Longtime drag racer Jason Hoots and Florida’s Paul Alfeo became fast friends when racing their respective cars in the NMRA’s now-defunct Real Street class years back. Fast-forward to today, and Alfeo has taken on the role of car owner, while “Hootie” is in the driver’s seat of Alfeo’s Ultra Street/275 Radial/NMCA Xtreme Street machine. 

The car uses a 365 cubic inch small-block Ford pumped up with one of Vortech’s YSi superchargers, and is raced in a variety of sanctioning bodies. During testing this past weekend, Hootie went for a wild ride. “We were testing for an Ultra Street style race on Friday night at Mooresville Dragway. The blower car in front of us lifted a head and sprayed the track with water but it was dark and no one knew until after we ran,” he says. 

The Alfeo/Hoots team is searching for the seven-second zone with the YSi supercharger – a feat that’s never been done before. Luckily the damage was confined to Hootie’s ego and a few exterior panels. “I’m good, it just sucks because it’s not my ride but Paul is awesome to work with – I will have it fixed in the next two weeks. We are on track to go some sevens with the YSi and this is just a small setback in our plans. We have already been the 1/8th to do it but that’s like saying you just knew that hot chick at the club would have went home with you if you would have asked,” he laughs. 

Hoots raced the car a few weeks ago at the NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Georgia, qualifying sixth in the Xtreme Street class with an 8.46 at only 129.94 MPH while the team was still shaking down the new build. He subsequently lost in the first round on a three-thousandths redlight, ending their weekend just as they began to get a handle on the car. 

Thankfully, Hoots reports that the damage is mostly limited to sheetmetal, and we look forward to seeing this team back in competition soon.