For the eighth straight year, the Pro Mod 5.0 and Pro Street Outlaw classes were the headlining categories at the Mobil 1 World Ford Challenge at Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis.
WFC 8 was the ultimate trip for Ford enthusiasts, from the packed car show to the various drag racing classes that could accommodate virtually every style Ford product.
WINNER Tony Gillig and team...
WINNER Tony Gillig and team owner Tim Huston have spent the past several years trying to win a WFC title. They won the '03 FFW Pro title but fell short in WFC competition. They sold their ProCharger chariot and built this new one for IHRA Pro Stock action. A Jon Kaase-built 814ci engine powers the Rick Jones-built '03 Mustang Cobra. The 6.50 performances are good enough to keep them in the Top 10 points on the IHRA circuit.
This winter, Dan Millen's...
This winter, Dan Millen's '01 Mustang took a vacation down at Parker Chassis. The Georgia-based shop converted the Mustang to a Liberty five-speed combo, and it proved to work great with the Livernois Motorsports' engine under the hood. Millen runs a Precision 94mm turbo and blistered an insane 196.82-mph blast in the second round of eliminations of Pro Street Outlaw. This was the high speed of the event, and quite frankly the largest mph on 10.5-inch tires! The two-time WFC champ took home the runner-up honors this year.
WINNER We have three words...
WINNER We have three words to describe Manny Buginga--"world record holder." He came, he saw, he conquered the Pro Street Outlaw field. Boasting a Turbonetics 94mm turbo under the hood of his '89 coupe, he lit up the boards with a demented 7.37 at 194 mph. That was done with a set of as-measured 28x10.5-inch slicks. It was the quickest pass ever on those tires. Watch for a feature on this amazing Mustang in an upcoming issue of MM&FF.
WINNER For the second straight...
WINNER For the second straight year, Johnny Lightning was victorious in both Pro Lightning and the Diesel Challenge categories. He drove his van to the win over David Lott in Diesel Challenge. This van gets it done with 14-second timeslips.
WINNER WFC 8 was the coming-out...
WINNERWFC 8 was the coming-out party for his newly revamped '01 Lightning. The truck was recently tubbed and the roof was chopped, giving it a Pro 5.0 look. The tried-and-true engine combination from last year delivered low 10-second performances. Lightning beat Justin Embrey in the Pro Lightning finals with a 10.04 on a 10.01 dial-in.
WINNER Daniel Pachar ended...
WINNER Daniel Pachar ended the Strictly Performance stranglehold on the Cobra Eliminator title. Pachar's ProCharger-powered Cobra outran Richard Lelsz with a stout 9.43 at 140.72 mph.
WINNER The Gillam twins survived...
WINNER The Gillam twins survived the onslaught of 57 Open Comp competitors; it was the largest class at WFC 8. The JPC Racing-sponsored car left with the wheels up on every pass and ran almost dead on its index in each round.
WINNER The School of Automotive...
WINNER The School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) scored its first win with its '95 Cobra. It came from the second qualified position to take the victory over Adrian Duron. Driver Pat Topolinski pushed the car into the 8s, an 8.95 to be exact, for the win. The engine was built in-house at the SAM school.
Billy Glidden returned to...
Billy Glidden returned to the Pro Mod 5.0 ranks this year. He was the hired gun for Kevin Marsh's Pro-Stock-turned-Pro-Mod-5.0 Escort ZX2. Glidden is probably saying to himself, "Big blocks on nitrous rule!" The 814ci engine and single Edelbrock Nitrous system helped produce times in the mid sixes at 218 mph.
The top class of the weekend, Pro Mod 5.0, was dealing out $35,000 to the winner. It brought out the best in the business, including several IHRA Pro Stock racers. It is so prestigious that team owner Kevin Marsh hired Billy Glidden to wheel his nitrous-powered mountain-motor Escort. That way he had two shots at winning the title. In the end, it wasn't a blower, turbo, or nitrous entry that took home the cash--Tony Gillig wheeled the all-engine ASSC Racing IHRA Pro Stock car to the top of the heap over Chuck Samuel.
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.
For the second year in a row, Johnny Lightning entered both the Diesel Challenge and Pro Lightning categories. Against all odds he captured both titles, same as he did last year. That is quite an accomplishment when you consider he jockeyed a mid-14-second Econoline Van and his 10-oh '01 Lightning.
Mike Post denied Brian Mitchell three straight WFC Renegade victories. The Chicago-based tuner ran consistent 8.60s at over 160 mph to lay claim to his first WFC win. The School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) team went back to class with its first Hot Street win. Driver Pat Topolinski laid down the gauntlet with an 8.92 run to beat Adrian Doran in the finals.
