Just looking at the facts as I hear them here.
Head gasket : On a 9 sec car, there is no way it you could make a full pass on anything less that a 100% head gasket. So if on the cars last outing with the previous owner it made a WOT pass I would assume it was intact at the time of sale.
Scorched block : Had to have happened upon complete failure of the HG. Not gasket, Re-torqued or Not, is going to seal up against a carved up block surface. You're going to know it as soon as the car is fired that it diddn't seal.
Cracked head: Can't really say here, I guess it could have been pre-existing condition. If there was no signs of this before hand, how would anyone know without performing the proper checks looking for that specific problem.
On your boys first pass : 11.7 with a 2.6 60ft does not sound like a shake down pass with a new car. With that 60ft he HAD to be running hard the full length of the track to cross the line at 11.7. Knowing that the tune should have been checked and not being familiar with the car, that does not sound like a wise move to me.
My opinion : A hard pass on a new car with a questionable tune was a bad idea. Now it's time to pony up and repair the damage done by that bit of absent mindedness.
Head gasket : On a 9 sec car, there is no way it you could make a full pass on anything less that a 100% head gasket. So if on the cars last outing with the previous owner it made a WOT pass I would assume it was intact at the time of sale.
Scorched block : Had to have happened upon complete failure of the HG. Not gasket, Re-torqued or Not, is going to seal up against a carved up block surface. You're going to know it as soon as the car is fired that it diddn't seal.
Cracked head: Can't really say here, I guess it could have been pre-existing condition. If there was no signs of this before hand, how would anyone know without performing the proper checks looking for that specific problem.
On your boys first pass : 11.7 with a 2.6 60ft does not sound like a shake down pass with a new car. With that 60ft he HAD to be running hard the full length of the track to cross the line at 11.7. Knowing that the tune should have been checked and not being familiar with the car, that does not sound like a wise move to me.
My opinion : A hard pass on a new car with a questionable tune was a bad idea. Now it's time to pony up and repair the damage done by that bit of absent mindedness.