No matter how hard you try and how much you want to, you can't be in two places at the same time. Not exactly a news flash, I know. But last weekend, I did want to be in two places at once -- the East Coast Timing Association's [ECTA] Maxton Mile land speed race and the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association's [MMPSA] drag race, at Rockingham Dragway. The only real option was to spend Saturday, the 10th, at Maxton and then catch the MMPSA eliminations on Sunday, the 11th.
It was a reasonable compromise. I managed to make a lot of photos and met some great people at Maxton (you can see the photos and read about the drivers, here) and to cover the newly formed MMPSA's terrific inaugural race forty miles down the road, at Rockingham (my photos are here and, in Drag Racing Online, here).
But... I missed the spectacular record setting pass that Eric Yost made at Maxton, on Sunday.
Eric Yost's AA/BGSS Pontiac Firebird, making a pass on Saturday. (All photos copyright John Edwin Mason. Click directly on the images to see larger versions.)
One day after Mike Reichen had set a new ECTA absolute speed record (for any type of car) in his Mitsubishi Evo II (237.634 miles per hour), Yost reset the mark when he passed through the timing traps at a stunning 241.408 miles per hour. I wish I'd been there to see it.
Visually, Yost's Firebird was far from the most impressive car at the meet. But, obviously, it's a missile. Talk about your classic sleeper....
By the way, Yost set two records at the race, running slightly slower in B/GSS.
Gary Hebert, on the the track duing Saturday's action.
It was a good weekend for Firebirds. Gary Hebert also set records in two different classes. His fastest pass was at 199.754 miles per hour, just a whisker away from the prestigious 200 miles per hour mark.
George Gallimore heads down the track on Saturday.
Here's another 200 miles per hour Firebird. This one belongs to George Gallimore, who set a record speed of 212.493 miles per hour in AA/CGC.
You can see all of the new Maxton Mile records (there are a bunch) on the ECTA's website, here.
More photos of some of the coolest cars (and coolest people) you've ever seen are in my updated first post from the Maxton Mile.
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