The sky has cleared and we will be racing for the money today at the 2016 Shakedown At The Summit. Pre-race ceremonies start at high noon today, and we will have updates throughout the day until the champions are crowned!
Mike Janis made it into the Outlaw Pro Mod show as an alternate, and did everything he could to make it to round two against Dwayne Wolfe. Both Janis and Wolfe ran identical 5.96 elapsed times to the hundredth, but Wolfe’s better reaction time earned him the win.Billy Harper came out in round one of Outlaw Pro Mod eliminations and ran another 5.90 pass in his nitrous-fed Viper to get the win against James Beadling.
Number two qualifier John DeCerbo got the win in round one of Outlaw Pro Mod, but had his hand full with number 23 qualifier Doug Blowes. DeCerbo was trucking along until just past half-track, when he experienced a massive nitrous backfire that nearly allowed Blowes to drive around him.Melanie Salemi stepped up her performance big in the first round of Outlaw Pro Mod running a 5.87. That pass was quickest for the round by several hundredths and looked very smooth.Kyle Ehorn has turned on the bracket car mode in Outlaw Limited Street, running a string of 4.60s. In the first round Ehorn took out Scott Guiler in his Olds 442 with a 4.69 at 167.
Number four Outlaw Limited Street qualifier Greg Powerie (left) got bit by the upset bug in round number one when his Camaro got out of shape down track. Ed McGuinn (right) in his Chevelle took advantage of Powerie’s issues and drove around him for the win. Trace Meyer finally was able to get a full pass in round one of X275 and took out Dwight Hatton with a brilliant 4.64 pass. Myer now looks to be running right with Hilterbran and Stanton in X275 at the Shakedown.
Number one X275 qualifier Jamie Stanton had a bye the first round, and needed it when he struck the tires right at the hit. Stanton had been on rails all weekend and this was the first time he had issues getting down the track.Number three Ultra Street qualifier Martin Conley (left lane) had one heck of a drag race against number for qualifier Ron Belcher (right lane) in the first round of competition. Conley’s 5.02 was just enough to take down Belcher who run a stout 5.04, but was late on the tree.Charlie Cooper was able to pick up some ET in the first round of Pro Street on his bye run. Cooper qualified number two with a 4.55 and was able to rip off a 4.49 on his single pass.Number one Pro Street qualifier Ed Park had some serious issues as the car bucked and stumbled at the hit only running a mid five-second pass during round one.Robert Adel caught a huge break in round one of Outlaw 10.5 when his opponent Jeff Harrington jumped the beams and was disqualified.Mike Decker Jr. picked up the pace in round one of Outlaw 10.5 with a booming 4.09 at 189 mph. That ET puts Decker right in the mix with Sliskovic and Agostino who both ran in the 4.0 range in qualifying.Don Walsh Jr. continues to run over the rest of the Outlaw Pro Mod field with his killer passes. In the second round, Walsh went a 5.84 at 236 mph, the quickest run of the weekend for the class.Wes Goddard was able to move past the higher qualified Dwayne Wolfe in the second round of Outlaw Pro Mod when Wolfe had a mechanical issue at the hit.Josh Klugger was the quickest driver in the third round of Outlaw Limited Street with a 4.05 at 196 mph. He will have a bye in the semi-final round to prepare for a final where he will face either Joe Albrecht or Mark Micke
John Bova (right) appeared to score the biggest upset of the weekend so far in X275, taking out number one qualifier Jamie Stanton (left). Stanton was sleeping on the tree, and could not run Bova down with a 4.58 pass. However, Boba failed to scale the car, so Stanton has been re-instated to the program. John Clement put the Pro Street class on notice with his huge 4.38 et in the third round. That is the quickest pass of the weekend for the class and is almost two tenths quicker than number one qualifier Ed Parker.Number seven qualifier Chris Cadotto struck the tires, but lucked out when number two qualifier Nick Agostino turned on the red light.
Melanie Salemi (left) ripped the tree out against Billy Harper (right) with a huge hole shot. Salemi’s great light allowed her to beat a quicker Harper who went a 5.83 to her 5.87. Kevin Fiscus took out number one qualifier Don Walsh Jr. when Walsh’s Olds struck the tires just before the 60 foot cone.There was a clash of the titans during the semi-final round of Outlaw Limited Street when Mark Micke faced off against Joe Albrecht. When the tree dropped Albrecht just had too much in his tune up and spun the tires, while Micke cruised down the track.Jamie Stanton’s luck ran out in the semi-finals of X275 when he was late on the tree again. Darren Hilterbran was able to capitalize on his tardiness running a 4.62 to Stanton’s 4.60.Melanie Salemi continues her march to the $40,000 purse in Outlaw Pro Mod with another close win in the semi-final round. Her 5.86 at 240mph defeated a hard charging Wes Goddard’s 5.87 252 mph pass.Mark Micke and Josh Klugger put on heck of a show in the Outlaw Limited Street final. Micke turned on the win light by chopping down the tree, and running a 4.004 to Klugger’s 4.005.Daren Hilterbran saved his best pass of 4.57 at 154 mph for the final of X275, taking out Trace Myers who ran a 4.65 at 153 mph.Shawn Pevlar doubled up in Ultra Street, qualifying number one, and then winning the event. In the final Pevlar ran a 4.78 at 147 mph to put number two qualifier Camren Massengale on the trailer.Charlie Cooper defeated number one qualifier Ed Parker in the final of Pro Street with a stout 4.54 at 157 mph.Phil Sliskovic left no doubt he was the king of Outlaw 10.5 when he beat Mike Decker Jr. in the final round. His 3.97 pass was the quickest of the weekend, and he was the only racer to crack into the three second zone.In the Outlaw Pro Mod Final Kevin Fiscus proved that consistency is what really wins championships. Throughout the day he was able to make run after run, and in the final he made a clean 5.97 pass as Salemi went up in smoke before the 60 foot mark.
