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.