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You can feel the excitement and change in the air today as cooler air moves through the area with the DA this morning just over 3000 feet. Stay tuned in to Dragzine for the latest from the 2016 YB Nationals thanks to our presenting sponsor Fuel Air Spark Technology, whose support makes our coverage possible!
Joe Newsham switched to a Hemi engine combo for this year and has struggled quite a bit applying the power which is a much different animal than the wedge combo he ran previously.
One of the highlights of the weekend is the Kids Contest with assorted sponsors providing prizes. Monte and Maria Mikho host and it's a great time for the children and families participating. Girls and boys compete separately for prizes with the top three earning prizes. Top prize for the girls is an Apple Ipar Air 2 and the boys winner gets a DJI Phanton 3 Drone.
One of the more impressive builds here this weekend is this 1967 Nova owned by Lou Sedita based out of Sayville, New York running in 8.50 Index. The chassis was done by Hell Bent Race Cars with the rest of the build finished by John Balinski at On A Budget Race Cars and is powered by a twin turbo small block Chevy from Heads Up Racing in Bohemia, NY. He purchased the car out of California as a 33,000 original miles one owner car and had the body and paint by Bonified Auto Refinishing in Patchogue, NY. It rolls on Weld Racing V series wheels with a 295 Drag Radial out back hooked up to a Fab 9 rear filled with Strange internals. The cars sees quite a bit of street duty racking up about 6,000 miles on it since completion and is also a show winning Best of Show in Morgan Park. He took the round win this morning and will advance to round two.
Nova Joe Albrecht was top qualifier in OL 10.5 vs Radial Wars and faced off with Ron Hamm in round one this morning earning the win with a 4.12 at 192 MPH. The radial cars fared well this morning before the track has much heat in it. We will see who has the tune up for this afternoon against the slick tire cars.
A career best 3.91 for Gary Naughton in round one taking the win over Tommy Gray’s Undertaker in an exciting match in Pro Mod.
Round One Elimination Results
Gary Gonzalez drives this 1999 Camaro for Scott McDonald who is a Navy veteran injured in active duty in 1999 after serving just over 4 years. Power comes from a RPE Machine billet block 427 LS force fed by a Forced Inductions 88 MM turbo and backed by a Rossler transmission with sponsorship by Fragola Racing Products. This is the first year out with the car and Gary is the points leader at New England Dragway X275 running a new best here yesterday with a 4.81 at 140 MPH and improved to a 4.76 at 149 in round two in a win over Manny Buginga. Originally tuned by Frank Soldridge and now tuned by Scott the car was originally built by Kurt Urban at Wheel to Wheel Performance.
John Sipola has this very clean 1990 Mustang in Ultra 275 and is based out of East Islip, New York. He qualified twentieth and faced off with Fran Shatz in round one. Sipola did his job on the tree with an .026 reaction though his 5.02 at 133 wasn’t good enough to stay out front of Shatz’ 4.93 at 146.
Jeff Kinsler took a hard loss to Tony Mullin in Ultra 275 with both cars struggling and falling way off pace. Kinsler was away first by a wide margin but slowed to a 5.91 at 140 as both cars fought for traction. Mullin’s 5.66 would earn his way to round two.
Richboro, PA based Rob Poochigan runs his 67 Chevelle in Ultra 275 and was qualified third in class. He met with Dan Moore from Newark, Delaware this round with just .001 separating their reaction times. More had issues and shut down early while Poochigan went right down to a 4.81 at 146 MPH.
Joel Greathouse was qualified number two in Ultra and was set to face Seffner, Florida’s Hannah Sanders from Pirez Sanders Racing. Sanders hurt the engine yesterday and was not able to make the round. Greathouse ran it out on his bye to a 4.85 at 144.
Round Two Elimination Results
In OL 10.5 round two action it was Mo Hall paired up with Kevin Fiscus in a radial vs slick match up. Hall clearly got away first with a .019 reaction doing his job on the tree. For his part Hall was consistent with another mid 4.20 at 173 he just couldn’t hold on as Fiscus drove right by with a 4.09 at 198 MPH pass.
