IHRA Summit Super Series at San Antonio Raceway

John DeCerbo won the Pro Mod class. (Brian Wagner photo courtesy Summit Motorsports Park)

 

Powerful performances were in the spotlight at the Summit Racing Equipment Shakedown at the Summit presented by Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, Sept. 14-17 at Summit Motorsports Park.

 

On the line was a $155,500 purse, including $66,600 for the event's quickest and fastest category, Pro Mod.

 

In that category, Melanie Salemi secured a 5.71 in her Firebird to set the pace in qualifying, but making it to the final round were John DeCerbo and Mike Gondziola. It was tight on the top end, but DeCerbo turned on the win light with a 5.79 in his Camaro while Gondziola was 5.80 in his Corvette.

 

In Outlaw 10.5, John Carinci cruised to a 4.02 in his Corvette to lead qualifying, but going all the way were Mo Hall and his Corvette and Mike Decker Jr. and his Corvette, and Decker Jr. drove to the win with a 3.98 to Hall's 4.48.

 

Rich Bruder, one half of the famous Bruder Brothers, drove to a 4.39 in the family Mustang to lead qualifying in X275, and as he's known to do, he rode through the rounds and to the win with a 4.38 over Ron Rhodes, who lifted to a 6.96 in his Mustang.

 

Radial vs. The World saw Mark Micke motor Jason Carter's Malibu to a 3.95 to set the pace, and he remained a force through the final, where he won over Enzo Pecchini and his Mustang with a 3.93 to Pecchini's off-the-throttle 5.74.

 

In Pro Street, where 26 cars were attempting to qualify for the 16-car field, John Clement made it happen by pushing his Mustang to a 4.26, but the last pair to power down track in the category were Bryant Goldstone and Charlie Cooper. Goldstone got the win with a 4.33 from his Javelin while Cooper collected a 4.45 in his Mustang.

 

Track-prep expert Tyler Crossnoe captured a 4.75 in his Mustang to lead qualifying in Ultra Street, and made it all the way to the final, where he faced multi-time winner Shawn Pevlor and his Mustang. In one of the most exciting races of the weekend, Pevlor pumped out a 4.71 to win over Crossnoe, who was right there with a 4.72. Additionally, Pevlor was .048 at the hit while Crossnoe was .047.

Mick Snyder (shown) drove his Corvette to a 6.11 to lead qualifying in Top Sportsman, where the top 32 drivers were super-quick and between 6.11 and 6.76. Snyder lasted to the semifinals, but the final round belonged to Ken Mottshaw and his Corvette and Scott Wasko and his Lumina. Mottshaw earned the win with a 6.63. (photo courtesy Snyder Motorsports)

 

More than 100 drivers with very consistent cars and combinations took part in Open Comp, and after several rounds of competition, A.J. Buchanan defeated Eric Mills with a 10.14 on his 10.11 dial to Mills' break-out elapsed-time of 9.35 on his 9.42 dial. Art Cioffi won the Open Comp 8.50 Shootout, which took place during qualifying.

 

Another special feature of the event was the Money Shot for the quickest Pro Mod on the property in qualifying, and John Stanley picked up the $5,000 prize after driving his Cadillac to a 5.68.  [09/19/17]

‘Spiderman’ favored in ManCup Top Fuel Showdown

Reigning series champion Larry “Spiderman” McBride of Newport News, VA, will face an international field of 240-mph Top Fuel motorcycle riders this week when he tries to repeat as champion in the ManCup Fall Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.

 

Although favored, McBride is expected to face strong challenges from Hall of Fame designer and rider Sam Wills of Edmund, OK, 63-year-old Chris Hand of Nauvoo, AL, who won last year’s spring race, Dave Vantine of Hamilton, NY, and 10-time European Top Fuel Bike champion Ian King of Litlington, Cambridgeshire, UK, who is on tour in the U.S.

 

In addition, champions will be crowned in 13 other categories including Pro Fuel, Pro Modified, Pro Open, Pro Street, Real Street, Top Gas, Super Comp, 4.60, Street ET and Pro ET.  (Tom McCarthy photo) [09/19/17]

AA/FD at Tulsa in penultimate Heritage race

Paul Schultz in the “Spirit of Tulsa” dragster. (Chris Graves photo)

 

In addition to the DRO AA/FC Challenge racers, there will be other nitro burners this weekend at Tulsa.

