "getting to know you" period passed quickly for the BME team and its new driver. "Chicago was a big race for us because we hosted a large group from Okuma," said team owner and crew chief Bill Miller. "We did tech talks about Top Fuel drag racing, and they watched the crew change parts and engines. A good time was had by all. I was determined to qualify at Chicago so our guests could see us race on Sunday. My plan was simply to get the race car to go down the track, so we weren't going to make any aggressive moves." Lagana ran 4.706/317.12 on his first qualifying run on Friday which put him solidly in the 16-car field. Later, he came back with a 4.803/300.73. Saturday's first qualifying run was a tire smoker, but a 4.747/312.64 in the final session showed the team was ready for race day. "I was excited going to Chicago because it's a fast track, but with the summer heat I didn't want to get my expectations too high," said Lagana. "That was my first elimination round with the BME team, so that broke the ice. It was very cool to have so many fans from Okuma there and to see the reactions of people who never experienced the thrill of a Top Fuel car." Lagana faced No. 2 qualifier, Doug Kalitta, in the opening round. Kalitta's 4.534/329.18 was stout, while Lagana's tire-smoking 11.377-second elapsed time was disappointing. "Bobby double-stepped the throttle at the start and when that happens, the tire just sort of rolls off the starting line," Miller explained. "When the clutch comes in, the car doesn't have enough axle speed and the tires shake, so that was the end of our day in Chicago." The race car returned briefly to the BME shop in Carson City, Nevada before heading east, again, to Madison. Three words described the conditions at Gateway International Raceway: hot, hot, hot. An engine problem negated Lagana's first qualifying run on Friday, but after a quick engine swap, the car went 4.868/300.33 in the second session. After a clutch adjustment on Saturday, the BME machine ran 4.707/319.14, a career-best speed for Lagana. That run put Lagana 11th on the qualifying sheet going into eliminations. Lagana's first-round opponent was Rod Fuller's Valvoline dragster. Fuller was first off the line and ran 5.122/276.80 in a tire-smoking run. Lagana encountered his own traction problems, running 5.929/267.16. "The track temperature was over 130 degrees on race day and every car that ran before us smoked the tires," said Miller. "I did everything I could to set up the car to go down the track, but it still wasn't enough. Fuller smoked his tires, too, but we lost the race. The only consolation is that guys with much more experience than me couldn't get down the track." The BME team will rejoin the NHRA tour for upcoming races in Seattle and Sonoma, Calif. "I ran the West Coast races in 2001 and I'm looking forward to going back to those tracks," said Lagana. "I think we're all together now and it would be nice to get some round wins. The BME team has treated me unbelievably well and they've made it easy for me to become part of the team."
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