AREND SCORES FIREBIRD NAPA IGNITOR VICTORY

Boise, Idaho – In dominating fashion, Jeff Arend conquered all Heritage Funny Car challengers at the 48th Annual NAPA Ignitor Opener presented by Peterson Chevrolet.

Arend led qualifying with a 5.68-255.77 (which stood for low e.t. and top speed of the event at the high altitude facility). The balance of the field included: Mark Sanders (5.77), Shawn Bowen (5.78), Bobby Cottrell (5.81), Tim Boychuk (5.93), Scott Stanger (6.04), Garth Widdison (6.59) and Jon Rice (7.16).

In round one, Sanders pounded Widdison with a 5.85, Bowen flew to a 5.78 over Stanger who had his parachute deploy early, Arend cruised to a 5.72 over Rice (6.37) and Cottrell ran 5.80 to beat Boychuk.

Bowen then dispensed of Sanders with a 5.89 when “Mr. Explosive” redlit, while Arend nailed low e.t. of eliminations with a 5.70 pounding of an up in smoke Cottrell.

In the Stinker Stores Nitro Knockout final, Arend piloted the “California Hustler” Trans Am to a winning 5.74-249.76 to defeat the Bartone & Lebor Camaro of Bowen who ran 5.86-224.62.

Next up at Firebird: the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals on August 9-12, 2018. The track’s signature event will offer Heritage points in both Funny Car and Fuel Dragster, along with eliminators for Fuel Altered and Pro Modified.

photo credit to Robert Grice