Just a few weeks ago, Wade Kiefer and Greg Dinges predicted an all-Kimball final in the Super Pro class. The former had overcome early season engine problems to capture a Wally and charge up the Julesburg points ladder. Meanwhile Dinges began to show a hard to beat level of consistency—not always winning, but generally picking up a few precious points on race day.

Entering the penultimate weekend, both were poised to close within championship distance of season leader Jack Armagost, who recently deposited Jon Ott and Jim Korf into second and third.

But Sunday afternoon found Kiefer huddled over a decapitated Corvette. Half an hour earlier a tell-tale puff of white smoke from its exhaust put an end to his title chances.

“I’m done,” he said, watching fluid bleed from his engine as his car sat in the pit area..

Early indications pointed toward a blown head gasket—something annoying, but easily fixed.

From here on, he added, racing will be just for fun.

With one rival out of the picture, Dinges squared off against another in the first round on Sunday. Jim Korf led the way in Super Pro points for much of the summer, slipping into second and then third just two weeks ago. He entered the day 91 points ahead of the Kimball duo.

In a quarter mile test of wills, both drivers broke out. Dinges ran closest to his prescribed time, however, earning the win.

“I came up on him and played the throttle to stay with him,” he said afterwards. “I caught him at the trap.”

Dial in racing is a cerebral matter. Drivers must determine, based on how their car ran in trials, a quarter mile elapsed time. Once this is fixed, they must hit that mark or come close in a race where opposing cars should cross the line at the same moment. Exceeding the dial in by the slightest fraction generally means a loss. In the few seconds required to careen down the track, drivers employ a number of tricks to juke their rival—force him or her into a mistake.

Korf tapped repeatedly on the brake pedal as the white Chevrolet stormed closer. Dinges refused to take the bait, though the tactical game-playing eventually cost both to miss their times.

In the second round, Dinges drew a free pass. Both runs came from Julesburg’s far lane. Over the course of the summer, his car averaged a tenth faster from this starting point. Facing Shaun Wiekhorst--seventh in points but always a threat--in the semi-finals, however, he ended up on the near side.

The result?

“The car ran slower than my ET,” Dinges lamented. “I didn’t guess good.”

Still, he managed to push ahead of Kiefer's wounded car and, more importantly, tie Korf for third in the season table, a distant 156 behind leader Jack Armagost, but an achievable 82 in arrears of number two man Jon Ott.

"There are so many variables," Dinges said. "You just do your best."

In other action, Junior Dragster frontrunner Shelby Vogel cruised to a win over Samantha Reorda. Meanwhile Rick Wynne finished third on the day in Super Pro, behind Armagost and Wiekhorst--an impressive finish for the sometime Julesburg participant.