CARL'S 4WD SUPER TRUCK SHOWDOWN RESULTS
-- 6/28/2005
W: Randy Christy, Granite City, IL; 1991
408 S-10, 0.307, 11.653/115.53
RU: Phillip Blackburn, Springfield, IL;
2003 403 Silverado, 0.528, 12.046/112.65
Randy Christy set new records for Tuesday night domination
but, for the second event in a row, he was overshadowed
by the runner-up in the Carl's 4WD & Performance Super
Truck Showdown. The return of Springfield, IL, racer Phillip
Blackburn and his insane 6,600-pound, 403-cubic inch DuraMax
diesel-powered 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD brought the
biggest cheers of the event...again.
Blackburn arrived late and made only one qualifying run
20 minutes before the end of the qualifying period, but
what a run it was! After his astonishing 12.00/112 mph run
on June 14th, fans immediately recognized the black beast
when it pulled to the line and, although the weather conditions
seemed to preclude any chance of an improvement, Blackburn
smogged-in the starting line and thundered to an incredible
11.95-second, 113.88 mph pass to destroy his own new SCSS
records. The run included a 1.75-second 60-foot ET while
still running on stock 31-inch-tall tires!
Meanwhile, Randy Christy
waited until less than ten minutes to the end of qualifying
to make the only qualifying run for the first vehicle to
win three consecutive titles on a Tuesday night at Gateway
International Raceway, his infamous yellow 408-cubic inch
small block Chevy-powered S-10 pickup. Incredibly, Christy's
11.92/114 effort was only three hundredths of a second from
losing final-round lane choice to the Huckstorf Diesel team
machine. Blackburn was racing without crewmember Nathan
Barnett and scrambled to make another run before the final
round. After a few fuel system adjustments, a 12.08/113.18
was the result. Blackburn brought the beast back in front
of the grandstands and quickly returned to his TTS programmer
to prepare for the final.
The final round found the diesel spinning off the line
and Christy's notorious S-10 streaking to an 11.65/115 to
12.04/112 decision, becoming the first driver in the history
of the SCSS program to win four consecutive titles. While
most fans were still enamored with Blackburn and The World's
Fastest Snowplow Truck -- Blackburn really does use it for
winter plowing -- few realized the win was the end of Christy's
domination of the new Carl's 4WD category.
"I finally sold this thing and it's getting delivered
right after we take the winner's pictures," said the
Granite City, IL, veteran just after the victory. "I
just sold it for $6,000 to Tony Huff's cousin and he's driving
it home tonight." When asked what he would build next,
Christy replied, "Absolutely nothing!". Don't
believe it, however. Since 1976, Randy Christy has campaigned
everything from 15-second stockers to 7-second Pro Street
cars and his dedication and love of the sport of drag racing
will, no doubt, continue. His current SCSS records of 9.04/148
were set sixteen months ago in a car he regularly drove
on the street and it should be expected that Randy Christy's
next ride will also prove dominant in whichever class it
appears.
