The Grudge Report: Primetime Versus Killin’ Time

Hey grudge fans! Last week was another exciting one in the highly volatile world of grudge racing, and when I say exciting, let me tell you…I
mean just that. We had two of the most talked-about and well-respected teams in the sport going at it fast and furious. And I don’t mean like that pretend, made-for-TV stuff that you see in the movies.  I’m talking blood, sweat, and tears here — all metaphorically speaking of course, but real nonetheless.

This week there was real skin in this game and when it was all said and done, it culminated in the creation of some very, very bad blood, a profuse amount of sweating before a winner was proclaimed, and some quick-drying tears after the results were final — some of joy and some from the pain!

What we all have to understand is this: when you boil down all the fat and drain away all the excess…the smack talk, the friendly wagers and the spoon-fed controversy, Grudge Racing in its simplest, purest form comes down to bragging rights, and for any bragging rights to be legitimate
there must be two equal rivals.  I’m talking two guys or two teams that want to beat the other so badly, they would almost do a Charlie Daniels and sell their soul to the Devil in order to do it.  Say, wasn’t that done once somewhere in Georgia? More on that in a minute.

Well there is one such rivalry that exists in grudge racing and it just may be the end-all, be-all, as it relates to rivalries (at least for right now).  I speak of a team from the Palmetto State (South Carolina) and the Peach State (Georgia…told you I’d get back to selling your soul in Georgia…you thought I was kidding).

The South Carolina team consists of Stevie Jackson or “Little Stevie”, as Tony “Boss” Bynes calls him. He’s the driver. Phil Shuler of NHRA fame, is
the tuner, and Spyderman owns the Shadow — another car in the Killi’ Time camp.

She Shadow is a backhalf big block nitrous-aided machine that is, by all accounts, bad right down to the bone! Then there is June, a mouth-piece for the group.  Collectively, these guys go by the name of Killin’ Time Racing. Also affiliated with the KT crew is Real Tree of Lethal Weapon Racing, as well as the Big Ball Factor Crew. Robby is the car owner and Mickey is or was the driver, but that depends on who you talk to.

Then there’s the team from Georgia — Primetime Racing, which is made up of many members, but I will only detail a few.

First off, there’s Mr. Primetime himself, Tony “Boss” Bynes, the undisputed King of Grudge Racing. Period. He’s won the “Grudge Racer of the Year” award at the last three Annual Grudge Racer Awards Banquets. Along with Tony is his No. 2, Mr. Jamie “Triggerman” Hawes, aka the Young Gun. Hawes is a renowned driver in his own right and getting better by the day. Then there’s Cowboy, the mouth piece of the group. His role is simple — antagonize the competition, get in their heads, rent space, and make them pay for the privilege. Also there’s Stage, Little Rat Smith, Big Jerry, Willie Dog, Big Clark, and Speedy, to name a few of the central players.

Okay, you’ve got these two teams. Both have enjoyed tons and tons, on top of tons of success, so it’s only natural that each would love to bolster their reputations with the fame of beating the other team. This is no more true for one, than it is for the other. Big Ball Factor loves to hate Tony Bynes and vice-versa. Tony Bynes loves to hate Stevie Jackson and vice-versa. These guys get on the internet to post on some of the more popular grudge racing sites, such as grudgeracer.com. grudgeinc.us, or NGRA.net and the fireworks begin.

Not only do they go after each other, but their respective followers also get into the fray.  There are charges and counter charges ranging from who’s scared to who is faking. There are also offers and counter-offers, some serious, some not so much, but at the end of the day, the believers don’t care.  They all have picked their sides and have dug in their heels. The cyber-fighting happens at a breakneck manic pace, but all the participants love it; point blank, period!

Digital wars aside, there was some actual racing between these two teams this week. Twice in fact!

On Thursday night at the fabled House of Hook — the Carolina Dragway — Stevie Jackson of Killin’ Time entered his bad-to-the-bone Mustang into the weekly event known to the locals as Thursday Night Thunder. The rules are simple: just have on 29-inch tires or less and engage. Any motor/trans combination, any power adder, and any suspension, as long as it’s on 29’s.

It just so happens that Primetime also had an entry in this potluck assortment, which boasts a different field almost every week. They entered a 1978 big block nitrous-aided Chevy Malibu, fondly known as Little Romeo. Little Romeo was just back from the car infirmary, where it received an emergency makeover as Triggerman, the usual captain of the cockpit, put it up against the wall about a month or so ago. Good thing he won the race he before he crashed, as that always helps to ease the pain of costly repairs.

Well, wouldn’t you know it — Primetime and Killin’ Time met in the second round. The Mustang was the heavy favorite, but as we all know, races are won on the track and not in the perspectives stratosphere.

Can you say upset?  Little Romeo takes out Big Bad Stevie Jackson. WOW, and that was spelled backwards!

With revenge on their mind, the entire Killin’ Time entourage followed team Primetime up the road to Thunder Valley in the great state of North Carolina. Their goal was to surprise Primetime as their presence was unannounced. It was difficult to find anyone not salivating at the thought of these two bitter rivals on the same property and each team sporting multiple cars.

Everybody just knew the, uh…crap…was gonna’ hit the fan, and boy did it. Big Ball Factor was there with his small block nitrous aided Mustang and he agreed to accept the Primetime challenge to run straight off the trailer. The Gold-toned Ball Factor ‘Stang was pitted against the Lime-Green 7-Up ‘Stang of Primetime. Both cars sat just alike. That’s my opinion, but “Boss” Bynes has a much different one.

After much ballyhoo, Boss Bynes won the race as Mickey the Big Ball Factor pilot left prematurely. At press time, rumors of his being relieved of his driving duties have been proven false. But back to “Boss” and the subject of whether the two cars were equal.

Boss was heard to say he is the only man in the world that can take a $12,000 dollar car and beat a $50,000 car. I don’t know the value of either car, but I do know this is not the end of this epic saga.

Finally, I also don’t know if Primetime made any deals with any unsavory underworld characters, but they sure seem to have Killin’ Time’s number, as of late.

This is Prostock Joe and Now You Know What I know!

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