Likewise, the car show area is rapidly filling up. Despite overnight rain showers and the arrival of an expected cold front, the weather hasn't deterred the Blue Oval crowd from showing up.

We're about a half hour away from the call to the lanes for the heads-up categories for their second qualifying session, but there's plenty to do here at Beech Bend, including the huge car show and vendor midway. The True Street competitors, lined up for ages, funneled out for their 30-mile cruise at around noon and are expected to arrive back on the grounds shortly.

The NMRA announced earlier this season that a new category, Street Outlaw, would bring together the combinations currently entered in Super Street Outlaw and 275 Drag Radial, meaning this is the final event for the long-running SSO category. Several racers have tickled the six-second zone, but nne have ever accomplished it. One can imagine that's on the minds of John Urist and Tracy Hines, both of whom have the power to get the job done. In the second session this afternoon, Hines shocked everyone with a killer 7.03-second blast to better his earlier 7.15. Urist and Hines still have the third session later this evening and eliminations tomorrow to take a crack at the magic six-second zone.

Alton Clements displayed another great wheels-up charge on his second shot at the race track. Clements drifted out of the groove before setting the nose down and wisely lifted.

Jim Breese opened the Renegade session with a monster wheelstand, actually getting all four wheels off the ground at one point. Breeses' mount bounced hard and left a shower of sparks in its trail.

Tim Essick (left), and Mike Murillo squared off in a epic qualifying pairing this afternoon - Essick reeling off a 6.586.585 to Murillo's right-there 6.591.

As the temperature dipped into the mid 50's and the clouds rolled in to shade the sun, the final qualifying session seemed ripe for the picking in the record department and in Super Street Outlaw in particular. Phil Hines had already ripped of a 7.03 earlier in the day, but the veteran racer did not make the bell for the final shot, leaving the task up to John Urist and Travis Franklin. It wasn't to be however, as Urist made a little wiggle midtrack on his way to a 7.09 lap, while Franklin made his best run of the weekend at 7.23 seconds at a slowing 182 mph.

Charlie Booze Jr. didn't make an attempt in the final Hot Street session, leaving the door open to the rest of the field that's been nipping at his heels in perhaps the weekend's best conditions. Florida native Tim Eichorn (left) gave a valiant effort to snatch away the pole but came up a few ticks short at 8.422. Rick Riccardi (right), who got out of shape near mid-track in the evening session, concluded qualifying third at 8.426. Points leader Don Bowles in fourth at 8.46 and Micheal DeMayo rounds out the field at 8.53. It's fair to say this will be the toughest eliminator of them all tomorrow.