Doorslammer Challenge at Kansas City Words and photos by Jeff Leonard 7/29/04

Delon Joseph who years ago was a serious Pro Stock "hitter" on the old AHRA Professional series brought his brand-new, Jerry Bickel Race Cars '02 Cavalier to the race. The Missouri veteran qualified with a 6.85 and also got his first 200-mph pass.

This format worked well for a time, but as local racers and their fans came and went, the event gradually morphed into its present day outlaw Pro Mod form which allows any engine/fuel combination with the exception of nitro. Heading into this year's edition, track management secured a healthy 22-car entry list to entertain the KC 'slammer fans, but by race time the number of entrants had been whittled down to 17. Whatever the field may have lacked in bulk, it made up for with cars from two countries and four states, and powerplants that ranged from the 800+ cubic inch gas burners to 715-inch nitrous oxide injection combinations to conventional 500+ inch supercharged cars. Just for spice Mike Moran and his 235-mph, quad-turbocharged big block-powered Chevy made the tow from Mississippi for the $5000 to win 'slammer race.

After three rounds across three days (torrential rains washed out Saturday action), the 16-car field was anchored by 20-year-old NHRA/IHRA tour regular Zach Barklage, who wheeled the Barklage family's supercharged 2004 Grand Am to a 6.37/226.41 lap for the pole position followed by veteran outlaw Pro Mod racer Donnie Little and his immaculate Drag Racing Online-backed NOS-equipped '68 Camaro from Columbia, IL who ran a conservative 6.50/213.37.

The rest of the top half showed as follows:

3. *Marty McGinnis, Gravois Mills, MO, '37 coupe, 6.51/213.57
4. Bruce Micetich, Knoxville, IA, '57 Chevy, 6.53/208.76
5. *Steve Bruce, Lawrence, KS, '69 Camaro, 6.63/208.62
6. Terry Murphy, Pleasant Hill, MO, '63 Corvette, 6.63/209.25
7. **David Schorr, Grain Valley, MO, '04 ZX2 Escort, 6.84/204.91
8. Delon Joseph, Grandview, MO, '02 Cavalier, 6.85/193.84
*Supercharged
** EFI/gasoline

Mike Moran, who ran some 235 passes earlier this year, brought his '99 Monte to the race with a new pair of turbos installed. He never could get a grip on the tricky KCIR surface

Two Canadian drivers were at the race, Tim Vogt and Kenny Lang. Lang, who is on tour from his Saskatchewan, Manitoba base, occupied the bump after three tire-shaking, early chute-out adventures in his 2001 Hemi- powered Firebird.