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Raceway Park in Englishtown is abuzz this morning with spectators pouring in the gates and a pit area that filled to the brim overnight. After last night’s “soft launch” to the 9th annual Shakedown at E’Town, business is abut to pick up this morning as we begin with the first of three qualifying session for the remaining categories, along with the final shots for the X275, Pro Street Bike, and 8.50 Index racers. Keep it here to DRAGZINE, as we’ll have qualifying coverage throughout the day.
Steve Jackson was certainly killin' time this morning as he blasted to the top of the heap in Outlaw Drag Radial at 4.408 seconds at 175 MPH. John Carter and his gorgeous Corvette recorded a 4.47 to conclude the round in second.
In today's third round of X275 qualifying, current #1 qualifier Rich Bruder brought down the house with a new national record for the category at 4.807 seconds.
After struggling last night, Chris Evans put it together in the warmer session this morning to record a nice 4.91 at 146.77 MPH to move well up the ladder.
Alex Vrettos knocked out a 4.518 from his twin turbocharged Mustang, good for fourth in the provisional qualifing order in Outlaw Radial.
Kenny Doak was the final car out in the opening session for Outlaw 10.5, literally saving the the best for a last with a 4.22 that just edged out Larry Wood's impressive 4.23 for his gorgeous Corvette.
In the second round of qualifying for Outlaw 10.5 this afternoon, Scott Filkins had the screw-blown bullet in his Dodge Dart let loose at the finish, erupting into a Funny Car-like inferno that continued to burn to the very end of the racetrack. Filkins could be seen jumping from the burning race car as black smoke billowed into the sky before safety officials arrived and extinguished the machine. Filkins was unharmed in the incident, but the same can't be said for the beautiful Dart. We'll have more on this story later.
Fredy Scriba Jr., who led the opening session of Pro Mod Nitrous, followed up his earlier performance with a stellar 6.016 at 236.34 MPH.
Vinny Budano had the lexan side drivers side window blow out at the finish line on his second qualifying attempt. thing appeared to be business as usual in their pits afterward, however.
Shannon Jenkins put his foot squarely on the throats of the Nitrous Pro Mod field in the second session this afternoon, tuning Mike Castellana to the only five-second run in the class thus far, a stout 5.87 at 242 MPH.
Jason Enos slowed some in the second session, running just a 4.79 to go along with his earlier 4.62.
Paul Major and team were able to get their Corvette repaired after a hard lick with the guardrail at MIR a couple of weeks ago, but a switch to methanol has Major scratching his head this weekend with only a 5.51 best to his credit thus far.
With Steve Petty helping call the shots, Jose Gonzalez scooted to a eye-opening 5.967 at 230.10, courtesy of a .994 short time and a 3.98 to half track.
David DeMarco reeled off his best run of qualifying in the final session with a great 4.40 at 183.54 MPH, but just missed the field as the #17 qualifier and will stand in as the first alternate tomorrow, if necessary.
Here's the resulting carnage of Scott Filins' fire in the second session of Outlaw 10.5 qualifying.
Larry Wood powered his gorgeous big block twin-turbo motivated Corvette to the top of the heap in the final Outlaw 10.5 qualifying session with a killer 4.16, but several of the big hitters have yet to make their crack at the Raceway Park surface tonight, including the Gil Mobley camp and TJ and Tom Kasper.
In the final Drag Radial qualifying session, Frank Soloridge brought everyone to their feet with a nearly 330 foot wheelstand. Soloridge hung with it like a champ, but as the car began to meander to the centerline and up onto one tire, he was forced to left and ride out the resulting crash back to earth. That one may be hard to top!
The always entertaining "Big Daddy" Dwayne Gutridge is in the house, with longtime tuner David Wolfe here all the way from Texas to help call the tung shots. Gutridge could only muster a best of 4.83 during qualifying but made the field in the 14th spot. That will earn Drag Radials' most decorated racer a date with Kevin Fiscus in round one tomorrow.
Tonight's theme? Screw blowers to the front! Current world record holder Richard Sexton blasted to a record-tying 4.141 at 185.77 to grab the #1 qualifying spot with authority aftet some tense moments in the staging lanes with unexpected mechanical issues. Just two pairs later, teammate Chuck Ulsch gave it his all, but came up just a few 'thou' short with 4.14 of his own at 4.149. 
Mike Castellana gave it his all, but the Al-Anabi driver couldn't retain the #1 qualifying spot in Nitrous Pro Mod after Fredy Scriba Jr. shocked everyone with a unbelieavably smooth 5.83 to lay claim to one of the quickest nitrous doorslammer passes of all time.
Eliminations Ladders
