Network
Today we started off with Open Comp to warm things up before resuming heads up qualifying with TRZ Motorsports/Holley EFI/MacFab Performance Beadlocks Outlaw Drag Radial. Thanks to the folks at Fuel Air Spark Technology, we’ll be in the house once again bringing you all the news, notes, results, and hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos to keep you up to date on the biggest drag race of the season!
David Pearson made the switch to alcohol in the off season taking the time to freshen everything up after The Orlando World Street nationals last year. They arrived with no testing and are making changed to the fuel cell this morning looking to avoid some potential cavitation which may have caused them some fueling problems yesterday.
We are sad to report Brad Edwards is done for the weekend after a connector came loose for the water injection during qualifying last night. It burnt the chamber and cracked the head though the spark plug hole but stayed contained internally.
We dropped by the DeMarco pits and found tuner Lonnie Houde just finishing up putting oil back in David’s Buick. He had an oil filter fail on the burnout last night resulting in a bit of down time in RVW qualifying.
We dropped by Jason Digby's pit this morning to have a chat. He has Chad Branson driving again this year and he ran a 4.67 in testing here this week. The team made some small changed in the off season re-positioning the injectors and making a cam change to help getting the exhaust out. Kevin Neal handles the power management on the Burns Racing Engines big block Mopar. Special thanks to Mag Gough, Grizzard Brothers, Jeff Burns and Dave Klaput from Proformance Transmissions.
LSX Real Street Racer Ted Timmerman is running Induction Solutions/Ultimate Converter Concepts/Salvato Designs Ultimate Street this WS6 Trans Am in Ultimate Street out of Paul Falcon's LS1 Excitement shop with a turbocharged LS engine. They use an ERL prepped bottom end topped with All Pro heads fed by a class legal cast wheel turbo from Forced Inductions backed with a powerglide from RPM Transmissions. Ted Has been running 5.0's with the car and looking for more though he feels disadvantaged a bit by the rules package here. Thanks to Jason Griffis for assisting with the wiring and David Farlow at Boost Fab for the plumbing.”We wish you were here Thad” Ted Timmerman. From left to right;Andrew Kolacinski, Paul Falcon and Ted Timmerman.
Erika Hughes is running this 1967 Chevy II in Outlaw 632 this weekend powered by a naturally aspirated 453 cubic inch Small block Chevy by Phantom Race Engines in Clinton Tennessee topped with 13 degree Dart heads topped with a single four barrel meeting he class rules which allow for no minimum weight for NA small blocks under 480 cubic inch. The car was built by Greg Daugherty GPS Race Cars with a trans from Dave Soloman and Erika and her husband taking delivery last March. This is their first event with this combo after running 6.0 index last year.
Mustang Mike Modeste is double entered this weekend running ODR and Outlaw 275. We caught up with his after his ODR qualifying session this morning where he ran a 4.28. In testing he was 4.17 at 186 and this run was three numbers quicker to half track with a 1.07, 2.79 but it layed over though the top end.
Shane Stack put up a 4.29 at 180 MPH in ODR this morning, a good run for the first qualifying session today.
Bobby Flippen scored a 4.61 at 162 for his first qualifying effort this weekend.
Andrew DeMarco left hard but moved left forcing him to abort the run.
Phil Hines ran well this morning with a 4.47 at 173 on a nice straight run. All Hustle Motorsports is new on the car for 2016.
is new car out of Tim Lyons shop belongs to Richard Regan and sports 738 cubic inch bullet from Fulton Racing Engines. His 4.34 at 167 has the team happy after just the fifth pass on the car.
Radial vs the World Q4, X275Q3
Outlaw Drag RadialQ2, Nitrous XQ1, Pro 275Q1, Leaf SpringQ1
Outlaw 632Q1, Ultimate StreetQ1
After four rounds of Radial vs the World qualifying Jason Michalak improved to number one spot with a 3.876 at 196.07. Dewayne Mills also moved up with a 3.884 at 209.33, a new best for him.
Enzo Pecchini ripped off a 3.96 at 188 in the third session landing seventh on the ladder. The car launched hard and moved left a bit but Enzo did his job and kept the hammer down, correcting the car and saving the pass.
Jamie Hancock had yet to make a good pass in qualifying before the round and managed a 4.07 at 184 putting him nineteenth in class and the last car in the 4.0’s after three sessions. He improved to a 3.994 at 186.26 landing eleventh behind Chris Daniel who qualified tenth by virtue of his 197 MPH out the back.
Eddie Harrison carried the wheels out and did a great job driving scoring a 4.05 at 201 for his efforts which had the crowd on it’s feet.
The Kevin Mullins landed eighth with a 3.96 at 186 on his attempt today.
Ron Rhodes qualified seventh after three rounds in X275 running a 4.450 at 159 MPH.
Barry Mitchell (far lane) is running well in his new car debut sporting an 800 cubic inch beast from Fulton. His best was in Q2 of Outlaw Drag Radial with a 4.17 at 181 putting him second in class.
In Ultimate Street Butch Kemp (far lane) set people talking after running a 4.79 at 144 with his Uratchko Racing Engines NA small block powered Mustang. Near side is Kirk Hatley who paid down a career best 4.95 at 142 MPH.
Joel Greathouse sits third after his 4.89 at 144. They are working on the new F1A Procharger combination so look for them to improve on their times this weekend.
Ronnie Rhodes put up a 4.91 at 143 in his Induction Solutions/BES/Rhodes Custom Auto Camaro, good for fourth in class. Pictured far lane.
Rob Goss was unable to improve on his earlier 4.39 but he still sits number one in X275,
Jamie Stanton told us last night he was looking for .30’s and nearly found it scoring a 4.403 at 161.30 new best. He sits second just ahead of Rich Bruder.
Jeff Colletta is sporting a new look and some light weight parts after updating his trusty white car to the 2016 X275 rules which include allowances for two bottles and the Kenny Lafferty cold box. His 4.51 put him tenth in class.
Dean Marinis sits fourth in X275 with the usual suspects filling out the top ten so far.
Bill Futch leads Outlaw Drag Radial with a 4.15 at 186. The crew includes Carlos Zaldivar and Pedro Appolito.
Tony Ridenour landed ninth in ODR with a 4.366 at 180. Tony has been pretty consistent recently and has the Camaro for sale.
Brandon Fulger matched Ridenour’s ET but sits tenth with a 174 MPH showing on the clocks.
Jared Johnson put the White Riot in fifth in Pro 275 with a 4.48 at 161 for team KBX.
