Words and photos by Bret Kepner
1/18/05

ith the completion of its first season of competition, Gateway International Raceway's new Street Car Shootout program proved diversity is alive and well at the grass roots level of heads-up drag racing.

The Street Car Shootout program, sponsored by St. Louisans Dwayne Rall and Rob Gibbons with their Southside City Speed Shop, featured a simple format. Held during GIR's Tuesday Night Street Car Drags, all entries were given a permanent driver's number and a laminated driver's ID card. During the event, (an open timed trial affair for $15 entry), all drivers were automatically ranked by elapsed time using the track's CompULink timing system.

When qualifying concluded at 10:00 p.m., each of the sixteen quickest qualifiers was awarded a large "Fastest Street Car Shootout Qualifier" decal and the two quickest qualifiers (or alternates, if needed) raced heads-up for Winner and Runner-Up trophies.

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While the decals and trophies were provided by Rall and Gibbons, it's interesting to note that both competed...and won Qualifier stickers...in cars prepared by their own shop!

Southside City Speed Shop has already reached an agreement with Gateway International to allow the Street Car Shootout Series to continue in 2005. Drag Racing Online took a keen interest in the program, and after the phenomenal success of the 2004 program, will become directly involved in 2005 by presenting trophies to the winner and runner-up in a weekly Showdown for the Front-Wheel-Drive contingent, (which comprised no less than thirty percent of all entries!). The season-crunching numbers speak volumes for the massive participation and sheer competitiveness of the St. Louis area street car enthusiasts.

• 21 Events
• 3,021 Total Entries
• 1,436 Registered Competitors
• 171 Different Qualifiers for the “Super Sixteen” Awarded Decals
  (of 336 available positions)
• 65 Different Qualifiers Earned More Than One “Fastest Street Car Qualifier” Decal During 2004
• 15 Different SCSS STREET CAR SHOOTOUT Champions (of 21 available positions)
• 25 Different SCSS STREET CAR SHOOTOUT Finalists (of 42 available positions)
• 29 Different Body Styles from 10 Different Manufacturers Earned Qualifying Decals
• 100 Different Qualifying Drivers under 12.25 seconds