(Photos: SR Driven Media)
Wolf headed to Las Vegas with another confidence-building performance at the Texas Fall Nationals
The Jegs Allstars were in town, the racing surface at the MotorPlex was almost perfect, and the atmospheric conditions were ideal for racing. The barometer was good, and the air was cool and dry. Everything was in place for a record-setting weekend of racing.
With all the necessary components in place, it was certain that each round of qualifying and competition would produce runs that were close to the TAD class records in both elapsed time and speed. There was no room for mistakes by any team, or it was going to be an early exit and a ticket headed west to the Las Vegas race.
Winning a race is hard work,… but the process is actually very simple: Be “fast” when you have to be…and be “lucky” when you need to be. The DMP Awnings / KENTEX team was fast (very FAST) and “a little” lucky this past weekend.
As it Happened:
Wolf went right to the top of the qualifying sheet in Q1 with an outstanding 5.209-second run. Other teams were fast but the run by Wolf held for the #1 position at the end of the first session.
In Q2 the car was fast. Wolf made an almost identical run to the Q1 lap but was not able to improve. Mike Coughlin driving the Robin Samsel car bettered his previous time to take over the number one position with a 5.14 @ 279 mph lap.
Q3 was a throwaway pass for the DMP Team when they overpowered the track and coasted through the lights with a 9-second, 87 mph run. Other teams improved and Wolf ended up qualifying in the number 4 position and a first-round matchup with James Stevens.
On most race days you need at least one lucky round, and the DMP/KENTEX team got that luck in round one. Wolf was up against James Stevens, the tough-running supercharged methanol car from Nebraska with decades of experience. But James pushed the tree too hard and turned on a red-light, handing Wolf a win when he needed it. Violent shake early in the run essentially ended any chance of Wolf making a representative pass. Without the red-light by Stevens the Fall Nationals would have been over for the DMP/KENTEX gang.
In round two Wolf would face Hunter Green in a Randy Meyer tuned car. The race did not disappoint with Wolf taking the win with the quickest pass of his career. Wolf’s 5.168 and a solid light got past Green to advance to the semi-finals.
Wolf’s opponent in the semi-finals would be Angelle Sampey, racing in her first event as a newly licensed A/Fuel Dragster Driver. Angelle had upset Tony Stewart driving the McPhillips car in the previous round, but she would not be that fortunate in this round. Wolf would leave the starting line with another solid reaction time and drive straight down the groove to another outstanding ET of 5.199 seconds for a birth to his second final round in as many races.
The final round opponent for Wolf and the DMP/KENTEX team would be newly crowned Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Julie Nataas driving another Rany Meyer Car. Based on performances throughout the race, there was little doubt that it would take a 5.15 or better ET to take home the Wally in the final round. A quicker reaction by Wolf was not enough to overcome the winning time of 5.125 by Nataas, as Wolf experienced tire spin about 1 second into his run.
By The Numbers:
Qualifying For Kirk Wolf:
Q1: Ran – | 5.209 | 272.17 mph | – Qualified #1
Q2: Ran – | 5.239 | 272.63 mph | Now Qualified #2 with Time From Q1
Q3: Ran – |9.091 | 87.28 mph | Now Qualified #4 with Time From Q1
Round 1:
Kirk Wolf | Left lane | RT (0.032) | ET: 5.442 | Speed: 269.07 mph | —WIN
James Stevens | Right Lane | RT (-0.035 foul) | ET: 5.259 | Speed 274.22 mph
Round 2:
Kirk Wolf | Left lane | RT (0.060) | ET: 5.168 | Speed: 273.59 mph | —WIN
Hunter Green | Right Lane| RT (0.054) | ET: 5.211 | Speed: 272.66 mph |
Semi-Finals:
Kirk Wolf | Left lane | RT (0.041) | ET: 5.199 | Speed: 278.10 mph | —WIN
Angelle Sampey | Right Lane| RT (0.084) | ET: 11.076 | Speed: 66.76 mph |
Finals:
Kirk Wolf | Left lane | RT (0.044) | ET: 9.048 | Speed: 88.36 mph |
Julie Nataas | Right Lane| RT (0.082) | ET: 5.129 | Speed: 279.76 | —WIN
Quotes:
Dean Dubbin – Owner of the DMP Awnings | KENTEX Sponsored A/Fuel Dragster.
“We didn’t win, but we did make it to another final round against the best cars in the country. I could not be more proud of everyone on this team. Once again Kirk (Wolf) did a great job behind the wheel, consistently cutting great lights, and making great decisions in managing the power on the track”.”
“We continue to learn every run down the track. Clay and Chase have a really good handle on this car and they continue to make it faster and more consistent. The whole team is doing a great job making sure everything is done on time and without mistakes. We are doing everything it takes to go rounds and win races, and it shows”.
“It’s a great time for this team and we are looking forward to Las Vegas and Pomona”.
The Team:
Dean Dubbin & Karen Dubbin – Owners and Driver
Kenny Woods – Owner Of KENTEX Roofing Systems
Clay Copeland (with wife Lisa Copeland) – Co-Crew Chief
Chase Copeland (with wife Brittney Copeland) – Co-Crew Chief
Kirk Wolf – Driver
Trevor Jelinski
Scott Jelinski
Don Nolan
What’s Next:
The DMP Awnings | KENTEX Team is headed west from Dallas to Las Vegas for the NHRA Nevada Nationals conducted at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kirk Wolf will be driving.
Dubbin Motorsports | Motorsports Media | Photos: SR Driven Media
