[1]In an effort to beat the relentless Mother Nature here this weekend, the Bader family made the call to push forward with the early rounds of eliminations here late into the evening last night. The arrival of more showers brought the late night to a close, meaning if the weather forecast provides us with the opportunity, we’ll be crowning some champions this evening as scheduled.
A special thanks to our presenting sponsor, and a major backer of the inaugural Shakedown at the Summit, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels [2]!
[3]After multiple rain showers – and after multiple attempts by Bill Bader, Jr., Kurt Johnson and the rest of the track staff to dry and prepare the track – the decision was made to cancel today’s continuation of the race and split the purse. There was still plenty of action in the rounds that were run, and the fans stayed in the stands until the very end. Visit the gallery for photos and qualifying sheets from Friday and Saturday, and we’ll soon have a race wrap from the eliminations that were run posted.
[4]Twenty-eight cars — with drivers from across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico — filed into the staging lanes for the first round of eliminations in Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod. Bruce Boland blasted to a 6.08 and the win over Chris Mondor, who was forced to lift. Mike Cusimaro was unable to back up after his burnout, so he climbed out of his car and over the wall to allow Troy Coughlin to make a single, during which there was a sizable explosion under the car as it went through the traps at 6.93. Jose Gonzalez put up a 5.91 for the win over Michael Biehle’s 6.60; Bill Lutz rocketed to a 6.05 and the win over Jeff Roth, who was wheels-up and heading for the wall when he was forced to lift. Eric Latino hung the skinnies, pedaled the car to settle it and collected a 6.53 and the win over Dave Roemer, whose car went into tire shake at the hit.
[5]Also in round one of Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod, Jason Kalso put up a 6.43 to Tommy D’Aprile’s 6.66, and in the battle of the 70 ½ Camaros, Steve Summers ran a 6.04 and got by Ruben Tetsoshvia, who was left holding a bunch of steering wheel and forced to lift. John Decerbo’s 6.19 to Jimmy Cowan’s 7.52 sent him to the next round; Jason White got a single when Jim Bell, couldn’t make the call and Rocky DeLecce blistered the track with a 6.00 and went unopposed when Brian Robbins couldn’t make the call. Derek Hawker also went unopposed and ran 6.11 when Isaias Rojas of Puetro Rico couldn’t make the call. Keith Jackson ran an off-pace 8.74 when his opponent Scot Johnson couldn’t make the call and Jeff Lutz went 6.20 after Brian Vergotz couldn’t make the call. Top qualifier Dave Hance got a single and ran a 6.60 when Craig Braun couldn’t make the call.
[6]In round two of Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod. which didn’t start until 1 a.m. because of several rain delays, Bruce Boland’s 5.98 was good for the win over Keith Jackson’s 6.39; John Decerbo ran 6.11 while Derek Hawker’s car laid fluid on the track. As the clean-up was underway, the rain came and ended the race.
[7]In the first round of eliminations for VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street, J.R. Gibson ran 4.50 to advance over Brent Foster’s 4.65 and Paul Major ran 4.42 to advance over Dale Arbogast’s 5.28. The margin of victory for Kyle Ehorn’s 4.73 win over Ray Royer, Jr.’s 4.74 was .0249. Gustavo Turall drove to a 4.86 and the win over Dave Hinzman, who shook the tires at the hit.
[8]Also in the first round of eliminations for VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street, Ruben Tetsoshvia won with a holeshot and a 4.56 over Randy Darocy, whose car yanked the front tires several times after launching and ran 5.19. Sal Patel’s 4.74 was good for the win over Thomas Jones, who had been thrashing to make repairs after he broke a rocker and ran an off-pace 7.55. Mark Woodruff went into a wheelstand and managed to settle the car before going through the traps at 4.69, while Charlie Frantz leaked fluid and got the car stopped. Number one qualifier Frank Mewshaw kept his momentum and blasted to a 4.54 to advance on Brian Keller’s 6.58.
[9]In round two of VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street, Kyle Ehorn’s 4.75 was good for the win over Mark Woodruff’s 5.29 and with a 4.98, Sal Patel cruised to the win over Frank Mewshaw, whose parachute popped out during his burnout and was quickly grabbed by a crew member. J.R. Gibson (pictured above) went 4.60 on a single when Paul Major couldn’t make the call and Gustavo Turall’s 4.51 earned him the win over Ruben Tetsoshvia.
[10]In the first round of Outlaw 10.5, presented by LaFontaine Automotive, Mark Wells blistered the track with a 4.11 at 198 mph, the fastest run in the history of Outlaw 10.5 racing, and advanced over Tom Kempf, who put up a 4.36. Jim Brown brought a 4.30 to the table for the win over Jeff Castaldo’s 5.11; Scott Lowery stopped the clocks at 4.29 to take the win light against Chris Cadotto, who put up a 4.81.
