SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: June 15, 2004

Mike Faller, co-owner of Springfield, Ill.'s, Horsepower Factory Ltd., and the FastRides.net Web site, became the seventh different winner of eight completed events of the 2004 Southside City Speed Shop Street Car Shootout Series. Faller, (aka "LSWon1"), drove his "Katfish" Camaro to the victory in the most exciting and diverse SCSS meet to date.

The pole position changed no less than seven times during the three-hour qualifying period, with Faller stealing the number one spot from Rob Nolan's Granite City, Ill. turbocharged V6 Buick Regal with less than a minute of qualifying remaining! In the championship round, Faller almost overstaged and was forced to hesitate on the starting line to avoid redlighting. Still, the black Camaro ran down the first V6 finalist to win by 0.18 seconds, (30.47 feet).

The 16 qualifiers included a wide array of machinery. George Pocuca became the first FWD pilot to win a SCSS "Fastest Street Car Qualifier" decal when he obliterated Brian

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Orsborn's 13.30 FWD series record with a 12.89/112.96 from his 2003 Neon SRT. Rick Miller earned a sticker with his 2003 Monte Carlo, becoming the second FWD racer to accomplish the feat.

Indy Racing League star Robby McGehee qualified his 2004 ZO6 Corvette in the field, but may have been overshadowed by fellow IRL racer Curtis Francois, whose $130,000 2004 Mercedes/AMG CL55 ran 12.60 at 111.61 mph! Darren Lueders also qualified a 2003 CL55 in the program. Rod Overfelt's blue '65 Mustang fastback earned a qualifying spot with an early shut-off 12.65 at only 69 mph, then returned to run 11.13 at 119 mph four minutes after qualifying ended! Eric Francosky's '94 RX-7 missed qualifying by twenty-five thousandths of a second, but reset the SCSS series record for rotary-powered machines at 12.97/111.25.

Chevrolets now lead Fords 5 to 3 for overall wins.

SCSS SHOOTOUT RESULTS: June 15, 2004

Gateway International Raceway superstar Ron Rathgeb Jr., became the sixth different winner in the seven completed events of the 2004 Southside City Speed Shop Street Car Shootout Series. Rathgeb, the Godfrey, Ill. youth who has won Gateway titles in the Junior Dragster, High School, Street ET, and Pro ET categories added another division to his list of conquests when he defeated Matt Corwin's "Pay To Play" Camaro from Foristell, Mo., in an all-Chevy championship bout.

Breakage was rampant among the top qualifiers. Jason Enge's '85 Mustang suffered engine damage on his low qualifying effort of 10.87/127.49; Matt Crittendon's April 20th Shootout-winning Mustang, Jarrod Keen's '67 Nova, and Bill Scholl's '66 AC Cobra were also unable to return for the final run against number two qualifier Rathgeb.

Despite less than favorable weather conditions, the event featured the quickest marks yet for 8 cars, (11.990), 16 cars, (12.420), and 32 cars, (13.029), in the 2004 Southside City Speed Shop Street Car Shootout Series.

Chevys have now taken the lead for overall wins over Fords, 4 to 3.