Walter Pfister's '87 hatchback...
Walter Pfister's '87 hatchback could only hustle to a 9.36 best, which placed him 19th on the Drag Radial final qualifying sheet. While he missed the show, Pfister did go out in style--and on the bumper. The Fox-body reached for the stars each time it left the starting line in qualifying, bringing the fans to their feet at the same time.
After last year's Shakedown, when Lynch shocked the world with a 6.66, most figured the envelope had been pushed to the max. For the second time in as many years, though, Lynch showed everyone there is still a vast amount of the envelope left to explore.
"It amazes me how we're able to pick up in performance every year," Lynch says. "The air is always good at this race, so there being a drastic difference in conditions from year to year isn't a factor at all. It's funny how a couple of years ago, we were going 6.90s and hoping to run that at best. Now we're nearly a half a second quicker, and I keep asking myself when it's going to end. A large part of our ability to run quicker can most definitely be attributed to Steve Petty and his tuning abilities."
So with Lynch running that outstanding 6.53, is there more left for next year's event?
"We can definitely go quicker next year," he says. "When we ran the 6.66 in 2006, the eighth-mile times indicated we should have gone a bit quicker. We looked long and hard at the data and the incrementals from the 6.53 run, and we're pretty sure that we can go 6.40s next year. The incremental on the 6.53 run indicates it, so don't be surprised if we do it."
The Heavy Street final showcased a pair of GM products, but Chris Connor and his '88 Mustang did make it to the semifinals before he fouled out. Heavy Street is an interesting class made up of back-halved cars that utilize any combination or power adder. As for Drag Radial, it was an all-Mustang money round as the fast Fox-bodies of Chris Little and Mustang Mike Modeste squared off. Little had been hanging the hoops and traveling the first part of the track on the bumper for most of the day, and the wear and tear of those hard landings took their toll, as his green '90 LX broke after the launch. Modeste gave the fans a show, however, as he lit up the scoreboards with a 7.97-second, 177-mph blast.
For the Mustang contingent, life in the big city was good. Most of them ended up on Broadway. Best of all, the RP staff has added a day to the Shakedown for 2008. The event is slated for October 18-19, and we wouldn't miss it for the world.
Tim Lynch's twin-turbo Cobra...
Tim Lynch's twin-turbo Cobra went easy on everyone in Outlaw 10.5 qualifying, taking home the top spot with a 6.79. When it came time to do business, though, the Steve Petty-tuned Mustang obliterated the field and the record books. Lynch opened eliminations with a stellar 6.61 before recording a pair of 6.54s to get to the final. The Lynch Mob's day culminated with a 6.534, 220-mph blast that became the quickest run by a 10.5W car to date.
Former NHRA Super Gas and...
Former NHRA Super Gas and Super Comp standout Steve Drummond bucked the trend and qualified his '69 Mustang 16th in Outlaw 10.5. Drummond's old-school Stang was one of three cars competing in the class that were not late-model body styles, and it was the only Ford of that group. His 7.19, 194-mph effort was no match for Tim Lynch's Mustang in Round 1, though.
Chris Connor's '88 Mustang...
Chris Connor's '88 Mustang did the Blue Oval faithful proud in Heavy Street. Connor's Fox-body was the only Ford product to make it to the semifinals of the predominately GM inhabited class. Connor, who qualified Sixth with a 7.34, gave away a stout 7.22-second blast in the semis when he fouled out against eventual runner-up Jorge Rodriquez's '86 Camaro.
Chris Little's turbocharged...
Chris Little's turbocharged '90 Mustang spent more time on two wheels than it did on all four. The green notchback qualified 13th in Drag Radial with an 8.63 and made its way to the final round, one bumper-dragging pass after another. Unfortunately, the hard landings took a toll on the car, as Little broke right after the Tree went green in the money round.
Yanni Papakosmas ended up...
Yanni Papakosmas ended up filling in for John Chemin, who couldn't make the call for Round 1 of Heavy Street. Papakosmas and his turbocharged '04 Cobra was the 18th qualifier with an 8.15. Unfortunately, Papakosmas took the Round 1 loss to Henry Jackson and his '69 Camaro.
With a 7.06, Rocky Rosella...
With a 7.06, Rocky Rosella qualified ninth with the Mike Carrabs-owned '03 Mustang in the Outlaw 10.5 field. The twin-turbo monster lost a close first-round duel with Jim Robbins, however.
We have to admit that when...
We have to admit that when we heard Brett Hull was in the house, we were waiting for a hat trick, a fight, and a couple of body slams against the boards. It took a few minutes to realize that we weren't at the hockey arena but at Raceway Park taking a closer look at the other Brett Hull and his super-clean '93 Cobra. The red snake ended up in Ninth Place on the Drag Radial qualifying sheet with an 8.10. Unfortunately, after recording an opening-round victory over the Mustang of Richard Boch, Hull broke after scoring a sizeable holeshot over second-round opponent Scott Bitzer.
A pair of Mustangs duked it...
A pair of Mustangs duked it out in the Drag Radial final, as the notchbacks of Chris Little (far lane) and Mike Modeste (near lane) squared off. The race was over before the 60-foot clock, however, as Little broke soon after launch, handing the win to Modeste, who motored to a 7.97.
Tim Lynch (near lane) was...
Tim Lynch (near lane) was letting it all hang out, and Chuck Ulsch (far lane) knew he'd have to step on his nitrous oxide-induced Camaro to try and down the twin-turbo Mustang of Lynch in the Outlaw 10.5 final. Ulsch overstepped the traction boundary, however, as he blew the tires away early into the run. Lynch flat-out drove away, ripping off a 6.53-second blast for a win that was nearly impossible to beat.