King of the Street
By Jeff Burk
Photography by Jeff Burk & Adam Cranmer
If you are a fan of fast "Street Legal," heads-up, first
guy to the finish line wins drag racing and you didn't go down to Orlando
Speedworld Dragway for Carl Weisinger's annual World Street Nationals
extravaganza, then you missed the biggest and best race held for these
types of cars.
There were over 200 street-legal, blown, turbo-charged,
or nitrous oxide-injected cars that weighted close to 3000 lbs on the
premises, and not one bracket car or class.
Classes ranged from the six-second, 216+ Super Pro Streeters
to seven-second, 196+ Super Streeter, the Street Legal, eight-second,
160+, radial tire class and the new 3500 lb Heavy street class. This
race matched the baddest of the bad from every sanctioning body in world
of legal street racing in an event that, as far as this writer is concerned,
is the one that answers the question? Who has the quickest and fastest
street legal car.
DANTONI DOUBLES IN PRO STREET
Fifty-four cars attempted to qualify for the 32 car Super
Pro Street field. It was one of, if not the largest gatherings of six-
and seven-second door slammers in the history of drag racing. The quality
and variety of cars and drivers were stellar by anyone's standards.
There were more than a half dozen drivers with World Championships on
their resumes who tried to qualify for the field, including eventual
class winner Marc Dantoni, who won his second straight World Street
Nationals.
As with any street car event, equal parts of controversy,
drama, and upsets were standard fare during eliminations. Perhaps the
biggest upset came in the first round when number one qualifier Pat
Musi lined up against the number 32 qualifier Fred Ristagno. Inexplicably,
Musi left on the second stage light as did Ristagno. Event director
and dictator of all drag racing in Orlando, Carl Weisinger immediately
disqualified both cars as per the written rules. It should be noted
that both racers accepted the decision without the drama that usually
follows one of these controversial decisions.
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