We went late last night till after midnight with some amazing performances coming in the fourth round of qualifying. Sunday brings us to the finals under mostly Sunny skies with the current temp at a comfortable 78 degrees. Track temps will certainly play a factor here later this afternoon under Florida’s sunny skies.
The track went ahead with the fourth round of qualifying running cars down the track till after midnight, offering the racers a chance to improve their lot in the qualifying order. Melanie Salemi and Steve Jackson certainly were two prominent racers vying for position with Salemi coming away better with her 3.648 at 205 earning top qualifier in Extreme Concrete Pro Mod. Jackson improved slightly to a 3.662 at 209.79. Adam Flamholc held onto his number three spot improving to a personal best 3.664. Todd Tutterow jumped in the top five with a 3.676 at 203 and Dave Norris also kept his fifth place position from Friday night’s 3.705.
Resolution Racing has been here servicing customer cars for some time now and has brought Melanie’s car here the past two years. The team has been on a hot streak recently winning three of the last four events and coming away with the PDRA Pro Boost record heading into the off season and qualifying number one in Pro Mod here last night with a 3.64 at 205 miles per hour. “The car has ran strong all year long and we are just really happy, everyone works really hard on this thing and it’s nice to see the fruits of labor pay off.” John Salemi. The car has picked up a solid five hundredths over their mid year performance.
Melanie told us the team has “…Been on our game, you know, with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work…” The team was fortunate to do well at the Shakedown this year in one of Melanie’s favorite quarter mile events which is one highlight for her this season. “I really enjoy driving the car in the quarter mile and wish there was a few more places we could go and run outlaw style quarter mile stuff. To be able to say we have the Pro Boost record for the rest of the winter was one of the biggest highlights of the season. Winning that race was really awesome, but being able to leave Virginia as the record holder was something that you kind of only dream about” – Melanie Salemi The team had a successful season with the PDRA competing in five events with one rain out and came away fifth overall for the year making a big move up from thirteenth coming into Virginia.
Tom Ratliff is leading the Racers for Christ Sunday service this morning with Jeff Berdahl also here from RFC assisting. “We’re glad to be here at the Silver Anniversary World Street Nationals at another great day the Lord has given us. Tom is talking about the rewards of Heaven and what we can look forward to. Glad to see all the people here and pray for safety for everybody.” Jeff BerdahlChad Opaleski made a big improvement in OL 10.5 qualifying last night scoring a 4.07 at 181, just one hundredth off his personal best and a best since switching to the Bob Newberry tuned TAFC style combo. He posted to his Facebook this morning it was ” Time to wick the blower up” and #questfor3s The team will definitely be looking for their first three second run at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals in December with the 125% over pulleys.There was a short ceremony acknowledging Orlando’s starter Richard Stetson on thirty eight years of service this morning. The longest active serving NHRA starter.There first pair of Pro Mods out this morning were Jerico Balduf and Alex Handras with Handras coming away with the win running a 3.83 to Balduf’s .86.
Stevie Fast was all smiles this morning and put up a 3.69 at 207 for his round one effort in the Bahrain 1 Racing sponsored Shadow 2.0. Isaias Rojas would face off with “The Sandman” Tony Williams winning with a 3.88 at 195 over William’s struggling 4.11 at 153.Chuck Mohn struggled through qualifying and rebuilt the engine last night to prepare for Sunday eliminations. He found what he was looking for putting up a 3.85 at 195 and will move on to round two.
Team Brazil made it through to round two in the Fuel Tech sponsored Camaro's. The car's qualified sixth and seventh with Roderjan Busato (pictured at left) just ahead of Fabio Costa with a slightly better top and charge and identical 3.710 ET's.
The Quartuccio/East Side Service team worked incredibly hard this year with the new Skinny Kid built OL 10.5 Corvette locking up the Atomizer Outlaw 10.5 series with his qualifying for this final points race. The list is long with thank yous and shout outs to family and supporting team members and companies that came on board starting off with Billet Atomizer Mickey Thompson, Jim Halsey, Jerry Morgano, Dave O’Donnell, Monty Micko and Duck for bring attention to Outlaw 10.5. “I have to thank my family, my wife Denise, Kelsey, Kaitlin, Kenny, Kyle, Julia, Richie and Diana. My team Gary, Jimmy, Johnny, Kaitlin and Kelsey and Tim Davis who is on loan from Dwayne Mills team and of course my sponsors and partners in this effort. Proline Racing, Skinny Kid Race Cars, M&M Transmissions, Menscer Shocks, Carmack Engineering, Fuel Tech, Mickey Thompson, Alan Pennywitt and last but not least Jamie Miller. Together we had this vision and he helped put this deal together, He guided us down this road and we couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished together” – Ken Quartuccio
Jim Aldus had been struggling with a lean condition backfire after changing to a faster burning fuel through OL 632 qualifying but made the field and the team figured out the problem for Sunday where he scored a 4.30 in round one. Aldus would face off with number two qualifier Dillon Voss in round three where he earned a personal best 4.26 at 165 but lost on a holeshot to Voss’ 4.29 at 167. Stacy Covey from the class sponsor Performance Welding pictured.
