No reign delay
| Monday, Oct 18 2010 08:14 AM
Last Updated Monday, Oct 18 2010 08:14 AM
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Drag racers Adam Sorokin and Jim Murphy back their cars up to the starting line after burnout during the quarterfinals of the top fuel division of the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion. Sorokin won that match and amassed enough points to win the 2010 national champion title in the top fuel division of the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage racing series.
Driver Hans Jacob of Ontario, California, removes his helmet and hood while waiting out a weather delay at the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion on Sunday at Auto Club Famoso Raceway. The days remaining races were eventually cancelled due to a combination of lightning and dust clouds on the track.
Adam Sorokin does a burn out before the quarterfinals of the top fuel division of the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion. Sorokin won that match and amassed enough points to win the 2010 national champion title in the top fuel division of the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage racing series.
Adam Sorokin
A crew member walks back Shawn Corbari's car after a burnout in the quartefinals of the A-Fuel division of the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion on Sunday at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.
Making a drag racing rally of their own, Max hittesdorf and Ty Tipton play with toy cars near the vendors' stalls at the 19th Claifornia Hot Rod Reunion on Sunday at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.
Crew members Larry Merriott and T.J. Eastham secure driver Rick McGee into Overtime Special, a top fuel quarterfinalist, at the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion at Auto Club Famoso raceway on Sunday.
Inclement weather halted the 19th annual California Hot Rod Reunion at Auto Club Famoso Raceway before the event could reach its conclusion Sunday.
But not before two drivers had their day in the sun.
Adam Sorokin (Top Fuel) of Glendale and Cherry Valley's Leah Pruett-LeDuc (Funny Car) each clinched 2010 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series championships as they raced their way to the finals of their respective classes.
Sorokin laid claim to the Top Fuel title by posting a career-best elapsed time of 5.634 seconds in a winner-take-all semifinal battle against five-time champion Jim Murphy.
"I'm really relieved," Sorokin said. "This new car this year has just been incredible from the start. We won the March Meet. It's been now to four finals and the car has just been great. I'm very appreciative to my team."
Prior to that Pruett-LeDuc sewed up the Funny Car title during second round eliminations when she easily bested Mike Halstead, who smoked his tires leaving the line.
"Our year has come full circle," Pruett-LeDuc said. "We started out by winning the March Meet and it kicked off a really good season. Had a little bit of a rough patch. And then to wrap up the championship at Bakersfield at Famoso it just makes everything all come together. I'm extremely pumped. I'm still in awe of the championship. I couldn't ask for anything better."
Pruett-LeDuc came into the event 47 points ahead of second place Tim Boychuk and needed only to reach third round eliminations to earn her first series title.
Sorokin trailed Murphy by nine points when first-round qualifying began on Friday. But by the end of Saturday Murphy's lead had increased to 12 after he qualified first and Sorokin sixth.
However, with each round worth 20 points and both drivers winning their first two elimination races, the championship was either drivers to take when they met head-to-head in the semifinals.
"Going into that round with (Murphy) my butt was puckered a little bit," Sorokin said. "I have a lot of respect for that team. I know what we have too though. We have a good car and a good team."
Sorokin responded with a near flawless run.
Things didn't go nearly as well for Murphy.
"What happened is the throttle stop didn't get put on so I went to step on the throttle to do the burnout and it went real high," Murphy said after crossing the finish line nearly three seconds after Sorokin.
"I think it hurt the motor. Probably clipped a couple of valves. We were in trouble to start with because of that but I don't think we would have run that quick."
Pruett-LeDuc survived a scare on Friday when she didn't even post a first-round qualifying time due to a broken fuel pump that caused damage to several other parts on her car.
But with one last shot to make the 16-car field, Pruett-LeDuc posted an ET of 5.887 to qualify 11th.
"This team has proven it can win championships and perform under pressure," Pruett-LeDuc said. "I think I have as well. There was no second guessing anything. We just knew we had a job to do."
With the pressure of racing for a championship out of the way, Sorokin and Pruett-Leduc both have one more race to try and win when the event resumes today at 11 a.m.
Sorokin is matched up against Brett Harris in the Top Fuel final while Pruett-LeDuc will face Mark Hentges for the Funny Car event championship.
