Below: Trudy was encouraged by Hillary Wills' friendliness, confidence and professional growth over the past couple of years. At this race Hillary signed her promo picture "To Ms. Cabrera's Class" which Trudy shared with her Elementary students. Illustrating to them that they all could achieve anything they set their eyes on and worked hard to achieve. Outside of Drag Racing - You just don't get the opportunity to be this up-close and personal with any other sports professionals, or the opportunity to use the same arena as the professionals (Race Track).

Above and Below: Sadly, like everyone else, we had no idea that this would be the last time we would see Scott Kalitta race in person at the Spring Nationals. God Bless Scott, and the Kalitta family. This was a few months before his untimely death in a racing accident later in the year at the Englishtown Raceway national event. It was after Scott's fatal accident there that the Top Fuel Funny Cars and Dragsters in NHRA races were reduced from the original 1320 1/4 mile race distance to the 1000 ft mark. All other classes still run the 1320. The theory was that - for the Nitro Fuel Cars - it was safer to shut down @1000 ft mark, as many racers commented that the cars "were just eating themselves up after 1000ft". The original intent was to slow the cars down, save parts and make the cars safer. As usual, the 1000 ft mark distance is being test to the limits by the racers and they soon will be making the same speeds that it took them 1320ft to achieve. Safety barriers and extended runoff area extensions and upgrades have indeed made the sport safer for an out of control racer. The blurry image below is at the hit of the throttle; note the green bulbs on the Christmas Tree!

Ashley Force and John Force were up next to run each other in their Force Flopper Mustangs.