OL 632 racer Daryl Hameetman, shown here with Brian Keep (pictured at right) going over the data drives the Frank Beal owned 5 Day Plantation Shutters Mustang based out of Cape Coral, Florida. He scored a 4.30 this weekend, his best run at this heavier weight. The team struggled a bit getting the car to work with the added weight and Clayton Murphy offered his assistance getting the suspension tuned back up and back where they were. Daryl started HRE in 2008, taking over Nortech Power Boats after 8 years there. The go fast boat market was going through major changes to center console boats with multiple outboards so the former owners got out of the business and sold the shop to Daryl. He purchased some new equipment and changed the name on the door and expanded into the drag racing market.
This year’s BFE award goes to Dan Holt, a Top Sportman racer out of Green Cove Springs, Florida parked all the way down at the end by the last turn off. He qualified ninth but took a red light loss to Niles Rubar in round one.Jeff Ensslin drives the Still Doin Time 37 Chevy for Edmunds Metal Works and qualified mid pack here this weekend. Jeff and his son Jordan followed the PDRA series this year earning fifth and fourth positions respectively. Team Ensslin has two new cars in the works fro 2019 from Smart Car Fabrications in North Carolina. They are planning to run the NMCA Bradenton race in March and have both new cars ready for the April PDRA season opener.The Pirate Boys have both cars running well this weekend with Walter Lanigan the higher qualified car this weekend. The Groveland, Florida based team runs a pair of 53 Corvettes with Walter based out of Savannah, Georgia who finished sixth over all for 2018 PDRA points in his first full year racing a series and number two in Bradneton Motorsports Parks 632 points. Walker has been racing since he was sixteen years old starting out in Super Street and Super Gas.Johnny Pluchino qualified number one this weekend and scored a lucky round one win today after shaking the tires and pedaling the car. The team has performed well in PDRA winning the championship and setting the world record with a 4.16, “ Doing eveything we wanted to do” said Johnny Pluchino. “The conditions have been a little difficult this weekend so our race day set up we are working on every round so hopefully we can get this thing consistent and get her in the winner circle.” The team uses an NA Kaase built Ford Hemi with Bob Book carburetors, Ram Clutches and Precision Racing Suspension. Pluchino is done for the day after losing fire against Mike Stravinos who laid down another 4.2 with Masiello- Stravinos Motorsports team showing improvement over the last several events.Charles Hull paired with John Townsend’s Red Rum in Heavy Street giving up the starting line but powering his way past for the round win with a 4.39.
Kirt Sanders and Troy Pirez Sr. representing Pirez/Sanders Racing have supported this race from the beginning. Sanders’s earned a runner up finish at the very first OWSN as car owner with Mike Fernandez driving “ The Turtle”, a big block nitrous huffing green four door Nova. Both racers have campaigned several different cars through the years here in Orlando with three cars here this weekend. This Mustang which Troy took over driving recently from Kirt’s daughter Hannah Sanders who recently had a new baby. Troy Jr. has two cars, his new “Stonewall Jackson”SBNOS N/T S-10 and the trusty Camaro entered in Holeshot 10.0 Index where he made it to eight cars left, taking a double break out loss to Ray Reese out of Coconut, Creek, FL.
We asked Troy how it feels being here after twenty five years? “ It’s feels great..” he said, “I never miss this race, I’m glad they are still having it, it’s getting bigger and bigger each year now. I like to say it’s the promised land, like coming back to the promised land.” As a personal aside here I have known these guys for more than the twenty five years this race has existed. We both cut our teeth racing on the Gandy Bridge and assorted streets in the Tampa Bay area back in the 80’s and 90’s. This event came along and filled a gap in with an international flair like no other. Back when the outlaw racers tested Wednesday night at Sunshine, sometimes stopping by Gandy or Morris Bridge on the way home to prepare for battle on Saturday night. It sure is something to be here behind the camera, covering this incredible spectacle of an event after all these years. Troy qualified third and made it to the semis representing Team Nitrous before falling to Brian Keep’s Procharged Camaro on an .006 foul start looking for every advantage he could over the faster car.
