Network
We are ready to go Sunday for a final session of qualifying before moving into eliminations due to some interference by Mother Nature overnight. The wind has shifted out of the northwest and cooler temps are the order of the day as the sun creeps back from behind the clouds here in Bradenton for the 2017 edition of the Outlaw Drag Racing Championships.
Joseph Giannetto has a new car out for the class running a blown 1992 Firebird based out of Royal Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. This is the race debut for the new car after purchasing it last year and taking delivery as a birthday present on April 5th. It’s powered by 526 Chevy topped with a Littlefield blower with Joe qualifying sixth in Outlaw Pro Mod with a 5.00 at 147 MPH this weekend.
2016 7.90 Jr Dragster Champion Nick Stewart has stepped up to a door car with the 5 Day Plantation Shutter Avenger with eventual goals for running in Outlaw 632. This was the debut weekend for the car after the team has spent about a year repainting it and getting it prepped, rewired and fitted for Nick. The engine is a 522 from Ohio Crankshaft. A broken starter and flywheel ended the teams weekend early but expect to see Stewart behind the wheel at regular events here in Bradenton.
Tracy Stunkard improved his ET to a 3.95 at 184 in Open Outlaw staying third in the field but making his crew happy earning a fist bump with Troy Goshall and Keny Gonyo.
Kris Thorne bumped Ken Cruz to second in Pro Mod with a 4.000 at 187 in this morning session taking over top qualifier in class.
Dillon Voss came out swinging in OL 632 landing second with the Voss Racing, Suncoast Race Cars newest entry in class. Voss is the 2017 PDRA OL 632 Champion and put up a 4.34 at 156 this morning.
Rodney Campbell is running on radials for the first time with his OL 632 Camaro this weekend. He got it hooked up this morning but carried the front end way out and was forced to pedal the car and steer the car away from the wall on this run.
Chris Bretz took over top qualifier in Heavy Street this morning with a nice and easy 4.70 at 167 MPH. Chris Perry also improved to a 4.73 knocking David Boger back to third place with his 4.79 from this morning.
Ultra Street racer Mike Freeman dind’t get a full pass in yesterday but scored a nice 486 at 143 this morning landing second in the field.
Wade Gullett earned top qualifier in 5.50 Index with a 5.51 this morning for the Ft Lauderdale based racer.
Top qualifier in 8.90 Index jr Dragster went to Jonathon D’Aprile with a 8.904 at 71.
Final Qualifying Results
Austin Stephens scored a win over David Boger with a 5.32 at 135 and a massive hole shot as Dave was caught off guard on the tree in round one of Heavy Street.
Scott Husted also earned his way to round two with a 4.86 at 128 over Gino Bia.
Ultra Street saw several single runs in class for round one with the top four advancing that way. Hannah Sanders faced faced off with Steve Mogle earning her way to round two with a 5.07 at 139 over Mogle who has struggled with the car staying hooked all weekend.
Michael Crawley earned his way past Charlie Pixley’s S 10 with a 6.17 as both racers lost traction early.
Bob Glenn advanced over new guy Joseph Giannetto running a 4.12 at 179 in Outlaw Pro Mod.
Ken Cruz set low ET for the class in this round scoring a 3.95 at 190 and will be the car to watch in later rounds with that kind of performance.
Round One Elimination Results
Brian Bednar pedaled his way to a 4.046 at 178 in the semis against Kenny Puffenburger with Tracy Stunkard putting up a 3.93 at 185 earning lane choice on a single with Andrews missing the round. In the final Stunkard had trouble on the burnout, pulling off to the side past the tree. Bednar took the go ahead win out the back to a 3.844 at 190. Brian also sealed up the Heads Up Madness series Open Outlaw Championship Sunday.
Outlaw Pro Mod saw the top four advance to round two with Kris Thorne running a 4.01 at 186 advancing over Jon Adams and Bob Glenn lighting the red bulb against Ken Cruz but making a ncie 4.08 at 182 MPH pass. Thorne chose the right lane in the final with Cruz but his transmission broke on the burnout making for another single pass final round. Cruz is the 2017 Outlaw Pro Mod Champion.
Round two of Outlaw 632 was action packed with Campbell improving to a 4.65 at 157 making a game effort at Jordan Ensslin's 2002 Trans Am. Ensslin would advance on his 4.36 at 163. Dillon Voss ran another 4.371 over Phil Swales. Ryan Thorp scored a 4.46 earning his way to round three over Ric Mills and Hank Hill improved to a 4.49 at 157 over Jeff Ensslin in the Still Doin' Time 37 Chevy.
The semis pit rivals Dillon Voss and Ryan Thorp against each other in a tense match decided on the tree at Thorp pushed too hard netting a foul start and Voss showing his cards with a 4.279 at 166 MPH blast. Ensslin scored a 4.36 on a single over the absent Hill setting up the Ensslin/Voss final.
Voss took the left lane and knocked the tree down with a .008 reaction but hurt the engine ending his chance at a win with Ensslin going A to B with a 4.37 at 161 to earn the event win.
