The Skeletons Mustang featured the stretched fiberglass front end. Photos:Mecum Auto Auctions

At just about any classic car event or dragstrip you can come across one of the famed Holman and Moody license plates on a classic Ford muscle car. The name became synonymous with high performance Ford engines in the 1950′s as John Holman and Ralph Moody cut their teeth in the NASCAR ranks. It wasn’t until 1965 that Holman and Moody formed a drag racing division and they built ten A/FX Mustangs for drag racing events.  Eight of those cars were powered by the 427 SOHC engines and the other two had 427 hi-riser engine packages. Bill Lawton put them in the record books as he won the NHRA Winternationals with a 10.88 second run at 129mph. Also in 1965 the Wickersham Team campaigned a 427 hi-riser powered Mustang with Clester Andrews behind the wheel. They managed to pick up an amazing 40 wins out of 42 races in match race competitions.

For more information check out the Mecum Auto Auctions website.

As great of  a year as 1965 was, it would be 1966 that would set Holman and Moody apart from the competition with feed back from professional racer Gas Ronda. Dick Brannan was in the front of the field and Ronda made it clear that he wanted to defeat Brannan, so H&M went to work constructing a car like no other. The 1966 Factory Experimental cars were scratch built with drag racing specifically in mind. They were constructed with tubular frames and the most noticeable was the stretched front ends made of fiberglass. Ultimately it was these cars that created the term “Funny Cars” with their front wheels being moved forward a full 16 inches from the stock location and the rear axle was relocated 10 inches closer to the door. The wheelbase measured out at 112 inches and were nearly a 1000 pounds lighter than previous H&M built cars.

The Hilborn injection made noticeable horsepower over the carburetors.

One of the most recent A/FX Mustangs to surface is the 1966 that was campaigned by Ed Skelton in 1967. The serial number is C6HM10068-DR which shows that it was part of a program run by Ford Motor Company titled “Drag Program Vehicles”. Skeltons Mustang was powered by the 427 SOHC engine with a Hilborn stack injection system on top. The Mustang found itself as a feature in Hot Rod magazine in May of 1967 and most recently went on the auction block at the Mecum Auto Auction in 2009. Its estimated value was between $250,000 and $375,000 and was featured with all the correct documentation to give it the prominence that collectors seek.

The American Muscle Mustang as it is in their shop being tuned on the Dyno. Photo: AmericanMuscle.com

The craze continues with yet another impressive performance from the 2011 Mustang. This time it happened in the northeast at Cecil county Dragway. Cecil County is no stranger to fast cars as they have one of the very best monthly heads up racing series in the country which is why a lot of racers choose to venture to Rising Sun, Md. for testing. It is truly amazing how fast the technology has progressed for these new Mustangs and the 5.0 Coyote based engine that has become the mainstay for the performance industry.

This time we get to watch a automatic car that is owned by American Muscle in action and within a few runs it became one of the fastest of its kind in the country. Before the trip to the track, the Mustang was equipped with a set of 4.10 gears, full exhaust from Magnaflow and a Bama Cold Air Intake.   The first pass was made on the larger Bullitt-style wheels with Nitto Drag Radials and the elapsed time was 11.76 @ 119mph. The next change was a swap to Racestar Industries skinnies in the front with a M&H tire and 15×8′s in the rear with Mickey Thompson 275 Drag Radials. The net was nearly a tenth of a second faster to a 11.68 @ 120mph. After this they loaded a nitrous tune into the computer using a SCT Tuner to handle the 100 shot and 93 octane.

The last pass of the day can always be the most exciting and for the American Muscle crew it was. After a long smokey burnout on the Mickey Thompsons it was to the line.  It was a 1.56 sixty foot time that helped get the elapsed time down in the 10 second range. The end result was 10.93 @ 125mph which the crew was very happy with.  For an automatic car this is even more impressive and with just a bit more nitrous the mid 10′s are in easy reach. Stay tuned to see what happens next.

Big Mike Harrah appears as a larger member of ZZ Top. Photo: TheSmokingTire.com

We here at powerTV can appreciate just about anything with massive amounts of horsepower. From insane imports to crazy diesels, we love to see it all and that is what we found in this latest creation. Now you may think a modern day diesel truck with a turbocharger or two is capable of pumping out impressive numbers, and with the addition of some propane it is a whole new ball game. But what happens when you come across a massive Detroit Diesel that has 24 cylinders and 8 blowers? It means you have met Big Mike Harrah and one his his wild creations.

Check out YouTube for more of Mike’s wild creations with the V24 platform.

Mike Harrah, or Big Mike Harrah as he is referred to in the internet world, is not your typical gear head as he is also a real estate mogul from California. Now Mike has a love for large things from diesel engines to 36 story condominiums in Hawaii. He is definitely a thrill seeker as he also has served as stunt pilot in such movies as Con-Air. But why does a 6’6″ real estate mogul have such passion for horsepower and thrill seeking? Our guess would be that it just fits his moniker as being flamboyant and in charge.

The latest creation is a Detroit Diesel engine that packs a total of 24 cylinders and a total of eight 8-71 blowers on top. No matter how you look a it that is absolutely impressive. One blower per every three cylinders seems odd but the numbers that this monster produce speak for themselves. It is also said that this engine will be going in a 359 Peterbuilt to see just how much destruction can be done. Just imagine cruising Woodward and hearing the roar of 3400 plus horsepower (and god knows how much torque) coming from a diesel behind you at the stop light. The twenty four zoomie headers may be a bit much for the street though.

The "Madman" is set to do battle in Qatar. Photo: Azoz Albahr

Just a few weeks ago an open invitation was made by the Arabian Drag Racing League for United States based racers to travel this winter to Qatar and race in their series. While some may have been hesitant there were quite a few that jumped on board for a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to the middle east and compete. A wide variety of cars and classes from Pro Extreme to Pro Motorcycle will make the 8000 mile trip from the United States to do battle with the best racers in the land of Qatar.

Keep up with all the details of Frankie Taylors venture over seas on the Jeffers Pro Cars Facebook Page.

Frankie ” Madman” Taylor is one of those Pro Extreme racers who signed up to take his Jeffers Pro Cars built C5 Corvette over seas. Taylor had quite a run over the past year with some astounding numbers including his record setting pass of 3.596 seconds this past September in ADRL competition. He also was crowned the 2010 World Champion in the Battle of the Belts in the Pro Extreme class taking out some heavy competition. Taylor has used all that momentum to stir up the action on his very first run in Qatar.

His very first pass consisted off a run that would shatter all of the Arabian Drag Racing Leagues records. The Jeffers built Corvette was .895 seconds to the sixty foot followed by 3.61 seconds to the eighth mile beams. The current record stands at 3.66 seconds and it looks like the Madman will plan on bringing the records back to the United States with him after the winter season of racing in Qatar. Round one of the Qatar Racing Club season kicks off this Thursday and Friday. Look fro plenty of other drivers names from the United States to be in the spotlight as there are plenty there.

Mo Hall keeps the candles lit on his Camaro.

Mo "Hurke" Hall is one of the most noticable racers in the Outlaw 10.5 class.

In a world of  records that is led by turbocharged power plants their is still a few loyal racers making a go of it with nitrous oxide. Tim Lynch still sits atop the field in Outlaw 10.5 but the nitrous cars are sneaking up on his Proline powered Corvette. Scotty Guadagno, Charlie Dolbin and our feature racer Mo Hall are some of the fastest and most recently Hall made a huge stride in closing that gap in performance. Halls 1994 Camaro has found new life with the help of Jim Halsey and his tuning abilities as well as a new look at power management for the 2011 season.

Mo Hall of Olney, Maryland has been racing for over 10 years in a multitude of different cars but for the past seven years in his 1994 Camaro. The Camaro was once owned by Darrin Hoyle and found its way through several owners until Hall acquired it out of Virginia. In the attempt to run with the fastest outlaw cars in the country HFR Fabrication in Manchester, Maryland gave the chassis a complete overhaul. Up until late this past season there was a 706 cubic inch Fulton powerplant in place and then came the most up to date addition to team. An 820 cubic inch Fulton engine was acquired from Jim Halsey which once resided in his Pro Nitrous Camaro. One of the benefits of buying from Halsey came his years of experience with the engine and he has been a large part of making this a successful combination.

A shot of the 820 cubic inch Fulton powerplant.

The last full race that Mo and crew attended was the ORTC race in Georgia where they ran a near career best of 4.33 @ 178mph with a 1.06 second sixty foot time. Consistency was becoming an issue with the car with all the additional power from the 4 stages of nitrous oxide so Mo felt it was time to make the next step in their racing efforts. Davis Technologies was the place of choice to call and a Davis Traction Control was installed and it has created a new page in the nitrous racers resume. A fairly simple transition has been made with the Davis installed and with the same tune as the run in Georgia, Mo ran a new career best of 4.25 @ 180mph at Cecil County Dragway. This pass was followed by numerous consistent back to back passes on a conservative tune in the Fulton powerplant. Could there be enough left to run with Tim Lynch? Our guess is yes and we look forward to following Mo’s quest to become the elite racer in the nitrous contingent.

The Lightning from this vantage point appears pretty mild.

It is often a fine line between what is a true street car or truck in this case. On just about any website forum or at a cruise night you could stir up this great debate. So what do our viewers feel that meets the criteria in this situation and where does the line need to be drawn for reliability on the street? I am sure everyone has seen cars such as Larry Larson’s Nova that has dominated Drag Week, but do you think that cars like this could withstand the rigorous courses of daily driving or would it be a matter of maintaining it constantly. Well we came across this Ford Lightning that is pretty stout and based off the dyno numbers and boost levels it should be one heck of a threat on the street.

The turbo and sheet metal intake all sit nicely under the factory hood.

For all the details on this Ford Lightning head over to YellowBullet and visit the classifieds.

The owner started with a low mileage 2002 Ford Lightning, which was already a powerhouse from the factory with its blown 5.4 liter modular powerplant. A JLP prepared long block is in place and packed full of forged internals. A set of Stage 3 Patriot Performance heads sit atop the 5.4 with a custom sheet metal intake and Accufab throttle body. A 78mm turbo supplies the boost along with the fuel being supplied by twin Walbro pumps. The transmission received heavy upgrades along with a 10.5″ torque converter coming at 3500rpm stall speed. The owner of the truck currently has it for sale and at $21,000 it seems like a great but and you will even have two sets of wheels to roll on depending on your mood as you hit the street.

The Comet looks sinister with its altered wheelbase

What is that one type of car that you have always wanted or really just had a desire to know more about? As a youngster I grew up around my uncle who had a 1963 1/2 Galaxie that I always loved and when I would see such cars as the A/FX Fords I could relate to them. I have had a love for these style of race cars for many years now and still to this day I think that are very unique and still have a ton of appeal to them in the racing world. Honestly its where a lot of today’s inspiration came from and hopefully the nostalgia will live in forever.

For more information on the car or if you want to buy it visit the H.A.M.B Marketplace.

While browsing across one of my most recent finds in the internet wor,ld I found a 1964 Mercury Comet A/FX car for sale. It had such an interesting story that I felt compelled to share it for this installment of Flashback Friday. Much as in my history the builder of this car had a pure passion for the A/FX style of cars and started to build this one in the remembrance of the ones he had seen in his childhood. The project took seventeen years to complete as he started with a solid west coast car and began the transformation.

The 557 cubic inch big block looks right at home behind the tilt front end.

Under the hood the engine started with 460 cubic inches of FE Ford power and was stroked and poked to 557 cubic inches. It does have some modern pieces on it like the Trick Flow aluminum heads and Demon carburetor. Another modern toy it has is the two stage nitrous system that is good up to an additional 600 horsepower. Backing up all that power is a C6 transmission with all the billet and kevlar goodies inside to handle the power. You can use your imagination for the chassis setup but it is all correct and will certify. The paint is period correct and is complimented by the tilt front end. It’s one and only trip to the track to date netted a 11.20 pass which certainly seems conservative for the engine combination. Cars like this one don’t come along everyday so you may just want to jump on buy it now.

"Wild" Bill Dutka likes to impress the crowd.

Sometimes we post wild wheelstands or crazy crashes where a driver can walk away unscathed, but so often there are many events at a track that get over looked. In our years of covering events at the dragstrip we have certainly shared our fair share of these moments but oddly enough none like this installment. I guess maybe with the craze of drifting being a sport Bill Dutka wanted to take a shot at it but he certainly lived up to his name.

Wild Bill is his nickname around the track and his driving antics sure help uphold his name. Earlier this year we saw him at Cecil County Dragway during competition when he went for a wild 500 foot wheelstand – where he was up and down on the bumper violently twice. Jump forward two months and during the Shakedown @ E’town where his Malibu sporting its 60o plus cubic inch big block from J&E Performance went for another wild ride. In the left hand lane the car made several moves around but as any driver Bill just wheeled the car down track. It was the final little wobble that sent the Malibu into a 150mph slide and miraculously he kept it off the wall and out of the other lane.

As Bill made his way back to the pits after having the crowd on their feet the only damage so to speak was the need for some new treads. A quick trip to the Mickey Thompson trailer fixed that and come eliminations Bill continued to uphold the standard of being one crazy guy. This pass just happened to be another wild wheelstanding run where it was up on the bumper once and then back up again riding out past the 300 foot marker. So if you see this charcoal colored Malibu with twin turbos on it pull to the line because anything will and can happen.

Ron Rhodes in his Chevrolet Camaro.

All the hype from day one has been surrounding the blower cars in the X275 class that runs on the east coast. From Maryland to Virginia these racers have battled it out all season long for the supremacy of being the fastest on the 275 drag radial tire. But at first sight it was a blower car that is motivated by a Procharger that dominated the class and later in the season another Procharged Mustang joined the leader board. But it has been a learning process for the small block nitrous racers and they have steadily gained control of their setups and are ready to join the elite 4-second club.

Steve Drummond behind the wheel of his wifes Mustang.

This Saturday will quite possibly be the last time in competition that the racers have this opportunity at the season finale of the Ultimate Outlaw Shootout. Cecil County Dragway will be the host for the event which is a track that a lot of these racers call home. Yet is it possible for the nitrous to outshine the blown combinations? Now there are a few drivers who have been pushing the envelope and been into the 5.0 range they have fought with the consistency of the setup. As the season nears the end they will all have it on kill aiming for that first 4-second pass.

Bobby Flippin is no stranger to insane wheelstands on a 275.

Ron Rhodes is one of those racers who made the conversion to run X275 over the last two seasons. He is currently running a small block Chevrolet with 23 degree heads in his 1968 Camaro. Currently he has been a 5.04 @ 140mph to date. He has plenty of experience running on the radial tires from his years of racing in RAM Racing circuit. Another hitter in the class will be Steve Drummond who has been struggling with the combination but found something at a recent race. He also ventured in to the low 5′s and will be battling it out on a track that he has made many passes.

But could it be possible that a NMRA racer named Steve Thompson could take the show with his small block Mustang. His last outing was the YellowBullet Nationals where he was in the 5.1x range with a hurt engine. Just maybe, just maybe the little red farm truck will shock us all and be the first. His last outing at Rockingham led him to a 5.01 second pass with a 1.17 sixty foot time. Bobby Flippin will have to battle to keep the front end down on his S10 when he turns the wick up if he plans on being the first in the 4′s. So who would your pick be?

Paul Major leaves the line on his way to a 6.94 second pass.

If we were to look back nearly one year, some may have said drag radial was dead or that the limitations had been pushed to the limits. We watched on as Alex Vrettos and Dave Hance battled it out to the fastest man on a radial tire and they both went well into the 6.80′s before the Shakedown @ E’town was over last November. One of the players in the class may have been written off as he went for a wild ride and literally destroyed his Corvette drag radial car. But with a renewed outlook in the class, Paul Major has returned with a vengeance.

Paul Major's crew prepares his DMC Racing built Corvette.

Early last week Dave Hance made a statement that he wanted to be the man to beat in drag radial with a 6.78 second run down the Englishtown quarter mile in testing which would set the new record for the class. A statement it was but also an initiative for Paul Major and his team to get busy testing and find out just how dominant their new car and combination could be.  Paul always had the big mph out the back but the short game is where the Corvette was lacking some performance. With a trip to Maryland International Raceway on Friday they gained a few good runs under their belt for tuner Job Spetter to work with and at the same time ran a new career best pass of 6.86 @ 210mph.

It was evident that the new DMC Racing built creation would handle the power and so it be that the stage ws set. Paul and crew rolled into Englishtown for the 2010 edition of the Shakedown @ E’town. A fresh tune was put through the ProEFI setup and Paul went to work easily gaining the number one spot in qualifying with another consistent six second pass.  It was only the third quarter mile pass on the car that proved to be one for the record books as the PCHS Racing Engines power came to life.  Paul left the line in the second qualifier with a 1.205 sixty foot time, 3.086 to the 330 clocks and 4.519 @ 176mph in the eighth mile. It was another 2.224 second trip from the eighth mile to the quarter mile clocks for a new world record in drag radial competition. 6.743 @ 223mph flashed on the board and the crowd went wild as announcer Al Tucci called the action.

As Paul has sat back and analyzed his performance with his crew they feel that there is much more left in the car and are confident that the bar will be raised by years end. So confident in fact that they feel a 6.60 pass is not far off and we may even see 6.50′s before it is all said and done.

Benny Alfonso moments before his crash at E'town. Photo: Click Click Boom Photography

This past weekend’s Shakedown @ E’town may have been one of the most anticipated events for the entire racing year as it is one of the very few quarter mile outlaw style races in the country. From 8.50 Index to 5-Second Pro Mods, they offer a variety of cars for anyone’s liking. The event went off with great success but as in any type of racing there is the chance that the unthinkable will happen and accidents occur. Thankfully for the great safety equipment that is available drivers emerge unscathed or only with minor injuries.

Benny Alfonso behind the wheel of his Modzilla Firebird was making the last qualifying pass on Saturday night. The car left the line just as any other pass and was making a good run. As Benny neared the finish line it appeared that the car made a slight move to the left nearing the centerline. It as then that the car shot right into the retaining wall head on at 215mph. The impact was severe and emergency personnel were on the scene quickly assessing Benny’s condition. Reports minutes after the impact were that Benny was alert and communicating with track personnel. The process was started to extricate Alfonso from the car and transport to a local hospital. His injuries were to his back and he has undergone surgery for disc fusion. After the surgery Benny is resting comfortably and his long term prognosis is excellent according to a press release from his team an chassis builder Nick Montana.

Fortunately and hopefully Benny will be back behind the wheel one day and in the situation his chassis builder Nick Montana was able to examine the car and the damage thoroughly. Nick stated that he was “pleased to see how well the car and chassis handled the impact”. It is truly a testament to the safety equipment and how well these cars are built for a driver to be able to withstand this type of impact. Best wishes from Dragzine to Benny and his entire crew and we hope to see you back at it soon.

Official Release:

Update: Benny Alfonso recovering after crash at Shakedown

As many of you know, Benny Alfonso had a horrific crash at the ADRL.us Shakedown at E-Town on Saturday evening. The following is a statement released by Nick Montana of MBRC Pro Chassis Design on Benny Afonso’s behalf.

“Of course as the builder of these powerful machines, the major factor is safety. I attended the Shakedown with Benny to assist on the crew of the Modzilla/Amato/Cannonball Racing team. After witnessing the crash, I was extremely concerned, yet pleased to realize how well the car withstood the severe impact it took when hitting the wall. We are fortunate Benny’s injuries were not more serious. Benny sustained injuries to his back. He underwent surgery for disc fusion. He is now resting comfortably in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. His prognosis for the future is excellent. He will next be transferred to a Neurological Rehabilitation Center before returning home to Long Island. On behalf of Benny and his family, I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes, and would please ask you to respect his privacy at this time so he can concentrate on his recovery. ”Stated Nick Montana

On behalf of Modzilla / Amato /Cananball Racing , we would like to thank the Safety crew at Raceway Park, for their quick and appropriate response to this situation . We would also like to thank Dave Hance as well as Eddie Krawiec for their assistance and concern.