Final Results Sheets
Holeshot 8.50 Index, Holeshot 10.0 Index, Top Sportsman, Hull Concrete Heavy Street.
Performance Welding 632, TRZ Ultra Street, Duck X Outlaw 10.5, Extreme Concrete Pro Mod. Pro Mod was super competitive this weekend with thirty cars making it to Sunday morning round one eliminations. 3.60’s were the order of the day if one wanted to survive the later rounds with Billy Glidden defying the odds making it all the way to the semi finals resting on consistent low .80’s and representing for team nitrous before falling to eventual winner Steve Jackson. Stevie Fast earned the Silver Anniversary win here in Orlando over number two qualifier Melanie Salemi with a 3.648 at 210. That number is the new track record ET, jointly shared by Jackson and Salemi who’s engine was hurt going into the finals and did not quite make the ride to the stripe, giving up past half track and falling off to a 3.87.
“I love this race, grew up as a kid coming here spectating. Outlaw Street Nationals is where it’s at, this race spawned outlaw racing, back in the day of Scotty Cannon and Todd Tutterow and all those guys, this is one you want on the bucket list, a lot of my heros are in the field. We had a good hot rod, we went 60’s every single run except when the transmission broke. A good consistent car with awesome people working on it and a good team behind me… Bahrain 1 always stands behind me. Phil Shuler my partner. I told him before the final I’m glad you’re not hear cause I’m gonna burn your engine to the ground. And he told me, ‘Burn it all the way to the ground’. When you got a partner like that behind you it makes it easy, it’s fun. Book ending the year with a win in Orlando is pretty special. The biggest highlight this year was we won the NHRA US Nationals, Lights Out in Valdosta, winning here this weekend.”
“We had some treacherous failure and great success this year, if we can figure how to knock the tops off the mountains and bring the lows out of the valleys and run it through the middle we’ll have a championship team. In 2019 I wanna win the Championship in NHRA Pro Mod that’s my goal.. I thought I had it locked up this year and everybody stepped it up on me. It’s competitive over there and that’s what are gonna focus on. We’re gonna do some radial tire racing and focus on running NHRA next year” -Steve Jackson. Winner circle photos courtesy BME Photography
Mike “Hollywood” Decker III earned the Duck X Outlaw 10.5 win this weekend starting from the number two spot with fifteen cars on the ladder for round one. “We raced one round at a time today, putting the right tune up in there and it worked out for us.” said Decker. It was Decker’s first time racing here and to come away with the win in such a tough class is no easy feat. Gil Mobley is a bit part of the team’s success. “Gotta thank dad and my grandfather, all my crew, David Reese, everybody that helps me out and my wife Hannah” – Hollywood Mike Decker III Winner circle photos courtesy BME PhotographyMark Woodruff had a fantastic showing at his first OWSN OL 10.5 class entry making it to the finals in the Nelson Competition powered 2010 Jeffers built Vette and sneaking by number one qualifier Ken Quartuccio in the semi finals with a 3.88 to earn lane choice for the final round with Decker. He carded another .88 for his efforts in the final at 203 but it wasn’t enough to catch the 3.86 in the other lane.Dillon Voss came from number two spot in Performance Welding 632, meeting with teammate Mike Oldham in the semi finals with both racers pulling identical .060 reaction times. His 4.243 at 168 earned him a spot in the final round with Mike Stavrinos’ 69 Camaro. “ We had a good car. This was absolutely the hardest one it took to win, we won last year but this one we definitely had to work for. You couldn’t leave anything on the starting line, actually won one on a hole shot in round two with both cars deep in the twenties.” Suncoast Race Cars, Frankenstein Heads, Modern Racing, Nitrous Outlet and Voss Racing Engines are all part of this winning program. Dillon finished second in points in the PDRA 632 class this year and the team plans to campaign for the championship there for 2019. Winner circle photos courtesy BME PhotographyOutlaw 632 runner up Mike Stavrinos qualified sixth in class and scored a new best this weekend, a 4.27 at 165. He was hurt going into the final but held on till past half track slowing to a 4.87 allowing Voss to get by his .047 reaction. Mike runs the only competitive steel body car in class owned by Anthony Masiello and powered by Oscar and Jose at PRD Race Engines. “We did good, we’re happy, making it two back to back finals for us and winning at No Mercy, this was probably the quickest 