We are currently under a weather delay here at Summit Motorsports Park for the Shakedown At The Summit. The plan is to get at least one round of qualifying in as soon as the track is ready to go. Check out our full photo gallery to see all the action from Friday!According to Keith Engling the number one qualified 1972 Olds has a lot left for the Outlaw Pro Mod field here at the Shakedown. On the low ET pass last night Don Walsh Jr actually had to lift early, otherwise the car would have run a bottom 5.80 pass. They plan on throwing their hat into the ring for The Money Shot in the third qualifier today.
Josh Klugger and his team were thrashing on their Outlaw Limited Street Mustang before the first qualifier today. It appears there was an issue with the axle or rear end and they were trying to source parts. Outlaw Limited Street racer Mike Gwynn is trying to get some suspension issues sorted out with his 1966 Chevelle. This is one of his first times on radials and the car keeps trying to drive to the right. After Gwynn gets the suspension sorted out he plans on really pouring on the power.Number four qualifier in Outlaw Limited Street Kyle Ehorn found an issue with the timing belt on his Camaro. They are thrashing to try and make today’s session and see if their new tune up will hold on the track for a big number.Karrie Anne Beebe will be looking for a low 4.70 pass today in the third session of Pro Street qualifying. The team found some problems with their nitrous solenoids and got some new parts. They have been chipping away at the tune trying to find the sweet spot for all the nitrous power they have on tap.Tom Bailey and Steve Morris were doing some between round maintenance on his Camaro for today’s Outlaw Pro Mod session. The car has been working well and they plan on turning it up a bit for Q3. It’ just a little street car…Nick Agostino was able to make repairs to his Outlaw 10.5 Camaro after going in the sand last night. The damage was minor and the turbos along with the motor seem to be okay after some inspection.Dave Laurer ran a new best of 4.78 during the third qualifier of Outlaw Limited Street in his twin turbo Mustang. The car left fairly soft then roared to life down track, really pouring the power on during the back half of the run.Number one qualifier Mark Mickie had issues during the third qualifier of Outlaw Limited Street. The G-body seemed to really lose power on the pass just after the 300 foot mark on the track slowing to a 4.70. Josh Klugger remained in the second spot after his 4.09 pass in Q3.
Mike Gwynn’s third qualifier did not go as planned when his carbon fiber driveshaft exploded just past the starting line. Currently Gwynn remains 7th on the qualifying sheet for Sunday’s eliminations. In X275 Mike Smith was able to get his first clean pass of the weekend, running a 4.90. That was good enough to put him in the top half of the field going into Sunday’s eliminations.
Darren Hilterbran (left) got a handle on his Mustang and gained ground on number one X275 qualifier Jamie Stanton (right) with a 4.66 pass. Stanton remains number one with a 4.50 pass in the third qualifying round of X275.
Ultra Street continues to be the Massengale (left) and Pevlor (right) show at the top of the qualifying sheet. In Q3 Massengale went a 4.86, with Pevlor following that with laying down a 4.76 pass. After a long battle with trying to dry the track the race has been called for the day. Racing will begin at 9am with an Open Comp time trial, all heads up classes fields are set.
The Shakedown at the Summit returns to the Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, and with some truly impressive purses in every heads-up category, the action on the race track is expected to be as hot and heavy. Keep it tuned right here to Dragzine as we bring you coverage throughout the weekend from one of drag racing’s premier annual events.
A big thanks to our presenting sponsor Fuel Air Spark Technology, whose support makes our coverage possible!
We are getting things started here at Norwalk for the first day of the Shakedown At The Summit. The plan is to have two rounds of qualifying today, and the weather is PERFECT!NHRA Pro Mod regular Mike Janis made the trip to Norwalk for the Shakedown for a shot at the record $40,000 payout. This event is also allowing Janis to catch up with many customers he doesn’t normally get to see in person. He is also testing his brand new 4.900 bore space motor that he has been testing on the dyno.Joe Albrecht won the Yellow Bullet Nationals the first time out in his GTO and will be running in Outlaw Limited Street this weekend. This car was campaigned by Richard Sexton, so the car has history, and Albrecht expects to continue to do well this weekend.