Wild Street was indeed wild...
Wild Street was indeed wild thanks to the True Street/heads-up race category that it has morphed into. The head honchos at WFC took the popular MM&FF True Street idea and then twisted it a bit by using the three-run average as your qualifying runs. On Sunday, the cars then ran off as a heads-up class. Former MM&FF feature car owned by Michael Saponara was the champion in Wild Street. This turbocharged Mustang ran consistent 8.80s. The name of the game in Wild Street is survival. The field consisted of cars quicker than Saponara's Florida-based ride, but they either broke or had issues come eliminations time.
Gary Rohe's legendary '80...
Gary Rohe's legendary '80 coupe showed up with a 25.2 back-half chassis under its classic body courtesy of his new chassis shop, Performance Racecraft. He also had Bishoff Engine Service convert his engine to a ProCharger-blown bullet. In the end, it made simply too much power for the tiny tires and there wasn't enough time to figure it out. Rohe ran high sevens but lost in the earlier rounds of Pro Street Outlaw competition.
This year the turbocharged...
This year the turbocharged contingent was out in force to take on the blown and nitrous-injected entries in Wild Street. Ryan Martin represented the turbo camp well and eliminated James Garrett's nitrous '69 Stang, Dan Shipley's blown '91 GT, and Nick Yarber's nitrous-powered '95 Stang. Martin had the quicker car in the finals but lost when he turned on the red light, handing the automatic win to Michael Saponara.
WINNER This marked the first...
WINNER This marked the first time Mike Post won the WFC Renegade title. He has won an NMRA championship and vowed he wanted one from WFC before his Renegade career ended. The Vortech-blown ride flew into the mid-eight-second zone at over 160 mph.
Last year Travis Franklin...
Last year Travis Franklin showed off mid-seven-second performances. He ran similar times this year and made it all the way to the semifinals where he bowed out of competition to Manny Buginga. Franklin has a 400ci engine with a ProCharger F3R huffing serious boost into it.
Two-time WFC Renegade champ...
Two-time WFC Renegade champ Brian Mitchell was looking to add a third trophy to his collection. But Mike Post denied it by taking him out with an 8.64 to Mitchell's 8.76.
Ed Rice's '98 Mustang was...
Ed Rice's '98 Mustang was fresh out of Racecraft's shop and was upgraded to a 25.2 cage. The engine checked in at 402 cubes and it inhales boost from a 94mm turbo. Rice slams the gears of a Liberty five-speed transmission. That package was good for 7.70s in Pro Street Outlaw.
This Hot Street runner-up...
This Hot Street runner-up should look familiar. Adrian Duron enters his '98 Cobra at many FFW events in the Street Bandit category. He qualified number one with an 8.86, the quickest pass ever in WFC Hot Street competition.
WINNER Tim Matherly of MV...
WINNER Tim Matherly of MV Performance was tough in the Real Street ranks. He relies on a Mod Motor with a ProCharger P1SC blower to run in the 9.50s, sans intercooler. Not bad for a car with ported stock heads and OEM camshafts.
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.
Pure Street saw Rich Groh dominate the field with 10.20 performances. Modular power ruled the Real Street category as Tim Matherly added another winner's trophy to his collection. The largest class of the weekend was the Open Comp category where 57 competitors slugged it out. When the smoke cleared, the Gillam Brothers were the only ones left standing.
Bob Kowalske overtook Gen I and Gen II Lightnings as well as Harley trucks and was crowned Street Lightning champ. Louie Manglos of Laurel Mountain Mustang drove his mid-11-second '03 Cobra to the win in Modular Street.
WINNER Laurel Mountain Mustang...
WINNER Laurel Mountain Mustang entered this gorgeous '03 Cobra in Street Modular competition. Louie Manglos handled the driving chores and did a great job taking the class win. He says this car is the quickest stock pulley-equipped '03/'04 Cobra--it runs 11.44 at 116 mph.
The Manufacturer's Midway...
The Manufacturer's Midway was slammed with people all weekend long. When the fans weren't in the stands watching the hot action, they were buying parts for their Mustang.
Crash your Mustang or looking...
Crash your Mustang or looking for a new ride? You could have picked up a shell complete with cage in the swap meet for a few grand.
World Ford Challenge is not just about late-model Mustangs but rather a complete Ford extravaganza, including the car show. Several show classes were available for old-school Ford iron.
Next year we expect WFC 9 to be just as fine. Promoter George Gonzales promises it to be one of the wildest Ford drag races of all time. He even said that planning for WFC 10 has already begun.
Exclusive Web Coverage!
Even after 8 pages, we didn't have enough room in the magazine for all the shots we took. So, here's a sampling of more cars, more trucks and some great burnouts!