ROCKIN' ROBBINS

Terry Robbins managed to officially secure the ORSCA Outlaw 10.5 speed record with this pass at Carolina Dragway, but came up just a few ticks short of backing up the ET record.

Words and photos by Ian Tocher
8/11/05

espite the determined efforts of Carolina Dragway officials, even more persistent rain showers eventually forced the cancellation of eliminations July 31, at ORSCA’s fourth of six points races this year. Rain also interrupted qualifying on Saturday afternoon, postponing the last of three qualifying rounds to Sunday morning, when Outlaw 10.5 points leader Terry Robbins attempted to back up a record-setting 4.525-seconds pass at 168.22 mph over the eighth mile. The incrementals for Robbins’ Saturday-night heroics were: 60 feet – 1.087; 330 feet – 3.005; 1/8-mile – 4.525 at 168.22 mph.

Rob Hale suffered a rollover accident at the completion of his first qualifying pass after Cameron Jurow lost control of his 2000 Firebird and crossed in front of Hale in the right lane. Hale said Jurow’s parachute caught the front of his car and violently wrenched it sideways, sending it over one time before coming to rest on its wheels. Meanwhile, Jurow’s car hit the right wall, but not heavily, though he was finished for the weekend. Despite fairly extensive damage to the front suspension, Hale said he’d have his ’69 Camaro back on track later this month.

Robbins went 4.575 at 166.82 in his ’02 Camaro on Sunday’s qualifying hit, falling just short of officially backing up the ET mark, but getting the job done to set a new top speed record for the class. Qualifying second was Steve Kirk at 4.590, followed by Craig Miller, Tony Johnson, and defending class champion Jack Barfield.

Darren Hoyle and his 1969 Camaro led Limited Street qualifying with a 4.913/150.78 and Kell Eubanks shattered the EZ Street elapsed time record on Saturday night with a run of 5.229 secs at 140.36 mph. He then backed it up with an identical 5.229 on Sunday, marking the only 5.20 passes ever made in the class.