SCSS STREET CAR SHOOTOUT RESULTS -- 5/24/2005
WINNER: Jeff Bowman, Festus, MO, 1970 440 Charger, 0.300,
10.452, 135.09 mph
RUNNER-UP Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL, 1967 454 Camaro,
-0.121, 12.063, 117.56 mph
Jeff Bowman (shown) made history by scoring the first
event win for a Chrysler product in the eighth race of
the 2005 SCSS Street Car Shootout Series title at Gateway
International Raceway. Bowman, whose wild 1970 Dodge Charger
earned a runner-up in the first final round of 2005, is
the only driver to have ever qualified in the "Super
Sixteen" with a rear-wheel-drive Mopar and his 440-cubic
inch behemoth dominated despite a tricky track surface.
A huge rainstorm late Saturday and a motorcycle-only event
on Sunday left marginal traction for the highest-powered
entries. However, a surprising number of drivers recorded
career-best performances due to very good atmospheric conditions
which ranged from a corrected elevation of 1547 feet above
sea level to near 700 feet during the final rounds.
Bowman's Charger had not only scored a pole qualifier
and a runner-up on March 29th, but had been quite successful
in GIR's weekly Saturday bracket racing program during
which the Dodge had run as quick as 10.00 seconds at over
137 mph. Those performances prompted Bowman to gain his
NHRA Competition License (to drive vehicles quicker than
ten seconds flat) and the weather forecast made the eighth
SCSS event a perfect chance to dip into the nine-second
zone. However, the traction problems he encountered didn't
keep the Dodge from leading qualifying from the start.
Even with the required early shutdown runs of the licensing
procedure, Bowman opened qualifying with the first of several
ten-second passes, a 10.95 at only 99 mph. Initially, only "03
Steve" Boing's slick blue 2003 Mustang (11.73/112.59)
and Asmir Catic's silver "Z-Eater" '03 Cobra
(11.64/123.81) offered threats. Bowman returned to run
10.80/112 in preparation for what appeared to be a battle
with Catic. With less than a half-hour remaining of qualifying,
however, Tony Huff's familiar red '67 Camaro pulled to
the line after rushing to the track; the Collinsville,
IL, racer had worked all day to install a new TurboHydro
400 transmission into his previously PowerGlide-equipped
Chevy and, with one run, stole the number two spot with
an 11.45/118.66 effort. Catic made a final attempt with
ten minutes remaining in qualifying but slowed to an 11.80/121.26.
Bowman had the last laugh with a full-throttle 10.46 at
134.39 mph at the very end of qualifying to solidify his
lead.
Huff had experienced Line-Loc problems in the previous
week's event, and those same problems returned during his
first-ever final round appearance. As the Christmas countdown
began, the Camaro rolled through the staging beams to a
redlight loss and then spun its tires to a 12.06/117. Bowman
literally waited for the green light and charged to the
quickest and fastest run of the night, a 10.45 at 135.02
mph. "We really had problems with traction tonight," said
Bowman as he accepted his trophy in front of the main grandstands, "and
I had to feather the car off the line. My sixty-foot times
are usually under 1.40. Tonight, they were all in the 1.70s.
I knew I wouldn't get my license with those kinds of times,
but I've seen how well this track can hook during other
events this year so I'm pretty sure that nine-second run
won't be a problem."
The sixteen qualifiers included big-blocks, small-blocks,
Front-Wheel-Drive entries, Fords, Chevys, and the first
Pontiac qualifiers of the 2005 SCSS Series. For the third
time this season, Mark Brokaw's Granite City, IL-based
'87 Buick Regal Grand National produced the quickest six-cylinder
numbers with a best of 12.55/110.85 while qualifying ninth
in the field.
Asmir Catic's qualifying effort was his fifth of seven
completed events and allowed the "World's Fastest
Bosnian" to take the lead in the 2005 SCSS Season
Championship race. Huff's performance marked his fourth
successful qualifying attempt and he has now moved into
a tie with last week's runner-up, Kevin Kolkmeyer, for
second place. The Manufacturers' Championship now finds
Ford and Chevrolet tied with three wins each and Dodge
with one win earned by Bowman.
The Festus, MO driver impressed some of the biggest names
in NHRA Pro Stock racing who were in the pits in preparation
for testing on Wednesday. Even Ford stars Chuck Samuel
and Billy Glidden joined the gang of Pro Stock spectators
who watched the finals from near the starting line.