Brian Ambrosini as he is wrong side up headed down Byron Dragway. Photo: MSSM

Once a year a festival of madness emerges on Byron Dragway in Byron, Illinois. It is the annual Wheel standing Championships that draw a huge crowd for some to enjoy what has been called the can’t miss event of the year. Cars of all makes and models are likely to be seen from a Volkswagen Bug to classic American iron. They each take their shot at the track in an attempt to win the coveted title of Champion on the Playground of Power that has become Byron Dragway. This was the sixteenth year for the event and like always the drivers come to impress and impress they did.

For more information on Byron Dragway’s events visit their website.

Brian Ambrosini is no stranger to the highlight reels as well as the wheel standing competition at Byron Dragway. The 45 year old Ambrosini hails out of Kenosha, Wisconsin and has converted his 1974 AMC Gremlin into one of the wildest and most violent wheel standing machines ever known to man. He has come in second a time or two just missing that “wow” moment that was needed to take home the title but this year as he did last he took home the title and put the crowd on their feet.

This year Brian’s Gremlin went upward pretty fast and as it moved out past the sixty foot markers is when things got a little hairy. The short wheelbase Gremlin made a move toward the left wall as the rear tires were nearly off the ground. Then it was gravity’s turn as the car made a quick twist and slammed back to the ground on it’s side and rolling on to the roof. Brian romped the throttle several times in an attempt to keep the car upright but from the looks of the video there was no hope of that happening. I am sure that the rebuild process is going to begin shortly and with the hopes of reclaiming his title again next year.

Chuck Ulsch in his 3-Second, 206mph 1968 Camaro.

When the ADRL introduced the Xtreme Ten Five category into their program, we highly doubt that anyone would have though that it would progress into what it is today. Certainly the most sought after class in the ADRL and one with some really huge names that have made the transition from the Outlaw 10.5 ranks to compete on the grandest stage of them all. The limiting factor being the 10.5W tire that they are all running on may not be so much a factor anymore, as torque converter technology has assisted in the fastest runs in history in recent weeks.

For more information on Neal Chance Racing Converters visit their website.

Neal Chance Racing Converters is based out of Cheney, Kansas and coming into the recent ADRL event in Ohio the stages were set to be shattered with record setting performances. From the rained out race in Rockingham you had an all Neal Chance final as Spiro Pappas took on Brad Brand. Pappas picked up the win over Brand but it still was all eyes on the man who had been on a tear running consistent 3-second passes. Dan Millen and his Al-Anabi sponsored Mustang were the final chapter in the Mickey Thompson 3-Second Club along with two other Neal Chance customers.

Dan Millen in his Al-Anabi sponsored Mustang.

Come the final round it was once again a showdown between the fastest and quickest competitors in the sport. Chuck Ulsch who has been 206 mph and Millen who was on a rail and broke the XTF World Record at 3.78 seconds. During eliminations Millen looked as is he was bracket racing with a 3.82 pass and it was then that he came to the line. Unfortunately for Millen he went red by -.009 and handed the win to the Gil Mobley Motorsports-backed Chuck Ulsch. Look for theses two to continue to battle it out as they head to the World Finals in Texas and continue to push the limits of their combinations.

This beautiful Saturday in September the Pritchett Brothers rolled their Ultimate Outlaw series into Maryland International Raceway. A huge pre-race party on Friday ensued which drew a huge crowd of racers wanting to test out their combinations for the big race. As Saturday morning rolled around the pits were a flurry of activity as crews prepared their cars and some of the very best in the country were on hand.

From the pits

Mike Pyott

8.50 Index leader Mike Pyott made the trip from Pennsylvania to defend his points lead. Mike picked up the firs two wins of the season at Milan and Atco. Luis Martinez also is looking to spoil Pyott’s plan of holding onto the points lead and will have to take out several heavy hitters in the 8.50 Index class. Pyott was making final adjustments before heading to the lanes for qualifying.

Bobby Flippin

Bobby Flippin brought his red farm truck to compete in the X275 class. He has won several races up and down the east coast and will have to take out 44 cars that have showed up to take their claim at fame. His nitrous combination has been in the low 5-second range and will be one of the top contenders come eliminations.

Scotty Guadagno

Scotty Guadagno has been the man to beat in Outlaw 10.5 this season with his nitrous assisted Camaro. The big block is prepared by Scotty himself  and with the great weather conditions there will be the possibility to set records. The likes of Mike Martin, Mo Hall and TJ Kasper are on the grounds as well and will work hard to knock Scotty of his throne in Ultimate Outlaws competition.

Race Recap: 8.50 Index

Marty "Lil Man" Brown

Qualifying:

Eight cars showed up for qualifying and after two rounds it was Brent Beachley taking the number one spot with a 8.517 and was followed closely by Luis Martinez. Points leader Mike Pyott sat number three but Marty Brown II was looking to make a big name for himself. Ronnie Guariglia rounded out the field but was unable to make a clean pass to show the full potential of his 1972 Dodge Demon.

Round 1:

Brent Beachley took on Ronnie Guariglia in round one and it was Becahley advancing as Guariglia broke out. Marty Brown took out Bill Leckleighter who did a big wheelstand. Luis Martinez had an easy run as his competition failed to make the run. Mike Pyott also won over Jack Pumphrey who was off the number and Pyott slowed not to break out of the Index.

Round 2:

It was a showdown of the heavy hitters as Mike Pyott and Luis Martinez faced off and it was Martinez pulling off the unthinkable. Pyott was out and Martinez advanced to take on the winner between Brown and Beachley. Marty Brown would advance to the final and would have a tough task ahead of him if he wanted to defeat Martinez.

Finals:

The young Marty Brown II would use a great reaction time to reel in the victory over Luis Martinez. This was the Marty’s first victory in 8.50 Index and his crew and family celebrated on the starting line in excitement.

Race Recap: X275 Drag Radial

Rich Bruder and his Mike Modeste tuned Mustang

Qualifying:

44 cars made the call for a record breaking show in X275, which would have record setting performances throughout. Don Barnett would jump to the head of the pack with a 4.968 second pass with Chris Evans who was in the number two spot.  Justin Smith also was on the verge of breaking into the 4-second zone with his LS powered Camaro at 5.02 seconds. The bump for the top sixteen was a 5.278 as Keith Mclaughlin in his 1987 Mustang held onto that position. A decision was made to have three fields with the great showing and on top of the second field it was Frank Fulbrook with a 5.299 @ 134mph. Taking top honors in the last class was Steve Haun who run a 5.648 with his Nova out of Frederickburg, Virginia.

Class A Round 1:

Don Barnett won over Keith McLaughlin with a 5.008 @ 143mph. Ron Rhodes got a handle on his nitrous combination and advanced over Manson. Al Marlow won his race over Wayne Gopshes and was also in the low 5-second range. Rich Bruder defeated Russell McManious, Evans took out Wilkinson and  Flippin won over Bobby Demilt. Jim Willett and John Rittenhouse also advanced onto round two.

Round 2:

Rhodes Racing teammates face off in the first pair as it is Barnett vesrus Ron Rhodes. Barnett takes the victory with another great pass. Rich Bruder won over Al Marlow while Chris Evans and Justin Smith won on the other side of the ladder.

Round 3:

Don Barnett threw away a 4.96 pass as he redlighted against Rich Bruder in the semi-finals. On the other side it was Chris Evans laying down a 4.95 @ 144mph to take the win over Justin Smith.

Finals:

Rich Bruder did his part on the starting line as he had the advantage over a hard charging Evans. Evans ran a 4.96 but Bruder’s 4.98 was enough to hold him off at the top end and Bruder picked up the win.

Steve Drummond and his Drummond Race Cars prepared Mustang

Class B Round 1:

In the second class it was Frank Fulbrook taking on Steve Haun. Haun upset the top qualifier and advanced to round two. Nick Mancuso won over Murphy and Tony Reddix had a bye as Dale Handy could not make the call. Mike Thompson made the trip from New York and picked up the win over Harrell. The other side of the ladder consisted of wins for Savoy, Marshall, Zografos and Steve Drummond.

Round 2:

Nick Mancuso and his sedate looking notchback Mustang won over Steve Haun while Mike Thompson advanced over Tony Reddix. Steve Drummond was steadily stepping up the performance on his wife Kathy’s beautiful Mustang and would take out Konstantine Zografos and would take on Tim Savoy who won his second round matchup.

Finals:

In an all Mustang final it was Mick Mancuso out of New York taking on Steve Drummond of Deleware. On the starting line it was obvious that Mancuso had  hurt engine coming into the finals and Drummond would get the easy win.

Matt Sears behind the wheel of "Area 51"

Class C Eliminations:

Mike Panetta lost his first round against Strauss while Lewis Jones, Knight and Matt Sears all advanced. In the second round Lewis Jones defeated Strauss and Matt Sears picked up another round win in Andy Fletcher’s “Area 51″ Camaro. In the final it was Sears picking up the victory with a 5.18 @ 135mph over Lewis Jones.

Outlaw Drag Radial:

Brett Hull wheeled his Mustang with the wheels up on every pass.

Qualifying:

Chris Little came out in qualifying and showed why he is a multi-time world champion and took the number one spot with a 4.785 @ 161mph. Bill Dutka made the trip from New Jersey in his Malibu and ran 5.012 to take the second spot. Several drivers struggled to get a handle on the track like Ricky Fox and Francis Johnson which left them in the bottom of the field.

Round 1:

Chris Little had a bye in the opening round and eased down the track. Keith Matheson won over Steven Montgomery and Buddy Tippett defeated Quentin Methaney. Karl Walther, Ricky Fox and Brett Hull also won to move onto the second round. In the final pairing it was Francis Johnson taking on Bill Dutka. Dutka made a nice pass but Johnson got a handle on his record setting Firebird and ran a 4.74 @ 153mph to take the win.

Round 2:

Chris Little defeated Keith Matheson with another great run while Buddy Tippett knocked off Karl Walther. Ricky Fox had a bye run and in a close run it was Brett Hull upsetting Francis Johnson to move onto the semi-finals.

Round 3:

Chris Little defeated Buddy Tippett as Little has his Mustang on kill heading to the finals. Brett Hull advanced over Ricky Fox as Ricky hit the tires hard and Hull marched down track with another pass in the 4.70′s.

Finals:

Chris Little staged and was building boost right beside Hull and as the tree dropped Little began to go into a wheelstand. Chris did a great job of driving through it but all the wasted time in the air cost him the win as Hull was on a great pass.  Brett’s 4.76 @ 157mph gave him the win.

Outlaw 10.5:

Scotty G. with the candles lit on a 4.38 pass.

Qualifying:

Eighteen cars made the call for qualifying and it was Michael Martin with his nitrous assisted Camaro taking the number one spot with a 4.38 @ 170mph. Buck Jarvis was next in line for the number two spot as some drivers had trouble making it down the track.  Points leader Scott Guadagno struggled but sat in the third qualifying spot and was followed closely by Jm Mayo and Brenda Paddock. One of the big favorites to win the event may have been Joe Newsham but he was unable to make a clean pass and did not qualify and Mo Hall was on the bottom of the ladder.

Round 1:

It was number one versus number sixteen as Mo Hall took on Michale Martin. Hall struck the tires at the hit of the throttle and Martin once again went to a to b with a 4.406 @ 168mph. Tricky Ricky Pennamon faced Jim Mayo and Pennamon used a holeshot advantage to advance over Mayo. Dale Collins Jr., Buck Jarvis also advanced as did Charlie Dolbin, TJ Kasper, Scott Guadagno and Troy Williams.

Round 2:

Michael Martin easily advances over Ricky Pennamon in the second round and then it was teammates Dale Collings Jr facing Buck Jarvis. Collins Jr took the round win as did TJ Kasper over Charlie Dolbin and Scott Guadagno over Troy Williams.

Round 3:

On both sides of the ladder it was twin turbo big block versus nitrous big block. Michael Martin had to take on Dale Collins Jr and as the pair headed down track Martin drifted to the centerline and had to lift. He peddled the Camaro but it was not enough to hold off the big mph of the turbo car. Collins Jr took the win by a narrow margin at the stripe.  The other pair was TJ Kasper who had been in the low 30′s early in the day but would have to hold off the steamroller of Guadagno that appeared to be unstoppable. Guadagno once again went straight down track as Kasper neared the left wall and had to get out of the throttle. Scotty picked up the win with a 4.38 @ 165mph.

Finals:

Nitrous versus turbo is a huge rivalry in all the heads up classes but none have the prestige that this final had. Guadagno brought his Camaro to life with the candle lit at the sixty foot markers. Collins Jr was out of the throttle early as Scotty G. set a new nitrous world record for Outlaw 10.5 of 4.33 @ 168mph.

Area 51 looks stout with its blacked out Holeshot wheels and Goodyear tires.

Those of you that have been around the northeast for quite a few years may have followed such series as the MSRA, which catered to racers with a variety of classes. The fastest of those classes was drag radial and had a lot of great names involved. Guys like Chris Little, Chip Provenza and another that the racing world is about to get reacquainted with. Andy Fletcher has campaigned several different cars but most notably is his third generation Camaro that had been as fast as 5.11 @ 143mph. After a few years out of the scene Andy has been putting all the pieces together to make a comeback.

Fletcher has been sitting on the sidelines for a few years but has never lost track of where the sport has gone and has been preparing to make his return. X275 is where he set his sights after becoming involved with John Sears this season. The new plan consists of a conventional headed big block Chevrolet that is packed inside a Donovan block. The engine is a Charlie Buck power plant consisting of 565 cubic inches with a single nitrous oxide system. Andy will be making his debut this weekend during the Ultimate Outlaw Shootout at Maryland International Raceway.

As with any project there are many people involved and helping Andy in his newest venture are John Sears, Mike Keeler of Keeler Motorsports and Phil Racey. Keeler used his fabrication skills to make a new set of headers to clear the wide oil pan on the Donovan block. A set of Holeshot wheels wrapped in Goodyear rubber front and back which will be testing the limits of the Goodyear Drag Radial.  John Sears will also use this car as a testing point for the short deck conventional headed big blocks to see how far they will go in the class.

All eyes have been on the small block supercharged cars of Evans and Don Barnett and now Ron Rhodes has even been pushing the 4-second barrier with his small block nitrous setup. But just maybe one of the big block guys will step up and show the small blocks who is boss this weekend. Keep a look out for the project that has been dubbed area 51. Things may be getting a little strange when it shows up at the track.

Special thanks to our event coverage sponsor Mickey Thompson Tires.  You can check out their full line of street tires, drag radials, and slicks at www.mickeythompsontires.com.

Sunday Morning Updates:

We are off and rolling for another beautiful day here at Cecil County Dragway. The weather is supposed to be a bit cooler than yesterday and will surely lead up to some record performances. Will the bar be lowered in Outlaw 10.5 by the Lynch crew or will Joe Newsham continue his quest back to the top of the Outlaw 10.5 world. We have three 32 car fileds today, 8.50 Index, Outlaw 10.5 and 275 Drag Radial. There will be a call to the lanes shortly for first round and we will back with updates as soon as the rounds are complete.

8.50 Index Ladder 7.50 Index Ladder

275 Drag Radial Ladder

8.50 Index Ladder

Round 1 Eliminations:

8.50 Index

Mike Pyott on his way to the win in the first round.

The call was made for the cars to roll into the lanes and as we walked through the cars and racers there was a lot of hype of the racing get underway. The first pairing had the young Marty Brown Jr. picking up the win in his Camaro. Robb Puller also wheeled his way to a win to advance to the second round. NMCA superstar John Langer carried the wheels way out on his Firebird to take the win. Mike Pyott, Brent Beachley, and Bill Lecklighter have all advanced as well to this point. We had a mishap in the pairing between Al Fonse Jr and Joe Madessi where Fonse lost an engine on the top end and came into contact with the wall and getting caught in Madessi’s parachutes. Both drivers are fine and will be back to race another day. Will be back with the continuation of the rest of the classes shortly. The rest of 8.50 had two pairs and one of the heavy hitters Harry Gerb in his H&J Motorsports Firebird advanced into round two.

7.50 Index

Seven cars were in the field and right out of the gate it was Charlie Micallif who struggled all day in qualifying. He picked up the win and their hard work last night paid off for their win over John Schroeder. Michael Ingrossio won over Steve Willingham as Willingham had troubles getting down track. Tom Tarsia blasted down track at over 200mph but lost his round against John Fisher. In the last pairing it was Jimmy Rueter and Rick Reighter and both cars were unable to make the call to the line so this will give Charlie Micallif the bye run into the final round.

Outlaw 10.5

Outlaw 10.5 Ladder for Round 2

What a round of eliminations with some huge numbers being posted on the board. The Lynch crew laid down another low 4.20 pass and the contingent of nitrous cars are working at keeping up with the Proline Power. Mo Hall went a 4.35 to keep himself alive and will take on Tom Kasper in an epic battle in round two.

275 Drag Radial

Chris Evans on his way to an easy bye run.

Chris Evans picked up the $500 dollars before first round for his low qualifier effort and breaking the record at 4.95 seconds. The bullseye still is on the side of his car and he moved onto the second round after his bye run. Eric Kenward of Florida stayed in the game as he picked up the win as did Steve Thompson of Finksburg, Md. Don Barnett continued to have an impressive performance with a win as well as did Marc Schankweiler in his beautiful Nova.

275 Drag Radial Ladder Round 2

Round 2 Eliminations

8.50 Index

With 16 cars left in the field there was a lot of anticipation to see who could come out on top and move on to the next round. One upset was Mike Pyott falling out in this round as it looked like he was late on the tree. Harry Gerb moved as well as John Langer who is building momentum with each pass. We are down to the final 8 cars and will have round sheets shortly.

Harry Gerb moves on with another round win.

7.50 Index

Charlie Micallif took the easy victory with a bye run and the other pair was Michael Ingrossio versus John Fisher. Ingrossio moved on with a victory and will have to take on the multi time winner this season, Charlie Micallif.

Micahel Ingrossio' s Oldsmobile Cutlass.

Outlaw 10.5

It continues to be the show that everyone thought it would be as nearly every competitor has dipped into the 4.30′s or better. Larry Wood and Mark Swanson are working from the bottom of the field and will likely have something for Tim Lynch later in the rounds. Lynch posted another 4.22 second pass with ease and will be in the quarter finals. Can he run a teen pass again today? Only time will tell.

Tim Lynch as he goes by at over 170mph.

275 Drag Radial

The bounty and Chris Evans moves on but he ha yet to make a clean pass in eliminations. Steve Thompson and his nitrous powered Mustang are still in the game as well as Don Barnett. The semi finals are shaping up to be nothing but spectacular as the racers continue to close in on Evans and his Mustang.

Ken Ewer went for a wild ride and slammed the front end hard into the racing surface.

Drag Radial

John Kolivas made the trip and continues on as he received a bye run in the first round. The most talked about run of the round was Mel Nelson versus Eric Dillard. They had quite a staging duel and then Dillard marched to the big end with a 4.53 pass to move on.

John Kolivas and his twin turbo powered Mustang.

Round 3 Eliminations

8.50 Index

Albright vs. Joe Algana     Algana wins

Harry Gerb vs. Angelo Valla   Valla wins

Brent Beachley vs. Ali Buscio  Beachley wins

John Langer vs. Michael O’ Sullivan   Langer wins

Outlaw 10.5

Mark Swanson vs. Steve Crisafulli , Swanson gets out of the groove and Crisafulli makes  a great pass. 4.39 for the win.

Larry Wood vd. Tim Lynch, Both cars leave the line hard but Wood gets out of the groove and Lynch runs another 4.22 @ 185mph for the win.

Buck Jarvis vs. Tom Kasper,  Jarvis moves on as both cars shut down but it is Buck who runs a 4.63 for the win.

Joe Schroeder vs. Danny Lowry, Schroeder blasts to a 4.32 @ 175mph for the win as Lowry gets out of the groove.

275 Drag Radial

Al Marlow vs. Rich Bruder, In a pedal fest Marlow goes 5.30 for the win over Bruder’s 5.53.

Mike Thompson vs. Don Barnett, Barnett had to pedal the car but wheels right around Thompson for the win.

Steve Thompson vs. Ron Rhodes, Rhodes keeps himself in the game with a 5.13 second pass.

Eric Kenward vs. Chris Evans, Evans blasts to a 5.01 over Kenward who wheelied 15o feet out and ran a 5.20.

Drag Radial

Chris Little vs. Buddy Tippett. Little gets out of the groove as does Tippett but Tippett recovers first and takes the win.