Tim Essex (near lane) faced off with Jerry Mitrovic who took the hole shot. As Essex’ turbos brought in the boost the car got on the bars lifting the rear tires forcing him to leave and Mitrovic to earn a berth to round three with a 4.13 at 187.
Nova Joe Albrecht faced off with Steve Drummond in his chameleon painted twin turbo Mustang. Drummond would get away first but face trouble near 150 feet out allowing Albrecht to get by with a 4.12 at 192.
Jesse Lambert faced off with Mike Decker Jr. in the Corvette and had trouble with traction early in the run while Lambert scored a 4.49 at 175 to take the upset win. Decker was double entered and faced Shawn Ayers with the Camaro with both drivers making great runs. It was Ayers holeshot that earned the win with a 4.082 at 195 to Decker’s quicker 4.071 at 188.
In Pro Mod round two Jim Halsey faced off with Jim Bersani who went red giving Halsey the go ahead win. He went down with a 3.92 at 195, a nice run for him. He will face Chris Rini in the semis.
Dean Maranis laid down a 3.87 at 198 in his match with Chuck Mohn who shut down early after taking the holeshot.
Chris Rini is here at the YB Nats for the first time and also the first time back here at Cecil County since 2002 when he ran Top Sportsman. The team struggled early but changed the set up on the car and has been consistent since scoring a 3.87 in the last round. He will have lane choice in the semi finals against Jim Halsey.
Round Three Eliminations
Jesse Lambert was searching for a pushrod after round two in Outlaw 10.5 vs Radial and came up with one to make the round against Kevin Fiscus. He did work on the tree netting a .022 reaction to Fiscus very safe .117. Lambert put up a 4.28 for his efforts but was no match for Fiscus’ 4.08 at 197 MPH round win. Fiscus will face Albrecht in the semi, setting up arguably the match of the day.
Nick Agostino left first against Shawn Ayers in Fletcher Cox’s Mustang who had a .058 which would have been plenty going by previous round performance. Cox lost traction though and wasn’t able to recover allowing Agostino to to take the round to face off with Jerry Mitrovic in the semi final.
Joe Albrecht had lane choice vs John Bartunic taking the left lane in a nitrous vs blower, radial vs slick match. The drivers had near identical reaction times with Bartunic getting the nod by .002. Albrecht ripped off another 4.00 pass to Bartunic’s game 4.15 at 176.
In Ultra 275 George Farkouh faced off with Joel Greathouse. Farkouh put the power to it improving to a 4.84 it just wasn’t enough to match Greathouse’s 4.75.
Mean Dean Maranis faced off with Erik Lafeariere who is driving for car owner Keith Douglas in X275 who best Maranis on the tree by .028. Lafeariere laid down a 4.65 at 157 for his efforts while Maranis improved on his prior round performance by .076 to a 4.531 to earn the round win.
Semi Final Results
The first pair out in the semi final round was Kevin “Flash” Fiscus and Nova Joe Albrecht. (left) Albrecht took the left lane and cut a light on Fiscus who put up his best effort of the day with a 4.00 at 199.76 MPH. In the other lane Albrecht laid down another very good pass netting a 4.01 at 195 and the round win on his better reaction time. The other pair was Nick Agostino and Jerry Mitrovic making at an all Canadian affair with both cars sitting on MT 10.5's. Agostino lit the red bulb when the tree came down ending his day with Mitrovic running a 4.03 at 189 to Agostino's 4.11 and will face off with the Blown GTO of Albrecht.
Jim Halsey hooked hard scoring a .936 60' and running it out the back to a 3.80 at 186 while Rini shook hard at the 60' and shut it down. Kevin McCurdy scored a win with a 4.01 over Dean Maranis who did not leave the line under full power and may have been broken and just took the tree.
Next up would be X275 with Ron Rhodes and Nicki Notch (left) the first pair out. Nicki red lit trying to cut the tree down when he needed to and Rhodes went right down broadway to a 4.51 at 157. Rich Bruder and Dean Maranis were the other pair with Bruder scoring a 4.43 at 151 to Maranis' 4.47 at 153 pass earning the win and a final round spot vs Ron Rhodes. All four of the cars that were left have raced each other multiple times here at Cecil County and a Rhodes/Bruder final is nothing new to anyone here tonight. Bruder will have lane choice.