 

The All American Fuel Dragster coalition is bringing a full field of front-engine Top Fuel dragsters to the Nitro Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park for their next to last battle in the 5-race NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Championship.

 

Current Top Fuel points leader Jim Murphy and the WW2 Racing Team juggernaut are set to reprise nitro-burning action at Tulsa Raceway Park after unexpected rain at the Nightfire Nationals in Boise pushed the final round between Murphy and Adam Sorokin out to the California Hot Rod Reunion. Adam Sorokin feels the Champion Speed Shop small block Chevrolet combination is on track against the Roland Leong-tuned WW2 hemi and anyone else.

 

"I was clicking it early all through the Boise race,” Sorokin said. “We only scuffed two pistons. I think the car is going to really start running."

 

Jim Murphy holds the lead in the Heritage points with 311, followed by Mendy Fry with 265 and Adam Sorokin with 203. [09/19/17]

Funnies get in some extra laps before CHRR

Over the weekend at Auto Club Famoso Raceway, nitro funny cars were testing during the Heritage Series Sportsman Fall Championships prior to the season ending California Hot Rod Reunion scheduled for Oct. 20-22 at Bakersfield, CA.

Don Hudson rolled out his newly painted “Beachcomber” Firebird running an early shutoff 5.89 at 223.17 mph.

The 2016 Heritage Series Championship winning driver, Kris Krabill, is getting comfortable in the seat of “Smokey’s Darkside” Challenger, now sporting a Chrysler Hemi.

Steve Easton was also there driving Bob Godfrey’s “Burnin’ Money” ’72 Cuda on short passes.

Former DRO nostalgia editor Jeff Utterback in Danny Pisano’s Pisano & Matsubara Vega getting the funny car dialed in.  (Darr Hawthorne photos)  [09/19/17]

Final SSNC event of the season at Dragway 42

Hey, all you guys and gals that race at Dragway 42 in West Salem, OH – there will be a free racer party at the Summit Racing Equipment big rig on Friday, Sept. 22, beginning at 7 p.m.

 

Then the final race of the 14-event Summit Sportsman National Championship will be Saturday and Sunday.

 

The event will be broadcast on ESPN3 with announcers Fabian Brown and IHRA president Mike Dunn, beginning at 1 p.m. (Eastern) on Saturday and noon on Sunday.

 

Leading the points are: Marlon Goates (Top Sportsman); Troy Williams Jr. (Top Dragster); Peter D’Agnolo (Super Stock); Myron Piatek (Stock); Danny Waters Jr. (Quick Rod); David Marcus Jr. (Super Rod); Christopher Webb (Hot Rod); and Paige Montgomery (Junior).  [09/19/17]

Bandimere clinches NHRA West Central Division Championship

Bandimere Speedway took home the team title at this weekend’s NHRA Summit Racing Series West Central Division Finals at Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, KS. The team from Bandimere shared the winner’s circle with five individual winners including Kanas racers Todd Piper and Eugene Lamb.

 

Bandimere Speedway racked up 52 points and needed everyone one of them as I-29 Dragstrip and the host track of Heartland Park landed in a tie for second at 51.

 

Piper, Wamego, KS, raced his ’14 dragster to a lap of 7.230 seconds at 180.24 mph to knock out Dustin Smiley, Emerson, Iowa. Piper was out first with a great .003 second reaction time as Smiley closed in hard but ran out of track coming up a few hundredths of a second short.

 

Chris Mang, Brighton, CO, was out first on Lamb, Garnett, KS, in the Sportsman class only to see Lamb make it all up on the top end running 12.291 seconds on his 12.29 dial to win by about 11 inches. Mang went 12.201 at 107.59 and a .037 package for the runner up finish.

 

Eric Johnson took the win in Pro using a near perfect .003 second reaction time to force Ernie Raile, Lakewood, CO, to breakout in his ’68 Firebird. Johnson, North Bend, NE, clocked in at 9.037, 148.54 in his ’72 Oldsmobile.

 

Curtis Spracklin and Brayden Staab posted victories in Motorcycle and High School respectively. Spracklin, Omaha, NE, grabbed a big lead at the start and held on easily to win over John Fitzpatrick, Park City, KS, with an 8.588, 141.27 mph run. Staab also took the early lead in his ’89 Mustang and ran 12.074, 110.06 for the win over Valerie Steffens and her ‘10 Camaro running 12.245, 109.10.