Dave Hinzman vs. John Kolivas, Hinzman smokes the tires hard and Kolivas steps up with a 4.68 @ 165mph and has a .006 reaction time.

Bill Dutka vs. Francis Johnson, Johnson leaves soft and Dutka never looks back as he runs a 4.82.

Paul Major vs. Eric Dillard, Dillard redlights away with a -.009 and Major picks up the win with a 5.46.

Semi-Finals

8.50 Index

JohnLanger and Joe Alagna are going into the finals of 8.50 Index. Langer has been deadly all day and will be hard to beat in the finals.

John Langer

Outlaw 10.5

Tim Lynch took on Buck Jarvis. Jarvis gave it his all and spun around sixty feet as Lynch marched to another round win. In the other pair Joe Schroeder took on Steve Crisafulli. Schroeder continues to get better with each pass as Crisafulli had to abort the pass.

Tim Lynch with the wheels up at 200 feet.

275 Drag Radial

An epic battle of 275 radial cars took place here with Ron Rhodes in his Kmart sponsored Camaro and Chris Evans in his Target sponsored Mustang. A bit of a joke from the big bullseye that Jim Halsey placed on the side of Evans’ Mustang. Evans resets the record with a 4.94 in his win over Rhodes. Don Barnett took on Al Marlow on the other semi-final pairing. Barnett is tip toeing on the 4-second zone with a 5.01 to take the win.

Ron Rhodes with the Kmart sponsored Camaro

Outlaw Drag Radial

John Kolivas advanced in his race against Bill Dutka with a 4.76 @ 165mph. The other pair was Paul Major and Buddy Tippett in a pedal fest. Tippett regained control first and took the stripe for the win. So it will be a nitrous versus twin turbo final round.

Paul Major in his DMC Racing prepared Corvette.

YELLOWBULLET NATIONALS FINAL ROUNDS

8.50 INDEX

In the final round it was John Langer and Joe Algana duking it out for all the money. Algana left the tree first and picked up the win with a 8.55 over Langer’s 8.59. Congratulations to Joe for his great performance.

John Langer put on a great show in his naturally aspirated Pontiac.

7.50 INDEX

In a bittersweet charge for Charlie Micallif who struggled in qualifying he picked up the win over Michael Ingrossio to take home the YB Nationals trophy from Holeshot Wheels.

The Charlie Boy Racing crew went crazy after he took the final round win

OUTLAW 10.5

What a crazy final round it was as Joe Schroeder turned the wick up on his blown Camaro to try and take a shot at Tim Lynch. Schroeder went for a wild ride but did a nice job of saving the car as Lynch slowed a little but had enough to take home the win. Congratulations to the Lynch crew for a awesome performance all weekend long.

Smokin Joe Schroeder

275 DRAG RADIAL

It was Don Barnett who had been chomping at the bit to try and take out Chris Evans and he had that chance in the final round. Barnett gave it his all but spun and Evans ran a 4.98 to take home the win in 275 Drag Radial.

Don Barnett

DRAG RADIAL

It was a David versus Goliath in this final as Buddy Tippett took on John Kolivas. Kolivas was out and away as Tippett struggled to get a handle on the traction. Kolivas takes home the win here at the inagural YellowBullet Nationals.

John Kolivas making his move over Buddy Tippett

OUTLAW GOLF CART

One of the most anticipated events of the weekend was the golf cart race and with the likes of Outlaw 10.5 racers Bill Mitchell and Richard Sexton in it it would be interesting. The winner was the golf cart in the picture and managed to run in the 6.30′s in the 330 foot race with it’s motorcycle engine and manual transmission. He took home $1500 for his efforts.

Outlaw Golf Cart...what is there to say

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For ages our brave men and women of local law enforcement have been working hard to gain a bond between themselves and the rest of society. In years past there were many attempts to help get street racers off the street and onto the track where they belong. Now there is a new task force in California that has come up with the idea behind D.R.A.G.G. This organization stands for Drag Racing Against Gangs and Graffiti and is a community based program to encourage youth and teens to get involved in motorsports other than the gang life.

Visit the Vortech Blog for more great photos from the event.

The Oxnard Police Department is the proud owners of their new project car that is the base for the program. A 2006 Mustang GT was chosen to customize and draw the enthusiasm of the youth in their area. Two officers from the Oxnard Police Department are responsible for creating this program and they have included several great companies along the way. Vortech is a major part of the build as they have supplied one of their V3-SI trim superchargers with a air to water charge cooler. Borla exhaust finds itself underneath the Mustang providing that great rumble that gets your attention as you roll down the street.

GMS suspension products allows the Mustang to have a great stance on its blacked out rims. Full Throttle Kustomz provided a custom tune to give it a little extra edge on the competition and plenty of neck snapping power for the officer behind the wheel.  A special event was held to unveil the car and bring in youth and teens to see exactly what was happening with the project. From the looks of the photos it was greatly received and seems to be off to a great start. We wish the Oxnard PD all the best in their venture to make our streets safer for us and the youth of tomorrow.

The Suicide King does a nice wheelie. Photos: ErikAndersondesigns.com

With all the great feedback from you the readers we are working feverishly to bring you great nostalgia racing action each week. This chapter has all the information for you to enjoy. Coming up this weekend you have the opportunity to head out to Asbury, Missouri for the HAMB Drags at Mokan Dragway. From early style front engine dragsters to bikes you will see just about anything nostalgia make the trip down the famed quarter mile.

For all the information on the HAMB Drags visit their website.

You may be wondering exactly what the HAMB Drags are. Well it was founded in the 1950′s and it is a race that has been never duplicated with its classic style. For pre -1965 race cars that are of traditional styling is what you will see. No tubbed or tube chassis cars are allowed as the creators feel that they don’t fit the trend. Starting on Saturday the 21st the gates will open at 11am for spectators to fill in the grounds for a great show.

I can hear the rumble of the engines now as the racers fill the pits and warm their engines on preparation for a great day of racing. Hopefully if you are planning on racing, hopefully you have pre-registered because that is one of the stipulations this year. One thing is for sure that the imagination will run wild when you see these home built hot rods just as they were in the early days of drag racing. Some of them may appear scary and some may appear insane but you can be assured that they were built from the heart.

The Ghia as it was originally built. Photos: Ford Archive

Another chapter is about to be opened in our newly formed Flashback Friday segment. Derived from great points in automotive history that surround the world of racing. We search for the unusual, the rare and the ultra cool pieces of history that are bound to pop up where you least expect it. This segment may just fall into the unusual category as did a lot of experimental cars that the auto industry built over the last 50 years  but this one is just a bit different as it was constructed outside the grasp of the big three.

Check out the Jalopy Journal for all sorts off odd yet cool cars.

The 1960′s was a great era for the car market as some of the most memorable hot rods built by Detroit auto makers like the Mustang, Camaro and a slew of Mopars. But in Italy was a American designer who was pushing the envelope with a experimental car that had a flare of influence of the styling from Corvettes. Tom Tjaarda was working his styling techniques out of the Turin, Italy Ghia studio and came up with this streamline like dragster that lurks beneath the fine Italian built body.

The engine configuration is unknown but we can tell that it was configured with the engine out front and the driver sits centered behind the rear axle. As with most cars that have the prestige of a one off experimental status they tend to disappear into a small collection somewhere. Usually they pop up on the auction block somewhere but as far as we know this one was in the Ford collection until 2002 when it was sold. As for its where abouts we are unsure but just maybe one day it will stroll across the stage at Barrett Jackson.

Francis heats the hides on his 2000 Firebird

What does it take to run with the fastest Outlaw Drag Radial cars in the world? That may be one of the most sought after answers in the racing world for fans and fellow racers. There is such an abundance of combinations and more and more technology being brought forth in the turbocharger and supercharger markets it is hard to imagine running anything else. But if you were a race statistician you would be able to look back at racers like Richie Stine and realize that they have won more racers than many others combined with nitrous technology that may seem to be out dated. Well it is that same drive and power adder that is pushing Francis Johnson closer to the head of the pack in Outlaw Drag Radial.

Check out this thread on YellowBullet for more details.

The office is all business inside the Firebird

Francis campaigns a 2000 Pontiac Firebird around the northeast but is no stranger to making the trek down south to take his shot at the big money. Johnson and his crew have been slowly working on becoming faster on just about every pass down the track. Relying on their Samakow Racing Engines has lead them to work on the consistency of their race car. With tracks such as Maryland International Raceway where the prep is phenomenal at all times, they can get after it but it is when they are on a marginal track they have problems. Thus the reason for more testing this past week and from the looks of things they are surely on the right track.

In the most recent session of testing Francis wheeled his Firebird to a new best elapsed time of 4.69 @ 154mph. Francis chimed in on a thread on YellowBullet and confirmed the details. His incrementals were 1.17 seconds to the sixty and 3.09 seconds at the 330 clocks. Judging from his personal best on the short times of 1.13 seconds there may be a good bit left in the tune which may really hurt some feelings at the ORTC race in October. Could it be possible that there is something to be had for Mr. Wolfe? I guess only time will tell.

Francis Johnson in his flamed out Firebird.

Friday the 13th made for a great night of racing under the lights of Maryland International Raceway. It was Outlaw Drag Radial that was on tap for the fans on this night and with a very strong local contingent of racers it would prove to be quite exciting. With seventeen cars waiting to take a shot at the MIR track surface, it was going to get real serious real fast with the nitrous cars chomping at the bit to show the turbo cars who is boss.

Qualifying:

Round one of qualifying rolled into the lanes at 8:00pm sharp with seventeen cars. Jumping right to the front of the pack was Al Marlow going 4.96 @ 150mph which was followed closely by Richie Stine with a 5.02 @ 152mph. Rounding out the top eight after round one was Tim George of Johnstown, Pa. in his 1968 Camaro. Several heavy hitters sat outside the field looking in like Francis Johnson and would work hard to improve their qualifying effort in round two.

As round two of qualifying was set to begin the nitrous cars were set on kill and they would work their way up through the pack. Francis Johnson and his Samakow Racing Engines powered Firebird blasted the eighth mile in 4.741 seconds at 153mph. Richie Stine followed suit in the Mustang owned by Ricky Fox. Stine knocked two tenths off his previous effort to a 4.806 @ 154mph. Another strong effort was made by X275 racer Daniel Whestine as he qualified in the number six spot with a 5.32 @ 133mph. Tim George held onto the number eight position and would have to face Francis Johnson in round one of eliminations.

Richie Stine lost to Francis Johnson in the final round.

Round 1 Eliminations:

First through the water was Richie Stine taking on number seven qualifier Chris Wilkinson. Stine once again stepped up his performance to a 4.769 @ 154mph to take the win. Next up was Francis Johnson and Tim George, George red lighted which gave Johnson a easy pass but he laid out his cards for everyone to see. His 4.725 @ 153mph would be low for the round. Al Marlow also advanced to round two by defeating Karl Walther and Buddy Tippett advanced over Daniel Whestine as Daniel did a huge wheel stand and crossed the center line.

Round 2 Eliminations:

Round two was going to set the stage for what was heading up to a exciting final round. All four cars were nitrous powered and first up was Richie Stine versus Buddy Tippett.  It was a close race but Stine had a better reaction time and outrun Tippett to the finish line. Stine’s 4.775 @ 154mph would advance him to the final. Francis Johnson was taking on Al Marlow in the other semi-final round and Johnson had to do his part at the tree to win this race. Johnson’s .080 reaction time was a huge margin against Marlow’s .312. At the stripe it was Marlow with the faster elapsed time at 4.828 but it was Johnson’s 4.887 taking the win by virtue of a hole shot advantage.

Final Round:

What a final round it was shaping up to be with multi time track champion Richie Stine taking on Francis Johnson. Johnson had been just a few hundredths faster so Stine would have to be on his A game. When the pro-tree dropped it was all Johnson though with a stellar .039 reaction time to Stine’s .125. Johnson wheeled his 2000 Firebird to the finish line with a 4.762 @ 152mph for the win over the Mustang.

The Stardust Cuda driven by Mike Lewis. Photo: Dave Ferrin Photo Dave Ferrin

The Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Car Circuit really has our attention with their program that runs across the Unites States. From Ohio to Pennsylvania, they have 12 events on tap for 2010. Stop number seven was their 3rd Annual Marion County Nostalgia Funny Car Nationals held at Marion County International Raceway on LaRue, Ohio. 29 funny cars showed up to do battle and along with plenty of nostalgia action scheduled for the day’s activities this was a great show.

For more details on the GLNFCC visit their website.

The Mexican Revolution driven by Army Armstrong. Photo: Dave Ferrin

Of the 29 competitors there was six injected cars, 21 blown entrants and two nitro funny cars ready to get after it. Competitors traveled from eleven states to join in on the action and to show exactly what it was like to be a part of the racing scene in the 1960′s when the class first began. The pioneers of the sport started out with injected engines on nitro and alcohol. Just as they did back in the day these six entrants were leaving the line with the wheels up and down the 1320 in eight seconds.

One of the coolest cars in our eyes is the Mexican Revolution Camaro driven by Army Armstrong. The name may sound familiar as he is one of the legendary voices of motorsports on television. Armstrong wheels the blown nitro funny car just as you would have seen in the 1960′s with all the starting line antics. They were famous for the dry hops and burping the throttle which always gets the crowd on their feet. On the day the nitro cars made two runs for eliminations which was reminiscent of a match race. Armstrong took the win light both races over the Stardust Cuda driven by Mike Lewis.

The final rounds came to the water and it was the blown cars up first. The Snakebite Mustang had run 6.86 in the semi finals and would have to take on the Destroyer Trans Am who had been 6.34.  With the odds against the Snakebite car but as both drivers did huge smokey burnouts it was evident that they were serious about winning.  As they staged the Destroyer was shut off by the starter for oil leaking from the car which gave the single and the win to Snakebite.

In the other final round it was the injected funny cars coming to the line. A pair of New Jersey racers were ready to do battle as Frank  Barnard in The Poison Arrow faced the No Funny, No Money Nova. At the hit of throttle it looked as if the Poison Arrow was out of it as he skated around on the track but a top end charge took the win light over the No Funny, No Money Nova.

The beginnings of the Taco Tickler

The steering setup is truly unique.

Once upon a time when life was simple and the people were nicer, we had a ultra cool era of race cars right in front of us. From front engine dragsters to altered wheel base door cars, they had way more personality than the current day. It seems as if the racers were putting their heart and soul into making the racing effort successful without the modern day mega sponsors and the names that adorned the sheet metal of their rides. The names were a reflection of the drivers personality and where they come from which makes them as popular today as they were 40 years ago.

Stop over at the Jalopy Journal and check out all the vintage action.

What’s in the name? Well in this current case of a new front engine dragster being out together it is simply a case of the obvious. The “Taco Tickler”, I am not going to have to go into detail for you to understand where these guys are coming from when they name their current project but the name rightfully fits. The Dakota Kid over on the Jalopy Journal is responsible for this one-of-a-kind ride that is being outfitted with a period-correct flat head V8 engine.  The steering setup looks quite odd but as it would have been in a time where you did not have a mass of aftermarket availability you made things work. The steering comes from a old sprint car with the steering box mounted right on the column. While the project is still a ways from completion we will keep up to date on it and try and bring you the completion of it.

This brings us to the point where we would love to know what type of vintage racer our viewers would build and what would you name it?

"Killer" wears its original paint from 1971. Photos:eBay

Today we venture back to a time when life was much simpler and the cars were all steel, American built muscle. Through the 1960′s there was a flourish of awesome cars being built for track duty with the likes of Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins leading the way for race fans to be just like him. Just as you would think a majority of the cars from that era have been destroyed or rusted away in a field, once in a while we are lucky enough to find a survivor and that is exactly what we have for our fans today.

Bid to win on eBay and check out all the details.

We have come across this super cool 1955 Chevrolet that has been given the name “Killer”. I am not sure where the name came from but it may be from its wicked stance and fenderwell headers coming out from beneath the body. As with any car its value increases when you have documentation and there is plenty of history along with this 1955 Chevy. It was originally transformed into a race car in the late 1960′s and was campaigned in the southwest. Most notably it competed in the 1969 NHRA Texas Spring Nationals while owned by Gerald Caddy of New Mexico.

“Killer” found its way to the east coast through several sales of the car but all have been well documented. Which all led to the last time it was raced at Maple Grove Raceway and parked until recently it was purchased by a new owner. The engine is the original piece that was used it the 60′s.  A large journal 327 with a steel crank was used along with 14.87:1 compression pistons. Factory cylinder heads were ported and exstensively modified for the 2.05/1.60 valve combination. What gasser would be complete without a Hilborn Injection and magneto? So here is your opportunity to grab that 4-speed shifter and bang some gears down memory lane.

The Ultimate Outlaws flyer for Atco.

Scotty G. holds the points lead after one race this season in Outlaw 10.5.

We are steadily approaching another great racing in the northeast as the Pritchett Brothers bring their Ultimate Outlaws racing series to town. This will be the second stop on the tour this season and the historic Atco Raceway and promises to bring out all the heavy hitters to try and claim the top prize. With anything from Outlaw 10.5 to Index racing there is something for everyone . So grab your stuff and head over to Atco Raceway this weekend for some great heads up outlaw drag racing.

Go to the Ultimate Outlaws website for all the details.

Outlaw 10.5 is going to be crazy when you are in the back yard of the Kasper teams neck of the woods. Just last weekend they had Steve Petty tuning both of their entries in preparation for several upcoming events. But they will have to contend with the likes of Mo Hall and Joe Newsham if they want to take home the money. Scotty Gudagno picked up the win in Milan, Michigan over Billy Glidden in Outlaw 10.5 which makes him the points leader and the man to beat.

Luis Martinez is coming off a win in 8.50 at Cecil County last weekend.

With two different drag radial classes on tap it will be interesting to see which has the higher car count as both have a great following in the New Jersey area. While we have yet to see some of the top Outlaw Drag Radial cars come out this season we have had plenty of 275 cars battling it out up and down the east coast. Don Barnett is one of those X275 guys who has been working hard on his combination to find his way to the top of the pack. We have seen plenty of times if the track prep is right Don has a the power to be out in front. Both of these classes offer plenty of hair raising excitement for the fans and with the right weather it could be a record setting weekend.

8.50 Index is the last of the heads up classes and what a show these guys can put on. In Milan it was two of the regulars we see run 8.50 making it all the way to the final round. Mike Pyott will be back to try and hold onto his points lead after his win in Milan over Luis Martinez who just picked up a win last weekend at Cecil County. These two racers along with plenty of others will have their race cars dialed in for their chance to win the big money. This is my pick for the most exciting class to watch.

This awesome Chevelle put on a awesome show with all four wheels off the ground.

This past weekend the crowds piled into Cecil County Dragway to watch some of the fastest heads up drag racing on the east coast. With a stout field of Outlaw 10.5 cars the buzz in the crowd was the upcoming YellowBullet Nationals which will easily surpass the crowds from this past weekend. The weather was near perfect for a day of racing and with five great heads up classes the fans definitely got their moneys worth in action.

8.50 Index:

Qualifying:

Harry Gerb leaves with the wheels up in 8.50 Index.

During the first qualifier most racers were trying to get a feel for the track and seeing where their setup had them. Sixteen cars went down the track with Mike Pyott going straight to number one with a 8.51 @ 159mph. Six of the sixteen were under the index which pushes them to the bottom of the ladder. The second qualifier would prove trying as the racers worked to get closer to the 8.50 index and it would be John Bova who would run dead on to go number one with his 8.50 @ 161mph. Al Fonse Jr. and Harry Gerb also improved on their qualifying efforts  moving into the top five after qualifying was complete.

Eliminations:

Round 1:

First out of the gate was Robb Puller and Harry Gerb. Gerb in his first generation Firebird would take a slight starting line advantage and never look back taking the win with a 8.55 @ 155mph. Brent Beachley was up next in his beautiful Nova versus Luis Martinez in his deadly RX-7. It was a close race but Martinez would advance to round number two.  In one of the closest races we have seen in a long time it was number two qualifer Mike Pyott versus Angelo Valla in his Corvette. The starting line was .050 to .054 with the advantage going to Pyott. On the top end Valla was dead on the dial 8.500 but so was Pyott with a 8.505. The margin of victory was .0013 with the win light going to Valla. Craig Cusamano, Michael O Sullivan, Al Fonse Jr, John Bova and Darrell Varner would all advance into round two as well.

