Tom Wedick Hospitalized
	Photo By RAP :: Race Action Photography

The IHBA World Finals drag boat race started off like any great show should. Mother nature filled the pits with lightning that danced

accross the sky in a zillion directions, unlike those lame bolts we see in California.

There are over 200 boats here and some are still arriving. Thursday morning the second boat out, Tom Wedick, on his first pass, crashed

earning him a nights stay in the hospital. Wedick has some minor injuries but his leg took the brunt of the ordeal, despite incurred lung issues.

Later Thursday the winds varied and some substantial intermitten rain, accompanied with thunder & lightning managed to clear the skies and make way for a serene race environment.

There appears to be about 6 licensees, two for the TAH class. Among the licensees is Christina Matty, daughter of the late Lance Matty.

Christina is driving the original Lance Matty King Kong.

There are a few legends hanging out in the pits as well as a few newbies. Famous Amos Satterly is helping Steve Rajcic with a conversion on his PM to a TAH, and Wayne Messler, aka the flat bottom guru, is helping Steve Westerfield in the TAF All Lit Up pit.

Steve Henry is among a handful of racers here without a ride. Some boats are currently undergoing substantial overhaul, due to new
regulations, while others are trying to dialing in a tighter number.
Tom Bandy SE #028 is one of the racers who needs a tenth of a second to be competitive in his class.

The weather is great, the boats are hot, and the racers are ready to run. Today is mainly test and tune. Qualifying runs will occur on Saturday for the majority of classes, with eliminations following through Sunday.