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World Ford Challenge 9 - Nine Was DivineWorld Ford Challenge 9 rocked St. Louis as records were set and history made. From the October, 2006 issue of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords By Michael Galimi, Steve Baur
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 This year Outlaw 10.5W racing...  This year Outlaw 10.5W racing was part of the WFC program, and the Outlaw king himself, Tim Lynch, showed up with the Pro Line Racing Engine entry, Shredder II. The team posted six-second runs, but Lynch broke the input shaft in the Powerglide transmission in the semifinals.  John Huber's 2.3-based, turbocharged...  John Huber's 2.3-based, turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant had plenty of power all weekend. The Open Comp Pony's wheels-up antics brought cheers from the crowd and mid-nine-second elapsed times from the clocks.  Take a John Kaase 814ci engine,...  Take a John Kaase 814ci engine, a Pro Stock Escort, a former IHRA Pro Stock world champion, and throw all three into WFC competition. That's the scenario with John Nobile and his Purple People Eater. The IHRA racer used his driving skills to take the win in the Superchips Pro-Mod 5.0 finals when he ran 6.42 to beat the quicker run of 6.41, posted by Frank Gugliotta. When racers and fans drove through the gates at St. Louis International Raceway this past spring, the Mobil 1-World Ford Challenge crew had tweaked their racing format to include Outlaw 10.5 and Outlaw Drag Radial action. This was good because it set the stage for several records as well as providing a punch of excitement not seen since the early years of WFC competition. This was in addition to the normally insane lineup of Pro Mod 5.0, Street Outlaw, and Wild Street categories. While Pro Mod 5.0 was paying $35,000 to the winner, Pro Outlaw 10.5W, Street Outlaw, Outlaw Drag Radial, Wild Street, and Real Street ran for smaller dollars. But the racers would agree that the bragging rights associated with winning a WFC title outweighs any cash rewards. With prestige, respect, and honor on the line, racers had their Mustangs on kill in St. Louis. Case in point was David Wolfe whose Outlaw Drag Radial Mustang set the world record for a drag radial-equipped drag car in the final round of eliminations. Wolfe blasted to an amazing 7.40 at 197 mph and afterwards hinted there was even more lurking in his turbocharged Stang. The Pro Mod 5.0 showdown featured the quickest side-by-side pass in the history of WFC when John Nobile and Frank Gugliotta both ran bottom 6.40s in the final round. It was a match-up that Nobile won by a holeshot. The other heads-up classes featured a mid-seven-second Wild Street contingent; several of the 28x10.5-equipped Mustangs in Street Outlaw were in the mid-sevens as well. The new Pro Outlaw 10.5W class didn't disappoint, with six-second, 200-mph performances from back-half cars running on those narrow sneakers. The usual cast of characters was present in the form of the large Open Comp category, Modular Street, three truck classes (Pro Lightning, Street Lightning, and Diesel Challenge), and an enormous bracket racing program that spanned three days and offered a nice reward for winners. If racing wasn't your bag, then you could feel at home on the gigantic show-car grounds. We don't know how the WFC organizers do it, but it was the largest car show we have seen in the event's nine-year history. The manufacturer's midway offered show special pricing, collectables, WFC memorabilia, and whatever else you needed to make your Ford experience a fun one.  The talk of the weekend was...  The talk of the weekend was David Wolfe driving Ken Nelson's '93 LX in Outlaw Drag Radial. Armed with a 382ci engine, a Turbonetics 106mm turbo, and just about everything out of the Wolfe Race Craft catalog, this black LX was responsible for delivering Wolfe to the winner's circle and setting a new world record of 7.40 at 197 mph. While the safety equipment was questioned, the WFC officials let Wolfe off with a warning and told the chassis builder to get the chassis up to the SFI 25.2 spec for next year's competition.  Mike Keenan has always raised...  Mike Keenan has always raised the bar in Wild Street, and this year was no different. He ran in the mid-sevens on M/T drag radials with a new twin turbocharged combination.  Brian Carpenter debuted this...  Brian Carpenter debuted this Skinny Kid Race Car built Mustang two years ago at WFC 7. He was running 29x10.5-inch slicks back then with a 94mm turbo and going mid-7s. This year a set of 33x10.5W tires put him in the Pro Outlaw 10.5W category, and two Precision 88mm turbos placed him on top of qualifying with a 6.90 at 211 mph. Carpenter then mowed through the field of Outlaw racers on Sunday and took the win over Chip Havemann, 6.99 to 7.07.  This is a rare sight to see....  This is a rare sight to see. John Gullet's crew loaded up their race car on Saturday night prior to eliminations. With 19 cars vying for 16 spots, the Florida crew did not make the cut. Gullet was the favorite to win WFC thanks to his 6.36 performance one month earlier at the Fun Ford Atlanta showdown. Unfortunately, changes had the team struggling on each qualifying run, and Gullet never got the Stang to its full running potential, however the car did look outstanding with its new paint job from Visual F/X.  