Round 2:

This AMX was a crowd favorite.

Right off the start John Bova would run another dead on pass versus Darrell Varner. Bovas 8.50 @ 161mph took the win as Varner red lit.  Current points leader Valla would fall in a upset as Michael O’ Sullivan would run a 8.54 to take the win over the slowing Corvette. Harry Gerb faced off against Craig Cusamano and Gerb coasted to the win as Craig blew the tires off at the starting line. In a double break out race that was close it was Al Fonse Jr. and Luis Martinez. On the top end it was 8.46 to 8.464 with Fonse taking the stripe first so that gave the win to Martinez.

Round 3:

Taking the easy win would be Luis Martinez as O’ Sullivan was off the pace which advanced Luis to the final round. Harry Gerb faced off against number one qualifier John Bova for the other spot in the final round. Gerb had the starting line advantage and would run 8.57 @ 150mph to take the win.

Final Round:

Right from the burnouts you could tell this was going to be a good race with two veteran racers in the 8.50 Index. At the starting line only 3 thousandths separated the two with the advantage to  Gerb.  Martinez pulled away though and Gerb just did not have enough to run him down on the top end. Martinez ran a 8.51 @ 146mph against Gerb’s 8.56 to take the win. Congratulations to both racers on a great showing.

7.50 Index:

Qualifying:

John Fisher in the PSI Motorsports Camaro.

The other quarter mile class was up next with 7.50 Index. John Schroeder is always a threat to win and he was working out the bugs on a new engine. His first pass was a 7.7 @ 153mph but he apparently had problems and would not be back the rest of the day. Charlie Micallaf made a statement with his qualifying effort taking the number one spot with a 7.54 @ 185mph. Jimmy Reutter brought out his beautiful red Nova to take the number three spot followed by Michael Ingrossio in his Cutlass. Rounding out the field was Rick Righter, John Fisher and Dough Hinkle who all struggled in qualifying.

Round 1:

John Fisher in the PSI Motorsports backed Camaro would have to take on “Charlie Boy” in the Chevelle. Fisher finally made a strong pass but it was not enough to hold off Micallaf’s 7.58. Jimmy Reutter took on Rick Righter in his Mercury Comet in the second pairing. Righter struggled to get down track as peddled the car and moved all around but it was enough to hold off the Nova. Michael Ingrossio would make his best pass of the day against Christopher Malec who had a nitrous backfire at the hit of the throttle. Igrossio’s 7.61 @ 188mph would advance him into the next round.  Doug Hinkle received a bye run as he was to run John Schroeder who was unable to make the call.

"Charlie Boy" Micallaf took the win in 7.50 Index.

This was the semi-finals for the 7.50 Index and it was Rick Righter against Doug Hinkle in the first pair. Both cars were off the pace but it was Righter who drove around for the win to advance to the finals. Michael Ingrossio faced Charlie Micallaf in the other pairing.  It was Charlie who put together another consistent run to take the win. Micallaf’s 7.61 @ 160 would give him lane choice over Righter.

Final Round:

In somewhat of an odd final both cars were extremely late off the line but it was Charile Micallaf who was able to put together the winning combination. Righter struggled to get down track and Micallaf  went 7.60 @ 161mph for the win. Congratulations to both drivers on their performances.

Outlaw 10.5

Qualifying:

TJ Kasper flys by on his way to a 4.45 second pass.

The big boys rolled through the water for one of the best fields we have seen to date in this class. Right out of the gate it was a huge rivalry in the water. Mo Hall and Joe Newsham made the first passes of the day. Hall put together a 4.56 pass which was a great run but Newsham was off the pace a little with  a 6.15. Dale Collins Jr. and Steve Gorman lined up. Neither cars performed to their potential but it was Collins with the better run at 4.95.

Michael Martin stepped in his nitrous powered Camaro with a 4.54 @ 165mph and would better that in the second qualifier.  The Kasper team made a statement with Steve Petty on the grounds making the tuning calls. The duo went 4.44 and 4.45 to claim the one and two spots.  Joe Newsham would come back in the second qualifier and move up to number three with a 4.47 @ 171mph.  John Cheman would also move up in the ladder in his blown Camaro with a 4.57 @ 169 which placed him number seven.

Round 1:

Joe Newsham in his J&E Performance powered Camaro.

As the call was made for Outlaw 10.5 to the lanes, it was announced that it would be a sixteen car field which was much to the excitement of the fans. The first pair out was John Cheman versus Dale Collins Jr. Cheman made an easy 5.40 @ 133mph pass to beat Collins. Michael Martin had to tak on a former NMRA champion Tim Essick. Essick struggled but Martin had enough power to drive around for the win with a 4.61 @ 162mph.

Joe Newsham and his J&E powered Camaro battled it out against Tom Ferrick and his nasty little S10 truck. Newsham took the win over Ferrick to advance to round two. Charlie Dolbin put together a great pass against Steve Chrissafulli to take the win with a 4.5 second pass. “Smokin” Joe Schroeder faced Brad Harris in his twin turbo Mustang. Schroeder turned the blown Camaro loose and went 4.69 which easily surpassed Harris’ 5.06. TJ Kasper had to face the team that traveled all the way from Kuwait to compete.

Saud Alzabin was first off the line but the ProLine power flew past with a 4.43 @ 177mph for the win. In the last pair it was Tom Kasper versus Steve Gorman. Gorman did his part at the tree but got loose past the sixty foot mark and had to lift as Kasper drove around for the win.

John Cheman heats the hides on his blown Camaro.

Round two was filled with upsets and it started with John Cheman taking out TJ Kapser. Kasper slowed right off the line and Cheman blasted to a 4.65 @ 153mph for the win. Joe Newsham was looking like the Joe of years past as he wheeled his Camaro to the win over Louis Sciortino. Another huge upset was Charlie Dolbin versus the elder Kasper. Tom red lit the win away against Dolbin who was on a great pass but lifted once he seen the win light was on. He still coasted to a 4.60 @ 148mph. In the last pair it was all Michael Martin as Joe Schroeder redlighted. Martin left the track have all it could handle with a 4.46 @ 166mph.

Round 3:

Michael Martin with the candles lit on his final round pass.

Joe Newsham would do a great job of driving in this round as he faced off against John Cheman. A holeshot aided Newsham in taking the win over the faster Cheman. Newsham was 4.78 to Cheman’s 4.73. Michael Martin proved hard to beat once again as he went even faster against Charlie Dolbin. Dolbin slowed but Martin’s 4.44 @ 166 was quite impressive with the candles lit the whole way down track.

Final Round:

It was a peddle fest in the final as Martin had the advantage at the starting line. Both drives peddled their cars but it was Martin getting to the stripe first with a 4.81 to Newsham’s 4.77. Congratulations to both drivers especially artin as he has had a history of mishaps at Cecil County in the past.

Outlaw Drag Radial:

Qualifying:

Richie Stine blazes the tires on his qualifying pass.

Qualifying was pretty uneventful as most of the racers struggled to get down the tricky track. John Carter put together a good pass with aid of Steve Petty tuning. His 5.11 @ 154mph placed him number one. Richie Stine made his long awaited return to Cecil County behind the wheel of Ricky Fox’s Mustang. Stine went to number two with a 5.39 @ 125 with the smoke rolling off the Mickey Thompsons down track. Francis Johnson was in the third spot with a 5.39 as well in his nitrous powered Firebird.

Round 1:

Bill Dutka had the wild ride of the weekend in his Malibu.

First up was John Carter versus Randy Lambert in his Chevelle. Lambert struggles to get down track as he spins at the hit, which allowed Carter to go a to b with another 5.11 second pass. Bill Dutka in his Malibu got the tune right and went down track with a 5.33 to take the win over John Ashnault.

Richie Stine received a bye run and made a nice pass with a quick peddle job down track. His 5.07 @ 143mph advances him to the next round. Quentin Methaney was working hard to hold onto his points lead amd had abye in round one due to his opponent not making the call. Metheney went 5.40 @ 131mph moving onto round two.

Round 2:

John Carter took the win with the aid of Steve Petty tuning.

The wild ride of the weekend happened right here as Bill Dutka took on John Carter. Carter was out first then the power if the Malibu came on. Dutka went well past the sixty foot clocks with the wheels up then peddled the car and went completely vertical for a second time in a most violent matter. Dutka wheeled the car and brought it back to earth taking out the timing blocks. Carter stayed out in front during all of this and drifted left to try and avoid any contact with Dutka. The other pair in the semi-finals was Richie Stine versus Quentin Methaney. Methaney made another consistent 5.38 second pass to beat Stine who was late off the line.

Final Round:

John Carter and Quentin Methaney did their burnouts and pulled to the line. Methaney was out first with a .024 reaction time but it was the big power of Carter’s Corvette pulling around on the top end for the win. Carter ran a 5.23 @ 145mph over Matheny’s 5.44 @ 131mph. Congratulations to John Carter for his secnd win in as many weeks.

275 Drag Radial:

Ken Ewer struggled to get down track with his small block Ford power.

How else could a 275 Drag Radial class start out without Chris Evans and his Procharged Mustang going directly to the number one position with a 5.04 @ 142mph. Ken Ewer was testing out some new parts in preparation for his next race as he pulled up against Ron Rhodes. Rhodes had a small nitrous backfire and Ewer spun badly off the line. Eric Hendrickson made his first trip to Cecil County and ran a 5.98 @ 128 on his first pass. Larry Palmer made a nice pass in the second round of qualifying to stay in the field. With the wheels up he ran a  5.63 @ 127mph. Marc Schankweiler put a nice pass together in his flamed blue Nova. His 5.46 @ 131mph would keep him around eliminations.

Larry Palmer with the wheels up on his way to a round win.

Chris Evans came out to take on Jeff Moyer in his Camaro. Moyer slowed almost instantly as Evans cruised to the win with a 5.07 @ 142mph. The next pair was Shankweiler versus Palmer. Palmer left with the wheels up but was late off the line. Schankweiler went 5.44 @ 131mph for the win. Newcomer Rich Brucker picked up his first round win over Nick Mancuso as Mancuso had problems from the start. Ron Rhodes came back from his nitrous backfire to take on Tony Parsons. Parsons in his late model Mustang won the peddle fest with a 5.89 over Rhodes’ 6.84.

Round 2:

Tony Parsons pulled out the win in 275 Drag Radial.

Chris Evans took on Rich Brucker in round two. Both cars had traction issues but it was Evans who gathered it up and won with a 5.30 @ 142mph. Parsons battled engine troubles all day but still prevailed for the win over Marc Schankweiler in round two. Parsons left the line with the wheels way up and ran a 5.48 @ 131mph out the back for the win.

Final Round:

What a great finalround it was as Tony Parsons took on Chris Evans. Parsons had to change out two pushrods in between rounds but he came back with a vengeance. Parsons had the advantage from the starting line .179 to .211. A 5.35 for Tony was enough to hold off  Evans’ 5.33 second run. Congratulations to Tony for taking out Chris Evans in finals.

Brad Brand testing his XTF entry. Photo: John Fore III

The name Brad Brand has been around the sport of heads up drag racing for as many years as I can remember and has always been a stout competitor. Most recently Brad campaigned a 1992 Mustang in Outlaw 10.5 up and down the east coast with a powerful Proline Racing engine with twin turbos. This very car had a untimely demise at the Shakedown at Etown last year where it went through the sand trap damaging the Mustang heavily. But as any true racer Brad shook it off and started to prepare for his next venture in the world of drag racing.

Check out all the details on YellowBullet.

Back in April we reported that Brad Brand had been entertaining the idea of entering into Xtreme 10.5 with the ADRL. Brand searched for the right piece of equipment and purchased a championship caliber car which was once campaigned by John Nobile and Frank Gugliotta. In the most recent pictures of the car it appears that a turbocharged powerplant has found its way into the engine bay of the Mustang. We are told that it is a big block Ford combination which will hopefully set him apart from the rest of the field when the make the trek to St. Louis for this weekends ADRL race.

During a test session in Atlanta this week we received details that Brand was really onto something with just a few passes on the car. On the first full pass on the car they had a bit of engine trouble with a broken rocker arm and still coasted to a 4.11 @ 188mph. Judging by the 1.08 second sixty foot time and the eighth mile times on a hot and greasy Atlanta track we may just get to see the fifth member of the Mickey Thompson 3-Second club this weekend.

White Zombie is a 1972 Datsun which gets down in the low 10's. Photo:PlasmaBoyRacing.com

This is the old 8" Siamese electric motor that propelled the Datsun into the 11's.

With all the talk of “going green” these days, the performance world has decided to follow suit. Electric powered race cars are not a new idea as most have been short lived with all the technical gremlins that can follow. But as with anything that has the potential to be fast it has our attention which is what brings us to our current state of “Shocked”.

Check out PlasmaBoys website for all the details on his racing operation.

Plasma Boy Racing is based out of Oregon and are currently working on electrifying the local drag strip. While the 1972 Datsun 1200 may appear to play the part of your average import – this one has something a bit different lurking under the hood. “Plasma Boy” John Wayland states that he is use to hurting the feelings of muscle cars on grudge nights at the track with its electric power plant. It is powered by siamese twin electric motors, which feeds direct to the rear end. Dow/Kokam is a huge part of making of this little Datsun go with their lithium ion battery pack, which is capable of feeding 395 volts fully charged.

White Zombie is what John calls his powerful Datsun and the rolling stock consists of BF Goodrich G-Force Drag Radials. While cruising the streets the BFG’s are inflated to 35psi but when he hits the strip they are lowered to 20psi for maximum traction after the burnout. On his last outing to the track the team was consistently creeping up on the 10-second zone. On the next to last pass the Datsun was on a good run when the forward/reverse switch shorted out filling the car full of smoke and still drifted to a 11.17 @ 94mph.  John made the repairs and came back for one more run as he lined up against a twin turbo Skyline. As White Zombie left the line it was once again making a real nice pass and as he crossed the quarter mile markers the scoreboards lit up with a moment of history. 10.40 @ 117mph was the magic number that flashed up much to the enjoyment of John’s friends who had helped him get to this point. This pass makes John’s Datsun the World’s quickest street legal electric car.

Dale Handy and his "Moneypit" Mustang. Photo: Nicole79

As we gather around the water cooler on Monday morning’s it is usually the same old stories of going fishing and what not. But who comes up with the truly unique stories that are actually true? Most likely it would be the guys and gals who find themselves behind the wheel for fun and can share it with their co-workers. Now most will not be able to relate  to these instances but when you see this video just about everybody around will drop their jaw. So just imagine how Dale Handy’s co-workers would feel if someone asked what he did this past weekend?

On Saturday the X275 Drag Radial series rolled into Virginia Motorsports Park for another action packed race. Quite a few heavy hitters were in attendance and the track was prepared very well from the start. There were some great times being laid down on the tiny 275 radials even with the absence of Chris Evans. Shelley Smith is one of the locals who frequents VMP for these races and is very prone to take home the money.

It was Shelley Smith in the red notchback Mustang who lined up against Dale Handy in his “Moneypit” Mustang. Relying on nitrous power is Handy, and in this particular round it appears he may have turned it up a bit. From the starting line Handy started to lift the front wheels and they just kept on going higher and higher. At nearly 300 feet it appears as the car is coming back to earth but just then the throttle gets another blip from the driver and up, up and away it goes with all four wheels off the ground and completely rolls the bumper under the car. The most impressive feat other than keeping the car off the wall as it come down hard was that it still ran a 5.85 in the eighth mile on the rear bumper.

Justin Humphreys and crew prepare his 2010 Mustang for a test hit. Photo: Jason Miller

If you look back nearly 25 years you may be able to find a strong contingent of Ford power in the NHRA Pro Stock class. Since that time there have been attempts to regain the prominence that the likes of Bob Glidden once had behind the wheel of a Ford but to some dismay those attempts have usually foiled out quickly. While Glidden was a fierce competitor and racked up 85 national event wins, no one has come close to duplicating these performances behind the wheel of a Ford.

Fast forward thirteen years from when the last time Bob Glidden was behind the wheel of a Pro Stocker and you have up and coming star Justin Humphreys preparing to unveil his new Jerry Haas built 2010 Mustang. Humphreys has been behind the wheel over the past few seasons and with several round wins to his credentials he was able to assemble a promising deal with Roush/Yates on their  engine program. Humphreys will be the very first to unveil the Roush/Yates power plant and he is looking to outgun the few Fords that have been running in the NHRA.

Larry Morgan has been the most successful thus far with his Mustang but you also have Jim Cunningham and Erica Enders’ two car team which have been steadily improving. Morgan posted a number twelve qualifying effort at the last event in Denver with a 7.028 @ 196mph. Anywhere else in the country Humphreys will have to be just a bit faster to stay in the field with his new Haas built Mustang. Most recently we received the photo above courtesy of Jason Miller at Maryland International Raceway where Justin and his crew were testing the brand new car. We were unable to pry any numbers away from them so I guess we will have to wait and see how he performs on the national event stage.

Kevin Fiscus as he heats the Mickey Thompson Drag Radials

Here is your chance to grab a piece of racing history and still be able to be one of the fastest cars in the world for the class. With all the craze of Outlaw Drag Radial over the past three years there has been plenty of spotlight shed on the racers whom were the first six members in the six second club. Now you can own one of the very first cars to be in the elite group  at an impressive cost.

Check out YellowBullet’s classifieds for more great deals.

We recently came across a classified ad for Kevin Fiscus’ 2002 Mustang. The second member of the elite six second club on a drag radial this Mustang has all the very best of go fast parts to compete with the best in the class. It is a 25.2 certified chassis weighing at 3175 pounds with driver and a nasty small block from Proline Racing. The 363 cubic inch powerplant is packed inside a RDI aluminum block and topped off with Edelbrock Victor cylinder heads. The small block receives motivation from a pair of Precision GT4780 turbochargers which is all managed through a BigStuff3 and AMS1000 boost controller.

Two options are out there for any potential buyer and when you look at what it would take to build a car of this caliber the asking price as turn-key or roller are cheap. Kevin is asking $59,000 turn-key for his record setting Mustang that has been as fast as 4.60 @ 165mph in the eighth mile and 6.94 @ 216mph in the quarter mile. Get out your checkbook and jump in head over heels in the craze of Outlaw Drag Radial. These deals do not come along often and this may be the one you won’t want to miss.

Chris Evans getting it done on 275's.

Once again Maryland International Raceway held an X275 race this past Friday in the sweltering heat. John Sears called all his troops out to put on a show for the loyal fans who filled the stands for a great night of racing. As we have seen at each event, the 275 radial races keep getting better with faster elapsed times and more and more cars trying to qualify. In fact, it may have been a record for the most cars in attendance with 28 making the qualifying rounds and two more were unable to make the call, which would have put them at 30.

Check out the MIR section on YellowBullet for more details on all the races.

Unfortunately for some their is a green Mustang that has been on a tear in the 275 world this year. Chris Evans wheels the Mustang with the mastermind on the laptop Matt Butrim calling all the shots. The pair have proven that they can race in just about any condition as the Mustang better known as “Big Green” racks up number one qualifier spots like they are going out of style. A few times this year some have come close to knocking off the current front runner but even in 100 plus degree temperatures Evans can run the number.

Friday night started out strong for Evans as he marched right to the front of the pack with a 5.102 @ 141mph. He would stay there through both rounds of qualifying but the hard charging Don Barnett in his Vortech motivated Firebird was in a close second with a 5.193 @ 138mph. Could this be the night that Evans would be knocked off his throne?  In round one of eliminations Chris would take on Tony Reddix in his Chevy Nova and Reddix would fall victim to yet another consistent 5.10 second run at 135mph. Round two was going to be equally tough as Evans lined up against Bobby Flippin in the S10 truck. Flippin had the hole-shot advantage but the Mustang would cruise on around for the win. Chris’ 5.026 @ 141mph would prove to be a tough number to beat for Ron Rhodes in the finals.