Steve Cannizzio earned the OL 632 Championship by one point driving for NY Tommy Rojack this year in the CRT Transmissions, Scotty’s Racing Technology, Worthy Motorsports, Aerospace Components, Cope Signs NBC Race Cars Corvette. The crew includes Faith Front, Corey Berry and Aimee Leigh.
Round two saw Scott Husted find his groove nabbing a 4.38 at 176 over Chris Bretz and Chris Perry also improving to a 4.65 at 166 over Austin Stephens.
In the final neither racer was away quickly with Husted earning the better .121 reaction but losing traction early allowing Perry to scoot by and take his first event win with his best of weekend 4.585 at 171.
Brian Keep set low ET again in round two over Eugene Rodriquez with a 4.83 at 146. Mike Freeman aired his Procharged entry out in an exciting match with Jeff Gibbud earning the win with a 5.008 to Gibbud's 5.04.Gregan scored a 4.89 at 142 over Hanna Sanders and Michael Crawley earned his way to the semis over Steve Buscema who was running well this weekend after switching to a new single entry plate system from PKRE.
Crawley set up in the left lane again where he had luck earlier and both cars hooked hard but Gregan was away first with a .065 reaction. Crawley and stepped it up for the final scoring a 4.90 at 142 though it wasn't enough as Gregan went on to another 4.89 at 144 to earn the win.
Michael Crawley based out of Coral Springs, Florida is the Ultra Street Runner Up.
Index number one qualifier Wade Gullet had singles in round one and two but did his job on the tree when he met competition earning the class win over Kyle Fawcett in the final with a .016 5.535 at 127 to Fawcett’s .038 5.488 at 127.
Kyle Fawcett 5.50 Index Runner Up.
5.90 Index Bike had twenty two entries this weekend making for some great racing and five rounds of competition. Number one qualifier Mimi Lamas took a hard loss to Mike Moore Jr in round one running under index trying to make up for an off pace reaction. Holmes Beach’s Nick Bowling Jr. earned second qualifier and advanced on a single 5.88 to round two. Number three man Luc David lost a tight match with Angel Lopez number four Anne Richter and five Nicklas Bowling III would also advance to round two.
J.D. Kitterage faced off with Candy Haggadorn in the first pair of round two and moved on to round three by a margin of just .011. The father and son Bowling team also advanced along with Richter, Rick Eaton advanced over a red lighting Lopez and Mike Moore had the sinfle this round running it out to a 5.84.
Round three saw the Bowlings pair up with Nicklas scoring a perfect .000 reaction to move forward with Kittredge going red this round against Eaton. Moore faced off with Richter putting up a .009 reaction and easing off through the lights for a 6.04 114 MPH win.
The semi final pit Eaton vs Moore with Eaton scoring the round with a 5.908 to Moore’s 6.06 and Bowling’s single 5.88 AT 121 running it though the gears and testing the air. Once through to the final round it was Bowling with a .003 starting line advantage running a 5.921 at 112 to earn the event win over Rick Eaton’s 5.970 at 86.
5.90 Bike Runner Up Rick Eaton.
Scott Travers stole the show in 6.50 index running under index every round on his way to the event win through five rounds of competition meeting Ray Reese in the final. His .023 reaction had him playing just a little bit of catch up to Reese’s .021. At the stripe it would be Reese there first with a 6.456 at 105 taking the loss to Travers’ 6.463 at 105.
Ray Reese 6.50 Index Runner Up.
Bob DeMilt earned top spot in 7.50 Index in his trust Malibu wagon and advancing to round two over Hannah Sanders. Number two qualifier Robert Wilson also made it through over John Halsey, James Stover, Denise Sosa and Travis Hanscom advanced making it a table run for the top five in the round. Paul Vizzo ended Sosa’s day in a round two double breakout match and number seven qualifier Matt Cummings advanced over Stover. DeMilt had the single this round and Wilson and Max Nuebler III also advanced.
In the semi finals Robert Wilson and DeMilt faced off with Wilson besting DeMilt on the tree and scoring the round with a 7.503 to DeMilt’s 7.506. Cummings put up a .018, 7.506 on his bye.
The final round saw Cummings with a .026 tree putting a..011 on Wilson and holding the line down track earning the win on a double break out 7.498 to 7.497. Cummings has been working with the Monster Jam El Toro Loco and not raced since 2012, He tested this week to have some fun and his dad Kevin had it dialed in all weekend so this was an especially sweet with for the father and son team.
Robert Wilson 7.50 Index Runner Up.
Number one qualifier on Open Comp Gage Burch (left) took it all the way through five rounds of racing to meet Joe Tillman in the final where he threw down a .003 reaction to Tillman’s .025, a healthy advantage.
McKenna Kitterman made her way from sixth qualifier in 7.90 Jr Dragster to meet Katrina Carpenter, who landed fifth in class in the finals. Carpenter put up a .007 reaction for her efforts but ran under index by .009 with Kitterman running a 7.907 to earn the win.
The 8.90 jr Dragster index was an all family affair as Twins Jonathan and Kendall D’Aprile from port Charlotte landed in the final after qualifying number one and six respectively. Jonathanwent .022 reaction to earn a sizable advantage running an 8.946 at 71 to take the events win over his sister’s 8.958 at 73 MPH.
Final Results
