Cedar Falls Race Report and IHRA Northern Nationals Preview
CEDAR FALLS, IA – Just two weeks ago, Jake and the AllStar Dodge Challenger were in central Iowa participating in 
the annual Cedar Falls Night of Fire event. As the feature class, the nitro funny cars were chartered to show the fans just what nitro racing is all about…and so they did. With three other reputable teams attending, there was plenty of a challenge to perform although only braggin’ rights were on the line.
That said, the AllStar Challenger team also had an agenda….put on a good show for the fans but test and collect data in preparation for the upcoming IHRA Northern Nationals race where qualifying and advancing rounds makes all the difference.
While car was ready and generated all the expected horsepower, we just didn’t get a hold of the track. During the first pass, Jake dealt with tire shake and lost traction causing a drift toward the centerline and an eventual early lift off the throttle. Not the best performance but good data was collected during first 120 ft providing information during that first phase.
The second pass was after sunset with a different set of track conditions and atmospheric variables….just what you want if collecting data under varied conditions. With a few tuning adjustments complete, the second pass was an improvement but again we were unable to grip the track. Even the lesser performing runs provide feedback that will be used in the future tuning considerations. Use the following link to see video of the first pass. Videos such as this one also contain needed feedback for tuning decisions…check it out and let us know if you like it…
Jake commented, “Overall, it was a great event. Cedar Falls has that home town crowd feel about the place just like a track that used to be near me in Wentzville, Missouri. MAR it was called and it had two killer nostalgia events every year. Boy I miss that track, and yes now it is a subdivision. But that is history, Cedar Falls is that track now. Jerry Newman, thanks for the invitation.”
After the event and no matter how the teams performed the fans took advantage of the opportunity to meet the racers and crews and inspect the cars up close. Although late into the night, the team really enjoyed meeting the fans, answering their questions, displaying the car and recognizing our sponsors. Photos of the post event “fan fest” can be seen at the following link.
On to the 131Motorsports Park in Martin Michigan for the IHRA’s Northern Nationals which will be held 7 – 8 August. Jake has had some success, over the years, at 131 Motorsports Park. In 2012, Jake broke the 6.0 second barrier running a personal best ET (at that time) 5.99 s at 242 mph making to the finals and winning the event. In 2013, Jake again set a personal record with a 5.96 s pass only to lose the round to a competitor’s 5.74 s run. Jake has proven several times that he is capable of winning rounds against the most competent and well equipped teams earning their respect as a “part time” IHRA competitor.
“We’ve been qualifying better lately, and that’s really the most important thing right now,” said Jake, who qualified in the No. 7th spot at the last race. “Everyone who straps into one of these things can beat you, and you can easily beat yourself, but getting one of the top spots in the field would be a big help going into round one. Beyond that, it’s all about getting at least one round win, and hopefully more, at every race.”
