By JM Hallas

MARBLE FALLS, Texas – Friday kicked off the first of three days of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series on Lake Marble Falls. Friday and Saturday are qualifying for all the classes in competition as drivers try to get themselves set in good bracket position and get their boats dialed in for eliminations on Sunday.

The day started early for the Sportsman racers with their opening rounds of qualifying beginning at 9:00am. The first round of Pro qualifying followed the Sportsman, around 10:30am, as drivers made their first passes. With no issues throughout the day with wind or damages all Sportsman classes along with the Pro Mods and Pro Outlaws got three passes in.

Cruising the pits is always interesting looking at all the different states represented on license plates and the wide variety of boats competing. Everything from the exotic Pro class boats to the local river racing boats to the personal watercraft (jet skis) that people enjoy.

Friday night always closes the night with a ‘show-n-shine’ for everyone to get a look at the boats with the Pro teams firing up their monster motors at dusk. Following the boat show Red Carpet Chaos played in the Lakeside Park. Saturday’s artist playing will be Southern Underground.

In Pro qualifying Scott Compton (O’Fallon, Ill.) set the standard in round 1 that held up through the second round of Top Fuel Hydro, while two boats opted to not run. Travis Tutle (Rio Vista) used his second pass to climb past Steve Streeter’s round 1 numbers in Top Alcohol Hydro.

Scott Compton Top Fuel Hydro. Photo by JM Hallas

Top Fuel Hydro

Scott Compton (Liquid Voodoo) 3.546 @ 238.68

Bryan Sanders (Nitrochondriac) 3.575 @ 238.57

Daryl Erlich (Problem Child) DNR

Kevin Burgess (Locked and Loaded) DNR

Travis Tutle (near lane) Top Alcohol Hydro. Photo by JM Hallas

Top Alcohol Hydro

Travis Tutle (Short Fuse) 4.554 @ 197.78

Steve Streeter (Untouchable) 4.591 @ 199.39

Dale Riggs (Bad Moon Rising) 4.778 @ 198.93

Rick Allen (Little White Lie) Broke

Tony Scarlotta Top Alcohol Flat. Photo by JM Hallas

Tony Scarlotta (Perris, Ca.) let everyone know he was in charge of Top Alcohol Flats, but still a bit off his LODBRS records for time and speed. In Pro Mods, Mike Lamb (Greenfield, Ia.) gave everyone a number to shoot at and it held up through all three rounds. Levi Walker (Greenfield, Ia.) saved his best pass for round three to lead the way in Pro Outlaw.

Top Alcohol Flats

Tony Scarlotta (Shazam) 5.207 @ 163.76

Bill Diez (War Party) 5.808 @ 147.61

Marcus Kinsey (Bad Company) 8.896 @ 57.04

Bill Miller (Party to the Max) 16.631 @ 31.54

Spike Gore (My Way) DNT

Mike Lamb Pro Modified. Photo by JM Hallas

Pro Modifieds (7.00)

Mike Lamb (Just 1 More) 7.004 @ 165.79

Casey Beal (Another Split Decision) 7.018 @ 171.96

Marty Logan (Livin’ Tha Dream) 7.025 @ 170.36

Shelby Ebert (Can’t Touch This) 7.033 @ 180.64

Jimmy Booher (A Fistful of Dollars) 7.070 @ 173.83

Robb Burklin (The Pearl) 7.081 @ 162.43

Joe McIntyre (Hydro Commando) 7.245 @ 170.38

William Wier (Alkahaulic) 7.468 @ 133.20

Tim Ortiz (Empty Pockets) DNT

Levi Walker Pro Outlaw. Photo by JM Hallas

Pro Outlaw (5.40)

Levi Walker (Got 1 More) 5.409 @ 162.33

Rick Blethroade (Wild Thing) 5.426 @ 175.25

Jim Richards (Alkahauler) 5.433 @ 170.02

Shannon Beal (Split Decision 2) 5.433 @ 165.23

Gus Ward (Whisky Tango Foxtrot) 5.444 @ 165.54

Robert Leas (Wildfire) 5.446 @ 167.62

Eric Dement (Real Bad Boy) 5.464 @ 163.48

Mickey Snider (Top Gun) 5.527 @ 163.98

Cole Allen (Desperado) 5.630 @ 137.52

Chris Bean (Team Sound Design) 5.774 @ 160.29

Rick Allen (Say When) 7.830 @ 59.06

Tommy Thompson (A Few Dollars More) 9.854 @ 36.86

Tyler Speer (Georgia Outlaw) 5.349 @ 164.75

Terry Kian (Razing Kain) DNR

Top Sportsman class qualifiers after day 1

Quick Eliminator (6.00)

Steve Carter (Ratical Proposition) 6.000 @ 146.14 Yes that’s dead on perfect!

Pro Eliminator (8.00)

Ray Males (Blue Thunder) 8.319 @ 133.67

Top Eliminator (9.00)

Bob Winder (Mommas Diamond) 9.003 @ 110.23

Modified Eliminator (10.00)

Randy Cockrell (Can’t Get Right) 10.002 @ 101.09

Stock Eliminator (11.00)

Kyle Fawks (Booger Red) 11.013 @ 88.98

River Racer(12.00)

Andrew Decker (N-2-Deep) 12.008 @ 80.24

Personal Watercraft (dial in)

Hope Helm (Woodys Wild Child) 17.772(17.77) @ 57.32

Saturday Schedule

Gates Open (7:00am)

TEC Open (8:00am)

Round 4 Qualifying Sportsman Session (9:00am)

Round 3 Qualifying Pro Session, Top Fuel Hydro, Top Alcohol Hydro, Top Alcohol Flats (10:30am)

Round 4 Pro Outlaw, Pro Modified

Round 5 Qualifying Sportsman Session (12:30pm)

Round 4 Qualifying Pro Session Top Fuel Hydro, Top Alcohol Hydro, Top Alcohol Flats (2:00pm)

Round 5 Pro Outlaw, Pro Modified

Southern Underground in Lakeside Park (6:00-9:00pm)

Boats can fly too. Megan Ratliff sails the nose of her outboard in Stock Eliminator. Photo by JM Hallas