[11]Also in the first round of eliminations for Outlaw 10.5, presented by LaFontaine Automotive, Brian Hicks laid down a 4.52 over Nick Agostino 5.16 and Eddie Timal ran 4.26 and moved on without competition as Dan Saitz couldn’t make the call. Frank Pompilio was 4.38 to Ron Stang’s 4.51 while John Carinci ran 6.37 on a single as Doug Sikora couldn’t make the call and Richard Sexton posted an 8.23 on his bye-run.
[12]In round two of Outlaw 10.5, presented by LaFontaine Automotive, Scott Lowery drove to a 4.32 after Brian Hicks rolled the beams and Richard Sexton beat Frank Pompilio on a 4.40-4.38 holeshot. Mark Wells drove to a 4.23 to grab the win from Eddie Timal, who ran 4.29. Jim Brown ‘s 4.20 was good for the win oven John Carinci’s 4.48.
[13]The class for drag radial diehards, Wiseco X275, presented by TRZ Motorsports, had a field of sixteen. In the first round of eliminations, Ohio-resident Trace Meyer ousted Joe Pinsoneault, 4.81 to 5.01 and Ronnie “The Modfather” Diaz drove his Modular-powered Mustang to a 4.93 to defeat Scott Carter, whose Mustang went into a monster-sized wheelstand and damaged the radiator when it slammed down.
[14]Also in the first round for Wiseco X275, Andy Manson pedaled to a 4.71 to win over Audri McGrane’s 5.07 and Dean Marinis blasted to a 4.64 and the win while Jason Lee gave race fans a show and hung the fronts at about 300 feet out and went through the traps at 4.74. Shawn Ayers settled in at 4.73 to Robert Bapista’s 5.03 while Darren Hilterbrand won with a 4.70 to Jason Hoard’s 4.95 and Martin Connelley won with a 4.69 to Jay Trisel’s 5.03. Shannon Renfro was 4.84 on a single after Ray Litz couldn’t make the call.
[15]In the second round of Wiseco X275, Shawn Ayers defeated Trace Meyers, 4.69 to 4.74 while Martin Connelley and Ronnie “The Modfather” Diaz both ran 4.75, with the nod going to Connelley based on reaction time. Andy Manson advanced with a 4.71 over Shannon Renfro, who ran into trouble and went through the traps at 9.43. Dean Marinis and Darren Hilterbrand had a tight race, 4.65 to 4.67, with Marinis taking the win light.
[16]In the first round of Heavy Street, Tony “Presto” Basso put a 4.39 on the board for the win over Kevin Fontenot, who had him on the tree but was a little slower with a 4.61. Matt Vinson drove to a 4.71 to beat Larry Larson’s 4.75 and Joel Wensley posted a 5.09 and advanced over Gary Cygan’s 5.40. Ed Parker wheeled his car to a 4.55 and claimed the victory over Mark Vinson, who went 5.43 and Jim Kilpatrick was 4.64 to beat Wayde Mahoney, who was close with a 4.67.
[17]Peter Campbell had trouble, was in and out of the throttle and posted a 7.43, but got the win as Jeff Baker left before the tree came down. In another close run, Michael Standley, II, put up a 4.78 to beat Lucas Milnar, who put up a 4.80, and Mike Murillo was on the tree and collected the win with a 4.88 to Doug Cline’s quicker 4.80.
[18]In round two of Heavy Street, Mike Murillo picked up to a 4.38 to beat Jim Kilpatrick and his 4.62, while Joel Wensley put a 4.58 on the board to beat Matt Vinson and his 4.75. Tony “Presto” Basso’s 4.89 earned him the win over Michael Standley, II and his troubled 9.89. Ed Parker drove to a 6.59 after Peter Campbell couldn’t make the call.
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A special thanks to our presenting sponsor, and a major backer of the inaugural Shakedown at the Summit, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels [2]!
[25]Brian Robbins arrived this morning and will get his first hit on the track in the second round of Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod qualifying. At a very recent race, his Skinny Kid-built Cutlass, outfitted with an Alan Johnson Hemi and screw blower, ran 4-flat at 190 mph, but ate a blower belt on the chip on the starting line in the first round of eliminations, ending his day
[26]This marks Thomas Jones’ second weekend in his newly-purchased DMC-built ’95 Mustang, powered by a 540 J&E Performance engine and twin 88mm Precision turbos. He popped off a 4.71 at 173 mph in the first round of VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street/Drag Radial qualifying, but broke a rocker in the process. Still, he landed in the sixth spot going into today’s second round of qualifying and was close to wrapping up repairs this morning.