632 field yet. Speed and Truck Workd is our main backing, we maintain the car at the shop back in Ft Lauderdale. The whole crew did their job, can’t complain one bit. Gotta thank Anthony the car owner, he does make this all possible, Jose, Anthony Jr. Oscar, Cami, Jason and Pete, Mikey the driver, everyone chipped in this weekend it was a group effort, team effort.” – Mike StavrinosCharles Hull earned the Heavy Street title this year in a match with Dean Vallese’s Zombie Wagon. Vallese went way red trying to get out front of Hull’s TEC equipped Mustang. This is the third race for Hull since buying his car back from Leroy Neighbors with two semi final round appearances and earning the win this weekend. “This ends our year, we’ll get back going in February with Duck’s race and do NMRA and NMCA next year. We fought gremlins the last three rounds, couldn’t spool up and some electric issues… couldn’t have done with without the KBX boys and my wife Heather who was here to help me all weekend, she got her nails a little dirty, but she’ll be alright. Thank you to M&M Transmission for a bullet proof unit.” – Charles Hull Winner circle photos courtesy BME PhotographyDean Vallese was outgunned facing off with Hull’s NMRA Street Outlaw prepped turbocharged combo and tried to push the tree. It was a good showing for the Zombie Racing crew this weekend making it to the finals is always an accomplishment here at the OWSN.
Joel Greathouse pulled the full sweep this weekend pulling a come from behind points win for the Ultra Street Shootout 2018 Championship, setting the class record, number one qualifier and the event win here at the 25th Anniversary Orlando World Street Nationals. In the Outlaw racing world it just doesn’t get any better than that. Joel earned a semi final bye with a win over Bill Gregan who found a replacement driveshaft from Advanced Driveline and some welding of the tail shaft housing thanks to Troy Pirez Jr, and Matt Larue from Pro Fab Performance Plus. He earned lane choice over Brian Keep laying down a 4.66 at 152 and I think he may have given it a quick pedal job neat the tree. Keep went .004 on the light but could not stay in front, matching Joel’s 4.66 but getting edged out to Grethouse’s 4.645 at 153.11 with a twenty nine ten thousandths MOV for the Ford.
“First and foremost I have to thank my crew, Justin McChesney, Ben Thomas, the car owner Jeremy Wolf, period. I don’t own the car, I haven’t owned it this season. He put me back in the car first race this year and stuck with me, allowed us to put it back in Ultra, he gave us hands on for the car again and we went with it. I have to thank KBX, obviously, Pressurized Solutions, Bennett Racing, Pro Torque Converters, Precision Turbo, and RPM Transmissions. We came here to win the race, the championship was a bonus deal, we had to work at it.” The team is considering their options for 2019 but given their successful season this year I don’t expect much to change but perhaps a quest for a different series championship?? Winner circle photos courtesy BME Photography
TRZ Ultra Street runner up Brian Keep fought a hard battle for the championship this year meeting with Joel Greahouse in the final round. “It was a very good year, Joel and I went head to head this weekend, it was a phenomenal weekend for both of us. Not one of us gave each other an edge anywhere and it showed in the final, it was a great year altogether, we went to every race and came in second in points. I gotta thank the people who partnered with us this year. HRE, Procharger, Haltech, Lenny at Ultimate Converter Concepts, Rodney at RPM Transmissions, Diamond Pistons, Manton pushrods, Pro Fab performance has helped us out a lot too. We look forward to 2019 where we hope to improve our outcome in the series.” – Brian KeepThe N/T Shootout came down to Chris Patton and Brian McGhee. Chris dripped a little water out getting under his left rear tire sending the car into a quick move about sixty feet out. He was quick to react and kept the car in his lane with McGee going on to earn the shoot out win. Brian McGee has been focusing on his family racing Jr Dragsters with Connor and Spencer McGee in Pro and Top Jr Dragster this year in PDRA and other local events and only had his Mustang out four or five times. “We actually had a pretty smooth weekend, had a good time, made it to the winner circle and did what he had to do to win.” McGee told us. He runs Fulton power and is looking to hit it a little harder next year, and maybe get back into some class racing with Limited Drag Radial. This is McGee’s first time to the World Street Nats but he has raced in Baldie’s “No Guts, No Glory” in previous years. Winner circle photos BME PhotographyChris Patton