Stanley, Merkel, Parker, and George edge out all opponents at BES Racing Engines Summer Shootout
Photos and Story by Michael Ray
6/28/06
John Stanley, Scott Merkel, Ed Parker, and Mitch George took home the winner's purse in the Pro categories at the BES Racing Engines Summer Shootout in beautiful Cleves, OH. It was the debut appearance for the CORTECO NSCA Drag Racing Series at the scenic Edgewater Sports Park and a great time was had by all. With the sun absolutely blazing down on the track, traction was marginal and it became a driver's game to make it from 
point A to point B in the quickest time possible while using up the least amount of asphalt in the process. There were quite a few unintentional half-track burnouts among the highly overpowered, small tired set while, surprisingly, it was the blower cars that laid down the low elapsed times in Pro Street. There were plenty of new faces, the reappearance of many old faces, and the world's best BES powered rides flying their engine builder's livery.
In Edelbrock Pro Street, it was the Stanley/Weiss team coming out on top after a serious slugfest between the blown rides of John Stanley and Steve King. Stanley finally has the package to run with the big boys. While others were sliding all over the track, Stanley
powered to the top of the qualifying ladder with a 6.600/213.92-mph with King chasing him with a 6.625/211.41-mph effort from his blown 526-cube Hemi powered '98 Viper. The two wild machines made their way through the field to meet in the finals with King taking out event sponsor Tony Bischoff's gorgeous new '02 Cougar along the way. At the end of the day, Stanley took the lead at the flash and powered away for the win as King tossed out a rod or two in hot pursuit.The Dart sponsored Top Sportsman class provided some incredible racing at Edgewater! Defending champion Randy Jewell redeemed his poor showing at Cecil County with a ladder topping 6.824/205.05 blast during Saturday's qualifying session but Cecil County champion Scott Merkel was breathing down his neck with a 6.847/201.61 best. Atwater, OH's Dale Pittman made his NSCA debut this season taking the #3 slot with 
a 6.895/192.47 performance in his beautiful '63 Corvette. Rounding out the field was Jarod Wenrick's 642-cube BES powered '68 Camaro with a 7.021/198.36. On Sunday, a red-lighting Wenrick fell to Jewell while Pittman was brutally assaulted by Merkel's .000 light and 6.85/200.93 performance to set up the final. At the flash of the amber, Jewell took the lead but used up too much of the track allowing Merkel to drive his S-10 around him on the top-end for his second victory of the season, a 6.866 to a losing 6.949 effort.