Frank Gugliotta was one of...  Frank Gugliotta was one of many IHRA Pro Stock racers who invaded the WFC bash. Gugliotta dropped 50 pounds off of his IHRA P/S weight, and that helped him run 6.37 to qualify number one. He lost to John Nobile in the finals on a holeshot.  No one caused more controversy...  No one caused more controversy in the weeks leading up to WFC than Don Burton. The self-proclaimed badass of "small-tire" racing laid down a 7.35 in testing-a new world record on real 10.5-inch tires. At WFC he kept his ride in the mid-7s and won the Edelbrock Street Outlaw class with a 7.50. He beat John Urist in the process who had run 7.54.  A runner-up finish was in...  A runner-up finish was in order for Chip Havemann, driving the Stang Gear-sponsored Pro Outlaw 10.5 entry. Each round he would toss T-shirts out to the crowd and run in the low 7s. A 7.07 in the finals was not enough to hang with the 6.99 from Brian Carpenter, though. Havemann wasn't messing around, and brought 449 ci of small-block furry to the table. A pair of Precision 88mm turbos provided serious amounts of boost.  Most racers in Pro Mod 5.0...  Most racers in Pro Mod 5.0 have backup engines to use when they break stuff-not the Kevin Marsh Motorsports crew. Driver Chuck Samuel busted up the team's 798ci-powered Escort in test and tune on Thursday. The team pulled out that night, drove home to Chicago, reassembled their turbocharged '02 Mustang, drove back to St. Louis, and qualified 10th with a 6.53 at 218 mph. Samuel lost in Round 2 to John Nobile.  Robert Patrick took his brand-new...  Robert Patrick took his brand-new '07 Shelby GT500 straight from Jerry Haas' shop to the racetrack and ran in the mid-sixes. Not bad for a fresh race car that had never been down the track. It was the first public appearance by an S197-style Pro Stock car. Just getting to the track and racing was an accomplishment.  Jim Saitz lined up his son...  Jim Saitz lined up his son Dan and their Pro Mod 5.0 entry. The Saitz family was not only the hometown favorite, but also the Cinderella story in that they beat some heavy hitters along the way to their semifinal finish. In the first round they knocked out defending WFC champ Tony Gillig. Although Dan sent Robert Patrick packing, he lost to Frank Gugliotta in the semifinals.  Don Shobe showed up with his...  Don Shobe showed up with his brand-new Street Outlaw car and proceeded to run in the 7.70s at 187 mph. The ProCharger-blown ride was the first '05-up to enter the wild world of small tire racing.  It was a great weekend for...  It was a great weekend for John Urist of Hellion Power Systems. The Nitto Tire-sponsored racer ran a new mph record of 196 mph and finished as the Street Outlaw class runner-up. He was the number-one qualifier with a 7.50 at 196 mph.  NMRA Pro 5.0 points leader...  NMRA Pro 5.0 points leader Michael Hauf came to WFC packing 250 less pounds than his NMRA minimum weight. The lighter weight caused some problems, but the team managed to run in the 6.50s.  Jim Mills used a huge 106mm...  Jim Mills used a huge 106mm turbo to help push his '95 Cobra to a 7.89 at 197-mph drag-radial qualifying performance. He smoked the tires in Round 2 against Wolfe and lost.  Street Outlaw racer Sam Vincent...  Street Outlaw racer Sam Vincent went up in smoke in the semifinals and lost to Don Burton. It was a rare sight to see, as Vincent has been outstanding this year and is undefeated in NMRA SSO competition because of his consistency. But it just wasn't his weekend at WFC.  It looked to be the Halfacre...  It looked to be the Halfacre brothers weekend in Street Outlaw. They had gone in the 7.50s on every pass during test and tune as well as qualifying. Unfortunately, a broken transmission in Round 1 prevented their WFC victory dream from being realized.  Jason ardron strapped on some...  Jason ardron strapped on some Mickey Thompson drag radials and ran in the 7.70s. He was a victim of the Big Daddy Dwayne Gutridge freight train in Round 3.  Street Outlaw racer Mike Trimandilis...  Street Outlaw racer Mike Trimandilis scored a career best of 7.53 in qualifying but broke in Round 2 of eliminations. The ProCharger-blown Mustang was deadly all day in qualifying with mid-7-second runs. Trimandilis held on to the number-one spot until the final round of qualifying where Urist and Burton moved ahead of him, 7.50 and 7.52, respectively.  Nick Yarber came to play in...  Nick Yarber came to play in Nitto Wild Street, but his best 8.23-second effort was not enough to get around eventual winner Mike Keenan, whose 7.69 had him covered by a wide margin.  Mike Olson's Windsor-powered,...  Mike Olson's Windsor-powered, nitrous-sniffing Ranger used numerous nine-second runs to get to the finals, but was outgunned against the turbocharged small-block Mustang of Mike Keenan.  In the gear-bangin' Real Street...  