was the N/T Shootout runner up and is from Jacksonville, Florida with his car based out of Pro Fab Performance Plus’ shop in New Port Richey. “I have some great guys behind me at Pro Fab, they turned this whole car around, the whole program, I owe it all to them, I just turn the wheel. I’ve had the car twelve years, it has always been slow.. last year we ran like a 6.0 index class, was terrible you know. I got with Matt and Don and they got me some good parts and we are getting there now. I take it down there it seems every other week to have them do something. I been racing about twelve years, never been to something like this before, this is huge, never been in the winner circle, ever.”Top Sportsman Winner this year is one Tracy Barnes from Jackson, Georgia running a 1968 Camaro built by Bob’s Pro-Fab Chassis Shop in Culleoka, TN. It’s Bob’s first time here at Orlando making it extra special to take the win. He is two for two in first time’s with this car debuting it last year at Reynolds NHRA division two points race. Barnes uses a Tim Neighbors built all aluminum 632 power plant topped with twelve degree heads. Winner circle photos courtesy BME PhotographyPlatinum Products’ John Platt took the Top Sportsman runner up honors this weekend with his 1992 Camaro. Platt’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer on Mothers Day this year and he has been sporting the #momstrong and butterfly stickers on the car to honer and support her struggle. He has earned a couple of wins and runner up finishes since doing so and earned another runner up here this weekend. The Platt’s hail from Coco, Florida, about thirty minutes from the track on the east coast. “ I gotta thank Platinum Products, Atlantic Wire and Rigging, K&R Performance and FTI.” – John Platt Winner circle photos courtesy BME PhotographyScott Fifield slogged his way through six rounds of Holeshot 10.0 meeting with number two qualifier Ray Reese in the finals. Ray would leave first with an .022 light but Fifield had the more consistent car through the traps all day in his 71 Ventura. He would earn the stripe as both racers clocked over 132 MPH through the lights in a very tight match. Scott travels a lot running NHRA Super Street but is based out of Cocoa, Florida and races here when schedule permits. Scott worked for Pontiac for twenty five years and when GM shut the division down he went to work for Chevrolet and has owned this car since high school, driving it his senior year in 1984. It’s powered by a 468 cubic inch Pontiac topped with Kauffman D Port heads. “ I can’t do it without my wife Christine, she’s at every race, she pulls me in the water, she does almost everything. The couple was married a year ago Thanksgiving weekend and have a long relationship, first meeting here at Orlando Speed World’s Night of Fire, twenty years ago last weekend. A match made in paradise.Holeshot 8.50 Index featured five round of racing with number four and eight qualifiers meeting in the final round. Freddy Perkins had the more consistent day on paper but neither driver eased their way to the finals. Rich Gardner took a .010 starting line advantage but it would be Perkins earnign the win at the stripe with an 8.505 to Gardner’s 8.521. Winner circle photos courtesy BME Photography.
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Day two is in progress here in Orlando for the silver anniversary of the Orlando World Street Nationals. Today we started of finishing up round one qualifying with Extreme Welding OL/Extreme 632, Top Sportsman, Duck X Outlaw 10.5, TRZ Ultra Street and the N/T Shootout. The weather has intermittent clouds and a full ten degrees cooler at seventy nine degrees as we near the lunch time hour.
The Kaase powered Johnny Pluchino landed fifth in OL 632 this morning with a 4.33 at 164 MPH. Dillon Voss held his spot as top qualifier.Jacky Bennett stands as the current number one man in Top Sportsman based out of Palatka, Florida with his 2016 Camaro.Mark Woodruff made the trip to Orlando for the twenty fifth anniversary to compete in Duck X Outlaw 10.5 for the first time in his career, jumping in deep with both feet here this weekend. He was paired with Ken Quartuccio who scored top position with a 3.83 at 204. Woodruff landed fourth with his 3.92 effort.Mo hall wheelied out on his run, shutting it off early for safety.Real Speed Racing has several cars here with Steve Buscema based out of Largo pictured. He landed eleventh after one round with Archie Marasco qualified highest so far at sixth.Troy Pirez Sr is all about that Big Block Life making his third event with the Sanders/Pirez Mustang. He sits in fourth with a 4.81.
Extreme Welding 632, Top Sportsman, Duck X Outlaw 10.5, TRZ Ultra Street.