The final held up to all its glory as it was a great race for the two competitors. Ron Rhodes in his Camaro lined up to take on Chris Evans for the final round. As both drivers staged, they left the line with nearly identical reaction times. Rhodes had stepped up his performance level through out the night but in the end it was not enough to hold off the small block Procharged power of Evans and Butrim. Evans’ 5.035 @ 141mph simply out gunned Rhodes’ 5.19 @ 136mph.  What could be next? Will we see a bounty put up for the number one spot in X275? I guess we will have to wait til next month and see.

The YellowBullet Nationals logo as flew proudly by so many members.

In a gathering of epic proportions, race fans prepare for what could be the biggest race of the year. A few short months ago the YellowBullet.com Nationals was just a thought in the heads of a few key people but now with them all pulling together Cecil County Dragway is about to see a race like no other. We have already heard of fans coming from across the country to take part in this race but the real question is which racers will take their shot at the big $10,000 purse for the winner of Outlaw 10.5.

For details on all the classes and happening check out YellowBullet.

Just announced this past week is the increased purse for what some call a class that is dead. With all the hype surrounding drag radial over the past few years, people felt that the 10.5 guys had fell to the wayside. Just in the few days since this announcement it is clear that 10.5 racing is alive and well, especially in the Northeast. Team North will surely be out in full effect with members like Mo Hall, Joe Newsham, Chuck Ulsch and many more who would like to keep the money right in their back yard.

It is the southern racers who have yet to chime in and let it be heard that they want the loot. The contingent is strong enough to race anywhere in the country but will they show? With the likes of Tim Lynch and Bill Futch in the arsenal it is only a matter of time until we see this battle unfold on the grounds of Cecil County.  From my vantage point this quite possibly could go down as one of the greatest of all time and rank right up there with the North versus South race at Piedmont in years past.

Mark your calenders for Labor Day weekend 2010 as you are not going to want to miss this one.

Maryland resident Chuck Ulsch may be one of the top picks to win the big money.

Xtreme Dean gets the high flyer award for draggin the bumper in Outlaw Drag Radial.

Saturday night the masses of race fans rolled into corner of routes 75 and 80 where Maryland’s oldest dragstrip resides. With the record crowd in attendance 75-80 Dragway had quite possibly the best race ever to be held there. The air temperatures and humidity were unbearable at times but even with track surface temperatures in the 150′s the surface was prepared well. From the first pair of cars down the track the traction was right where it needed to be for some record setting performances once the sun went down.

5.20 Index

Qualifying:

Rob Bower wheels the Martin Brothers dragster in 5.20 Index.

At this years Run What Ya Brung a new class debuted for the index racing fans. 5.20 Index was open for just about anything from dragsters to door cars as long as you can run the number. Nine cars came out to try their luck and after qualifying was done Dave Skinner was on top of the ladder with a 5.244 second elapsed time. He was followed closely Chris Carter in his Ford EXP and the field was rounded out by Rob Bower in the Martin Brothers dragster.

Round 1:

Opening up round one was the number one qualifier Dave Skinner. Skinner laid down one of his trademark 300 foot burnouts but then had some mechanical difficulties which would force him out of competition on his bye run. A crowd favorite was the 1957 Chevrolet driven by George Paul which faced off against Mike Bower. Bower would advance to round two by taking out Paul. Ronnie Guariglia picked up a round one victory in his Dodge Demon which would place him against Rob Harris in round two.

Round 2:

George Paul blasting down the track in his 1957 Chevrolet.

Mike Bower and Chris Carter would both have bye runs in the second round so the lone heads up race was Ronnie Guariglia  against Rob Harris. Guariglia laid down another consistent pass as Harris fell off the pace.  Ronnie’s second round win will grant him a bye run in round 3 which will place him in the finals against either Mike Bower or Chris Carter.

Round 3:

Mike Bower in the dragster lined up against the short wheel base EXP of Chris Carter. Carter chased down the dragster of Bower and ran him under the index for the win.  Carter and Guariglia would face off in the finals of 5.20 Index.

Final Round:

Chris Carter jumped out to a lead off the line and that was enough to hold off the Demon of Guariglia. Carters 5.281 second elapsed time placed him the winners circle at the first ever 5.20 Index race at 75-80 Dragway. Congratulations to Chris and his crew on a great performance.

Outlaw Drag Radial

Qualifying:

Brian Deyton in his Firebird which relies on nitrous assisted Poncho power.

A quick trip through the pits and it was easy to see that this was the best field of Drag Radial cars to date that have run at 75-80. 15 cars came from New York to Virginia to try and claim the $3500 top prize. A familiar car here on Dragzine was at the top of the field after qualifying. Chris Evans and his small block Procharged Mustang outgunned many a heavy hitter while being on the much smaller 275 tires. 4.972 @ 130 mph was enough to hold of John Carter in his twin turbocharged Corvette who laid down a 5.052 @ 129mph. John Balinsky made the long ride trip from New York and brought along Mustang Mike Modeste to lend a helping hand. Balinksy qualified ninth in his “On a Budget” Oldsmobile Cutlass powered by a twin turbocharged big block. Rounding out the field was Eric Hendrickson in his Mustang. His small block nitrous assisted combination may have been like bringing a knife to a gun fight but he still laid down an impressive 5.669 @ 126mph.

Round 1:

Keith Matheson had a strong showing in his late model Camaro.

In round one it was one of the local longtime racers Larry Palmer facing Rob Falcone. It was a battle of small block versus big block and the small block nitrous assisted Mustang of Palmer came out on top with a 5.395 second elapsed time. Quite possibly one of the top picks to take home the money was Richie Stine behind the wheel of Ricky Foxs’ Mustang. Stine took on Steven Montgomery in round one and Montgomery took a huge hole shot advantage but the Mustang came around on the big end for the win with Stine behind the wheel. Two of the strongest nitrous cars came out of Virginia to compete and faced off in round one as well. Nick Bernardo and Keith Matheson took the tree but it was the late model Camaro of Matheson taking the win with a 5.087 and would face Larry Palmer in round two. Chris Evans, Brian Deyton, John Carter, Bobby Demilt and Bill Dutka would all advance into round two as well.

Round 2:

Chris Evans hammers the 275 radials on his way to his fastest pass of the day.

Chris Evans would have to take on Brian Deyton in his Firebird which is truly a unique piece with Ponhco power under the hood. Deyton gave it everything he had with a nice wheelie well past the sixty foot clocks but it was the hard charging small block of Evans on the other end. His 5.016 would make him second fastest for the round. It was John Carter who would be the fastest as he continued a string of 4.90 passes in this round. He faced Richie Stine and Stine was away first from the line but the twin turbo Proline power was building a full head of steam down track and narrowly edged out Stine with a 4.934. Bobby Demilt and Bill Dutka were doing battle to advance to the next round. The Maryland native, Demilt would advance as he simply outrun the Malibu of Dutka who made the haul from New Jersey. The last pair was Larry Palmer versus Keith Matheson. Matheson once again stepped up his performance and pulled away from Palmer to move onto the semi- finals.

Round 3:

Bobby Demilt made it to the semi finals before losing to John Carter.

In the final four there were some great races lined up to take place. Chris Evans and Keith Matheson lined up first and it was Matheson using a huge hole shot advantage to take out the 4.94 second run of Evans. Matheson advanced to the finals to face the winner of Carter versus Demilt. Carter continued his dominance against Demilt. He already had backed up the new track record in the previous round and lowered it again. A 4.914 advanced him to the finals to take on Matheson.

Keith Matheson would have a huge task in the final round against John Carter. Matheson running his big block nitrous combination against the twin turbos in Carters Corvette. Carter would leave the line first and never look back. Matheson improved on all his previous times but it was not enough to hold off Carters 4.977. Carter and crew celebrated a hard earned victory at their home track and we look forward to seeing them back soon.

Outlaw Pro Street RWYB:

Qualifying:

Doug Harris made the trip from New Jersey to take a crack at the money.

The most anticipated class of the day was the Outlaw Pro Street Run What Ya Brung. With the open rules just about anything was possible to show up and take a shot at the money. Chuck Ulsch may have been the most talked about entry of the day in his 1968 Camaro that is a record holder in the ADRL Extreme 10.5 ranks. Ulsch would claim the number one spot with a 4.392 @ 150mph. Mo Hall was number two on the ladder and really started his day off in a bad way during his first run. As he left the line the steering wheel came off in his hand which left him helpless as he went for a ride up the right side retaining wall. The car was pretty much unharmed and he would come back to qualify number two with a 4.501 2 134.64mph. Doug Harris made the trip from New Jersey to qualify number three with a 4.636 @ 139.66mph. Rounding out the field was Terris Hicks who struggled to get down track running a 6.49 @ 135mph.

Round 1:

Number one qualifier Ulsch received a bye into round two and used it as a test pass. He posted another super fast pass of 4.411 to prepare himself for the competition. Darren Eash took his wildly painted Firebird to the line against the wheelstanding  Erik Vandrew. Vandrew gave it all he had but Eash drove around him for the win. Doug Harris and Sammy carter were next up and Carter would bring his 1957 Chevy to the line being tuned by the legendary Camp Stanley. Camp put the Chevy on kill but the Kogan Motorsports power under the hood of Harris’ GTO walked by on the top end with a 4.62. Last seasons RWYB champion Ronnie Proctor line up his Mustang against another Mustang counterpart in Robert Norris. Norris’ GT500 was virtually untested but made a clean pass but it would not be enough to hold off Proctor who ran a 4.679.  Mo Hall in his Fulton powered Camaro lined up against  Terris Hicks. Hicks once again struggled to keep the car running and could not make it to the line. Hall took the solo run and blasted to a 4.488 second elapsed time. Finally Jeff Mullins in his twin turbo Willy’s took on the Camaro of Mike Decker. Decker fell off the pace at the hit of the throttle and Mullins blasted to a 4.471 which was second fastest for the round.

Round 2:

Rob Norris was working on getting his GT500 down track.

Rolling into round two it was Ulsch taking on Darren Eash. Eash would have to pull off a major upset to take out the Mobley Motorsports Camaro. Ulsch once again dipped into the 4.30′s for the win over Eash. Doug Harris had to try and knock off the ever tough Proctor and tough he would remain. He used his skills at the starting line to get out on Harris and carry it to the finish line for the win moving him one step closer to the money once again this year. Mo Hall would have to face his closest competition all day in Jeff Mullins. Hall turned the wick a bit more on the Fulton power to take out Mullins.  A 4.457 would make him just a little closer to Ulschs’ low qualifier numbers.

Round 3:

Chuck Ulsch may have been the hands on favorite to win the money.

Mo Hall received a bye run into the finals as Proctor faced Ulsch for the other spot. Once again a betting man may have laid their money on Ulsch who had been nearly three tenths faster than Proctor but Ulsch red lighted the round away and Ronnie would take the easy win to the final against Hall.

Final Round:

Mo Hall had the flames a flying on every pass on his way to the big win.

The last race of the night sure did not leave out any excitement. Ronnie Proctor did as he done so many times before and got a good jump at the line but as he drifted out of the groove he came real close to the wall and Hall had the candles lit on his Camaro hauling a 4.458 out the back for the victory. Halls victory shows that you can never count someone out even after making contact with the wall early in the day.  The crew and driver were very excited in the winners circle as they collected the check for the win.

For more photos from the race click here

With 100 plus degree temperatures during the day the heat was on at MIR but that would not stop the X275 racers from putting on one hell of a show once again. The class has grown superbly over the first few months of the season with the popularity spreading across the nation. Maryland International Raceway is by far one of the nicest facilities in the country and would handle the extreme heat very well with a solid track prep which led to some awesome racing.

Qualifying:

Twenty entrants converged on the staging lanes to try their best to come out on top for qualifying and with the track as hot as it was it would be a tuning game to see who would get a handle on things first. Justin Smith would grab the number one spot in the first qualifier in his 2001 Camaro that is powered by a LS based engine with nitrous. Another big name was right behind him in a brand new X275 car. Ricky Fox was wheeling his 1993 Cobra which was purchased from Brett Hull and then was transformed into a 275 car with new power under the hood. Local favorite Chris Evans was sitting in fifth with a 5.42 @ 140mph. Rounding out the top eight was Al Marlow in his nitrous assisted Camaro.

During the second qualifier the track temperature had went down and the racers would try and turn things up to better their qualifying efforts. Chris Evans would easily make the big jump into the number one spot as he has done so many times already this season. His 5.001 elapsed time would set him out from the pack but the rest of the field was hot on his tails. Justin Smith once again would gain some ground as he ran a 5.10 @ 141mph which was enough to hold off the hard charging Ricky Fox in the third position. The top eight was sealed off by Ryan Ellington who barely had enough to stay in the field.

At each X275 race they hold a “Shootout” for those competitors whom did not make the top eight field. Many times we have seen some outstanding racing and this night would be no different as a naturally aspirated Camaro was looking to derail the power adder competition. Chris Wilkinson was sitting at the top of the field for the Shootout but it was Mike Barry who was on a mission with stout 5.64 @ 124mph in qualifying which put in the next to last spot for the field but definitely not out of the show.

Eliminations:

Round 1:

In round one it would be an upset as the favorite to win Chris Evans would get taken out on a huge hole shot victory by Ryan Ellington. Evans was off the pace but Ellington kept his composure and took out the number one qualifier. Bobby Flippin was back behind the wheel of his red S10 and he would face off against  Daniel Whestine. Flippin was out first and never looked back. His 5.30 @ 134 was plenty to edge out Whestine’s 5.37 pass. Ricky Fox and Justin Smith would both advance into round two with nearly identical 5.18 second elapsed times. Only one thousandth of a second separated these two and they would meet up in the next round.

In the shootout it was Mike Barry and James Willett facing in the first pairing. Barry and his naturally aspirated Camaro took a huge hole shot advantage all the way to the finish line  with a 5.58 @ 126mph for the victory. The ever dangerous Al Marlow was lurking in the bottom half of the field which placed him against Jerome Ward. Marlow just simply had too much for Ward and Al eased to the second round. Matt Sears gets the big “E” for effort in his first round pairing as he lined up with Steve Haun. Sears cut a .007 light to Haun’s .147 but it wasn’t enough to hold Haun off in the big end. Russell McManious also advanced to the next round over Chris Wilkinson.

Round 2:

Bobby Flippin faced off against Ryan Ellington in round two and he would easily outrun the Mustang. Flippin’s 5.59 second elapsed time would place him in the finals. It was Ricky Fox and Justin Smith in the other pairing and once again the pair were nearly identical but on the reaction time this time. Fox was .031 to Smith’s .032 but Justin made it to the stripe first with a 6.27 @ 114mph which was way off the pace from his earlier runs. It would be Flippin versus Smith in the final with Flippin having lane choice.

Russell McManious and Steve Haun were first through the water in round two of the shootout. Haun and his 1978 nova just wouldn’t have enough to get past McManious’ 1990 Mustang. In a battle of Camaros it was Al Marlow and Mike Barry battling for the other final round spot. Barry once again did his part on the starting line to gain the advantage he needed to take the win. His 5.582 was almost identical to his first round 5.584. Would it be the bracket racing Mike Barry or Russell McManious who took the win?

Final Round:

The final pairs of cars were set to head down the track at nearly midnight at MIR. First out it was Flippin versus Smith. It is kind of ironic that just one race ago Flippin was behind the wheel of the Camaro that he is facing in the other lane. Flippin cut a great light but fell off the pace early as Justin Smith flew around him on his way to his fastest pass of the night. 5.092 @ 140mph put him in the winners circle at MIR.

In the final of the X275 Shootout it was Mike Barry and Russell McManious in a classic Ford versus Chevrolet battle. Barry was on his game all night at the starting line and once again he gained a slight advantage off the start. McManious came around him on the top end by just a nose for the win. Barry’s 5.585 to Russell’s 5.493 led to a margin of victory of only .066 at the stripe. Congratulations to all the winners and runners up for another awesome night of racing. Stay tuned here to Dragzine for the next round of X275 racing from Milan, Michigan at this weekends Ultimate Outlaws Shootout.

Don Barnett with the wheels hung high!!

Don Barnett may not be a household name like John Force but he sure is working hard to become a local hero to his fans that come out to see him run around the northeast. Better known as “Blownbird” to his friends, he has always been one to put on a show no matter where he was at. From being one of the fastest cars in the area to putting it on the bumper for well over 300 feet Don can do it with a smile.

Check out the Cecil County section on YellowBullet for the thread highlighting Don’s accomplishment.

One of the biggest smiles come this past weekend when he was making a few test hits at Cecil County Dragway in his Firebird.  That moment was when he joined an elite group of 275 racers that have been in the seven second zone in the quarter mile. While he is not the fastest at the moment he and his crew feel that the combination have plenty left in it to be a major player.

Don relies on Rhodes Custom Auto for their amazing chassis work to help get his Firebird from A to B. The small block under the hood packs a mighty punch which is all propelled by a Vortech supercharger.  A set of 23 degree heads from RFD help keep the air fuel mixture flowing courtesy of the Mike Murillo tune up in the computer. The seven second pass came with a front half that shows plenty of room for improvement and even kept the wheels on the ground which is a rarity for Barnett. He left the line with a 1.36 sixty foot which led to a 5.21 @ 140mph in the eighth. Out the back door is when the steam was a rolling and the Murillo Motorsports tune shined. 7.996 @ 176mph flashed on the scoreboard and much to his crews delight for all their hard work. One more pass was made to make some changes and he backed it up with a 8.03 @ 176mph which shows the crew is definitely getting a handle on things. Look for Don Barnett to be one of the fastest X275 cars the rest of the season.

Chris Evans on another fast and consistent pass in "Big Green". Photos: Bill aka Click Click Boom

This past Saturday was a hot one for the fans but the competition was heating up that much more. The Outlaw Street Car Shootout once again brought in some heavy hitters for the monthly race program and with the fences lines with spectators the show was on. This season has seen two classes shine through as Outlaw 10.5 has been packed with fierce competition and 275 Drag Radial gets better with every race as the season wears on.  But once again there was a familiar group in the winners circle when the racing was done at the end of the day.

Check out YellowBullet for all the monthly action from Cecil County Dragway.

Chris Evans may just be the most sought after target in the northeastern United States for 275 Drag Radial cars. His Mustang that has been given the nickname “Big Green” has stacked up plenty of green this season so far. Chris along with tuner Matt Butrim have a real handle on the car and with the help of a Procharger, their small block Ford is at the front of the pack.  Nine cars lined up to try and gain the number one spot in qualifying but it was Evans who prevailed in the heat to gain his familiar place atop the ladder. Chris’ car was on rails with consistent times in each round to reach the finals versus Frank Fullbrook. Fullbrook was first off the line and was making a great pass but the power of Evans’ small block turned on and come around for the win. His 5.10 would have been good enough to bracket race as he ran 5.10, 5.12, 5.11 on his previous runs.

T.J. Kasper heating the hides on his Proline powered 10.5 Mustang.

Outlaw 10.5 is proving it is anything but dead at Cecil County as the Kasper crew seems to be running away with things so far this season. The Kasper team which is headed up by Gil Christy really stepped up their game over the last year with the purchase of two of the very best cars in the country from Grant McCrary and Tim Lynch. T.J. Kasper is the younger of the Kasper duo and strives to be as good as his dad or even better at the rate he is going. Driving the old Tim Lynch Proline Mustang, he has racked up several wins this season and Saturday was no different.  T.J. held the number one spot through qualifying and would have to work hard to get by the competition. The closest race of the day would be against Scott Gudagno in the semi-finals as Kasper relied on a hole shot win over the nitrous machine of Gudagno who ran a quicker 4.43 elapsed time to Kapsers 4.44. That would place T.J. up against his father Tom in the final for the second straight month. Father would leave in son but the kid would turn on the big horsepower to outrun his elder Kasper for another victory at Cecil County Dragway.

The Firebird does make a mean looking drag radial car. Photo: James Kursay

Just when you, the viewer, thought that we have completely disbanded the Outlaw Drag Radial world we have come across a nice build that is nearing completion. This one may be truly different than what has become the normal attack for this class with its engine combination not coming in the form of a big block with pro mod turbos.

Check out YellowBullet to get more information on Jim Powski Racecraft.

Jim Powski Racecraft is in the hot bed of American muscle on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan. One of the most recent builds that has been burning the midnight oil is the Outlaw Drag Radial Firebird of James Kursay. Kursay’s 2000 Pontiac is receiving a treatment of fabrication and custom parts from Powski Racecraft. The 25.2 chassis has been constructed over the past year and a half to meet the needs of a winning drag radial combination.

