Fun Ford enthusiasts visiting Baytown's quarter-mile for some hot Stang action saw some great perform-ances on the 1,320 feet of pavement. While the car count was a bit on the light side in the heads-up classes, there were 97 entries in MM&FF's True Street, 27 in JDM Tough Truck, and 40 in the Steeda/Sean Hyland Mod Motor group.
Standout performances included MM&FF Cobra Shootout winner Jay Knott, who was top qualifier in Mod Motor with a 9.88 run at 140 mph; Jeremy Martorella, who set a new standard in Street Warrior at 9.50 seconds; and Bill Glidden, who set a new Fun Ford Street Outlaw record at 7-flat.
Having taken the first spot in the Street Renegade 7-second club, Jonesboro, Louisiana's Joe Robinson hit the mark again in Baytown with a 7.99 pass. Street Renegade also saw the frequent True Street entry of Eric Stubbs, who has stepped up the performance of his cool, blue coupe considerably, qualifying Third with an 8.27 run.
Race sponsors included Bayway Lincoln/Mercury which had its own Darryl Wischnewsky in the Open Comp final; Franklin Ford and Strictly Performance, which had cars in just about every class; and Tommie Vaughn Ford, which had Mike Horne's brilliant green Street Stang entry that made it to the semifinals.
Of the 97 True Street cars entered, 93 finished the tour and all three runs. The winning vehicle, driven by Brent Kay and owned by Ron Falk, held off the hard-charging Stangs of Owen Spry and Chris Escobar. It averaged 9.579, but just the day before it had suffered a head gasket failure and some stripped spark plug holes.
The team, which included Falk and Kay as well as Lloyd McBride and Eric Vigil, broke out the Stop Leak, and fixed the threads in time for Saturday's True Street competition. The crew's efforts to seal the head gasket were dashed on the first pass, but the Mustang fended off Spry's orange coupe with just seven holes lit.
Another standout performance in T/S was that of Tim and John Smith. John took the 12-second class win for the second year in a row, while brother Tim, who took the 15-second win last year, stepped up to take home the 14-second trophy this year. With the top 14 cars running 11s or better, it was an exciting class to watch.
Check out the captions for all the final-round action.
Ron Falk's clean '93 GT popped...
Ron Falk's clean '93 GT popped the head gasket on its first pass, which was a 9.66. Despite this, driver Brent Kay piloted the GT to a 9.48 and a 9.58, which was just enough to beat Owen Spry, whose first run of 10.01 sabotaged his chances despite following it up with a 9.48 and a 9.41. Falk's GT sports a 347 with a T76GTS turbo and has gone as fast as 8.95 at 150 mph.
Third-Place finisher Chris...
Third-Place finisher Chris Escobar has been driving the wheels off his twin-turbocharged, Four-Valve SVO after purchasing it from tuner Jake LaMotta last year. In Orlando, he ran in the Spring Break Shootout and followed that with a True Street runner-up in Belle Rose and a Fourth-Place T/S finish in Atlanta. He finished the latter two races just behind Owen Spry who--lo-and-behold--placed Second in Houston. We're guessing Chris will be looking for a few tenths before the next event.
| Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords True Street Top 25 |
| Car # | Driver | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 | Rd. 3 | Average |
| 1. | 1292 | Brent Kay | 9.667 | 9.485 | 9.585 | 9.579 | Winner/Top 9 Sec |
| 2. | 1258 | Owen Spry | 10.010 | 9.483 | 9.419 | 9.637 | Runner-up |
| 3. | 1195 | Chris Escobar | 9.751 | 9.668 | 9.663 | 9.694 |
| 4. | 1284 | Trent Disney | 10.593 | 10.637 | 10.715 | 10.648 | Top 10 Sec |
| 5. | 1220 | Brent Fleniken | 10.911 | 10.913 | 10.901 | 10.908 |
| 6. | 1289 | Danny Lake | 11.517 | 11.063 | 11.049 | 11.210 | Top 11 Sec |
| 7. | 1198 | Derek Reindl | 11.316 | 11.167 | 11.476 | 11.320 |
| 8. | 1282 | Duane Steubing | 10.534 | 10.828 | 12.890 | 11.417 |
| 9. | 1237 | Garth Sanich | 11.456 | 11.795 | 11.261 | 11.504 |
| 10. | 1204 | Jason Roberts | 11.580 | 11.570 | 11.633 | 11.594 |
| 11. | 1240 | David Polverari | 11.489 | 11.562 | 11.876 | 11.642 |
| 12. | 1259 | Lance Lavergne | 11.948 | 11.685 | 11.510 | 11.714 |
| 13. | 1239 | Robert Vazquez | 11.346 | 11.959 | 12.238 | 11.848 |
| 14. | 1233 | Lord Turner | 11.787 | 11.648 | 12.219 | 11.885 |
| 15. | 1226 | Charles J. Cramer | 13.639 | 11.180 | 11.091 | 11.970 |
| 16. | 1200 | John W. Smith | 11.808 | 12.229 | 12.061 | 12.033 | Top 12 Sec |
| 17. | 1246 | Mike House | 11.808 | 12.416 | 11.956 | 12.060 |
| 18. | 1279 | Matt Kowaleski | 11.938 | 11.985 | 12.267 | 12.063 |
| 19. | 1271 | Mario Rodriguez | 12.192 | 12.233 | 11.913 | 12.113 |
| 20. | 1257 | Jason Evenwert | 11.717 | 11.908 | 12.800 | 12.142 |
| 21. | 1221 | Armando Corvantes | 12.238 | 12.054 | 12.223 | 12.172 |
| 22. | 1275 | David Newman | 11.941 | 12.254 | 12.479 | 12.225 |
| 23. | 1272 | Luis Rodrigues | 12.412 | 12.113 | 12.325 | 12.283 |
| 24. | 1260 | Kevin Bell | 13.395 | 11.744 | 11.899 | 12.346 |
| 25. | 1234 | Robert DaSilva | 12.238 | 12.399 | 12.436 | 12.358 |
Fresh off a win at the MM&FF...