Yadkinville, North Carolina based Todd Tutterow scored a 3.72 on his round three qualifying attempt this afternoon, a safe pass to get in the field after missing round two this morning due to an issue with their generator. Tutterow finished ninth in NHRA Pro Mod this year, his first year running the full NHRA season and is here in “ light NHRA trim”, or about 110 pounds over for Pro Street here in Orlando. The team will be going over seas in about two weeks to race the short six race season there and get some testing in and has been going since 2009 and won a couple of championships over the years. “ I lost my father last Sunday and we had a lot of family and funeral things going on but made arrangements to be here this weekend, we are lucky to be here, and I know he would want us to be here racing so we drove all night to get here” Todd Tutterow shown with son Ty at left.
Poul Anchersen hails from Copenhagen, Denmark and races his 1987 Coupe DeVille in Ultra Street with a big block nitrous combo. He purchased the car from Cadillac Shawn in 2008 and shipped it to Denmark and raced over there after changing a few things on the car. He shipped it back here to Ohio last year after becoming close friends with Shawn and now races here in the states at select events “ It feels good to be here in Orlando because it was actually some guys from Sweden that started all this. We know Kip, we know him a lot, he loves this car actually, We have won Heavy Street in Malmo a couple of times. It's a lot of history in Europe regarding this event, it's one of the events you want to go to, there is a lot of feelings about this event in Scandanavia. The car has been a best of 5.34 and if the weather conditions are favorable we may be able to break a record for us. My crew this weekend is Peter who lives in Denmark and Jan who now lives in Tampa. Mark Hoagland’s OL 632 car is fresh from Cameron Johnson’s race Cars where is underwent a weight reduction regiment replacing the drive shaft tunnel with titanium parts and some other small odds and ends losing over 100 pounds in the process. Mark scored a 4.52 earlier in qualifying. Special thanks to Ken Urbanowicz at Mike’s Auto Body for the amazing color and Daryl Hameetman for the power and tuning assistance. John Sloan, Mark and Geordan Hoagland pictured.Scott and Jill Husted got engaged here in 2008 the same year Scott won his first Heavy Street title here with his 69 Camaro and the two have now been married nine years. He has been coming here since 1998 or so running several combinations over the years and won here last year with his Mustang.Don Lamana is here on the big 315 radials prepared for Outlaw 10.5 battle this weekend. He has been on the 275 tire in Limited Street and Pro 275 for some time now but didn’t want to come into this weekend at a disadvantage. He earned a 4.02 but fell back one spot to seventh and is looking for 3.90’s.“Hollywood” Mike Decker III and Mike Decker Jr are running Orlando for the first time this weekend but “Can’t keep up with Ken Qualtuccio” according to “Hollywood” Decker. “It was my first full year, followed the Atomizer OL 10.5 series, was a pretty decent year, set a class record 3.78. Brian Roache maintains are engines locally but if there is any major stuff we send it back to AJ.” It’s Team Decker’s first time here at Orlando and so far both cars are qualified well in the top half with Mike III in third, behind Quartuccio and John Carinci, who snagged the top spot with a 3.88.
This 1978 Malibu has been a long term staple here at the OWSN despite having changed owners in one of the more interesting stories over the years. Originally owned by John and Ken Anderson and campaigned in the original Faster Street Car in America race back in 1991 promoted by Rick Dyer. The Andresons hail from Pittsburgh, PA with Ken doing much of the driving back in the day.
So the story goes like this, New Brusnwick, Canada Larry and Vinny Viennean came to Orlando in 2003 or 04 and saw the car racing in person, not just the magazine coverage. The Anderson’s had two cars here, the Malibu and a 69 Chevelle, as it happens Larry was looking for a car while here and Sunday they had written “For Sale” across the back window, Larry said “That is the car for me” and started talking to John about buying it. The price was right so arrangements were made to haul it to Canada. The Viennean’s raced the car basically as is for a while before sending it to Teddy Houser for chassis upgrades, from the fire wall back and to get the car up to current safety standards. It’s fitting this classic car has such an interesting racing history and was owned by two different sets of brothers. The best the car has been to date is a 7.14 at 189 and 4.50 at 159 to half track. The car gets driven on the street regularly and to assorted car shows in the New Bruswick area. Another interesting fact is the Vienean brothers keep a list for passenger rides now totaling one hundred and eighty seven different passengers over the years both to and from one show to another. The drive back to the trailer is the best part with smiles lasting for near a week. “Right from day one was appreciated the history of the car, there ain’t many left being raced.” Vinnie Viennean Pictured from left to right: James Clark, Vincent Viennean, Larry Viennean, Tim Boone and Jody Boone.