Under Joe Van Overbeek’s hood is where things get interesting – as a 420 cubic inch LSX engine resides. It has been outfitted a F3R Procharger mated up with a gear drive, eliminating the need for belts. Procharger makes the F3R in both 131mm and 139mm inducers.  The 131 flows up to 3600 CFM and supports up to 2400 horsepower, while the 139 will flow 4000 CFM and supports up to 2700 horsepower at a staggering 45 psi of boost!

The engine was given the treatment of Performance Induction cylinder heads and a CFE sheet metal intake while Uratchko Racing Engines assembled the masterpiece. Behind the small block is a powerglide transmission which utilizes a Neal Chance converter. As in most of the leading cars in the class Kursay will use a Big Stuff 3 management system and a Racepak dash. Look for this beast to be hitting the track as soon as the end of 2010 but the realistic goal is to be ready for 2011.

Check out YouTube for more great videos from around the country.

The season started off with a Procharger car being the one to beat as Chris Evans was on fire with his first 4-second pass but there seems to be a few guys that have had just about enough of Big Green being at the front of the pack. Al Marlow is one of the racers who has been at the game for a long time and has made the transition to the 275 tire from running Outlaw Drag Radial for the past few years. His Camaro has been up and down the east coast for races and now he is looking to put nitrous power back on the map. He is currently running a big block Chevrolet with the ability to run two systems of nitrous. For the X275 races locally he runs one kit and he has proven to be very competitive, but when he heads south to run with the ORTC it all systems armed.

Recently while testing with his second stage of nitrous Al has found himself in an elite group as he became the fastest nitrous car on 275′s. Judging by the mph he has plenty left in the combination to put at the track early on and with track preparation like Maryland International Raceway it won’t be long til he turns the wick up just a bit more in the attempt to become the fastest 275 radial car in the country. Stay tuned to see just how fast it happens.

Arnie Cohen aka "Crash Magnet" catching all the action. Photos: Click Click Boom Photography

Cecil County Dragway is nestled in the quaint little community of Rising Sun, Maryland and once a month they host there Saturday Night Street Car Shootout. These shootouts are packed full of excitement and some of the very best racing you will find anywhere in the country. Even enough for the Dragzine crew to bring you coverage on a monthly basis. From Outlaw 10.5 to a host of index classes they have something for everyone and with the crowd comes so exciting and nail biting footage like we have here.

Check out the Cecil County section on YellowBullet for upcoming races.

One of the greats behind the video camera in the northeast is Arnie Cohen and he has had quite a few close calls over the years as she stands in tall and takes one for the team. He has even been given the nickname “Crash Magnet” by a fellow photographer at Cecil County. In this episode of Arnie’s close calls it is the Outlaw 10.5 Camaro owned by Kenny Doak and driven by Gary Naughton. Naughton has to peddle the car at the hit of the throttle and does so several times before it makes a move towards the right wall and eventually makes contact right in front of Cohen who was videoing all along. The damage is minimal and since Kenny is the owner of K&K Advanced Door Car Technologies it will not be long before the Camaro is repaired and back in racing form. If you really like the look of the Camaro it is even for sale.

The blue Outlaw 10.5 Corvette as it heads for the wall.

Another close call was by another Outlaw 10.5 car. The blue Corvette (whom we were unable to get a driver’s name for) started fighting for traction around the same point that Naughton did. The car made a hard left hand turn narrowly missing Tom Kasper who was on a great pass. The Corvette just scraped the left wall which made the damage much more minimal than it could have been. Look for both of these cars to return to action very soon.

Wheels up launches are so damn cool! Photo: RacingJunk

Every single day we search long and hard for something different in the racing and automotive world to bring to the viewers. All to often a lot of cars can look alike over time and the same modifications tend to get old. But every once in a while we get lucky and find something that is truly unique and gets our heart rate up as we bring it to you the viewer. Enjoy a look at this awesome 2005 Roush Mustang.

Check out RacingJunk for more great classifieds.

The name “Roush” alone is synonymous with racing for years as Jack Roush cut his teeth in the drag racing world and eventually made the transition to NASCAR. But still his name is quite popular with Mustang enthusiasts and we have come across a 2005 Roush Mustang that not even Mr. Roush himself could have envisioned. This one resides in California and pumps out a massive 1200 horsepower from the 3-valve mod motor. A twin turbo setup has been fabricated to fit the 2005 with 67mm turbos. The inside of the engine is not stock though and has been outfitted with billet rods and crank.

Topping off the engine is the cylinder heads that have received a set of Stage 4  camshafts as well as all the appropriate springs and retainers. The chassis has also been extensively worked to handle all the horsepower. It is certified to run 7.60′s in the quarter mile and has all current SFI certifications which means this one is legal and ready to go. All you have to do is make that call and you will have the opportunity to buy the car and trailer as a package for a mere $50,000.

The sound of a Brad Anderson Hemi is like no other. Photos:SuperDugge on YellowBullet.

Dan Millen has been at the game for a long time and has quite the track record for winning races in his career. While he has primarily been a turbo guy while campaigning his Outlaw 10.5 Mustang in the NMRA, there always comes time for change. The Mustang made the trip to Dubai last winter and ultimately stayed after being purchased. This struck a wildfire of chatter as to what he would do next and with being only a few days away from the ADRL event at US131 Dragway which is right in Dan’s neck of the woods.

Check out YellowBullet for more details on the pre-race testing.

A flourish of talk has popped up today and when you see the pictures it is pretty obvious. Millen is out and testing his new XTF Mustang that is sponsored by Al-Anabi Racing. Dan has made the trip to Milan Dragway with Billy Glidden to do some pre-race testing in preparation for this weekend’s event.  Early on the track appears to be good as Glidden made a nice hit with a 4.22 @ 171mph. We have yet to hear of any numbers out of the screw blown Mustang of Millen but you can be sure that the crew will get a handle on things and be ready to run with the best of them in the ADRL.

Millen’s new Mustang consists of a flat black finish that has a mean Brad Anderson Hemi settled in between the frame rails. The screw blower has been the most popular way of making power in the XTF ranks over the past year and with the success of Chuck Ulsch it is evident why. Can Millen be the next man in the 3′s? The official 3-second club may be full but there is always records to be broken, and from the looks of this Al-Anabi sponsored machine, things may get shook up a bit.

Tim Lynch making one of the very first hits on the new car. Photos: Pro Line Racing

Wes Whittle

Pro Line Racing may be the most talked about performance engine builder in the country – if not the world – and they continue to pump out plenty of new iron. While most notably known for their Outlaw 10.5 Mustang driven by Tim Lynch, these guys have plenty of great customers that are pushing the envelope and striving to continue the winning ways that Lynch and Petty have established.

Stop over at the Pro Line website to get up to date on all the happenings.

Over this past weekend the Pro Line crew was out on full force at the Orangeburg, South Carolina race. In 275 Drag Radial Pro Line was represented by Wes Whittle in his 2000 model year Mustang. Whittle qualified in the number one spot with a 5.05 @ 150mph in his Mustang which is powered by a 454 cubic inch small block that has been worked on extensively by Pro Line. For the first time out on the small 275 tire, Wes and his crew were able to grasp the concept quickly which eventually led them all the way to the winners circle.

Eric Dillard

Wes was not the only Pro Line customer in attendance and competing. Todd Berry and Eric Dillard rolled into town to try their luck at Limited Street. Dillard was able to wheel the black Mustang and it’s 632 cubic inch powerplant to the number one qualifying position. A 4.73 @ 166mph was the magic number to beat but it wouldn’t be enough as Dillard was ousted in the first round of competition.

One of the most anticipated debuts had to be Tim Lynch and his Skinny Kid Race Cars built C6 Corvette. The Pro Line crew made its first appearance with the Corvette and Orangeburg and was simply trying to work the new car bugs out which may have been a pleasant surprise for the competition. Tim was struggling to get the car to build boost on the line which ultimately came from a cracked boost tube that is integrated in the cars front frame rail. With the repairs planned out you can be sure that you will see Tim and his whole crew at the NHRA Unleashed event in Atlanta.

This may be the only time you get to see this view as you may only get to see the tail lights. Photos: Tim Lewis

The racing world has had a treat over the past few weeks with some great new cars popping onto the scenes. From North to South the craftsmanship is amazing as we have seen with the two Corvettes that most recently graced our eyes. K&K Advanced Door Car Technologies has shown off the Corvette of Ron Schlessinger and then Pro Line Racing made their debut with the new Tim Lynch Corvette. But this week we get to take a step back to one of the original musclecar areas with a 1969 Camaro.

Check out YellowBullet for more details on this awesome Outlaw 10.5 Camaro.

One of the most popular guys behind the lens, Tim Lewis, had the opportunity to take some sneak peak shots of this beautiful Camaro that is coming out of  Barney Squires Performance Auto Crafters. Rumor has it that it is even a YellowBullet member that owns the car and will surely be making some noise that the track when it rumbles through the water for the first time. The first generation Camaro is coated with a brilliant burgundy and silver paint scheme which only multiplies just how amazing this car truly is.

Sitting between the frame rails of this state of the art chassis is a big block that has been outfitted with all the go fast goodies. You will see the twin turbochargers first as they peer through the grill at you and then once inside you will find the attention to detail. From the belt drive to the fuel injection setup everything is pure business in the “SS”. We will surely keep you informed as details come about as to just who owns this beautiful ride and when it will make its debut. Just from the grapevine alone there is many more cars that will grace Dragzine in the very near future.

Check out YouTube for more wild and crazy racing footage.

For this wild and crazy moment we travel to Hub City Dragway where this beautiful Mustang that was formerly owned by Brian Carpenter. The red Mustang was always a threat in the south and with performances like the one we are about to share with you here. As the Mustang leaves the line with the boost built up it hazes the tires and the driver gets out the throttle for a split second but as he stands back on the throttle things started to get interesting.

Nearing half track the boost is coming back in and really starts to plant the rear tires hard. So hard in fact that the Mustang rides onto the wheelie bars and has all four tires off the ground as it crosses the finish line. A great piece of driving and a little luck kept the Mustang intact and out of harms way to come back and race another day.

Al Marlow and his X275 crew in the winners circle. Photos: Nicole79 on YellowBullet

Maryland International Raceway and X275 recently held their most recent 275 Drag Radial race and it was astounding to say the least – with qualifying heading into the lanes there was 28 cars battling for the top eight positions. Racers from as far as North Carolina to take part in the fastest growing series on the east coast. All the regulars were in attendance to try and take down Chris Evans and his nasty Procharged Mustang, which has been a consistent player all year long.

Qualifying Highlights

Chris Evans

Qualifying was a familiar scenario with that green Mustang finding its way to the front of the pack with a 5.00 @ 142mph to take the number one position throughout both sessions of qualifying. So the challenge would be to see just who could try and catch Chris Evans. Al Marlow and his nitrous assisted Camaro would be game for the challenge and would find its way to the number two spot with a 5.13 elapsed time. Dale Handy was in a close third position and would be ready for eliminations where he would be up against the likes of Bobby Flippin, Ron Rhodes and the rest of the field of eight. Also the X275 Shootout would be comprised of the number 8 through 16 qualifiers being led by DeeDee Mahoney in his 1993 Mustang.

Eliminations Highlights: X275

The call was made for the stars of the X275 to head to the lanes and first out of the gate would be Al Marlow and his Camaro versus Anthony Parsons in his 2009 Mustang. Marlow would take the win with a strong 5.12 @ 141mph. Bobby Flippin qualified in the number six spot and would face off against Dale Handy. Flippin and his red S10 were first off the line and would race to the stripe to pick up the victory with a 5.25 second elapsed time. Chris Evans and Ron Rhodes would also advance into round two.

Ron Rhodes

Chris Evans would take on the powerful Camaro of Ron Rhodes out of the Rhodes Custom Auto Works stable. Evans did his part at the tree with a .046 reaction time and when paired up with another low 5-second pass it was enough to take the win. In the other pairing it was Al Marlow and Bobby Flippin battling for a final round spot to take on Chris Evans.  Flippin was out first with a great reaction time but the big power of Marlow came around on the big end for the victory. Marlow’s 5.13 would not be enough to get lane choice over Evans in the final though.

Evans and Marlow would come around the corner for a battle of the green machines. Evans has been a consistent player going to every final so far this year but has not capitalized on one yet. Marlow would have to step up if he wanted to outrun the Procharged small block of Evans. As Chris and Al staged up it would be Marlow out first but the two had nearly identical reaction times. Marlow’s nitrous power was coming on hard and would find its way into the 4-second club and the winners circle. Evans’ 5.02 was another consistent pass but the 4.997 second pass was way to much for the Mustang to handle. Marlow also ran 145mph in the final which shows just how much power the Camaro has on tap.

Eliminations Highlights:  Shootout

Tim Savoy

In the Shootout it was a battle of Mustangs for the majority with a Malibu and a Camaro in the mix. Tim Savoy and Adam Knight were first up and it would be Savoy who stepped up his performance to a 5.34 to take the win. Keith Dickerson would have to battle it out with Randy Haywood who made the long trip from North Carolina. Haywood took the early lead but didn’t have enough to hold off Dickerson on the top end. Next up wit was the son of the founder of X275, Matt Sears in his fathers Malibu. In its last few appearances the Malibu has seen plenty of bumper draggin’ action but the younger Sears was looking for a round win. A win is exactly what he got as Daniel Whestine fouled away the round win as Sears run it out the back with a 5.73 @ 110mph. DeeDee Mahoney would also advance as his opponent red lighted as well.

In round two Tim Savoy would have to be on his game as Matt Sears line up against him. Sears red-lighted the victory away to Savoy and Tim would advance to the final. DeeDee Mahoney would use a stellar reaction time to take his round win as the finish line numbers were amazingly close. Mahoney’s 5.439 @ 130.96mph was just enough to take the win over Keith Dickerson’s 5.443 @ 130.99mph.

In the final round it was Tim Savoy and DeeDee Mahoney trying to steal the show. Savoy was all over the tree again with a great reaction time and another consistent 5.36 pass. It was good for the win as Mahoney slowed to a 7.11 @ 82mph.

Congratulations to the winners and a big thanks to Jason at MIR and John Sears for another great race.

This is the 1962 Lemans A/FX that was built for Mickey Thompson.

Quite often here at Dragzine we like to venture back to a time when life was simpler and cars were full bodied Detroit iron. All through the 1960′s auto manufacturers battled on the dragstrip to reign supreme over one another, mostly based off of the Super Stock and A/FX platforms.  Just about every company was involved and it eventually has brought us the Pro Stock that we know today. Pontiac may have been the one to start it all with their Lemans, that was evolved from the Tempest line and has brought us to this point in racing history.

We often look to YellowBullet for inspiration and this is one of those times we found something useful.

Mickey Thompson was at the forefront of everything automotive and especially the high performance marketplace. In 1962 he had a Lemans built by Hayden Proffit and it received an engine transplant from one of Thompson’s Super Duty cars. The rear end was replaced with a narrowed Pontiac rear and then driven by Proffit. This is the single car that is responsible for the 1963 A/FX cars being built by the factory.

In 1963 Pontiac built the full bodied Lemans along with a few wagons for Super Stock and Factory Experimental racing with a 421 cubic inch Super Duty engine. It was rated at 405 horsepower but the critics say that the rating was way under the actual power that the 421 produced. The internals of the engine were comprised of a true alloy aluminum pistons that were available in 12:1 or 13:1 compression ratios. Helping pump all that air through the streamline cylinder heads was a Mckellar #10 mechanical camshaft which was rated at 308/320 duration and .445 of lift. Topping it all off was a very unique bathtub two piece tunnel ram intake that has been noted as the best factory designed intake to ever cross the assembly line.

Richie Stine just out in front of Bobby Demilt in qualifying.

Al Marlow was competing in Outlaw Drag Radial.

75-80 Dragway once again kicked off their weekend of racing with a whole lot of heads up action on Saturday night. Friday night was a wash out so Saturday was the day for all the big boys to roll out on the red carpet. Outlaw 10.5, Outlaw Drag Radial, Big Tire Outlaw and 5.80 Index were on tap for the crowds delight and the racers put on one hell of a show. the weather was picture perfect and the track was prepared for some record setting numbers to be laid down.

Qualifying Highlights

From the very first hits down the track it was evident that mother nature and the track staff had done their homework for a great evening of racing. One of the early developments was Chris Evans and his Mustang being on the grounds. Chris made his first hit on a 325 Drag Radial but didn’t like the way it felt so he swapped back to his 275′s that he has been in the high 4′s with. Richie Stine also came out with the Mustang owned by Ricky Fox and its 706 cubic inch Fulton engine to try his luck at the money. They would have to take out the likes of Bobby Demilt, Duane Durbin and several other to do so.

Jimmy Mayo rattling the tires with wheels up on his Chevelle.

In the Outlaw 10.5 class there were a few heavy hitters working the bugs out to be the big money winner for the night. Jimmy Mayo made his first appearance in his blown and injected Chevelle for the season and he was battling traction issues as he would rattle the tires hard on each pass. James Houston and ” Tricky Ricky” Pennamon were also two of the class regulars who would be taking a stab at it and eventually would meet in the final round.

Big Tire Outlaw is one of the crowd favorites and the fastest class that is being run at 75-80 Dragway. John Powell set the pace early as he appeared as the man to beat. John Moton and Kris Sellers were hot on his heels though through qualifying. Sellers was the unfortunate one though as during his second qualifying pass against Powell he would make contact with the wall. Kris was fine but his Corvette had seen better days but appears to be repairable and we hope to see him back out real soon.

Sellers hit the wall hard but emerged unharmed.

The newest class is 5.80 Index. Heads up eighth mile action makes for some real tight racing and these guys mean business. With a strong contingent of racers from Virginia the Maryland boys have had to step up their game to stay in contention. Nick Bernardo is one of the strongest in the field and can run on the number with ease.

Final Round Recap

Outlaw 10.5 was a battle of the regulars with Ricky Pennamon and James Huston. Huston his manually shifted Ford Fairlane would have a great jump but Ricky was right on his heels in the Camaro. Huston held him off for the win but both cars went as fast as they had been all night.

Big Tire Outlaw had been quite exciting each round as John Powell was working the bugs out in his Cavalier and going faster and faster. He would face off against John Moton in his Corvette but Moton just didn’t have enough to keep up with Powell. Powell’s 4.30 @ 165mph was the fastest pass ever for a Big Tire Outlaw car at 75-80 Dragway but it wont hold as the record as he needed one more run to back it up.

5.80 Index was last for the night and it was the Nova of Joe Carroll and Nick Bernardo in his Camaro. Bernardo would try and hold him off but Carroll picked up the win. Joe has been very consistent in every showing and will be a force to be reckoned with the rest of the year.

Just imagine if that blower is real.

Oh my how could we not bring this to our viewers. Just the sight of this happening today has brought a joyous smile to our faces and we can only imagine what will happen when the race day gets here. Over Labor Day weekend the YellowBullet Nationals will be held at Cecil County Dragway and aside from all the other happenings that will be going on, we will now get to witness a “Outlaw” golf cart race. Now I know for a fact that there has to be quite a few people that have headed out to the shop to see exactly how fast they can make their golf carts.

Check out the YellowBullet Nationals thread for all the details.

One may ask what you could possibly do to make a golf cart fast other than removing the governor spring or adding extra batteries to your electric model. Well, in this day and age just about anything is possible and a lot of this has been proven by the means of engine swaps and turbochargers. Some have been advertised as going as fast as 150mph, which I think may be a bit far fetched but there are plenty that will do crazy wheel stands and 70 plus mph.

If I had to make a prediction I don’t know that I could, even with a registration list in front of me. With the power of YellowBullet and the the group of members that will come from across the country and what wild creations they will bring with them. I mean hell, the rules are simple. It must be a golf cart and you have to race to the 330 foot marker…that’s all.

Yes it is a true Indy Pace Car convertible.

Taking a step aside from the crazy world heads up racing and take a look at one of the most competitive sides of drag racing. Stock and Super Stock are often associated with stock appearing, factory muscle cars that do huge wheelstands. These classes have produced some of the very best racers to ever hit the NHRA circuit like Dave Connoly and Jason Line. The Richardson family is another one of the greats that have graced the sport and we have recently found their legendary 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car for sale on eBay.

