Fun Ford Weekend - Baytown Bad Boys Go Looking For Trouble

Derek Reindl burned up the field with his Vortech S-Trim-blown, D.S.S. 331-cube coupe. His Tremec-rowed Stang laid down a string of low-11-second passes for an 11.23 average, good enough for the fourth spot on the ladder.

Jack Marsh has taken the all-go and no-show approach to going fast in his '03 Cobra, conscientiously putting all his resources in horsepower and hook parts. A 2.2 Kenne Bell, a Centerforce DFX clutch, and a Diablo Predator with mass airflow calibrator helped propel Marsh into the 10-second zone. Jack took runner-up in the class. Being MM&FF's Editor's Choice means we wish this quick Cobra was in our garage.

With the popularity of the Fox-body Mustangs, it's not often we see an older Stang in True Street, especially one as beautiful and fast as the Craig family's '65 Kotzur-built, 363-cube coupe. Craig Sr. drove to a Third-Place 11.17 average, while son Matt's white '06 can be seen in the background awaiting its turn in the burnout box.

David PolveraRI and his dad built this baby from the ground up. The GT40X-headed 302 utilizes a Nitrous Express plate and a good MSD 6AL ignition system to deal out consistent 11.50 passes. They held down the Fifth spot on the ladder at 11.48.

When it came time to rebuild his '95 Cobra, Clifford Nelson elected to go with a set of AFR heads on a fresh D.S.S. 302 short-block, a Pro-M 80mm mass air, an MSD ignition, and a Zex wet kit. His surprising 12.23 average on the Nitto street radials added to the attraction of his sometimes overlooked SN-95 entry.

As the sun went down over the bay, e.t.'s fell. Reigning Borla Performance Street Warrior champ Darrell Peterson led the field into the final qualifying session with a 9.38 top spot and finished off the weekend with another class trophy over Robert Mollet in the finale on Sunday.

The MM&FF/Tremec Transmissions True Street Challenge pays $100 for having the quickest 11-, 12-, 13-, 14-, and 15-second averages. Congratulations, winners, and thanks to Brittany White for adding the summer flavor to the shot.

Ronnie Wilson and his Pro Flow nitrous-powered Street Renegade '00 GT shocked a few supercharger boys when he lowered his 7.78 record, set during Friday night's session, to an even sicker 7.75 at over 175 mph. His Specialties Automotive, self-built 438-cube, Pro Systems carbureted entry performed flawlessly all weekend, culminating with a class win.

The raceway got clipped by a wicked, tornado-packed, hail-slinging storm. After the water subsided, some of the vendors followed with a one-time-only "Flood Sale."

With upset in the air, the boys from the Manic Motorsports car club from New Orleans got out the money rolls and the wagering began. They brought about 30 racers, car show guys, crew members, and spectators to the event.

Last year's JDM Engineering Tough Truck champion Don Justus qualified on top with a 10.80. Justus was headed for the finals when he left before the Tree was activated against his long time rival, David Gates, in the semis. But Gates then threw away a dead-on 12.66 in the final, when he got caught asleep at the Tree against Jim Roberts, who topped the Tough Truck field.