Jimmy Strobel has a long history here at Orlando with his Corvette, purchased by his father brand new back in the day and raced in assorted configurations for many, many years. Strobel has been busy for a couple of years so this is his first even back in threee years prompted by his friend Christy. The current engine is a mild 605 from Mike Ford with 10.5:1 compression Jimmy had built to drive the car around on the street around Titusville and Fox Lake. Future plans include configuring this engine to run OL 632 with a new crank and appropriate pistons and put in another car for the 2019 season and get some qualifying racing time with his parents. Enrique Perez is back at it and entered in the N/T Shootout this weekend, now with Procharger power in his familiar “Copperhead” Mustang. Jason Gatlin from Automatic Transmission Factory supplies the transmission, converter and blower drive as well as tuning the car. Ari Birchfield is happy to be back behind the wheel.
Randy Goodman drives " The Dark Horse" 1969 Nova this afternoon burning an valve after launching the car in high gear. The cylinder and head is fine but he needs a valve and some finessing on the seat. Goodman say's he has been here about twelve times through the years, bout eight times with this car and the rest with his 1975 Nova. Tony “Sandman” Williams has a fresh three speed M&M lockup trans and converter in the car the past three events and tried the lock up the first time in Dallas for the Midwest Pro Mods last weekend. “That lockup was shockingly distinct when it hit, I liked it a lot. The air was really cold and we tried to get a tune up on it and got 199 mile per out of it and we are just picking away at it now.” Williams plans to compete in the Midwest Pro Mod Series again for 2019 and should have a little more for the guys out there once he gets the new trans worked out and crunches the data.
Things got a little interesting on the top end during Ultra Street as Bill Gregan lost a driveshaft in the lights which finally escaped from under the car near the top end turn off. Charlie Pixley was just able to stop as the errant driveshaft escaped from under Gregan's car and into his lane. Gregan has a spare shaft back at home in Bradenton but it was not determined if there was some further damage that would keep him out besides the broken driveshaft.
Final Qualifying Results
Extreme Concrete Pro Mod, Hull Concrete Heavy Street, Top Sportsman, TRZ Ultra Street.
Performance Welding 632, Duck X Outlaw 10.5, BME Photography Open Comp.
Holeshot 8.50 Index, Holeshot 10.0 Index.
Duck X Outlaw 10.5 Top Sportsman, Performance Welding 632.
Hull Concrete Heavy Street, Extreme Concrete Pro Mod, TRZ Ultra Street The track went ahead with the fourth round of qualifying running cars down the track till after midnight, offering the racers a chance to improve their lot in the qualifying order. Melanie Salemi and Steve Jackson certainly were two prominent racers vying for position with Sememi coming away better with her 3.648 at 205 earning top qualifier in Extreme Concrete Pro Mod. Jackson improved slightly to a 3.662 at 209.79. Adam Flamholc held onto his number three spot improving to a personal best 3.664. Todd Tutterow jumped in the top five with a 3.676 at 203 and Dave Norris also kept his fifth place position from Friday night’s 3.705.
Joel Greathouse (pictured left) and Brian Keep are locked in a points battle for the Ultra Street Shooutout championship and they sit number one and two after four rounds of qualifying respectively with Keep leading in points. Keep had top qualifier at 4.69 until the third session where Greathouse ripped off a 4.633 at 153.77 MPH Going into the final qualifying session Keep was looking to better his performance and get after the front half. He did just that scoring a 4.635, a new best for Keep. Greathouse had told me in staging if Brian ran a good number he would run it out. Greathouse left hard but pedaled earl, shutting down after the 330" holding on to top qualifier by just .002. Greathouse needs at least two round wins Sunday to seal the championship with one in the bag on an earned single for round one Sunday morning. Ken Quartuccio and Mike Decker III traded off top qualifier in Duck X Outlaw 10.5 but the end result was the same, Quartuccio on top of the field with a 3.81 at 205 and Decker III Second with a 3.828 and John Carinci sitting third with a 3.866. Let me tell you OL 10.5 is hot right now despite the fact that Jesse Lambert is the only car actual on a bias ply 10.5 in the top ten.
Walter Lannigan Jr and Chris Holdorf have been working at their program hard all year finally getting both cars running good this weekend sitting fourth and fifth respectively in class with both cars putting up 4.27's. Pro Fab Performance Plus’s Don Lamana scored his first 3 second run tonight scoring a 3.991 at 194.91 in the final session of 10.5
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We are here for the Silver Twenty Fifth Anniversary of the BLP Orlando World Street Nationals, the King of Door slammer racing that started a revolution in drag racing. We will bring you special interviews with veteran racers and the new blood looking to make their mark at this historic event this weekend. Stay tuned to Dragzine for the latest news from Orlando.
