Records Fall And Champions Crowned At The 30th Annual Haltech World Cup Finals

The 30th Annual Haltech World Cup Finals Import vs. Domestic presented by Wiseco (WCF) treated its sold-out crowd to plenty of outstanding racing, even as Mother Nature did her best to dampen the event. Maryland International Raceway once again provided the biggest stage for records to be set and global champions to be crowned.

Outlaw vs. Extreme

Cameron Johnson, Troy Pierz Jr., and the rest of the team behind “Eagle” documented their ride on the struggle bus at the WCF. The team dealt with engine issues, a massive transmission explosion, and a race car that generally just wasn’t happy. None of that is a good recipe to win in Outlaw vs. Extreme (OVE), the headlining class at the WCF.

Well, Johnson and the team never gave up and just kept swinging, and that perseverance paid off. Pierz Jr. was able to go on a tear, laying down a series of mid-5.75 runs to push his way to the final round. In the final, Pierz Jr. lit the boards with a 5.711 at 245.45 mph to defeat El Jerey and win his first World Cup trophy.

Renegade vs. Modified

It looked like Carl Brunet was going to lay waste to the Renegade vs. Modified field after his booming No. 1 qualifying effort and hanging a full tenth on the field in round one. In round two, he faced off against No. 9 qualifier Ty Kasper and had an issue, allowing Kasper to win.

Kasper never looked back. After a huge semifinal win, Kasper advanced to the final, where he laid down another huge pass to take out the No. 2 qualifier and score a WCF victory.

Warriors vs. Tres Cuarto

Warriors vs. Tres Cuarto has turned into one of the most exciting classes at the WCF thanks to the variety of cars that qualify each year. Eric LaFerriere qualified No. 1 in the “White Rice” Nissan with a 6.013 run at 240.25 mph. While that was an impressive pass, it wouldn’t help him during eliminations.

No. 3 qualifier Giomar Colón Rodríguez came from the bottom of the ladder and picked up some tough wins to earn a spot against John Lund in the final. When the tree dropped, Rodríguez grabbed a sizable starting-line advantage and powered to the finish line to claim the victory.

Radial vs. Shoebox

A new class at the WCF, Radial vs. Shoebox featured plenty of low six-second players. Eriel Morales landed in the No. 5 qualifying spot, and his side of the ladder was packed with fast cars. Morales fought through three tough rounds of racing and found himself in the final round. In the final, the 6.439 at 215.17 mph pass that Morales unleashed was enough to win Radial vs. Shoebox.

Stick Shift

It truly was a historic weekend for the Stick Shift class at the WCF. The overall H-pattern world record fell multiple times and was held by Brett LaSala, Nick Cole-Mann, and Joel Grannas at one point. Business really started to pick up during eliminations.

In the first round, LaSala lowered the boom on the 6.30 record Cole-Mann set during qualifying with a 6.280 rip. Grannas then hammered that record with a 6.274 run of his own. Unfortunately, we didn’t get an epic Grannas vs. LaSala matchup after Grannas crashed in the semifinal round. LaSala went on to win the Stick Shift class by defeating Yandro Ulloa in the final round.

Street Fighter

The battle in Street Fighter at the WCF was nothing short of amazing. It was tight racing during every round of eliminations, with both boosted and nitrous combinations being represented in the class. Austin Vincent, who already scored a world championship in the PDRA’s Super Street class, also brought home a WCF title. Vincent defeated Adam Arndt in the Street Fighter final to earn his first World Cup.

Wild Street

At the WCF, it’s not about where you qualify; it’s about where you can finish on race day. David Consentino parked his 1990 Supra in the No. 4 qualifying spot and proceeded to march through the field to the final round. In the final, Consentino used the power of his 7.074 at 198.32 mph run to pick up another World Cup trophy in Wild Street.

Xtreme Front Wheel Drive

Xtreme Front Wheel Drive (XFWD) is one of the most unpredictable classes at the WCF. Racers are trying to put a lot of horsepower down through a FWD platform. It’s challenging and can lead to some wild races. Max Leduc made his way to the final, where he squared off against Ricky Silva. Leduc’s 7.934 run was enough to defeat Silva’s 8.154 and earn him a WCF championship.

Limited Street

Lucky breaks will only take you so far at an event like the WCF. Brandy Lorence qualified 13th in Limited Street, had some luck fall her way, then proceeded to earn a WCF title. In the final round, Lorence faced Brad Schehr, a tough opponent. Lorence’s 7.406 was more than enough to overcome Schehr’s 7.650 and put her in the winner’s circle at MIR.

All Motor

One of the toughest classes at the WCF is All Motor. Driving skill will win more rounds in All Motor than sheer horsepower due to how technical the class is. Danny Ryntz had one heck of a weekend at MIR in All Motor. Not only did he take the top qualifying spot, but he was also able to turn on four win lights and bring home a WCF victory.

DAM Shootout

The DAM Shootout class at the WCF has everything from GT-Rs to full-blown exotics. What makes this class interesting is that many of these rare rides are dipping well into the six- and seven-second zones. Khalid Alrefaei won the DAM Shootout in his 2013 GT-R thanks to a healthy dose of six-second passes.

Overdrive Shootout

A huge variety of vehicles took to the track in the Overdrive Shootout. This class was packed with a cool mix of modern performance vehicles from every manufacturer. In the final round, Andrew Mallon was able to bring home the win in the Overdrive Shootout.

Pro Street Bike

What do you get when you slap a turbo on a street bike with an extended swingarm? You get Pro Street Bike, an XDA class that is part of the WCF. These bikes are running well over 230 mph on a street tire. No. 1 qualifier Jason Dunigan and No. 2 qualifier Justin Shakir lined up in the final of Pro Street Bike. In a close race, Shakir’s 6.372 was enough to beat Dunigan’s 6.395.