Baytown, Texas, is nestled nearly 40 miles inland of Galveston Island. The island has been a favorite cruising spot of the locals for nearly a century, or at least as long as motorized vehicles have been around to run the famous sea wall highway. Bored with just cruisin' the water-washed freeway, the pavement pounders found refuge in Baytown, where they could let it all hang out at the state-of-the-art Houston Raceway Park.
The racetrack is located only 10 feet above sea level, which can lead to conditions every drag racer dreams about. Generally, the closer a racetrack is located to sea level, the better chances are for a lower altitude number, hence big horsepower and lower e.t.'s.
The final qualifying session on Saturday night hosted those cool, lower altitude conditions that are conducive of record-breaking performances. Big numbers were put up, and this led to a highly anticipated round of eliminations on Sunday. The shot heard 'round the world on this night was the side-by-side qualifier between Tim Lynch and Conrad Scarry. When all was said and done, Scarry squeezed past Lynch in the quickest 10.5W Ford pairing ever, 6.90 at 207 mph for Scarry, 6.95 at 209 mph for Lynch. Lynch would get his revenge in the finals on Sunday, however, reversing the order of victory.
Mick Procovich's engineering...
Mick Procovich's engineering skills shine through from bumper to bumper on his thoroughbred. He added his own homemade turbocharger combo complete with a DEI Cryo kit intercooler that switches to CO2 when the ABR Air Locker is engaged and the computer is at WOT. His buddy Mike Sitar showed him how to convert 36-lb/hr injectors to flow 77 lb/hr. Procovich's string of mid-10-second passes earned him the top spot in True Street competition on Saturday and had him on the pole for the Sunday bracket race.
The most anticipated showdown...
The most anticipated showdown of the weekend materialized in the last qualifying run on Saturday night. Tim Lynch (near) and Conrad Scarry pounded out the first side-by-side six-second 10.5 W-tire Mustang race in Ford shootout history. Both racers were gunning to prove their twin-turbo Stang was the car to beat. As the two crossed even at the stripe, the crowd cheered with amazement when the boards showed Scarry outgunning the father of the six-second W-tire world.
As 68 anxious dragstangs approached...
As 68 anxious dragstangs approached the staging lanes, the engine roar that echoed from under the stands was reminiscent of a NASCAR white-flag lap, only better. It was all Mustangs.
True Street class sponsor...
True Street class sponsor Tremec Transmissions had Kyle Forster (left) on hand to offer assistance with issues involving purchases or problems with the company's products.
Shawn Osborn knew his new...
Shawn Osborn knew his new '06 GT would soon see the typical performance upgrades that always seem to sneak their way under the hood. An SCT cold-air kit and a set of 4.10 gears were installed, followed by a six-point rollbar with removable sidebars-wonder what he's got planned for the future?
Cassandra Carter and her '95...
Cassandra Carter and her '95 drop-top was one of many female contestants in the UPR Car Show.
Being part of a long line...
Being part of a long line of Mustangs cruising down the highway can be the most enjoyable part of the MM&FF/True Street Class, especially when the local authorities shut down a two-lane divided highway to make sure everyone stays together. Fun Ford's Jay Beason laid down the rules so everyone knew just how much fun they could have without bringing back an excessive speed or stupidity voucher.
Ken McAlister has taken the...
Ken McAlister has taken the need for speed to the extreme as his job as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot constantly demands. In his free time, McAlister likes to pound his '03 Cobra, armed with only an Autologic chip and a 3.73 gearset. The combo bested at 11.76 and missed the low-12-second average award by 0.005 second.
David Belcmer's Sonic Blue...
David Belcmer's Sonic Blue '90 coupe had one healthy-sounding small-block that wasn't so small. The guys at Outlaw Performance punched out a bulletproof Dart Iron Eagle block to 427 cubes and topped it off with a set of Fox Lake gutted R-Series Trick Flow heads. The two-speed Powerglide/427 combo netted 9.45 and 9.75 runs with the aid of a healthy shot of nitrous oxide, which had him in line for the number one spot, but Belcmer's starter wire wouldn't stayed attached-bummer.