[27]Mark Woodruff lit the track – and the board – with a 4.47 at 175 mph in yesterday’s first round of VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street/Drag Radial qualifying, which was good for the second spot. He improved on that in today’s second round of qualifying with a 4.42 at 179 mph, which kept him the second qualified spot, under Frank Mewshaw, who posted a 4.40 at 179 mph. His Corvette boasts a Semi-Hemi headed 522 cubic-inch Sonny Leonard engine and twin 88mm Garrett turbos.
[28]Chris Cadotto isn’t content with the off-pace 4.96 at 161 mph he ran yesterday in the first round of qualifying for Outlaw 10.5, presented by LaFontaine Automotive. It put him in the twelfth spot in the field of sixteen, and he’s looking to step up for today’s second round of qualifying. His Diamond Race Cars-built 25.2 Ram gets its go from a blown BAE Hemi assembled by Billy Briggs Racing Engines and has been as fast as 6.59 at 212 mph in the quarter-mile and 4.29 at 172 mph in the eighth-mile. “I should go 4.20s today,” said the Michigan-based Cadotto.
[29]A hitter wherever he goes, Dave Hinzman laid down a 4.56 at 168 mph in the first round of qualifying followed by a 4.52 at 167 mph in today’s second round of qualifying, for the fifth spot in VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street/Drag Radial. He was next up to stage when there was some downtime for a clean-up, but he remained calm and collected, which seems to be his MO. Twenty-four cars are vying for the sixteen-car class field.
[30]We reported yesterday that a band broke in Paul Major’s transmission during his burnout in the first round of qualifying for VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street/Drag Radial, but his crew pulled the transmission immediately after, and Dave Klaput from Proformance Racing Transmissions jumped in for repairs. For their efforts, they were rewarded with a 4.44 at 183 mph in today’s second round of qualifying, which put him in the third spot.
[31]Ohio resident Darren Hilterbrand has his small-block Ford and nitrous combination well sorted out, as he’s regularly a contender, and this weekend, in Wiseco X275, presented by TRZ Motorsports, his Fox-body Mustang laid down a 4.76 at 150 mph in the first round of qualifying followed by a 4.72 at 151 mph in the second round of qualifying, which put him in the fourth spot.
[32]Mother Nature has not been kind this weekend, as we’ve had several rain delays, but Bill Bader, Jr., Kurt Johnson and the rest of the track staff are determined to return to race action, and have had the jet dryer and other track-drying and track-prep equipment out as often as necessary. They’re aiming to have a green track by 5 p.m.
[33]Jim Kilpatrick had a handful of steering wheel in the final round of Heavy Street qualifying, as the rear of his ’63 Polara moved left to right a couple times before settling back into the groove. After saving it, he found himself in the eighth qualified spot going into tonight’s eliminations.
[34]Between qualifying sessions, the round girls discovered what so many others know: Chatting with Dave Hance is pure entertainment.
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[40]Ohio-based driver Trace Meyer put up a 4.81 at 151 mph in his Team Z Motorsports-built Mustang in the first round of Wiseco X275 eliminations for the win over Michigan-based driver Joe Pinsoneault, who ran 5.01.
[41]Scott Carter went into a wheelstand in the first round of Wiseco X275 eliminations, and when his Mustang returned to the ground, the radiator made contact and broke. Meanwhile, Ronnie “The Modfather” Diaz cruised on by for the win with a 4.93.
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Steve Summers and Ruben Tetsoshvia took the starting line in their 70 ½ Camaros for the first round of Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod, and Summers wheeled his white machine to a 6.04 and the win while Tetsoshvia was forced to lift.
[44]Jose Gonzalez pedaled his ’69 Camaro to a 5.92 at 241 mph for the third qualified spot in Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod and stayed super-consistent with a 5.91 and a win over Michael Biehle in the first round of eliminations. Gonzalez was moments away from firing his car for the second round of eliminations – at 1:30 a.m. – when there was a four-foot-wide oil down, followed by rain.
The cars that were in the lanes were sent back to the pit area and Bill Bader, Jr. has just announced that racing will resume at 9 a.m. Sunday, weather-permitting.
[45]After a decade-long run of success at Raceway Park in Englishtown under the guidance of promoter Dave Hance, the now legendary Shakedown begins a new chapter at the always-fast Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, with Shakedown at the Summit. As has been tradition with the Shakedown events, the new-look race will again be headlined by the five-second Pro Modifieds, and will be joined by a spectacular lineup of categories that includes Outlaw 10.5, Limited Street/Drag Radial, X275, Heavy Street, 8.50 Index, and much more. And we’ll be there all weekend, bringing you news, notes, results, and of course a wide array of images that capture this must-see drag race!
A special thanks to our presenting sponsor, and a major backer of the inaugural Shakedown at the Summit, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels [2]!