In the gear-bangin' Real Street class, Port Byron, Illinois' Craig Baldwin and his Vortech-blown coupe readily handled Chad Maskney's '06 Saleen in the first round of competition. Round 2 had him facing off against Brian Meyer's machine, which chalked up a stout 9.86/141-mph performance, but Baldwin prevailed, posting a 9.67 elapsed time for the win and a trip to the final round. There, Tim Matherly left 0.054 second early, handing Baldwin the win.  Statham, Georgia's Tim Matherly...  Statham, Georgia's Tim Matherly rowed the gears in his modular-powered machine to the number-one qualifying spot with a 9.70-second performance.  Randy WickenhausER proved...  Randy WickenhausER proved his Cobra was fast and consistent, posting times of 10.98, 11.03, 11.00, and 11.00. It was this intense racing that took him to the winner's circle of the DiabloSport Cobra Challenge at WFC9.  Hailing from Houston, Texas,...  Hailing from Houston, Texas, Josh Wischnewsky was all about putting up the big numbers in St. Louis. He qualified at the top with a 9.19/152-mph perform-ance followed by a 9.49 in the first round.  The Cobra Challenge was full...  The Cobra Challenge was full of wheels-up action thanks to folks like Brandon Foley of Covington, Tennessee. ZO6 owners take note.  Frank Formato of Riverside,...  Frank Formato of Riverside, Illinois, was running his numbers in the Ford Truck Performance Pro Lightning class, but luck was on his side as well. His competitor broke out in Round 1 and he got a bye run in the second. That put him in the final with Jerry Skinner who went -0.004 red on the Tree to hand Formato the win.  Jerry Skinner and his good...  Jerry Skinner and his good friend Justin Embry run similar 370ci, ProCharger-blown combinations in their First-Gen Lightnings, and the duo qualified number two and number one, respectively, in Pro Lightning. Extensive weight reduction and a healthy 1,100-plus horsepower propels these trucks to eight-second elapsed times at over 155 mph.  Trucks are generally known...  Trucks are generally known for their load-hauling torque production and there can be no doubt that Jeff Sparkman's '93 Lightning has plenty of it. With a 598ci engine and a 98mm turbocharger, this beast makes enough grunt for mid-nine-second elapse times at 146 mph.  Kevin MacDonald of Royal Palm...  Kevin MacDonald of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, qualified Third in the 25-truck FTP Street Lightning field. He made his way to the final round where he was quick on the Tree and good enough at the other end to get his opponent to break out.  Paul Svinicki's '06 Mustang...  Paul Svinicki's '06 Mustang turns heads everywhere thanks to its Outlaw-style chassis and Ford GT 5.4L DOHC powerplant. Svinicki placed the Pony in the number-two qualifying slot of the Modular Street field with a 10.03 run, and worked his way through some of the toughest competition to get to the final round. In the money race, Svinicki faced number-one qualifier Mike Catapano in his '01 Mustang GT. Catapano broke out with a 9.72 on a 9.78 dial-in, while Svinicki had the advantage at the Tree and ran a 9.96 on a 9.93 dial-in for the win.  Mike Catapano of Loubard,...  Mike Catapano of Loubard, Illinois, posted low e.t. for the Paxton Superchargers Modular Street class with a 9.88 pass; he was also the fastest at 136.84 mph.  The surprise of the Modular...  The surprise of the Modular Street gathering had to be Lidio Iacobelli's '06 Saleen Mustang. Iacobelli qualified Third with the full-weight supercharged Saleen Mustang at 11.28 seconds on street tires. He went two rounds before falling to eventual winner and fellow Michigander Paul Svinicki.  When it comes to Ford bracket...  When it comes to Ford bracket racing, the competition doesn't get much tougher than Knoxville, Tennessee's Robert Hindman. Hindman has been fielding his reliably consistent 281ci, modular-powered '87 GT for 2006, and combined with sharp reaction times, has been nearly unstoppable. WFC9 was no exception, with Hindman taking the win in the 29-car SCT Open Comp field over Larry Cleek in the final.  Larry Cleek of Wichita, Kansas,...  Larry Cleek of Wichita, Kansas, was cutting great lights and being deadly consistent all day until he met Robert Hindman in the Open Comp final. Cleek's '70 Mach 1 Mustang was slow off the line and broke out at the stripe with a 10.83 pass on a 10.86 dial-in, handing the win to Hindman.  The battle of the black smoke...  The battle of the black smoke giants saw David Lott at the top of the qualifying chart with an 11.70 run in the FTP Ford Diesel Challenge. Buford, Georgia's Tim Olsen (pictured) had other plans, though, and took home the loot after driving his slammed F-350 dually to the win.  The car show scene was the...  The car show scene was the place to be when the track surface was taking five. Hundreds of top-quality cars and trucks were on hand, which kept the MM&FF staff busy all-weekend shooting car features between rounds.  EFI motors are becoming more...  EFI motors are becoming more and more frequent in the older Fords and Mercurys.  EFI motors are becoming more...  EFI motors are becoming more and more frequent in the older Fords and Mercurys.  Check out this vintage Mustang,...  Check out this vintage Mustang, which sported a fuelie motor with a hairdryer.
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