Check out eBay for more unique racing memorbilia.

Edmond and Scotty Richardson are most likely two of the winningest drivers ever to compete in the NHRA sportsman ranks and now you to can own the Camaro that had taken them to two world championships. Aside from the championships the Camaro has won countless races and graced the pages of National Dragster too many times to count. Currently set up to run in Stock/Automatic with a small block Chevrolet under the hood this car could be a record holder at just about any track in the United States.

Owning a car with the prominence of this one with its two world championships is great but then look at the fact that this is a true Indy Pace Car convertible which makes it truly a rare piece in its own. It started life as a Z11 option 4-speed car and even has the original trim tag on the car. Don’t miss out on your chance to own a rare car in more ways than one or you could suit up and head to the track for a little NHRA Stock Eliminator competition and scare the competition when they think Edmond and Scotty Richardson have shown up.

The famed black notchback will soon look better than ever courtesy of paint from Fisher Auto Body.

Well it seems that a little birdie dropped a note off at Big Daddy Performance in Lakewood, New Jersey. You see Dwayne Gutridge has been out of commission since February at the ORTC race in Georgia and the people have started to wonder what he is up to. A thread has even popped up on YellowBullet asking the very question, “Big Daddy how is the car coming along?” Well much to our delight the phone rang this evening and it was the legend himself with a evil little laugh as he said, ” I hear people are asking about the car”? So as we spoke we have received the low down on exactly what is going in and a bunch of exciting new details that are sure to spur the excitement of the lovers and the haters.

Dwayne was fast to say that they have made a lot of changes in their program for 2010 and he wants to thank all those that have helped him get where he is at today. But this is business, as he said, and sometimes there is need for change. As for progress on the car, it has come out of the frame shop and is all squared back up and the repairs that were needed have been made. From this point, a hectic schedule will start at Hell Bent Race Cars where he will work his magic in the chassis with a new Skinny Kid Race Cars front end. Keith and the crew came on board for 2010 as well as Mickey Thompson returning with a new set of wheels and tires for this season. The front end will use a Mickey Thompson spindle mount wheel which should be good for some weight savings and stronger at the same time.

From the chassis shop, the famed black notchback will receive a fresh coat of black paint and a new Schoneck Composites front nose that will be sprayed at Fisher Auto Body. The turnaround is slated for three days so Dwayne can deliver the car to Kooks Custom Headers where they will make an all new set of headers for the twin turbo application. It will be the last stop that will gather the most attention as Dwayne is sending the car to Texas for a visit with David Wolfe of Wolfe Racecraft. David will be doing a multitude of things and some that are just going to have to be on a “needs to know basis.”  Some big things are in the works but in a few short weeks the car should be ready for action once again.

Aside from all the painstaking labor of rebuilding the car, a lot of other great things have happened. He is very fortunate to have some returning sponsors and some new ones.  One of the major upgrades to the car for Dwayne is the addition of a Big Stuff 3 management system courtesy of John Meaney. Rick Roberts of Edelbrock has provided us with a new set of cylinder heads, which should help us step up our engine program substantially. Also for this season Dwayne will be running a set of Precision 88mm turbos from Patrick at Precision Turbo. Scott Merkel of Merkel Racing Engines will be going back through the small block to make sure everything is just right for Dwayne’s return. Dwayne also said that it would not be possible without the following people and their support of his racing program, Manley, Jesel and Chris Franks at Frankenstein Racing.

Big Daddy seems very enthusiastic about the progress that is being made and with the help of all these people this should be a record setting year. Yes he is staying small block powered with out if the box 88′s but as they are finishing up a few top secret projects David ( Wolfe ) and Dwayne are very confident that they will have a potent package that will be a consistent 4.40 player. So keep your eyes peeled for more updates and photos to be rolling in very soon.

"Kentucky" Sam Vincent is one bad man with a small block running in the 4.50 range in the eighth mile.

So you reeally think you are going to have what it takes to win all the cash? Well if you do believe that, then you may want to head south this May and get you some of the money from NDACut’s NOS Small Block King race. Cut is renowned for his take on the grudge racing world and has always brought us some really awesome video to go with it. All the best will make the trek to take their stab at being the baddest man with a nitrous small block in the land.

Get more details on YellowBullet about the whole race schedule.

The rules are simple: bring a small block with nitrous on one the tires that is allowed by the rules and you are in. The tires that are going to be allowed within the rules are the 28×10.5 slick and the following drag radial tires, 275/60, 325/50 and 295/55. Get your wallet out because entry is $500 and only the first sixteen cars will be taken to be part of one of the best small block nitrous races ever to be contested.

The field will be ran by conditions very similar to a grudge race. If you are in it to win, then you would be up against the likes of Ricky Fox who is rumored to be switching back to  a small block to take his chances on the money. One of our personal favorites to be a big winner is Sam Vincent who has run 7.20s in NMRA trim earlier this year with his small block powered Mustang. Have what it takes? Then head on down to Piedmont Dragway on May 29th and take your shot against the fastest in the country.

Just when we thought that we had seen all the top notch drag radial cars come across the market we were pleasantly surprised to find this one. Now not for the weak at heart, this Mustang is all business and has been track tested and proven. With the right course of action you to could make your very own page in the record books and be the next person to venture into the six second range.

Check out the YellowBullet classifieds for more great finds.

While browsing the classifieds on YellowBullet for anything that caught my eye, I came across this beautiful Mustang that is set up for Outlaw Drag Radial competition. Keith Bell started with a 2004 Mustang and had it set up with a 25.3 certified chassis that will be legal to race just about anywhere and as fast as you want to go. This Mustang has been track tested and proven being as fast as 7.11 @ 205mph in the quarter mile and a consistent 4.70 player in the eighth mile. It is stated that with some more testing and a more aggressive tune it will run into the 6.80′s in the quarter mile.

The powerplant under the hood is a potent small block measuring 400 cubic inches packed inside a Dart block.  A Scat billet crank is used with GRP aluminum rods and topped of with a set of  Brodix Neal heads that have been extensively massaged by Brian Tooly. Propelling this small block is a pair of 88mm turbochargers from Precision that will help boost this Mustang well over 200mph. If all that is not enough to catch your attention then just look at the fact for the $80,000 asking price you will also get a sweet enclosed trailer that is decked out with all the bells and whistles.

Bobby Flippin is one of the crowd favorites in X275. Photos: DRAGN88 on YellowBullet

The next stop on the X275 tour was Virginia Motorsports Park and as usual the faithfuls followed the series south. John Sears once again put together an impressive field for the event at the Dinwiddie, Virginia based facility and Saturday night they would put on one hell of a show. Sponsors like Mickey Thompson, Holeshot Wheels, Goodyear and Induction Solutions made it all possible with quite a few bonus sponsors stepping up at each race. With twenty two competitors battling for the number one spot, the field would be tight and two full classes of eight would run for the money.

After qualifying was completed, there were a few familiar names at the top of the pack, Justin Smith sitting at the front with a stout 5.15@138mph and Dale Handy Sr. sitting in a close second with a 5.20 second elapsed time. Al Marlow was working the tune on his Camaro trying to get a handle on things which put him in the the number three spot. Bobby Flippin rounded out the top eight in his red S10 which is very capable of being the one to beat at any given time.

X275 Final Qualifying

Justin Smith 5.15/138

Dale Handy Sr 5.20/136

Al Marlow 5.22/138

Joe Alverez 5.30/133

Shelly Smith 5.32/135

Randy Haywood 5.45/134

Jon Rittenhouse 5.46/129

Bobby Flippin 5.593/131

Fourteen more cars would be fighting for the final eight spots to get into the shootout.  It was Tim Savoy sitting at the top of the group in his Mustang. Savoy posted a 5.59@125mph to narrowly edge out Lyle Barnett who ran a 5.60@126mph. There were a lot of tough cars in this field including Daniel Whestine, Mike King and Ryan Clark. Clark rounded out the field with a 5.80@119mph and that left the likes of Steve Monotgomery, Clinton Smith and John Sears riding the bleachers for the rest of the night. On a side note John Sears had another bout with the wheelie gods as he put his Induction Solutions-assisted Malibu on the bumper for the second race in a row, which pushed him outside the qualifying ladder.

Tim Savoy

Shootout Final Qualifying

Tim Savoy 5.594/125

Lyle Barnett 5.607/126

Russell Mcmanious 5.608/131

Dan Whetstine 5.67/127

Mike King 5.703/121

Steve Haun 5.706/121

Ryan Ellington 5.73/121

Ryan Clark 5.80/119

X275 Eliminations Highlights

Round 1

First up was the number four and five qualifiers Joe Alverez and Shelley Smith in his Mustang. Smith would step up his elapsed time for the win over Alverez with a 5.21@137mph. John Rittenhouse and Dale Handy faced off in the second pairing with Rittehouse taking the win light. Justin Smith took the win over a struggling Bobby Flippin who was off the pace with a 6.79@100mph.  The final pair was Al Marlow and Randy Haywood and Marlow got left at the tree as Haywood picked up a holeshot win. Haywood would move on to face John Rittenhouse in round two.

Round 2

In a battle of the the Smith’s it was Justin taking on Shelly Smith. It also was a classic battle of Ford versus Chevy with Justin in a Camaro and Shelly in a Mustang. Once again Shelly would step up his game and take a convincing win over Justin with a 5.15@137mph to Justin’s 5.25@138mph. In the other semi-final it was John Rittenhouse battling Randy Haywood and Haywood would take the win to move on to the finals against Shelly Smith.

Finals

Coming into the final round Smith had been stepping his performance up each round and the finals would be no different against Randy Haywood. Smith would go low elapsed time for the event and take the win at the same time. His 5.11@137mph was dominant against Haywood’s 5.74@136mph. Shelly Smith would take home the $1000 for winning and an additional $200 from Mickey Thompson for winning on the 275 Mickey Thompson Drag Radial tire.

Shelly Smith and crew in the winners circle.

Shootout Eliminations Highlights

Round 1

Coming through the water first was Steve Haun versus Russell Mcmanious. Mcmanious would slow from his qualifying effort and Haun would capitalize for the win. Tim Savoy was next up to take on the number sixteen qualifier Ryan Clark. Savoy would win the round with a 5.66@125mph over Clark’s slowing 7.31 second elapsed time. Mike King has ventured over from running outlaw drag radial to take his shot at the 275 tire and he would have to take on the ever tough Dan Whestine. Whestine would use a 5.43 second elapsed time to take the win over King. Lyle Barnett and Ryan Ellington would be the final pair in the final round and Barnett used a huge holeshot advantage to take the win.

Round 2

Lyle Barnett would have a big challenge taking on Whestine in round two but he stepped up his performance and knock off Whestine in route to the final round. Lyle ran a 5.57@126mph which edged out Daniel’s 5.66@126mph and would place him in the final against the winner of the next pairing. That pair was Steve Haun and Tim Savoy battling to see who would be in the finals with Savoy holding off Haun with a 5.52@126mph.

Finals

Lyle Barnett and Tim Savoy lined up to do battle in the finals of the shootout. Savoy has been a consistent runner in the 275 program and his performance at VMP proved that. Although it would be Lyle Barnett doing his part at the starting line to gain a holeshot advantage to hold off the faster Savoy. Savoy’s 5.54@127mph was not enough to run down the starting line advantage by Barnett who ran a 5.62@127mph to take the win.

Mark your calenders for the next X275 event which will take place at Maryland International Raceway on May 29th.

General Motors may have created one of the most sought after collectibles in the car world with the Buick Grand National back in 1987. Divulged from a long line of performance models created by Buick, like the GSX the Grand National, were widely accepted by gear heads with something just a bit different under the hood. In 1987 Buick placed a 231 cubic inch V6 power plant fed by a single turbocharger under the hood of their new evil spawn, which started life as a Regal. A whole new chapter of pony wars was kindled upon the Grand National’s debut and many a Mustang owner  feared the sight of one in their rear view mirror.

Check out the YellowBullet classifieds for more great deals.

Over the years we have seen many takes on customizing Grand Nationals and often we come across one that we absolutely love so that brings us to where we are now. We recently come across a 1987 Grand National that was on the classified section of YellowBullet. It is a 25.3 certified Drag Radial project that is closer to completion than it looks. Based off of a Dart Iron Eagle block the engine was punched out to 406 cubic inches and topped off with a set of SB2.2 cylinder heads. A lot of great parts went into the internals as well including Diamond Pistons, Oliver Rods and a crank from Callies.

Providing all the boost is a custom 106mm turbocharger which will force air through a Chiseled Performance water to air intercooler. A Weldon 12gpm cable driven fuel pump will feed the Mike Moran fuel injectors. This whole car has had the best of everything put on it and it is ready to go fast. Just add a coat of paint in the color of your choice and hit the strip or the street.

This past weekend may be one that many people will soon want to forget for those who live in the mid west portion of the United States.  The NMCA was set to roll into town for the Quick Fuel Technology NMCA Muscle Car Nationals. Threatening weather had been in the area for days before and the powers at be were watching the developments closely in preparation for the event. In a timely manner the event was cancelled for the fear of substantial rain fall scheduled for the weekend and with many racers making the trek from half way across the country it was in their best interest to call off the event.

Get more information on the plans to help clean up the raceway on YellowBullet.

Over the weekend the rains set in and local rivers rose above their flood stage and eventually consumed the grounds of Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The water had reached an average of ten feet deep across the grounds and in some parts was certainly deeper as it nearly covered the entire grandstands. Many of the food stands and sheds that were on the grounds have been washed away by the flood waters, which will certainly bring about a hard road to recovery for the tracks owner Dallas Jones. So now is your opportunity to help!

From Mitch Mika of Bad Gas Racing:

"Jersey" Joe Newsham as he takes his last ride in his Mustang. Photo: John Fore III

What do you remember about your favorite  trip to the dragstrip as a spectator? Some may have seen a car that they have always wanted to own or maybe a friend doing very well at the races. Some of the most memorable moments come from huge wheel stands and wild crashes, although we don’t wish for any of these to happen to a competitor. We have browsed the internet long and hard for some of the most insane action from the world of Outlaw 10.5 racing to your desktop. Enjoy!

One of my favorites of all time comes from a guy that I was fortunate enough to see race on a weekly basis. Mike Wesigerber of Maryland who was better known as “Wheelie Wild” was not afraid to put it on the bumper on each and every pass. His blown big block Camaro was one of the innovators of 10.5 racing in the Maryland area and the fans always loved to see Mike compete. One of his big moments came at 710 Dragway where he was competing in a wheel stand competition and as the car climbed up, up and away it over revved the engine and scattered engine parts all over the track.

Next up we travel to Huntsville, Alabama to meet up with one of the original crazy guys of Outlaw 10.5.  Tim Lynch has racked up so many memorable moments over the years we could spend weeks touching on them all. From world records to brushes with the wall at over 180mph Tim has done it all. One of the wildest spectacles you will ever see is right here. Tim leaves the line in his Mustang and carries the front end the whole eighth mile of the track. Just imagine nearly 190mph on the rear tires and still running a 4.40 second elapsed time.

Next up we travel back to 1996 at Huntsville Dragway where it was a heads up battle between Tony Johnson and Steve Kirk. The two had been in a heated battle to be at the top of the pack in Outlaw 10.5 and it was Johnson who went for a wild ride on this one. Johnson was closing fast on Kirk and as they crossed the finish line Johnson lost control of his Camaro. He crossed in front of Steve Kirk and clipped his front end then continued into the wall. All in all though we have to give props to the video man as he stood in there for the long haul as Johnson came to rest about 3 feet from him. I think I would have got the hell out of there!

Another visit to 1996 brought us a clip of the guys at Tydo Racecraft. Mark was behind the wheel of Tim Slaven’s Outlaw 10.5 Camaro at Tulsa Raceway. As the car leaves the line it rides the bars hard until they break and then it is headed vertical. Mark rides it out and puts it on the bumper and even makes a nice save as it comes back to earth.

Lastly we have to take a look at one of the hardest hits we have ever seen. “Jersey” Joe Newsham was competing at the Shakedown at E-town as he lined up against Rodney Bitgood. In usual Newsham fashion, the Mustang was hooking and booking – riding the wheelie bars well past the eighth mile. It was then that things went really wrong as Newshams’s car careened out of control across the track and was completely airborne as he hit head on into the wall. He bounced off one wall and into the other and came to a stop in the middle of the track. Joe was banged up a bit with some injuries but has made a full recovery and is back racing his new Camaro.

2000 horsepower on the street. How freakin' awesome is that?

While browsing some adds on eBay I came across a car that looked very familiar, but I figured what are the chances of it being what I thought it was. Well after reading through the ad and looking closely at the pictures it is true. This is the one and only car like it in existence.  A car that cruised the roads of Carroll County Maryland years back and was always a treat to see. The car was a dream that Sean Perry had thought of, and commissioned Jon Little Automotive Fabrication to make it all happen. These were two key ingredients to an award winning masterpiece.

Check out eBay to buy this awesome 1934 Chevrolet Street Rod.

Jon Little of Hanover, Pennsylvania constructed the car from the ground up with all the correct chassis components to be capable of handling the 2000 plus horsepower. Topped off with a 1934 Chevrolet Roadster body it featured a 540 cubic inch engine and a PSI blower, which is fueled by alcohol. Arias heads were used to make 2000 horsepower out of this combination and remain streetable. Rounding out the drive train is a Lenco 4-speed transmission and a Ford 9″ rear end with wheelie bars.  With all being said, this street rod is capable of running in the high 6 second range.

Just imagine you and the misses heading out for a Sunday cruise to your favorite ice cream shop in this monster. The interior consists of two seats and the driver is encased within the rollcage. Now is your opportunity to own a piece of rodding history at a price that is half of what would cost to build it.  Originally the car was estimated to have cost over $200,000 and if you were to look further it would probably be even more. I know this 34′ Chevy sure brings back some memories for me and hopefully it will make many new ones for the new owners.

Once again we have came across an unusual yet cool hot rod. Your local cruise night will produce just about every make and model car ever made but there is always those few that will really grab your attention. Most may have an abnormally large blower perched atop the engine or the radical pro street Camaro that sits in the weeds with an aggressive stance. But you may be the one that wants to be that person that truly stands out in a crowd and boy have we found the right car for you.

Check out eBay and find your little piece of nostalgia today.

This one is straight out of the 1970′s with all the period correct pieces to give it that true nostalgia feeling. But wait a minute, how could it be that you would drive a funny car on the street? Well that is exactly what you could get yourself into by getting a hold of the Moody Blues Opel GT. A piece of rodding history as it sits with its prominence from many magazine features to cruising the streets of Ohio back in the 70′s.

Sitting under the body is a 392 Hemi with a supercharger, which resembles how it did when it was originally built. The owner is selling it as a “project car” since it does need some work to be back in running order. Also included is a 2-speed  transmission that came out of a fuel altered and even a 1923 T-Bucket body in case you get tired of the Opel body. Just head out and pick your prey with one body and then show up the next week  with the other body to do it all again. It quite possibly could be the cheapest way to have two cars that we have found to date.

Dick Simpson in his nitro funny car own the track record at Sooner Motorplex. Photo: SoonerMotorplex.com

Have you ever made a trip to your local dragstrip and really felt that you could do a  better job of running things? Well more often than not the chance to actually make that happen are slim and most of us could only imagine what we would do if it did. Pressure from local authorities are all too often making moves to close up dragstrips around the country. So when the opportunity comes along to keep a track open by buying it we sure hope that it falls into the right hands and not some home developer.

Check out RacingJunk.com today and see what spurs your inetrest. There is something for everyone.

Lawton, Oklahoma is the home of the Sooner Motorplex which sits on over 60 acres land. The dragstrip hosts an array of events under the sanction of the NHRA. It is a all concrete eighth mile dragstrip which also has a strong following of heads up racing. Terry Zimmerman has placed an add out with the track and its land for sale on Racingjunk.com on Monday of this week. Really what seems to be a very reasonable price to operate your own dragstrip.

