As we’ve witnessed on the Discovery Channel on Monday nights over the last four years, Texas native Chris “BoostedGT” Hamilton can play games with the best of them, using not only a fast car but his wit behind the wheel to get the best of small and even big-tire cars all across the country. On Saturday, however, Hamilton met up with a racer with an equal level of gamesmanship at the Chitown King of the Streets no prep race at the Great Lakes Dragaway in Wisconsin, and what resulted was an intercooler-ice-melting staging duel that went on long enough for a trip to concession stand.

Video credit: MKERacing

Hamilton, in his familiar bright yellow SN95, drew Doug Wagner and his “Bad Apple” Mustang out of the Chicago area in the second round of eliminations in the Senior class (28×10.5 and 275 radials), and neither had any intention of lighting the stage bulb first. The pair sat there, and sat there, and sat a little longer, as the crowd began to get animated and crew members got restless, leaning in the windows to check the engine and water temperatures on the dash. Finally, after more than two minutes passed, Hamilton finally put his turbocharged machine on the chip and bumped in, with Wagner following.

While the race from there was every bit as exciting as the staging process itself, it was Hamilton who just edged out the Bad Apple, advancing on to the third round, where he lost to the nitrous-fed F-body Camaro of Anthony Mangiaracina.

Video credit: NXGonzoVideo