 

Piper, Johnson, Lamb and Spracklin will now make the trip to California for the NHRA Summit National Championship in November when they will face off with the champions for the six other NHRA Division Summit Finals.

 

Friday’s action saw the top points earners from each track go head to head in the Summit Race of Champions competition.

 

Tom Williams, Leonardville, KS, scored the win in Super Pro running 7.092 seconds at 190.94 mph over Mike Secrest who fouled at the start while Courtney Glover, Aurora, CO, bagged the win in Pro ET. Glover raced her ’68 Camaro to the win over local runner Luke Siebert, Topeka, KS, posting a 10.528, 124.83 to the quicker Siebert at 10.249, 127.57.

 

In Sportsman it was Blaine Flanscha, Fowler, CO, ending the day for John Dost II, Olathe, KS. Flanscha went 12.500 in his ’70 Bonneville to a 12.478 for Dost in his ’92 Camaro.

 

Mike Voss and Blaine Anderson took the Race of Champions trophies in Motorcycle and High School as Voss powered his ’10 Kawasaki past Dave Primrose, Cedar Rapids, IA, in 9.613 seconds at 122.18 mph. Anderson, Eau Claire, WI, beat out Tanner Asti of Henderson, CO, posting a 17.124, 81.86 mph lap in his ’01 Sierra. Tanner went 13.935 at 97.18 in his ’03 Pontiac for his runner up finish.  [09/19/17]

Milan wins NHRA North Central Division Championship

The team from Milan Dragway combined for a total of 53 points to win the Team Championship for the 2017 NHRA North Central Division Summit Finals at Lucas Oil Raceway with individual winners led by local racer Boyd Butcher in Pro ET. Host track Lucas Oil Raceway finished second in the team standings at 52 with Summit Motor Sports Park coming in third at 48 points.

 

Butcher, Beech Grove, Ind., took the win with his ’73 Nova, and ran 6.773 seconds at 101.21 mph against Jim Laughlin, Albany, WI, in his ‘78 Malibu.  Laughlin left early with a red light handing the win to Butcher.

 

Carli Keil, Rossford, Ohio, faced off with Bill Swain, Ionia, Mich., in the Super Pro final with Keil taking the early lead. Keil’s final time was 4.911 seconds at 139.39 mph with Swain close behind with a time of 4.833 at 138.96 mph.

 

Johnnie Cook, Howell, Mich., defeated Blake Hopper, Mattoon, IL, in the Sportsman finals where Cook had the advantage off the line and got around Hopper to take the win.

 

Thomas Ewig, South Milwaukee, WI, and Mike Krueger, Lowell Ind., went head to head in the Motorcycle Finals. Ewig came in with the win at 9.037 seconds and 143.70 mph.

 

Butcher, Keil, Cook and Ewig will all advance to the NHRA Summit National Championship at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in November where they will face off with the winners of the other six NHRA Division Finals.

 

In the Sunoco Race of Champions Indiana racers Josh Rogers in Super Pro and Wesley Wells in ET Motorcycle took home wins.

 

Rogers won against Kenneth King with a time of 5.305 seconds at 128.53 mph. Wesley defeated Chad Isley, Charleston, IL, coming in at 8.269 seconds and a speed at 156.10 mph in ET Motorcycle.

 

The Pro ET winner was Jason Ford, Kettering, Ohio. Ford put quite a bit of distance between him and John Haunt from Grant Park, IL, taking the win with a time of 6.490 seconds and at 100.82 mph.

 

In Sportsman Chad Eaton, Paris, IL, ran a 12.010 second at 110.71 mph to Ellis Buth, Warrensburg, IL, who fouled.  [09/19/17]

New Product of the Day

 

AJPE Funny Car Oil Pan from Moroso

Moroso now has new AJPE Funny Car oil pans. The TFX 96, TFX2000 and TFX 2002 feature ‘L’-shaped billet aluminum, O-ringed oil pan rail for strength on the track and in the pits during repeated installation and removal. Internal baffling keeps oil contained in pickup area during hard acceleration and deceleration and also increases pan’s lower-end strength to prevent “ballooning” during engine failures. Removable windage tray built into oil pan. -16AN pickup. Dry sump. Does not fit TFX 92 blocks. [09/19/17]

VOLUME XIX,  NUMBER 9 - SEPTEMBER  2017

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