Steve Jackson was the first car we shot this morning in the open testing. He went right down the track to a 3.74.4 at 205 MPH setting the pace for Pro Mod, which has a plethora of entries here this weekend,Chad Opaleski’s Chevelle underwent some revisions at Dan Neuman Race Cars over the summer lowering the car at all four corners and and moving some weight around. The plan for the day is tuning the fuel curve and making clean runs then putting some eat in it for Saturday night session.Ryan Millican scored his best mile per hour this morning with a 164 MPH blast in his Hardway Diesel powered Chevy II. “We came out here hoping for some 4.40’s, I think with this mile per hour and what we just saw with the car I think I can lean on that sixty foot a little bit and get there..I’m hopeful.” Ryan qualified mid back at Lights Out and No Mercy this year and won his first round matches before meeting up with John Keesey, twice ending his weekend at SGMP but goals were met even qualifying this unique combination.Robert Sellers is familiar face here at Orlando and has been coming here to Orlando for 42 years, since 1976 and racing in Pro Street and Outlaw 632 for the past eight year. His first car he raced here was a 1960 Plymouth Valiant running 12’s with a slant six engine. “ I’ve had a lot of good times here, a lot of racing, we all become like a family when you race together, loan tools and borrow tools and equipment, that’s why I keep racing.” Robert Sellers.We stopped by Mo Hall’s pit and found the Mo and the team changing gear ratios around in the transmission and third member. There is a good contingent of OL 10.5 cars here this weekend for the final points race of the Billet Atomizer sponsored series which is sure to have some tight competition.Stanley/Weiss Racing is on the property looking for that big check this weekend. The car shook hard on John’s first run of the day so he shut it down just after the 60′.Billy Glidden is a long term fixture here at the OWSN and is testing out some new things this weekend in his Ray Skillman backed Pro Mod. Glidden was a force in Outlaw 10.5 before he turned his attention to Pro Modified in 2012, gathering grade points to compete in NHRA over the next two year period. The always innovative and tough Glidden is out gunned a bit with his small nitrous engine and is here to support the race, track owner Ozzy Moya and Wade Rich, the track manager.
We got started with round one qualifying after six PM and had a few delays before a a rain shower hit the area after 10 PM ending the session for the night. We got five classes in and will begin again in the morning to finish out this round.
Extreme Concrete Pro Mod, Hull Concrete Heavy Street, BME Photography Open Comp.
Holeshot 10.0 Index and Holeshot 8.50 Index Steve Jackson sits on top of the Extreme Concrete Pro Mod class after one session with a 3.665 at 209.07 with twenty six cars making attempts in class today. About the competitors made solid runs so far with the bottom half looking for improvement and clean passes on Saturday.Melanie Salemi sits second in class with her 3.67 while paired with Pete Farber’s 69 Daytona.Jerico Balduf is making laps this weekend thanks to some quick work by Andy McCoy Race Cars getting him fixed back up after an incident with the wall at Galot Motorsports Park recently at the PDRA event there. Some new headers, repairs to a few body mounts and a new carbon body and she is good as new to the tune of 3.86 at 193, landing sixth in the first session while paired with Adam Flamholc who scored a 3.68 at 206 to land third in class so far.Gary Walker took a definitive lead in Hull Concrete Heavy Street in the first session running his 67 Chevy II to a 4.17 at 176 MPH. The Mt Airy, Maryland racer is off to a good start today.Seminole, Florida based Felix Garcia also has his Chevy II in Heavy Street but sports twin turbos instead of the blower run by Walker. He sits fifth so far with a 4.67 at 168 MPH.We got into Outlaw/Extreme 632 but was not able to complete the round before rain delayed things until Saturday morning. Jim Aldous suffered a backfire at the line early in the session and had to be pushed back. JUst seven day’s ago he lost a head gasket while testing here and got into the wall in the opposite lance after water got on a rear tire in the incident. The crew worked hard swapping the old front end back on and repairing the engine to make the event.Team Voss is running well in OL 632 with two cars in the 4.20’s, unofficially of course until we get the full round results. Here Dillon Voss runs a 4.274 at 168. Teammate Mike Oldham ran a 4.28 in his pickup.
