Network
Derek Putnam runs the Boulevard Boost Nova featured in FSC Magazine and runs out of Rollins Automotive. The car features a D1X Procharger and has a new FTI converter and 3 ½ inch Pypes exhaust installed just before the race. Putnam is shown on the left with Jason Rollins who is also running in True Street this weekend.
Randy Seward is fresh off last weeks NMRA True Street win and is looking for back to back Championships to kick off his 2018 season. He is always a force to be reckoned with in the class due to his proven consistent performance.
Bill Lee Jr is running the Modern Hemi Shootout this weekend in a 2018 Dodge Demon owned by Steve Best. He ran a 10.04 and a 10.01 yesterday and will be looking for a nine second slip today.
Dave Theisen has a fresh updated back half to his car for this season by Jim Powski and a fresh engine from Uratchko Racing Engines. This is Theisen’s first trip to Bradenton and has yet to get the car to make a solid launch here.
Robbie Blakenship ran a 7.80 yesterday in NA 10.5 with his Bob Book Racing Engines powered Mustang. The team was getting ready to change the rear gears this morning and is looking to bump DeMayo out of the top spot knowing there is more in the car’s performance after looking over the data from Friday.
Matt Salminen has a new car after taking some time off and selling his Outlaw 10.5 car. He purchased this Camaro out of Massachusetts and will run the Outlaw 632 class locally and is entered in ARP Nitrous Pro Street here this weekend. The car is powered by a Nelson Competition big Chevy with Chassis set up by Hank Hill. The crew chief is Mart Roberts with Mike Lanzetta and Kyle Salminen on the crew. He will be making his first qualifying attempt today.
Carl Tasca’s crew chief Greg Grimes got us up to date on the teams performance this weekend. This is their second week here in Florida where Carl suffered a hurt engine in the new bullet so the team swapped in the old reliable engine and scored an 8.09 at 167 landing in sixth spot in the best run to date for the car. Carl has been racing since he was 15 years old with his first runs in a 68 Cobra Jet and is a third generation racer. Grimes has been with Tasca for thirteen years now. “The Mopar is a little bit quicker right now but we are doing our best, we know when the new motor is rebuilt we will be a little bit quicker, but there is one hundred and thirty one runs on that motor and run 168 MPH so I guess it wasn’t as tired as I thought it was.” – Carl Tasca. From left to right Crew Chief Greg Grimes , Carl Tasca and Don Belanger.
Team MMR has both their cars here this weekend and just switched the red car driven by Greg Seth Hunter to a Fuel Tech engine management. Hunter pedaled through some tire shake in Friday’s qualifying session and sits seventeenth with a 4.43 so far. Mark Lutton is also out of the qualified field at this time with both cars now with different trans gear ratios compared to 2017 trim and still using the proven Gen X 351 cubic inch Coyote engine platforms.
We stopped by Craig Sullivan’s pit and caught Dillon Stewart finishing the check on the bottom end this morning. Sullivan will need a good run to make the field today as he didn’t make a clean run on Friday.
Don Walsh Jr put up a 3.75 at 209 in round two of VP Fuels Pro Mod jumping right into the top part of the field for his efforts.
Greg Seth Hunter made a clean pass running a 4.04 at 182 putting him in the field for now pending the conclusion of qualifying as he is near the bump spot.
Robert Abbott is solidly in with his 3.845 from the second session after the repairs to the housing rear housing and transmission last night.
Jordan Ensslin (pictured left) took over top qualifier with a 4.37 at 164 taking over top qualifier from Daryl Hameetman.
Dewayne Mills improved to a 3.88 at 205 in Radial Wars round two qualifying.
Daniel Pharris is the picture of consistency this weekend scoring another 4.37 and remaining top qualifier in Vortech Street Outlaw.
Rob Goss and Bruce Maichle got the car to make a full pass scoring a 4.51 at 163 MPH, his first A to B run this weekend after major off season updates.
Andrew Demarco got a smooth pass in his White Girl Wasted Mustang scoring a 4.50 at 159.
Brian Keep (far lane) and Mike Wabuda were paired up in Xtreme Street with Keep figuring it out and getting off the line this round. He managed a 4.78 at 148 on the run, a solid run to get position in the field.
Bill Gregan left hard and climbed the ring gear before lifting to avoid a major wheel stand. He came down a little hard and pulled to the side to check for any leaks before pulling off track. he was qualified second last night with a 4.81 at 143 in Xtreme Street.
Bill Trovato improved significantly in this session to a 4.75 at 149 to put himself in the Xtreme Street mix.
Dave Theisen set the car up soft to ensure a clean run this session and it payed off with a decent 7.91 at 175 MPH.
Geoff Turk held on to his record setting top qualifier performance from yesterday’s 7.99 and sat out today’s lone session after the day was called early for the day due to rain.
David Barton held on to number two qualifier with his 8.02, also from yesterday as the weather was not near the qualify of Friday.
Longboat key, Florida’s Joseph Welch earned third qualifier with an 8.039 at 171 MPH driving his 2015 Drag Pak Challenger.
Watson Racing has four cars here this weekend with, Gardner Stone, Paul Roderick Jr. and Chuck Watson Sr in competition and all running well with Chuck Watson the top qualifier of the team landing fourth with his 8.05 at 167 MPH and three cars in the top ten. Chuck Watson and Jason Deitsch shown from left to right.
Scott Libersher wears the number one from 2017 season championship and is qualified ninth with an 8.12 at 165 MPH.
Rob Goss took his car to Michael Carbone at MPH Fabrications after the World Cup for a full chassis upgrade since the car was updated in several stages after adding to a ten point cage put in the car originally and not purpose built as a complete unit. Goss suffered consistency issues one too many times in eliminations and decided it was time to just pull the trigger on a full build. Carbone built a total new 25.3 chassis with every bar replaced during the transformation. He also built the zoomie headers, installed a fire system a full carbon belly pan and re did the intake piping. Once finished the car went to Bruce's shop where Pro Wire fabricated a new wiring system and Bruce, Rob and crew started the re assembly process. The BES prepared engine was freshened for 2018 and set up with a Moroso dry sump system and saw some brief dyno time with Cal Hartline before coming here to Bradenton. Goss runs a Proformance Transmission and Coan converter combo. The team did suffer some engine damage this weekend hurting one head and replacing some internal components. One of those new car blues issues along with the major reconfiguration of the wiring and tuning parameters. It's been a long two days for the team and wish them the best for eliminations on Sunday.
Round Two Qualifying Results
Bob Stuller is on the property with "Jeepenstein" and entered in Gear Vendors True Street this weekend running out of Pro Fab Performance plus in New Port Richey, Florida with power coming from an MPR built small Ford sporting 401 cubic inches and boost fed from a Precision turbo. Bob has run in the sevens but looking for consistency today and the NMCA King of Florida crown. He did not get a time slip on this pass but was able to come back around and bust out a verified high seven second run. Randy Seward left hard scoring an 8.40 for his effort in the Gear Vendors True Street time trials. Their meeting and cruise was scheduled for 3:30 but we are in a rain delay on the track at this time at 4:40 PM with the Pro Media officials discussing the True Street cruise and waiting to see what the weather will do.
Final Qualifying Results