Fresh off a win at the MM&FF Terminator Shootout, Jay Knott posted the quickest elapsed time (right above pal Richard Lelsz) and fastest speed in Mod Motor with a 9.88 performance at 140 mph.
Superchips' Street Stang had...
Superchips' Street Stang had three of MM&FF's recent naturally aspirated Two-Valve shoot-out contestants in the running. Patrick Thompson, Mike Horne, and Tony Whetstone had just returned from Englishtown a few weeks prior to the race. In Baytown, Thompson and Horne went out early, while Whetstone (far lane) made his way to the final round against the T-bird of Johnny Langton (near lane). The lights came down and both cars got away, but Whetstone dialed Second gear and found no one home, giving the win to Langton. He still picked up valuable points to nudge him closer to Street Stang points leader Darrell Lucas.
Jeremy Martorella was hot...
Jeremy Martorella was hot on the Tree all weekend, and his Glidden Racing Engines-powered UPR Mustang entry had the muscle and the hustle to take it to the stripe against '04 S/W champ Darrell Peterson, whose ride kept launching to the left all weekend. With Jeremy, Darrell, and John Scaro trading top three finishes in the last three races, it will certainly be a tight championship fight until the end of the season.
Matt Jones fought a close...
Matt Jones fought a close battle with El Paso, Texas, resident Adrian Duron. The two qualified 0.09 second apart, but Jones' 454ci Kuntz-powered Mustang prevailed with an 8.661 to 8.83 victory over Duron in the final round.
It was Vern Purdham of Daytona...
It was Vern Purdham of Daytona Beach and his 285ci-powered '02 GT who took home the Mod Motor money after defeating the '03 GT of Duwayne Cooleg of Mesquite, Texas.
Bracket master Robert Hindman...
Bracket master Robert Hindman cleaned up in Sunday's Fast Ford class with his C&L Performance-sponsored Mustang.
Paul Gamino debuted his new...
Paul Gamino debuted his new JDM Engineering-built F-150 machine that uses a naturally aspirated 5.4 Navigator engine to run mid-12s. Gamino dismantled the Tough Truck class as well as Sunday's Street Ford class, taking the win in both groups.
Brian Warwas' super-clean...
Brian Warwas' super-clean 377ci Windsor-powered machine was victorious over the Baytown Lincoln/Mercury 351-equipped Cougar of Darryl Wischnewsky in the Open Comp class.
The JBA Headers Focus Frenzy...
The JBA Headers Focus Frenzy class was thrown a loop when '04 Focus champ Owen Spry went out in qualifying with a broken differential. This year's points leader, Mark Adkins (far lane), took advantage of the situation and won the final after George Hurt (near lane) redlit at the start.
After making a few qualifying...
After making a few qualifying passes, the Drag Radial contingent took the rest of the weekend off until the final round on Sunday. Number-one qualifier (8.32) Adam Louramore and his flamed GT were joined by Pearland, Texas, resident Andrew Guptill, forming the only two contestants in Drag Radial this weekend.
Showing his first 7-second...
Showing his first 7-second pass wasn't a fluke, Joe Robinson posted a 7.99 run in the final against a hard-charging Ronnie Wilson, who had qualified in the number-one spot with an 8.06 run. Eric Stubbs, Mike Kelley, and Crede Young were also contenders but off the pace by a few tenths. Borla Street Renegade is shaping up to be a really competitive class again.
Bill Glidden was at the top...
