David Wells Brainerd wrap up

BRAINERD, Minn. - NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver David Wells scored a runner-up finish during this past weekend's Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. Wells ran solid 5.40's en route to the final in his Blue Bunny Ice Cream/ "Plain Vanilla" machine before redlighting in the final.

Wells, from LeMars, Iowa, qualified his Norm Grimes tuned Blown Alcohol Dragster No. 2 with a 5.449 second time at 262.59 mph. In round one, he defeated Robin Samsel with a 5.476 at 245.00 mph and then received a competition bye in the second round where he ran a 5.856 at 176.86 mph. He then defeated last year's No. 3 man in the world Steve Federlin in the semifinals with a 5.422 at 259.66 mph.

In the final, Wells squared off with fellow title contender Alan Bradshaw. Wells cites the engine running off-key through his concentration off, which lead to a redlight start, giving Bradshaw the easy win.

"We had a problem in the fuel system this weekend," said Wells. "We tore up a lot of parts before we isolated the problem. We blew the blower off of it in our second round bye, and I think it must have messed up something in the ignition. It ran fine in the semi's, but it was running real rough in the final. I brought the motor up and got ready to go, and I guess I just had a break in concentration and decided it was time to go. Then he went out there and smoked the tires. It kind of hurts to give one away like that, but there's nothing we can do now but go on to the next race."

The runner-up finish moved Wells within 13 points of Tony Bartone and Morgan Lucas, both tied for second nationally and 105 points behind Bradshaw, who leads the national points chase. The next race for the Blue Bunny Ice Cream/ "Plain Vanilla" team will be the biggest of them all, the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Labor Day weekend.

-pvr-