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So take the walk into your bank and get the funding lined up for $575,000 (or best offer) today and start your new career in the racing world. The track is very capable of holding some fast competition by looking at the videos we have found on Youtube. Dick Simpson holds the track record for the fastest pass ever at the Sooner Motorplex. His nitro powered funny car traversed the eighth mile in just 3.62 seconds. So let your imagination run wild for hosting Outlaw 10.5 and Drag Radial events and pull the entire contingent in from across the mid west for some great racing. Spectators will have a great family atmosphere with some very nice grandstands and the racers will have a top notch surface to throw down on.

Chris Evans runs a small block Ford with a F1R Procharger. He was the talk of the town on Friday night. Photos: Tim Lewis

Maryland International Raceway kicked off its ritual of Friday night heads up drag racing this past Friday. On tap was the X275 Drag Radial program which has been put together by John Sears of OutlawRadial.net. A lot of anticipation has been growing as the past few weeks have went by with many cars out testing and others finishing up new combinations in preparation for the first race of the year at MIR. Near picture perfect weather set in as the evening hours were closing in and 21 cars made their way to the staging lanes for the first round of qualifying and eventually would be a record setting evening.

Jason Miller and crew brought the track to life for an evening of competition as the cars of the X275 program readied themselves for competition. Miller has become known for the killer track prep that the racers have come to love at MIR and it surely has led to many record setting performances in the past few years. Most of the focus has been on Chris Evans and his hatchback Mustang that has been nicknamed “Big Green”. In recent weeks Evans and his small block Ford with a F1R have been making some noise during testing. Evans would continue to set the pace for the 275 radial racers with a 5.06@141mph during the first round of qualifying. Daniel Whestine would be coming in a bit off the pace but enough to grab the number two spot for the first qualifier. Many heavy hitters were in the bottom half of the field and would have to step up their game if thet wanted to keep up with Chris Evans. DD Mahoney rounded out the top eight qualifiers with a 5.82@117mph.

Round Two of Qualifying

Al Marlow and Daniel Whestine roll into the stage beams.

Round number two of qualifying would be do or die for havey hitters like Al Marlow and Bobby Flippin who all found themselves sitting in the bottom half of the field and out of the big money if they didnt get in the top eight. Marlow and Flippin would both improve with many others as the second round of qualifying got under way. Marlow moved up to the second position with a 5.09@142 with his nitrous powered big block Camaro. Once again Chris Evans stepped up his game and held onto his number one qualifying position with an even better time. Evans and his F1R Procharged Mustang relied on tuning from Matt Butrim and with the momentum they had at this point, the four second zone wasn’t far away. His 5.02@141mph would be a tough number to beat in eliminations.

Eliminations Highlights

As the stage was set, the warriors of X275 were armed and ready for eliminations and everyone was gunning for Chris Evans and “Big Green”. It would be Evans who had to face off  against Steve Haun who found himself in the number eight qualifying spot. Evans would get a nice starting line advantage with a .043 reaction time and run an even faster 5.002@142mph to knock off Haun. Bobby Flippin and his red S10 truck are a feared combination in 275 and he would face off with Shawn Murphy in his 1989 Mustang. Flippin had a huge starting line advantage to take the easy win with a 5.61 elapsed time. Al Marlow and Daniel Whestine would both advance into the second round and will face each other in round two.

At MIR they believe in letting in everyone race so when you are not fast enough to get into the top eight of the field they have the shootout for those who are left. Quite often these guys will put on a show and just may steal the show. Tim Savoy and his Mustang would face off with the brain trust behind X275 – John Sears runs his Malibu in the X275 program as well as promoting. Sears would fall to Savoy as Tim would run a 5.63@126mph and would be quickest for the round. The next pairing would be all late model Mustangs with Tony Parson’s 09 Mustang versus Ryan Clark’s 2002 model. Clark was late at the tree but he had the power to pull around Parsons for the win with a 5.77@121mph. Steve Drummond would have troubles as he fell to Clinton Smith and Louis Gross would prevail for the win over D. Mahoney.

Tony Parsons of Baltimore, Maryland campaigns his beautiful 2009 Mustang.

As the night wound down it would be Chris Evans once again stepping up his game with the fastest X275 pass at MIR to date. His 4.999@143mph would be enough for the record and to pick up the $5o bonus from FastMover Motorsports but he redlighted away the win. The later rounds go by quick and in the finals of both classes we would have Bobby Flippin facing off against Daniel Whestine and Tim Savoy taking on Ryan Clark in the shootout. Whestine may have been considered the underdog coming into the final against Flippin but he would pull out the win over the little red truck. On the other side of the ladder Tim Savoy was taking on the  Mustang of Ryan Clark. Clark in his 2002 Mustang would take the win over Savoy in the finals.  A big congratulations to all the racers for putting on a great show for the fans. This program at MIR will continue as each and every race goes by.

Well it has been nine months since we last featured what the duo of Brewer and McNew were up to. They have been around the game for a long time on the radial scene and most recently had been working on constructing a twin Procharger powered Mustang. The Mustang is still around but the memories of the Prochargers are behind them. Orange Krush raced at the ORTC race in February and didn’t qualify well so I guess the guys decided it was time to step up to the big leagues with the likes of David Wolfe.

Youtube once again has enlightened us with a totally wicked drag radial creation.

The radial tire world will never be the same in my eyes once this creation hits the track. Something that was often joked about has now become a reality as Brewer and McNew have dropped a 526 cubic inch powerplant down in the front of the Mustang. Well you may be saying….526? That’s not all that different. It’s the motivation that sits atop that 526 that sets them apart from everyone else. A massive blower has founds its way into the drag radial class and if the trend follows as it did in Outlaw 10.5 things may get ugly – ugly for the competition that is. Screw blowers have turned the racing world upside down with the massive amounts of power that they are capable of making and if they figure out how to control the initial hit to the Mickey Thompson tires it is hard to tell what it will run.

I would say that the ORTC race in a few weeks is going to be one of much hype on its own but when Orange Krush rolls through the water all eyes will be focused on that blower. Maybe we could have a battle of orange Mustangs in the finals against reigning champion David Wolfe and the new combination of Brady McNew. Stay tuned for all the details!

eBay has so many interesting things for automotive enthusiasts and these two cars are no different.

Photos:eBay

First we venture off to Texas to check out a Pro Street Mustang fox-body. The jet black paint that looks a mile deep will catch your eye but under the hood is where you need to pay attention. 598 cubic inches are packed inside a Merlin block packed with all of the very best parts that money can buy.  A Procharger F3R sits out front making all the boost that this big block can handle. All though on a mild tune it will make over 2300 horsepower and run deep into the seven second range. It has all right stuff to go fast and be safe doing it which is one of the major reasons it caught our eye. Check it out in eBay Motors.

Next up is what just about every kid dreams of having someday. That is any child who idolized the likes of John Force growing up as I did. eBay has provided us with the opportunity to grab this Funny Car built by famed chassis builder Murf McKinney. The 2006 Dodge Stratus bodied car will need a few updates as it expired in 2008 for its chassis certification. Add in a alcohol burning blower motor and you are ready to go racing with the big boys. Even Elmer Fudd would have fun with this one…..just imagine him saying “My Big Wed Wocket”. After all he does have trouble with the letter “R”. Check it out in eBay Motors.

This 1968 Torino looks as if it is ready to go fast sitting still. Photos: Stellar Autoplex

The Grand Torino was one of Ford’s most popular cars throughout the sixties and even into the 70′s for a brief period of time. If you’re lucky you may even come across a “R” code car that had one of several high performance engine packages under the hood. While the Torino weighed in quite larger than the Mustang, it still would get the job done on and off the track. Search the local classifieds and chances are that you may find one of these Torino’s that catches your eye. Well here is one that caught mine.

Browse the adds on Craigslist for cars from coast to coast that may catch your interest.

Of all years the 1968 is not going to go down in history as the best looking but as with any car if you put enough time and effort it can be a real looker. The owner of this 1968 Torino has spent countless hours making this one into a one of a kind creation. Starting with constructing a full race chassis, a chromoly roll cage was added in to make the Torino comply with 8.50 certification standards. Out front is where things get serious with a 604 cubic inch powerplant based off of a A460 Motorsport block. The big block has been on the dyno and made 1002 horsepower and nearly 800lb-ft of torque all while being naturally aspirated. The owner states that there is much more left in the combination with a more aggressive tune-up.

Once inside the roomy drivers compartment you will find it is all business. A single Kirkey race seat is positioned right next to a blue bottle that is ready to armed with nitrous oxide. The exterior of the car has received show quality treatment across the body. The paint is jet black with silver racing stripes and blue pinstripe accents. Haul it to the track or into your local car show and you will be right at home.

Ever wanted to just jump head over heels into the mix of one of the most popular racing classes created? Many of us have thought long and hard about it and if you do your homework you can come across some killer deals on the internet. One such deal has emerged on the forums over on the NMRA website. Just imagine spending a lump sum of cash and being right in the mix of the first race you head out to. Yes that may be far fetched but when you purchase this Mustang you will surely have the potential to do just that.

Stop over at the NMRA forums to get all the details on this beautiful Mustang.

The NMRA user listed as Lunchbox has offered up this beautiful red Mustang hatchback with all the right parts to make it to the front of the class. Starting with a 25.5 certified chassis made out of chromoly, it will be legal to compete just about anywhere and be safe at the same time. You will receive two sets of wheels which will give you a choice of where ever you want to go racing. 29×10.5′s or 275 Drag Radials should keep you busy just about every weekend. The small block that weighs in at 440 cubic inches is packed inside a Dart Iron Eagle block and topped off with Edelbrock cylinder heads and a healthy dose of Induction Solutions nitrous oxide. The small block made 800 horsepower naturally aspirated and with the nitrous armed it is hard to tell where the numbers will stop.

The suspension features parts from Wolfe Racecraft, Chris Alston as well as many others that help make up a competitive stock suspension car. Rounding out the drivetrain is a powerglide transmission that is backed by a Moser 9″ rear end. The rear has been narrowed an utilizes a aluminum center section and 40 spline axles. All of these parts should help you become one of the fastest in the class. Don’t miss out in this opportunity!

Doug Harris launches hard in his Dave Kogan Hemi powered GTO. Photos: Brian Free

Over the past week there has been some interesting talks on the message board about an invasion that the Harris brothers were coming to 75/80 Dragway. This was the weekend that the track would hold its first Outlaw Pro Street race of the season and the new track surface would be put to the test. Just days prior to the first race of the year the racing surface was ground and polished which left some people skeptical as to whether it would hold 3000 plus horsepower on 10.5 tires.

Visit the tracks website for a full schedule of events.

Chuck Ulsch rattles the ear drums of everyone in attendance with the screw blower!

Well Saturday night proved all the of the skeptics wrong as the track proved to be flat-out awesome. The crowds flooded in to see one of the best shows the track has ever seen. The Harris brothers came down with a pair of Outlaw 10.5 cars. Doug wheeled his twin turbo GTO while brother Brad brought out his twin turbo Mustang. With the likes of Chuck Ulsch, Terris Hicks and the Crissafulli brothers in attendance – the competition would be tight. Off the trailer Doug put together a record run and career best all in one with a 4.42@173mph. Along with the tracks fastest run to date, Doug also had a career best sixty foot time of 1.08.

As qualifying was done Harris found himself on top, but being chased by the 02 Camaro of Chuck Ulsch. Ulsch had been a 4.46 and would have to turn the wick up a bit to keep up with Doug. The pair would ultimately meet up in the finals for a showdown between the twin turbos and the screw blower. As the two competitors did their burnouts and came to the tree the tension mounted. Harris and Ulsch staged them up and the tree dropped, Ulschs’ car broke on the line and Harris cruised to an easy win. Doug has also vowed to come back and reset the track record and take it back to Jersey with him. Stay tuned for all the action from 75/80 Dragway as things are going to get interesting.

The Trans Am as it arrives at home for the final assembly process. Photos:BrokeEF on YellowBullet

The Pontiac Trans Am has been around since 1968 and has always had a place in the performance market. With changes in the trends evolving around the automotive industry, some vehicles have found themselves being pushed aside. This is just what has happened with the Trans Am along with the Pontiac line of vehicles. But like many others the love for those vehicles never dies and people will continue to collect and build them for many years to come. Take a look at this Trans Am we found being built by a few YellowBullet members.

YellowBullet is the leader in the message board world and their members are always building some great cars. Just like the one we have featured here.

The chromoly cage fits nicely inside the drivers compartment.

Starting off life as a LS1 with a six speed manual transmission equipped car, it has underwent quite a transformation while in the chassis shop. A large part of what has been done is reducing wait and adding strength to the cars structure. One of the easiest things to go after is the front suspension and that is just what has been done. Midwest Chassis installed a tubular k-member along with upper and lower control arms made out of chromoly tubing. Midwest also fabricated the chromoly roll cage in the inside with an adjustable seat mount.

The engine will consist of a 6.o liter iron block packed with Wiseco pistons and Callies rods. Patriot Performance got the nod for their Stage 3 cylinder heads that will work in conjunction with a home made turbo setup. The turbo set up will have a Precision 76mm turbo that is being used with a pair of truck manifolds. A built TH400 transmission with trans-brake will back the engine. Look for this car to be hitting the 275 Drag Radial scene later this year. Also be sure to stop over at YellowBullet and let BrokeEF and Sideways240SX what you think of their creation.

Domenic Luppino stages the Mustang with the new combination. Photos : FullBoost

Luppino bumps into the beams for his final round win.

Racing with an American flair has long been a big hit in Australia. The Aussies have always had a thing for hot rodding and high performance vehicles. Many of the makes and models that we enjoy in the United States have become popular in the land down under. Even to this day the “Falcon” still lives on and remains in production by Ford within Australia. Well where we be without the Mustang? It’s hard to tell, but that is another craze that has remained strong all over the world and now the Aussies are getting bit by the Outlaw 10.5 bug.

FullBoost.com provides up to date action from down under and they recently brought Dom Luppino’s Outlaw 10.5 Mustang to our attention.

Domenic Luppino has set out to build a truly fast ride and has hired all the right people to make it happen. His 2002 Mustang don’t look any different than if it were sitting on a dragstrip here in the states. Like so many others that want to go fast, Dom made the call to Proline Race Engines for his source of power. Master tuner Steve Petty and the rest of the crew put their heads together and came up with a killer small block package.

The small block comes in at 440 cubic inches and packs a pair of 80mm turbochargers under the hood. Along with a full out racing chassis the car is coming around quickly during testing and a recent race. Steve Petty made the trip to Willowbank Raceway to help get Domenic settled in with the tune up and with each pass down the track the car has gotten better. The very first pass was a 7.99@193mph in testing and eventually went as fast as 7.04@202mph. The consistency led them onto win a race as well during the Street Machine Pro Street Nationals where Dom won his class.

Glover as he sits where the rear seat use to reside.

The 57' Chevy don't appear to be a major threat with the blower tucked inside the engine compartment. Photos: JalopyJournal

Have you ever looked back and wondered what happened to your first car or maybe even a popular car that use to cruise your hometown? I know I have for several including my very first car, often wondering what it would be like if I had kept it. It just so happens that these types of things happen every day and sometimes it may be one of your favorite race cars that is being searched for.  There happens to be a certain 1957 Chevrolet that is of some interest to the one and only Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins.

Check out YellowBullet to see if the racing community can turn up this timeless heirloom of the racing world.

Back in the 1960′s Dan Glover who was a hot rodder in his mid 20′s started to create something just a bit different with his 1957 Chevy. It looked as if it were specifically built to see duty on the dragstrip but the street is where this monster was meant to prowl. Glover had placed a 331 cubic inch small block Chevrolet in a mid engine configuration that found itself right where the original dashboard had sat. Everything in the driver’s compartment had been shifted back to accommodate the engine placement. Just imagine what that sounded like having a 6-71 blower sitting inside the drivers compartment with a Hilborn Injection setup on it.

The big question is have you seen this car around? When Glover originally sold this car it was sent to Wisconsin and from there made its way back toward the mid west in the Illinois area. It has changed hands several times since then and is believed to be red in color with the engine back in its original location. Its last sale has been noted to be at a government auction and since then it has not been seen. We would love to help find this car and see it restored back to the way that Dan Glover had envisioned it back in its day.

Petey wheels his small block nitrous powered Camaro to another win. Photos: GoneDragRacing.com

Be ready for the arm drop because if your late your done.

Grudge racing has been around for years – generally found on the streets but race tracks have opened up their gates to accommodate for some legal racing. Just about anywhere in the country you can find a track that has a grudge night along with test and tune. Most have relied upon the theory of keeping it off the streets and on the track where it belongs. But grudge racing may not look like your average quarter mile drag race at first. Some will go heads up, some may get the drop or even from a dig. All terminology which may be common with grudge racing and just the type of things you will witness at this years King of the Grudge III.

The DotNetBoyz have reached out to the YellowBullet community to try and bring out the baddest grudge racers in the country.

The DotNetBoyz out of New York have put together one of the wildest events to hit the north east and they cater to the grudge racing community. Only a few rules will be enforced, they are a maximum tire size of 29×10.5 (non W tire), must retain stock frame rails and no sissy sticks (aka wheelie bars). The DotNetBoyz have taken all the excitement of street racing and brought it to Atco Raceway where you will race on a un-prepped race track just like street. While there are no limitations in engine size or combination you will have to be quite the strategist on how you win a race and using all that power under the hood.

May 27th 2010 is the date so line them up and get ready for the arm drop as the competition is tight and just about anything can and will happen. Last years event goes to show that being the fastest doesn’t always guarantee you a win as was proven when “Petey” took down the powerhouse radial car of Scott Bitzer. ”Petey” also is one of the minds behind the “King of the Grudge” and he went on to win his own race.

This Impala packs all the go fast parts to get the job done. Photos: RaceCarMagazine

The 632 cubic inch engine can gulp down a healthy amount of nitrous.

If you look back to the roots of heads up street car racing you will find an elite group of racers that paved the way for what we have today. Rod Saboury, Danny Scott, Mike Moran and many others come to mind but it is the legendary 1965 Impala of Nick Scavo that caught so many peoples eye. Scavo was another one of the forefathers of the sport and competed in the Fastest Street Car Shootouts all through the 90′s. Most of these racers have pursued other careers and venues of racing but their legends live on to this day.

RaceCarMagazine.com has some pretty cool cars for sale. Check out their classifieds for more cars like Nick Scavo’s 1965 Impala.

While browsing some classified ads, I came across the very Impala that Scavo raced all through the 90′s and it is now for sale. It in fact has been listed as one of the top ten most popular muscle cars in the country as well as a 1996 feature in Hot Rod Magazine. The car basically remains as it was with the long body still in great shape and it will be the interior that catches your attention. The Impala has the factory bench seat and column shifter just as it did while being one of the fastest street cars in the country.

A 632 cubic inch engine sits under the hood with 14 degree Oldsmobile heads. This one still has all the go fast goodies to get the job done. A Barry Grant 1400cfm carburetor pumps the fuel down through the massive intake and heads.  At over 4000lbs the owner has listed the car as running 9.0′s through the mufflers on nitrous but says it will go into the seven second range. How cool would it be to own a piece of history and a seven second ride all in one? Well maybe one of our readers needs to buy it and find out.

How would you know just by looking at the front of this van that it runs 12's in the quarter mile?

Every once in a while you can come across some truly unique cars on websites and auctions. But eBay is the lucky recipient of the exposure this week as I came across a VW Van that any gear head should be proud to own. Back in the 1960′s when Volkswagen started producing the van it was quite popular to see them on the beaches and decked out with surfer apparel. But this one is way different than any of those and in my opinion it ranks right up there with the wheel standing school bus.

eBay has some just about anything for anyone. Is this VW Van for you?

While it is no seven second street machine it has its own amount of unique features that make this your not so average hot rod. The 1963 Volkswagon van is outfitted with a 355 Chevy topped off with a tunnel ram and two fours that help the small block make nearly 450 horsepower. Underneath that long panel van body is a 2″X4″ tube chassis that has a narrowed 9″ Ford rear out back that mate to the Mickey Thompson sportsman tires. A four link rear suspension is used along with a independent front suspension and tubular control arms. In true old school style the body is hinged and lifts up in the rear for easy access to the engine and rear suspension.

You are not going to tear up the quarter mile in record times with this hot rod but you surely could look cool as hell doing it. Just imagine the looks you would get if you were to drag it out to a nostalgia car show or drag race for everyone to enjoy. You quite possibly could be the talk of the town.