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Sunday is judgement day here in Bradenton for the seasons final big race. Today’s weather is clear and sunny already with slightly warmer temps so the track will likely have a little more heat in it today, especially this afternoon. Early news this morning has Alex Hossler and Von Smith deciding to pull out o the Auto Pro Mod class and run exhibition passes instead so there will be some adjustments to the ladder. I think it’s a stand up move and a good call by them, though I understand some racers did switch classes and are lower on the ladder in outlaw Pro Mod than they would have been otherwise.

Special thanks to our event coverage sponsor Mickeythompson Tires your place for high performance tires.

Since Bob Newberry hascome on board tuning for Chris Mendola in the Lay/Mendola Racing Camaro things have continued improvement running a new best yesterday with a 4.13 to the eighth and the first quarter mile runs with a 6.37 @ 217 in the final session. Congrats guys.

Scott Quesenberry can't make the call this morning in Auto Pro Mod, that and the ADRL cars pulling out has all three alternates replacing him, Hossler and Smith. Gary Langer will be in the top position, with Jamie Palmer replacing Queesenberry and Gary Collins will replace number eight Alex Hossler.

Walt Drakeford ripped off a 4.91 @ 144 last for a personal best driving Mike Burkhart's X-275 Mustang landing third on the ladder.

Jesse Violante had a late night replacing three pistons in his top qualified OL 10.5 Camaro. I have yet to speak with him this morning though.

The Open Outlaw folks brought out the house garage band "Leavin' Hard" for this first gig in front of a crowd. They sounded good and we all had a great time.

Round One Results

Round One Notes

Dave Hance puffed some smoke on his run against Mike Rein, taking the win but slowing to a 6.53 @ 185. Word from the pits is he lost the rods in the engine so they are done for the day.

Jimmy Stoupas took the tree first and put up his best run of the weekend with his nitrous sniffing Trans AM Ato Pro Mod to take out Jason Carlton's turbo Celica, 4.34 @ 152 to 4.40 @ 180.

Frank Meshaw drove by Steve George's holeshot 4.43 run with a 4.42 @ 169 in OL 10.5. George was on point with his best run of the weekend.

Rob Briscoe took low ET in round one of OL 632 with a clean 4.77 @ 150 on his earned single.

Eddie Whitlow also had a bye in oL 632, lucky for him as the carbackfired going on the trans brake. He was able to refire and drive down.

Number one qualifier in LS/ Drag Radial Chris Tedeshi lost fire building boost on the line and was pushed back giving Chad Opalesi the go ahead win with his Procharged Chevelle.

Don Lamana red lit against Troy Pirez taking himself out. Pirez got loose and did a great job staying of the wall and in his own lane to earn the first round win in X-275.

Round Three Results

Semi Final Results

The first pair out in the X-275 semis was Sean Lyon and Troy Pirez, small block turbo vs. big block nitrous. At the stripe Lyons took the win with a 4.88 over Pirez best of weekend 4.89.

King Jack" Collins bested Drakeford with a nice 4.94 to the game 4.99 for Team Real Speed.

A 4.72 for Briscoe to Lobaldo's 4.94 has the Alantic Collision Nova going to fthe finals to meet up with Stanley Albritton Jr. Albritton got by Eddie Whitlow who backfired, shooting some fire under the car about 200 feet out.

Whitlow shoots some fire under the car in his loss to Albritton.

In 5.50 Index Jeff Gibbud gets the win over Bill Lee who ran just a touch too fast with a 5.49.He will meet Terry Duffy for the trophy.

In Auto Pro Mod Ronnie Davis caught fire while backing up after his burnout. Mark Wells took the tree and will face Bill Conley in the final, he beat Burgess with a 4.12 to a 4.27.

Alex Hossler made another test run, running a 3.67 for the best hit so far after installing the automatic.

Ron Logan gets the win over Melissa Hutson after she lost the blower belt after the eighth mile. Matt Cooke took the win over Matt Gilmore with a 5.91 @ 220.

Final Results

Palmetto, Florida based Matt Cummings took the win in 7.50 Index over Mark Mullen's smallblock Chevy Powered S-10 pickup. Matt is a multiple time winner here in 7.50. Matt and his father race locally often and he is the class winer at Sunshine Dragstrip three times running.

Terry Duffy was .021 on the tree in the 5.50 Index final with Jeff Gibbud. Duffy took the stripe as well with Gibbud slowing to a 5.63 due to the nitrous surgeing down track.

7.50 Index runner up - Mark Mullen

LS/ODR runner up - Chad Opaleski

Limited Street/Drag Radial had an interesting day with front runner Chris Tedeschi out in round one. Opaleski won a pedalfest with Scott Husted in round two then managed a 5.27 @ 151 in the final against Tony Ridenour. Ridenour's 4.97 @ 151 earned him the win. His new Ripperglide trans is holding up well under the twin Procharged big block Chevy.

Outlaw Pro Mod runner up - Adam Flomholc

5.50 Index runner up - Jeff Gibbud

Auto Pro Mod runner up - Bill Conley

X-275 runner up - Sean Lyon

Mark Ingle took the Outlaw 10.5 win over Frank Meshaw. Engle runs out of Virginia with a 738 ci BBC on the bottle from Charlie Buck Racing Engines.

Besides first round of X-275 Jack Collins was in the 4.90's all day. He met up with Sean Lyon's turbocharged Mustang in the final giving up lane choice to the man with low et during eliminations. Collins left first and went on to take the stripe with a 4.92 to Lyon's better 4.88.

Open Outlaw winner Matt Cooke get the win in his first time behind the wheel of Eddie Careccia's dragster running a 5.88 @ 236 in the final against 2011 Open Outlaw Champion Ron Logan.

Open Outlaw runner up - Ron Logan

Mark wells was late on the tree but had the steam on the top end to come around Bill Conley's Nitrous huffing 68 Camaro in Auto Pro Mod. Bill Lutz, his son Kenny and his girlfriend Megan help out tuning the car with Lutz on the Big Stuff fuel management on site with PTP Performance on board for the tune. The car is powered by a Scott Braskett built BBC with Garret 94 mm ball bearing turbos.

OL 10.5 runner up - Frank Meshaw

Outlaw 623 runner up - Robert Briscoe

Outlaw Pro Mod winner Jimmy Keen improved to a 5.996 @ 235 in the final against Adam Flamholc who lost steering early in the run and shut down without incedent. Tony Christian is on the crew for the Keen brothers and they run a Reher Morrison big block Chevy with Speedtech Nitrous.

Outlaw 632 went down to the wire with Rob Briscoe and Stanley Albritton Jr. Albritton was the only car in the 4.60's till the final where he had lane choice. He left on Briscoe and went on to post low ET of the event with a 4.689 @ 154 to Briscoe's game 4.694 @ 154.