DragRacingOnline.com SPORT TUNER SHOWDOWN RESULTS -- 5/24/2005

WINNER: Justin Bondurant, Fenton, MO, 2004 146 Neon, 0.357, 12.128, 117.63 mph

RUNNER-UP: Tim Weis, House Springs, MO, 2003 146 Neon, -0.030, 14.157, 90.63 mph

After resetting the SCSS Series FWD and 4-Cylinder records last week but still losing the final round, Justin Bondurant gained a measure of revenge by winning his second title in his fourth final round appearance in the DRO Sport Tuner Showdown program. Bondurant's show-quality JMB Performance 2004 Dodge Neon SRT-4 actually earned applause from the NHRA Pro Stock assemblage on the starting line who also felt his pain, and groaned accordingly when he again just missed the $50 cash prize posted by DragRacingOnline.com editor Jeff Burk to the first driver who could record an 11-second elapsed time during a qualifying or final round.

After a troubled 12.56/112.82 timed trial, Bondurant's popular turbocharged Dodge from the St Louis SRT Club (http://www.stlsrt.com) made repeated attempts with a best of 12.26/116.96 to easily secure the number one spot in the DRO Sport Tuner Showdown. Incredibly, that run also qualified the Fenton, MO, racer sixth in the "Super Sixteen" field, an all-time best for a FWD or 4-Cylinder machine. Meanwhile, a great battle for the other final-round berth found Tim Weis and his red '04 Neon SRT-4 barely edging Adam Usher's outrageous four-cylinder 1989 Dodge Colt wagon by a mere twenty thousandths of a second. At the conclusion of qualifying, Weis' 13.784/100.92 had knocked down the 13.814/105.38 effort of the "World's Fastest Colt Wagon."

In the championship dash, Weis knew his only hope was a monumental holeshot, but a redlight by thirty thousandths of a second ended the battle. Bondurant, in an all-out attempt to grab the DRO cash, fell short for the second week with a great 12.12 at 117.63 mph. "My sixty-foot times were about a tenth of a second off from last week," noted Bondurant after the final. "It makes sense, though, since I was exactly a tenth slower in ET than last week's 12.02. Traction was just difficult to come by and I just had to work around it. It's still good to get another win, especially in the first all-Neon final."

Even though the DRO cash can only be earned in official qualifying sessions or in the final round, Bondurant made several more passes after the championship dash and eventually recorded a 12.06 at 118.42 mph. The $50 bill will be waiting next week!

Carl's 4WD SUPER TRUCK SHOWDOWN RESULTS -- 5/24/2005

WINNER: Al Ingram, Belleville, IL, 1990 454 Silverado, 0.168, 13.096, 105.09 mph

RUNNER-UP: Chris Willeman, Ballwin, MO, 2000 330 Lightning, 0.481, 13.752, 103.94 mph

Al Ingram's wild 1990 SS454 Silverado made several 13.0-second runs at the April 5th SCSS event, but the Belleville, IL, racer gave a lesson in consistency while winning the third title in the new Carl's 4WD SuperTruck Showdown Series. Ingram's black Chevy made no less than six runs between his 13.018/102.77 number one qualifying shot and his final-round 13.092/105.09. Ironically, his best pass in the April 5th event was 13.011!

Don Hildebrand's white 1967 Chevy C-10 from Shipman, IL, was the number two qualifier for most of the event with a best of 14.17/91.14 using, of all things, 455 Olds power! However, when Chris Willeman pulled to the line for his first run with only fifteen minutes remaining in qualifying, the standings soon changed. Willeman's silver Ford Lightning, complete with aerodynamic tailgate, spun furiously but still bumped its way into the final round with a 13.85 at 103.69.

Ingram, a retired communications expert from Scott Air Force Base, was ready for the challenge. A three tenths holeshot only added to the 13.09-to-13.75 margin of victory despite Willeman's best run of the event. "It's got a little ProCharger on it," said Ingram when asked about the whining sounds eminating from the SS454, "but it's still a real good little street truck. I need to get a twelve-second timeslip from it, though. I'm gonna be working on that!"