Melanie Salemi and her team were doing some work on her blown Pro Mod before the first qualifier today. Last night Salemi was able to run a 6.17 ET after clicking the car off early. Last year’s Pro Mod class winner Paolo Giust looks to repeat in 2016. Giust has made the switch to a lock-up style converter to gain more ET and MPH in the quarter-mile, and this will be the first time they run the car out the backdoor for a full pass.Camren Massengale is fresh off his Real Street title win at LS Fest, and will be running in Ultra Street this weekend. They have put some bigger jets in the car and will be trying some new things with their combo to turn things up a notch.Darren Hilterbran has been jumping around this year running everything from Nitrous X, MX235, to even some No Time action. This weekend he will be running in X275 as his only class. He has been working on some suspension adjustments and expects to be running towards the front of the pack.Josh Klugger is running in Outlaw Limited Street this weekend with his Radial vs World Mustang. In the first round of qualifying Klugger was able to run a 4.33 and that was good enough to secure the number two spot.The number one spot for Outlaw Limited Street went to Albrecht after running a 4.28 at 191 mph. The GTO seems to have a lot left on the table for the second qualifier with this first pass being VERY soft at the hit.In X275, Jamie Stanton laid the law down and was able to rocket to the number one spot in his Camaro with a 4.58 at 158 mph. Right now he has number two qualifier Darren Hilterbran covered by a full tenth after the first round.Shawn Pevlor is putting more laps in on his Mustang in Ultra Street this weekend. After the first qualifier he sits number one with a 4.83 at 147mphBrad Tyson laid down the best pass during the first round of Pro Street in his 1993 Mustang with a 4.85 at 172. He currently leads number two qualifier Charlie Cooper who went 4.65 and David Harmer with his 4.77 first round effort.Mike Decker Jr. came out swinging in the opening round of Outlaw 10.5 running a 4.18 at 185 to take the number two spot in his blown Camaro.Mo Hall led the charge during Outlaw 10.5 qualifying with a 4.16 at 179 mph. Hall’s qualifying effort was good enough to beat Decker Jr. out by just two hundredths.Kevin Fiscus was one of the first cars out in Outlaw Pro Mod, and lit the board with the first five second pass of the session. The 5.95 at 242 was good enough to land Fiscus in the number three spot for round one of qualifying.John DeCerbo took his nitrous-fed 1968 Camaro to the second spot in Outlaw Pro Mod with a very clean 5.92 pass at 241 mph.Billy Harper is making his first appearance in some time at Summit Motorsports Park count this weekend. In the first session of Outlaw Pro Mod Harper went right to the top spot with an effortless 5.90 pass at over 245 mph
Enzo Pecchini made one of the biggest moves up the ladder during the second Outlaw Limited Street qualifying session. His 5.32 effort moved him from the number 11 spot, all the way up to the number six spot.Mark Micke absolutely dropped the hammer on the Outlaw Limited Street field with a booming 3.99 pass at 202 mph. That put Micke in the number one spot, and he was the only driver to crack into the three second zone during qualifying today.In the second round of X275 qualifying most struggled with the track, but Scott Carter was able to get a clean pass in. Carter ran a 4.95 to move from the bottom of the qualifying sheet, up to the number five spot.Camren Massengale got his tune-up figured out and ran a 5.01 at 141 mph during the second frame of Ultra Street Qualifying. That improvement moved Massnegale all the way up to the second spot behind Pevlor, who ran a 4.80 in round two of qualifying.Pro Street racer Ed Parker stepped up from the number 10 qualifying spot, all the way to number one in the second session. Parker was able to run a 4.47 at 161 staying ahead of second qualifier Charlie Cooper who improved on his first run with a 4.55.Outlaw 10.5 qualifying saw lots of racers making moves up the sheet in the second session. Chris Cadotto ran an impressive 4.19 at 178 in his truck, landing in the seventh spot.Nick Agostino went off-roading into the sand trap after his 4.09 pass during Q2 of Outlaw 10.5. The 195 mph he laid down ended up being the fastest of the session.Phil Sliskovic took the number one qualifying spot from Mo Hall with a blistering 4.05 pass in Outlaw 10.5.Melanie Salemi took advantage of the second qualifier and went from not in the field, to number four with a 5.91 pass.
Paolo Giust had a very scary incident at the top end of the track in his C7 Vette. The car made hard contact with the wall and burst into flames after skidding down the top end. Giust got out of the car under his own power and appeared to be okay. So far Tom Bailey is sitting on top of the Money Shot attempts with a 6.01 pass. Kevin Fiscus tried to overtake Baily, but had to abort the run.
Mike Janis had a rough second qualifier in Outlaw Pro Mod when the rearend of his Camaro exploded and put a lot of gear oil down. Right now Janis is still on the outside looking in, and is not qualified going into Saturday. Don Walsh Jr went from not in the field after a broken blower belt in Q1, straight to the top of the leader board in Q2. Walsh Jr. ran a 5.85 at 224 throwing the laundry early on a very strong pass.
