Words and photos by Bret Kepner
6/9/04

Madison, IL, June 1, 2004 - Diversity is alive and well in Gateway International Raceway's new Street Car Shootout program. With six events completed, the series has crowned five different champions and has featured 65 different qualifiers out of almost one thousand entries.

Adding to the success of the new program is the fact Fords and Chevrolets have each won three of the six Shootout final rounds; Fords have accounted for 29.2% of all qualifiers and Chevrolets have taken 27.1% of all qualifying positions.

The Street Car Shootout program, sponsored by St. Louisan's Dwayne Rall and Rob Gibbons with their Southside City Speed Shop, (5616 Gravois, 314-481-7500), features a simple format. Held during GIR's Tuesday Night Street Car Drags, all entries are given a permanent driver's number and a laminated driver's ID card. During the event, (an open timed trial affair for a $15 entry), all drivers are automatically ranked by elapsed time using the track's CompULink timing system. When qualifying concludes at 10:00 PM, each of the 16 quickest qualifiers is awarded a large "Fastest Street Car Shootout Qualifier" decal and the two quickest qualifiers (or alternates, if needed) race heads-up for Winner and Runner-Up trophies. While the decals and trophies are provided by Rall and Gibbons, it's interesting to note that both have competed and won Qualifier stickers in cars prepared by their own Southside City Speed Shop!

Drag Racing Online has taken a keen interest in the program, noting that qualifiers to date have included 409-powered '63 Impalas, Eagle Talons and Mitsubishi Eclipses, Ford Fairmonts, Toyota Supras, S-10 pickups, '66 AC Cobras, Nissan SXs, and even a few Dodge Vipers! Therefore, DRO will maintain a regular results section for the 2004 SCSS Street Car Shootout series. After all, it's drag racing in its most pure form!

SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: June 1, 2004

After two weeks of rain, the 2004 SSCS Street Car Shootout series resumed with Daryl Jauernig's Mustang (lead photo) becoming the fifth different entry to win. Jauernig, receiving assistance from two-time finalist Andy Wilhoit, ran the only 10-second pass of qualifying to lead the field with his '89 Mustang. Matt Crittendon, winner of the Shootout on April 20, qualified second but could not return for the final round. Neither could Geoff Kinney, whose '89 S-10 became the first truck to set Top Speed of the event in the SCSS Series, (125.26 mph), after qualifying third. That allowed fourth qualifier Dale Starns' '80 Malibu to run for the title against Jauernig. With an incredible half-second holeshot, Starns led the Ford past the half-track mark but Jauernig nipped the Chevy just before the finish line.

• WIN: Daryl Jauernig, St. Louis, MO; 1989 302 Mustang; 0.707, 11.036, 123.47
• RU: Dale Starns, St. Louis, MO; 1980 350 Malibu; 0.121, 11.912, 114.09

SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: MAY 11, 2004

Dave Odehnal became the first driver to win two events in the 2004 SCSS Street Car Shootout series. Lance Dudley's '71 Chevelle took the number one qualifying spot with a 10.41/129.90 effort. During qualifying, Odehnal and Dudley ran side-by-side with Dudley getting to the finish line first. In the final round, however, Dudley wasted Low ET of the event with on a redlight, giving Odehnal his first win since the season-opening SCSS event on April 6. Odehnal is also the only racer to appear in three final rounds, having runnered-up to Andy Wilhoit on April 13.

• WIN: Dave Odehnal, Waterloo, IL; 1993 350 Camaro; 0.061, 11.665, 89.26
• RU: Lance Dudley, Waterloo, IL; 1971 377 Chevelle; -0.086, 10.198, 129.83

SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: APRIL 27, 2004

Twenty-five year street car racing veteran Randy Christy unleashed the quickest and fastest runs yet in the SCSS Street Car Shootout with 9.04/148.99 track records on his way to becoming the fourth different winner of the series. Christy's 540-cubic inch Vega (which has been legitimately driven on the street for years) led inaugural winner Dave Odehnal in qualifying but faced No. 4 qualifier Derrick Roselin's small block Camaro in the final when both Odehnal's Camaro and Bill Scholl's wild small block '66 AC Cobra were unable to return.

• WIN: Randy Christy, Granite City, IL; 1974 540 Vega; 0.345, 9.216, 129.57
• RU: Derrick Roeslein, Fenton, MO; 2002 346 Camaro; 0.029, 11.365, 119.21

SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: APRIL 20, 2004

Matt Crittendon (far lane above) became the third different winner in as many weeks, coming from the No. 2 qualifying position to win. Andy Wilhoit (near lane above), who had gained runner-up in the first SCSS event, was the low qualifier but fell to a redlight in the first all-Ford finale of the series.

• WIN: Matt Crittendon, St. Louis, MO; 1989 302 Mustang; 0.190, 13.877, 72.69
• RU: Andy Wilhoit, St. Louis, MO; 1986 302 Mustang; -0.078, 11.917, 111.90

SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: APRIL 13, 2004

O'Fallon, Missouri's Matt Sherrill (showm) upset defending champ Dave Odehnal in the championship final of the second event in the 2004 SCSS Street Car Shootout series. Odehnal reset his own SCSS track ET record to a 10.34 while qualifying on the pole for the second consecutive week, but wasted a victory with a redlight against number two qualifier Sherrill who, ironically, wounded an engine in the other lane! Once again, the SCSS series dash featured a Mustang-vs.-Camaro pairing.

• WIN: Matt Sherrill, O'Fallon, MO: 1990 302 Mustang; 0.331, 13.582, 107.67
• RU: Dave Odehnal, Waterloo, IL; 1993 350 Camaro; -0.015, 10.452, 126.67

SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: APRIL 6, 2004

Longtime Illinois street car standout Dave Odehnal scored the first SCSS Street Car Shootout victory with his renowned black '93 Camaro. After qualifying No. 1 while setting the first SCSS track records at 10.38/130.43, Odehnal defeated Andy Wilhoit's '86 Mustang in an all-small block, Ford-vs.-Chevy match.

• WIN: Dave Odehnal, Waterloo, IL; 1993 350 Camaro; 0.325, 10.455, 129.84
• RU: Andy Wilhoit, St. Louis, MO; 1986 302 Mustang; 0.219, 11.773, 105.29

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