[46]Bill Lutz went for a wild ride during yesterday’s test session when a high-pressure fitting failed on his oil pump and dumped sixteen quarts of oil under his Camaro at 330 feet out. He had his hands full of steering wheel, but managed to keep his car off the wall and is ready for today’s first round of Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod.
[47]TRZ has been fine-tuning the four-link under Frank Mewshaw’s ’88 Trans Am, which is powered by a 521 cubic-inch Nelson engine, twin Precision 88 mm turbos and an ATF Turbo 400 transmission. He’s been as fast as 4.33 in the eighth-mile and hopes to pick up this weekend in VP Race Fuels Outlaw Limited Street/Drag Radial.
[48]LaFontaine Automotive Outlaw 10.5 driver Scott Lowery replaced the independent rear suspension in his ‘07 Cadillac XLR – which still sports power windows – with a four-link, and has been as fast as 4.32 in the eighth-mile with help from the Moran Hemi that sits under the hood and is hopped up on twin 94mm Precision turbos.
[49]This marks Charlie Frantz’s first race with BD2300 heads where BD2000 heads used to sit. The 430 cubic-inch engine in his ’87 Trans Am gets a jump from twin Garrett 88mm turbos, and while his previous best was a 5.02, he’s optimistic the head swap will swing him toward the 4.60s. He posted a 5.11 in a test hit yesterday as he continues to sort out his tune and is ready for today’s first round of VP Race Fuels Outlaw Limited Street qualifying.
[50]Jason Kalso just arrived and is readying his ’71 ‘Cuda for the first round of Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod qualifying. At a recent NMCA race, a lifter let go in his 526 cubic-inch BAE engine topped with a Roots supercharger, and wiped out all of the rods and cam, but it’s fixed up and ready to fire.
[51]We are currently on a rain delay, facing a rather significant cell that is about 35 miles wide. The track’s Bill Bader, Jr., Kurt Johnson and crew are closely monitoring the weather and have advised drivers, crew and spectators to sit tight to see what develops. Earlier today, a revision to the weekend’s schedule was announced as a result of Sunday’s forecast for heavy rain, and that included the decision to run two or possibly three qualifying sessions today, a final round of qualifying at 8 a.m. on Saturday, followed by first round of eliminations at 12 p.m. Saturday. We’ll update as more information becomes available.
[52]Enzo Pecchini is behind the wheel of his ’88 Brad Anderson Hemi-powered, ProCharger F3-equipped Mustang in VP Race Fuels Outlaw Limited Street/Drag Radial, and he’s confident he has resolved the electrical issues he has battled as of late. “I always go to races to win, and hopefully don’t need some kind of intervention along the way,” said Pecchini, who became a grandpa last week. “Let me add that this is the number one track in the world.”
[53]Just after his burnout in the first round of qualifying for VP Race Fuels Outlaw Limited Street/Drag Radial, a band broke in Paul Major’s transmission, and he had to be backed off.
[54]Racers and race fans are taking advantage of another rain delay by enjoying a pound of ice cream for a dollar. Race organizers plan to wait about an hour to see if it stops. If so, we’ll jump into second round of qualifying after the track is dried tonight, and if not, it will be determined whether we’ll go into a second round of qualifying or first round of eliminations at 8 a.m. Saturday.
[55]In the first round of qualifying for Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod, Dave Hance (left lane) blasted to a 5.87 at 251 mph, which put him in the second spot going into tonight’s second round of qualifying. Eric Dillard was a little quicker at 5.82 at 258 mph for the current top spot.
[56]Troy Coughlin made a 5.89 at 252 mph look relatively easy in his ’13 Corvette and currently sits in the third spot in Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod.
[57]Michigan’s Tom Kempf drove his Firehawk to a 4.29 at 181 mph in the first round of qualifying for Outlaw 10.5, presented by LaFontaine Automotive, which was good for the fifth spot. He recently replaced his AMS-1000 Boost Controller with an AMS-2000 Boost Controller, with its faster processor.
[58]Even though Ruben Tetsoshvia, better known Ruben T, was out of the throttle in the first round of Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod qualifying, he still held everyone’s attention in his gorgeous 70 ½ Camaro.
[59]After one round of qualifying in LaFontaine Automotive Outlaw 10.5, Nick Agostino is on top of the pack with a 4.17 at 188 mph.
[60]In his PTP Racing-tuned 70 1/2 Camaro, Steve Summers flew into the fifth spot in the first round of qualifying in Pro Line Racing Outlaw Pro Mod with a 6.05 at 250 mph.
[61]In VP Racing Fuels Outlaw Limited Street, the always-tough Dave Hinzman flat-footed his ’87 Mustang to a 4.56 at 168 mph to lay claim to the third qualified spot.
Qualifying Orders After Q1
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