It took two years for someone to beat Richard Lelsz of Strictly Performance in the Cobra Eliminator. Daniel Pachar of Orange, Texas, laid down a sick 9.43 to capture the victory over Lelsz, who ran 9.73--sans nitrous. Dennis Merrow of Maine won Factory Stock by beating Jeff Schmell.
Uncle Robin Lawrence has been...
Uncle Robin Lawrence has been the talk of the Real Street class since the NMRA opener in Bradenton. The attention is not attributed to the 9.70s he runs, but rather the '05 Mustang he chose to build over the winter. It was the first race-specific '05 to hit the dragstrip, causing fans and racers to drool at every track he races.
Twin turbos coming at ya!...
Twin turbos coming at ya! Last year, World Ford Challenge opened up the rules to allow twin turbo combinations. After watching several cars fly with the twin setup, Randy Eakins sent his Stang back to Skinny Kid Race Cars for an update. The Skinny Kid crew mounted twin Precision 88mm turbos...
...the close-up photo shows...
...the close-up photo shows the restrictor sleeves to neck them down to the 76mm legal size for WFC action.
Newcomer Crazy Phil Hines...
Newcomer Crazy Phil Hines showed he was a serious contender in the Pro Street Outlaw division. The former NMCA and NSCA champion wheeled his wild, supercharged '99 Mustang to a 7.65 at 185 mph.
Kurt Gallant and crew chief...
Kurt Gallant and crew chief Ron Sharp made the move from nitrous to a blower in their Renegade-legal Mustang. It worked out great for them as the car ran 8.70s and was runner-up.
WINNER Gen 2 Lightnings ruled...
WINNER Gen 2 Lightnings ruled the Street Lightning category at WFC 8. Bob Kowlaske of West Chicago, Illinois, ran 12.00s to beat the 28-truck field.
It was as if Don Walsh Jr....
It was as if Don Walsh Jr. was stuck in the 6.65 range with his Mustang over the past few events. A larger ProCharger blower was bolted on and it immediately showed improvements--6.62 in qualifying. Walsh then strapped on a perfect light in the first round against Billy Glidden and ran an even quicker 6.59 at 209. He proved it wasn't a fluke and ran 6.58 in the second round, but lost to Tony Gillig who went quicker.
Diesel trucks rule! The King...
Diesel trucks rule! The King of Diesel is David Lott of Diesel Innovations. His two-wheel-drive, long-bed F-250 pickup has gone mid 11s. He kept the heavy sled consistent because the Diesel Challenge is a dial-in class. He was runner-up and had a best time of 11.55.
WINNER It seems as if SVT...
WINNER It seems as if SVT Cobra power is the way to go in Factory Stock. Number-one qualifier, Dennis Merrow (shown), relies on a pushrod Cobra engine from Kuntz and Company. He ran 11.40s to take the win over the Four-Valve Cobra engine-powered Mach 1 of Jeff Schmell.
Two Personal Tragedies
Two racers suffered great personal losses during the event weekend.
Brit Floyd lost his trailer,...
Brit Floyd lost his trailer, race car, spare parts, and tools on the way home from the event. The car caught fire during the trip and burned to the ground.
Sam Vincent received terrible...
Sam Vincent received terrible news that his house caught fire and was destroyed.
Update!
Brit is putting his old Pro 5.0 car back together and should be back in action by next season. Sam Vincent is racing on a part time basis right now and has a new home being built.