Network
Friday
Cars have been testing here since Tuesday getting ready to kick off the 2020 season and we have plenty of fast cars on the property including several new cars and combinations making their debut here this weekend. It’s the first time back for X275 here at the US Street Nationals and Pro 275 is making their debut with some new players and heavy hitters making the move from Radial vs. the World which will also be running here this weekend.
We spoke with Pro Fab Performance’s Matt LaRue about Don Lamana’s new Corvette, “In-Decisive”. Don will run in Pro 275 this year with Frankenstein Engine Dynamics Procharged Hemi power. He made three test laps so far making a 1.02 60′ and 2.68 to the 330′ clicking it early at 2.1 seconds in the run. They are tuning the new combo with Wade from Southern Speed on the key board and making small steps with the new combo after running a TT Mustang in the class previously.
Jeff Rudolf has had his Jeffers built Pro Modified Camaro going on two years now and now features a Pro Line engine combo. He ran well at the Orlando World Street Nats last year scoring a 3.66 but sheared an axle that ended their weekend. “We are coming back stranger for 2020 with some bigger axles and some extra parts to keep us going, I’m hoping we will qualify in the top of the field today if we can stay on course from our last runs.” – Jeff Rudolf.
The Galot Motorsports crew has already run in the 3.50’s this week with Kevin Rivenbark laying down a 3.57 during testing showing they are right on track at the top of the class in Radial vs the World and ready for 2020.
Randy Weatherford is running well today sitting on top of the Pro Mod field with a 3.67 at 203 MPH. Weatherford won in Orlando last year and will be looking to score another win here to kick off his 2020 season.
David Reese has teamed up with Rick Thornton and will run a three car effort for 2020 with El Diablo 2.0 in Radial vs the World and Peanut, a split window Corvette in Pro 275 as well as some Mid West Pro Mod series, and Rick has another car under construction at Reese Bros Race Cars for RVW, this one a C-7 Corvette. All three are powered by small block engine combos with Rance Thornton behind the wheel of Peanut, he was getting acclimated to the car this week and getting license runs in here in Bradenton. Mark Menscer put the two together last year after Rick was looking for some help with some blower tuning and they meshed well together. “It’s been great so far…” David Reese told us this morning. “ We get along well and I have been doing what I can do to help them.” Thornton is based near Dallas but the team will run out of RBRC shop in Temple, Georgia.
David has a few laps on his new ride running a 3.74 on Thursday showing promise for the little small block after just a handful of passes while sorting the new Camaro. He landed third in the first session today with a 3.688 at 200 MPH.
Jason Hoard ran RVW for two years with his Camaro before switching to Pro 275 for his class debut this weekend. The car was originally built by Travis Strampher at Midwest Machine before being finished up by Dan Saitz at Hyperformance Motorsports. He has been 3.88 at 201 while testing on Tuesday. Hoard runs a 521 cubic in Brad 8 from Design Performance with twin 102 mm Precision turbos feeding all the boost to the little Hemi backed by an M&M Transmissions two speed TH 400 with no lockup. Jason and Tim Slavens pit together when they can and share data that is applicable as they have the same engine and trans combo, though Slavens has the lock up option in his car. He earned number four in the first session with a 3.96 at 199 MPH.
Tim Slavens had a little mishap while testing in Orlando about six weeks ago and is all fixed up thanks to the folks at TYDO Race Cars. The car needed a little front end work as well as some body repairs including new quarters, tail light valance and a new front end. Tim made it here to test and landed seventh in RVW with a 3.81 at 191.
No one is surprised team KTR is one and two in RVW with Steve Jackson and Marcus Birt running side by side in round one. Jackson leads with a 3.63 and Birt a 3.65, with both cars well over 200 MPH.
Ronnie Hobbs purchased Daniel Pharris car last October and took a win in the RWV Second Chance race at No Mercy then headed to Vegas for the Street Car Super Nats and earned the RVW win there as well. Since then Hobbs had the car wrapped in red to give it a fresh look. The team has been here in Bradenton this week testing and hurt an engine Thursday night, they took delivery of a fresh piece from Pro Line this morning and made the second round qualifying of Radial vs the World, at least as far as the water box as the car had a fueling issue and did not make a pass but there are three session still left.
Round One Qualifying Results
Tom Blincoe got loose and shot across the lane behind Kevin Rivenbark in round two of Radial vs the World taking a hard hit and careening across the track and bumping both walls. He was out of the car quickly but shaken up some. It was a short clean up with no fluids spilled as the David Monday Race Cars built Corvette did it's job to protect the driver.
Jason Harris is debuting the new Party Time Camaro here this weekend sporting a new Pro Line Racing Procharger combo under the hood. He is currently qualified twenty fifth with a 5.67 but that is sure to improve.
Eric Gustafson made the trip from Vernon, California to start his season landing fourth with a 3.699 at 202.
Gary Whitye has put theX275 class on notice that he and team Titan Motorsports is serious landing on top of X275 scoring a 4.32 at 172 showing they have not missed a beat since No Mercy.
Jonathan Atkins brought out The Grub Worm to have a try at X275 with his LT1 powered stick shift 97 Camaro. He recently installed a new class legal turbo and new clutch to prepare. He is workin gin the new disc to get to the “sweet spot” and looking to make waves and show what the little engine and stick shift trans can do.
Eric Leeper had a serious mishap pouring smoke out everywhere on his run and catching fire on the top end. Hopefully the damage is not as serious as it looked from the starting line.
So far Brian Keep is a mile in front of the Ultra Street class with a 4.599 at 149. He was on a roll at the end of 2019 and will surely be looking for a win at his home track this weekend.
Right now Outlaw 632 has sixteen cars in class with Robert Sellers sitting on top of the class with a 4.36 at 162.
Round Three Qualifying Results
Lizzy Musi jumped right to the top of the Pro Mod field in the third session today running a 3.62 at 206 MPH.
Marcus Birt jumped in front of Steve Jackson running a stellar 3.568 at 204 MPH to take over top qualifier in Radial vs the World during the third session. Not too far behind him was Jamie Hancock with a 3.605 at 201. Bryan Markiewicz also dipped into the .60’s running a 3.63. Rivenbark, David Reese and Ronnie Hobbs round out the top seven cars, all 3.69 or better showing the surface at Bradenton is up to the task of holding the quickest cars around.
Heidi Carlisle is entered in Radial vs the World driving the Corvette formerly campaigned by Jamie Hancock. Heidi and her husband live around the corner from the Hancocks and has competed in 6.0 Index and recently in some 4.70 Index racing. She is doing her licensing runs this weekend and ran a 5.11 in the third session. The car is now equipped with a nitrous fed 632 Chevy and recently had some upgrades to the shocks and suspension, new wheels and new converter. Team Hancock assists with tuning and setting up the car with the Carlisle team consisting of Heidi and Rick Carlisle along with her nephew Blake Bailey.
Rob Goss leads the X275 field after day one with a 4.275 followed very closely by Gary White with a 4.276 at 172
Ron Green leads the hot Pro 275 class with a 3.86 at 201. The Greens purchased El Diable from David Reese after No Mercy last year and have limited laps on the car since then but it’s working just fine so far. Pro 275 is really going to be a class to watch this year as several big names have moved over from No time or RVW including Scotty G. and Mark Micke.
