Pro Street Outlaw was insanity as the record crowd of spectators witnessed both the e.t. and mph records fall on real 10.5-inch tires. We aren't talking about 10.5W tires either--the competitors were forced to run 28x10.5-inch as-measured slicks. Manny Buginga was victorious with his turbocharged Stang and ran a jaw-dropping 7.37 in the finals to beat Dan Millen of Livernois Motorsports. Buginga dominated the class start to finish with 7.40 performances before shocking the crowd in the finals. Millen ran a demented 196 mph on the smallish tires, but his e.t. was not quick enough to beat Buginga in the big-bucks round.
Wild Street became a seven-second show as these street machines were set on kill during eliminations. Most of the competitors backed down their cars to survive the 30-mile cruise and three straight qualifying runs. Mike Keenan dropped his late-model Mustang into the sevens--a first in class history--however the win went to Mike Saponara of Cape Coral, Florida. His single turbocharged machine ran mid eights to win the category.
With the big money up for...
With the big money up for grabs in Pro Mod 5.0, it attracted some of the biggest names in Ford Drag Racing. Defending IHRA Pro Stock World Champion John Nobile was on the property looking to grab a few bucks.
Chuck Samuel and crew chief...
Chuck Samuel and crew chief Joe Oplowski had their hands full at WFC 8. They took care of the two Marsh entries.
On track, Samuel was in the...
On track, Samuel was in the familiar saddle of the turbo Mustang. He went all the way to the finals, and car owner Kevin Marsh hoped for a second straight WFC title. They settled for the runner-up check this time--6.50s at 216 mph was the order of the day for the turbocharged monster.
Record Run! History was made...
Record Run! History was made in Wild Street as Mike Keenan of New Mexico became the first W/S pilot to run in the 7s. His turbocharged '02 Mustang Saleen ran 7.97 at 181 mph in the second round of eliminations...
Record Run! ...although he...
Record Run! ...although he smoked the Mickey Thompson Drag Radial tires in the fourth round of eliminations and lost, he walked away proving it is possible to run 7s with a street car.
Pete Berner decided he needed...
Pete Berner decided he needed a bit more horsepower for this year's event. With 35-large on the line, he wasn't taking any chances. He had engine guru Jon Kaase deliver not one, but two 814ci engines to St. Louis. These engines are in the neighborhood of $80,000 each. Berner ran 6.50, but shook the tires hard in round two and exited competition a few rounds earlier than he had planned.
Record Run! New Jersey's...
Record Run! New Jersey's Ralph Voorhees pushed the Pro Lightning category into the eight-second zone for the first time in history...
Record Run! ...under the...
Record Run! ...under the hood of the First-Gen 1 Lightning is a 383 Windsor with a single 91mm turbocharger.
WINNER Defending NMRA Pure...
WINNER Defending NMRA Pure Street champion Rich Groh showed up with his low-10-second car and took home the prize money. He encountered little resistance to his winning ways.