Bill Glidden was at the top of the ProCharger Street Outlaw ranks on Saturday with a 7.05 run, while Tim Lynch posted the fastest mph at 204. Travis Franklin, Jimmy Keen, and Brand Lind were also in the hunt, but it was to be an all-black-car final until the semis, when Lynch's ride clicked itself early due to a broken cam pin. This left Glidden to make a solo pass for the victory.
'05 Fun Ford Texas Thunder Nationals Results
Mr. Gasket Pro
- (W) Mike Herring 6.505 at 215.07
- (L) Chuck Samuel (broke)
ProCharger Street Outlaw
- (W) Billy Glidden 7.253 at 162.98
- (L) Tim Lynch (broke)
BFGoodrich Drag Radial
- (W) Adam Louramore 8.336 at 164.53
- (L) Andrew Guptill 10.780 at 128.31
Borla Street Renegade
- (W) Joe Robinson 7.992 at 174.35
- (L) Ronnie Wilson 8.103 at 169.55
Edelbrock Street Bandit
- (W) Matt Jones 8.616 at 158.33
- (L) Adrian Duron 8.837 at 152.38
Blow-By Racing Street Warrior
- (W) Jeremy Martorella 9.507 at 139.03
- (L) Darrell Peterson 9.535 at 139.29
SCT Street Stang
- (W) Johnny Langton 12.807 at 91.29
- (L) Tony Whetstone 13.655 at 110.14
Steeda/Hyland Mod Motor
- (W) Vernon Purdham 11.936 at 107.18
- (L) Duwayne Cooleg 14.125 at 82.14
JDM Tough Truck
- (W) Paul Gamino 12.907 at 102.28
- (L) Don Justus 12.205 at 110.11
JBA Headers Focus Frenzy
- (W) Mark Adkins 16.837 at 79.87
- (L) George Hurt 17.097 at 79.84
Ford Racing Open Comp
- (W) Brian Warwas 10.734 at 124.65
- (L) Darryl Wischnewsky 9.096 at 147.73
With wins in Orlando and Atlanta,...
With wins in Orlando and Atlanta, Mike Herring has the advantage right now over the nearest competitor, that being the Marsh Motorsports entry of Chuck Samuel, who has been working the bugs out of the team's new nitroused, big-block-powered Escort. Herring took the final round after Samuel broke a universal joint at the line. Rick Fisher and his Super Comp Probe was the third entry in the Pro class in Baytown, but he was just getting a feel for the class as his car was way off the pace. An awaiting nitrous motor could change all that, though, so we'll see.
The UPR car show was packed...
The UPR car show was packed with beautiful cars old and new. We found several that could have been Editor's Choice, which made our job all the more difficult.
MM&FF Editor's Choice for...
MM&FF Editor's Choice for '79 and newer models went to Samuel Joyner of The Woodlands, Texas, and his mint '90 Saleen Mustang.
| BRACKET CLASSES RESULTS |
| Saturday | Sunday |
| Fast Ford |
| (W) Darrell Hartwick | (W) Robert Hindman |
| (L) Shane Williams | (L) Glenn Elliser |
| Quick Ford |
| (W) Skipper Brown | (W) Skipper Brown |
| (L) Eddie Franks | (L) Brad Webster |
| Street Ford |
| (W) Todd Waites | (W) Paul Gamino |
| (L) Jimmie Longino | (L) Brad Webster |
| True Street |
| (W) Chris Escobar |
| (L) Roy Eckhardt |
James Yale of Cyprus, Texas,...
James Yale of Cyprus, Texas, took home the early-model MM&FF Editor's Choice award with his black '65 Shelby Cobra. It was the use of SN-95 Cobra brakes and deep-dish Bullitt-style wheels that really caught our attention.
Crede Young's Renegade Mustang...
Crede Young's Renegade Mustang sported a new paint job and a reverse-rotation F2 ProCharger. The car had a few bugs to work out with the new combo.
Car owner Kevin Marsh and...
Car owner Kevin Marsh and Driver Chuck Samuel are still sorting out the new-car bugs with the team's nitrous-injected Escort, despite qualifying with a 6.54 at a big 218 mph. The team is looking for times in the 6.30-6.40 at over 220.
Shaun Lacko of JDM Engineering...
Shaun Lacko of JDM Engineering was at the helm of the company's '05 GT, which ran a best of 12.32 at 109.60 mph on motor only in the Quick Ford bracket ranks.
Danny Lake averaged 11.21...
Danny Lake averaged 11.21 seconds for the Top 11-Second performance in True Street.
Owen Spry gets his money's...
Owen Spry gets his money's worth during Fun Ford events, as he usually runs the bracket classes with his orange coupe and the Focus Frenzy with a nitrous-fed Focus. He also runs the Mustang in True Street, where he usually places quite well. In Baytown, he narrowly missed First Place, taking the runner-up cash and trophy instead.
Trent Disney, by virtue of...
Trent Disney, by virtue of his car being the only car in the 10s, took home the Top 10-Second prize by averaging 10.64 seconds.