Jacobsmeyer got into eliminations through the proverbial back door. At this race the field was made up of six cars instead of the usual eight so that the promoters of the event could meet the AA/FC racers demands for a minimum of $1,500 first round loser pay. The second round of four cars would be made up of the winners of the three races plus the quickest loser would make the field as the fourth car.

“Rapd” Randy Baker drove Danny Miller’s Rear-Gears Maverick. (Don Eckert photo)

Eventual winner Jacobsmeyer was the benefactor of drag racing's equivalent of the NASCAR "Lucky Dog" rule as he advanced into the second round by the virtue of his running the quickest time (6.33) in the first round in a losing effort against the Danny Miller team, who recorded a 6.18/225.48 lap -- a career best for the team.

Doc Halladay  (Bret Kepner photo)

Number two qualifier and odds-on favorite to go to the finals, the team of driver Doc Halladay and tuner Jerry Newman had taken the option of not running the second qualifying session and they may have paid a price for that decision and they slowed significantly in the first round of eliminations running just a 6.54. Tuner Newman felt that their fuel pump was weak, which accounted for their uncharacteristically slow pass and loss to John Dunn, who recorded a respectable 6.338/226.16. The speed was good for Top Speed of the meet honors.