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When the two pulled to the starting line for the final round, atmospheric conditions were at their best and most fans felt the 11-second run would come in the final. Bondurant even asked who would get the $50 bill if both cars ran under 12 seconds in the trophy dash, (it would be paid to the driver who got to the finish line first...hence, running the first 11-second pass). At the last possible moment however, Jacobsmeyer proved he was a true racer. In a bold move, Jacobsmeyer "deep-staged" his Eagle, sacrificing elapsed time for a better reaction time. The ploy worked for the driver from the Gateway DSM team (http://www.gatewaydsm.org), gaining an immediate tenth-of-a-second holeshot. With its AWD making it a much harder-launching car, Jacobsmeyer's Talon was almost a full car-length ahead in the first sixty feet. As the two charged to the finish line, however, Bondurant's stronger top-end became a viable weapon. In the last hundred feet, the two moved as one until Bondurant simply ran out of real estate. In the closest finish in the history of the GIR Tuesday night program, Jacobsmeyer's holeshot won the match by seventeen thousandths of a second...3.06 feet...with a 12.11/116.67 to Bondurant's quicker and faster 12.030 at 118.18 mph!

Moreover, Jacobsmeyer continued his romp as the winningest Tuesday night competitor ever, earning his fifth win in six 2005 final rounds; Bondurant suffered his third loss in five finals, two of which have been holeshot losses against Jacobsmeyer!

Regardless, both drivers admitted to the thrill of the battle while accepting their trophies in front of the grandstands. "That was the closest race I've ever seen out here," said Bondurant, "and I had no idea who won until PJ's win light came on! I staged shallow to try to for the 11-second pass and when he deep-staged I knew exactly what he was doing."

Jacobsmeyer had it planned that way, however. "We were only a few thousandths apart, so I had to take a shot at him," noted the undisputed King of the DRO Sport Tuner Showdown. "I even took the passenger seat out of the car before the final to try and get a few hundredths. Unfortunately, that deep-stage killed what was probably the 11-second run...that was my best speed ever in the final round."

As if that final round wasn't enough, the two agreed to run again before the end of timed trials in search of the elusive 11-second time slip even though the cash bonus would not be available. In the grudge match, Bondurant gained the holeshot and, as Jacobsmeyer slowed to a 12.19/115.89, the JMB Performance Neon rocketed to what could have been a new SCSS FWD/4-Cylinder ET Record at 12.025/118.55!

The Battle for the Fifty-Dollar Bill continues next week!

Carl's 4WD SUPER TRUCK SHOWDOWN RESULTS -- 5/31/2005

WINNER: Randy Christy, Granite City, IL, 1991 408 S-10, 0.266, 11.760, 115.24 mph

RUNNER-UP: Dan Politte, St. Peters, MO, 1986 383 S-15, 0.159, 12.748, 105.79 mph

Randy Christy, the thirty-year drag racing veteran whose bright yellow '74 Vega still holds the all-time SCSS Records at 9.04/148, took his newest ride to his first title in the Carl's 4WD SuperTruck Showdown Series. Having sold the Vega in late 2004, Christy spent the winter building a small block Chevy-powered S-10 pickup, in familiar canary colors, to be his latest street cruiser. In typical fashion, Christy made a solitary qualifying run (11.72/115.02) and then waited to see whom he would face in the final.

Dan Politte's blue '86 GMC S-15 with 383-cubic inch Chevy power was busy making more than ten passes during timed trials and qualifying almost all of which were in the 12.70-12.80 range. When the temperature of both air and track cooled, Politte clocked his best run at 12.64/106.19 for the No. 2 qualifying slot.

In the final round, Christy avoided redlighting and simply drove around Politee's holeshot with an 11.76/115.24 for the victory. "I actually want to sell the truck," said Christy after the final round. "I've got it up for sale for $7,000 turn-key, and I'm positive it'll be a low 10-second ride with nitrous oxide injection on it." Politte was just thrilled to make the final. "I'd never run this truck at the track, so I was pretty happy with its consistency and the way it performed. One thing's for sure...I got plenty of runs for my money tonight!"