With rain forecast, NHRA shortens the Great Lakes Nationals at US 131 to one Top Alcohol qualifier, squeezing Kirk Wolf and Dubbin Motorsports after recent weather disruptions across the schedule.

One shot forces parallel objectives: validate fixes to a persistent clutch issue while securing a competitive berth. Team owner and tuner Dean Dubbin calls the scenario demanding but manageable.

Cool, humid air meets a sticky, high-grip surface many call the venue’s best. Running early, Wolf’s team executes crisply, underscoring the facility’s Michigan speed this season.

The dragster delivers 5.283 seconds at 271.25 mph, placing fifth on the qualifying ladder, the first run all season that behaves exactly to plan and validates the long-troublesome clutch fix.

Dubbin loads a conservative tune to protect the program. The car shakes later downtrack than expected; Wolf pedals briefly, trimming only a sliver of elapsed time.

One-pass qualifying reshuffles the order. Several championship contenders stumble, populating the lower seeds and creating an atypical elimination bracket that increases volatility through round one.

Fifth draws Jackie Fricke, still adapting to a new car following an Oregon crash. Both leave evenly, yet Fricke edges ahead early and controls the rest of the 1320 feet.

Fricke posts 5.289 at 271 mph to Wolf’s 5.354 at 270. A more aggressive clutch and engine setting meet fierce grip, bogging the motor roughly 500 rpm on launch.

That early bog stalls acceleration and blocks a repeat of qualifying pace. Dubbin concedes the setup underestimated how much power the track could accept.

Even so, eliminating the clutch problem resets the baseline. The team can now redirect effort from firefighting to performance progression, including launch consistency and downtrack efficiency.

Focus turns to the Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex, October 8–18, featuring Lucas Oil regional racing, JEGS Allstars, and the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals.

Wolf remains upbeat after the progress, lightening the mood with a cowboy-hat quip as Dubbin Motorsports shifts from survival to refinement.

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Lanie Buice

Lanie Buice covers Late Model Dirt Cars, Sprint Car, and USAC Silver Crown events with trackside reporting and exclusive driver interviews. His feature-race recaps keep fans in the dirt-racing community informed on qualifying results, heat-race action, and main-event outcomes.