In Ultra 275 it was Joel Greathouse and Chris Evans, another familiar pairing here at Cecil. Greathouse took the win over Evans with a 4.72 at 151 with Evans running hard to a 4.80 at 143. Shawn Pevlor and Joe Albrecht were the final pairing in the pro semi finals with Pevlor. Albrecht cut the tree down cutting a .007 reaction to Pevlor's .057 but could not hold on despite his improved 4.84 at 145. Pevlor reset his personal best and track record pace with a 4.682 at 150.
Final Results
The 10.0 Index final paired up Dana Loffredo from Brick, New Jersey in her 1998 Firebird and Randy Dolbin driving a 1970 Nova based out of Peach Botton, PA. Loffredo had a .033 reaction time to Dolbin’s sleepy .127. At the stripe both racers played the game with Loffredo earning the win on a double break out match with a 9.998 at 133 to Dolbin’s 9.886 at 137 MPH.
The 8.50 Index final had Johnny Thomsen Jr.. facing off with Matt Meissner, number ten qualifier vs number thirty one. Both drivers were very late after a long day of racing with Meissner better by .074. Matt pushed the strip trying to make up ground but broke out with an 8.479 handing the event win to Thomsen who put up an 8.575 taking the win. Photo courtesy Chris Simmons.
In Pro Dial it was John Voshell from Townsend, Delaware in his 1971 Comet against Matt Ricchezza based out of Cherry Hill, New Jersey driving a 1993 Form Mustang. Voshell was better on the light with a .031 reaction, solidly better than his opponent. Voshell was on a 10.57 dial in Pro Dial running just over with a 10.587 scoring a win as Ricchezza broke out playing catch up with a 10.26 on a 10.29. Photo courtesy Chris Simmons.
Pro Street had a lot of cars in class with number 30 Dale Cornelius facing off with number 60 Roger Dalton Jr. Dalton was late on the tree with a .043 reaction to Corneilus .029 with the drivers dialing one second apart with Cornelius the quicker car with a 10.01 dial in. The race was decided on the tree with both drivers running .056 over dial and Cornelius earning the event win. Photo courtesy Chris Simmons.
The Super Street final pit Emily Zartman against JY Sheaffer with both racers based out of Pennsylvania and scoring identical reaction times with a pair of .109’s. It would be a double break out match with Zartman scoring the win with an 11.974 to Sheaffer’s 10.853.
Mike Gerber and Steve Dooley faced off in the Top Sportsman final. Gerber put up a 4.480 on a 4.44 dial while Dooley’s 5.947 was just under his dial ending his day in the Final. Photo courtesy Chris Simmons.
Shawn Pevlor and Joel Greathouse met up in the Ultra 275 final with Pevlor away first by .004. At the stripe it would be Pevlor first with a .031 reaction, running a 4.64 at 149 MPH with another personal best and track record for Ultra 275.
The X275 final would be a familiar exorcise with a match between Rich Bruder and Ron Rhodes. Bruder would be dead late with a .223 reaction time. Rhodes would card a .025 but strike the tires at the hit while Bruder went down the track with a 4.440 at 162 MPH earning the class win.
Joe Albrecht and Jerry Mittrovic squared up in the Outlaw 10.5 final with Albrecht away first with a .051 reaction. Albrecht had been running well all day scoring low ET for the round several times. He was better on the tree and scored low ET of the weekend in OL 10.5 while on radials, earning the event win with a 3.977 at 196 to Mitrovic’s best of weekend 3.990 at 190.
Kevin McCurdy faced off with Jim Halsey in the Pro Mod final and was away first with a .049 reaction time to Halsey’s .077. Halsey would struggle with traction on the run drifting right and brushing the wall with the bullhorn and slowing to a 4.20. McCurdy went down with a 3.85 at 192 earning the event win at the 2016 Yellow Bullet Nationals.
