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For the second time this season, the competitors of the NMCA and NMRA converge on the same property for the annual Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing here at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet just outside Chicago. Racers have been met with unseasonably cool temperatures that feels more like October than June, meaning we could see some record performances this weekend. Stay tuned throughout the weekend as we bring you all of the NMRA action along with Sunday’s Super Bowl Shootout against the NMCA contingent.
Special thanks to our event sponsor SCT Performance. Check out their great line of tuning products at www.sctflash.com.
John Lesie Jr. was all smiles yesterday after he made the quickest pass ever in Factory Stock at 10.883 at 123.50 in the opening round of qualifying which is more than a tenth and half quicker the #2 Carlos Sobrino. John remains atop the field afte the first two sessions and looks like the man to beat this weekend.
There is no car in the NMRA smoother than Sean Lyon's Drag Radial machine, and he made another on-a-rail lap last night to move to the head of the pack with a 7.60 at 187.55 mph. Jason Lee and Brad Medlock are locked together in second and third with runs of 7.616 and 7.617, respectively.
We talk with Bruce Hemminger and his Friday engine woes
Brandon Alsept will lead the Pure Street field into eliminations compliments of a great 10.204 at 131.73. Shawn Johnson is just a few ticks back at 10.23.
Alton Clements and the rest of the EFI Renegade field at chasing leader Brian Mitchell, who has nearly a tenth in the bag with an 8.38 at 161.23. AJ Wyce anchors the seven-car field with a 9.02.
Charlie Booze Jr. was unable to unseat Robbie Blankenship from atop the Hot Street/Pro Stock field, meaning he'll start eliminations from the second qualifying spot with an 8.47. Keith Courtney and Don Bowles trail with runs of 8.54 and 8.55.
All heads up qualifying round one video
Final Qualifying Order
Compulink StarTrak Pro Outlaw/Super Street 10.5 Qualifying for 10 entries
Low ET 6.638 2 Mike Murillo
Top Speed 224.36 2069 Nick Scavo
2 PRO ’93 Mustang Ford 549 Mike Murillo San Antonio Tx 6.638 222.11 222.11
2069 SS Chev 510 Nick Scavo Chicago IL 6.765 224.36 224.36
2011 PRO ’84 Regal Chev 545 David DeMarco Reading MA 6.770 221.42 223.10
2999 PRO ’02 Corvette Chev 737 Tony Nesbitt Lambard IL 6.775 203.77 203.77
1003 PRO ’03 Mustang Ford 427 Tim Essick Brandywine MD 6.869 205.88 210.54
2030 SS ’02 Camaro Chev 545 Kevin Mitchell Booneville MS 7.149 178.02 178.02
2918 PRO ’81 Camaro Chev 498 Steve Summers Utica FL 7.164 194.69 197.77
2930 PRO ’74 Dodge Hemi 526 Brian Hicks Genoa IL 7.241 208.07 208.07
3 PRO ’03 Cobra Ford 440 Dwayne James Albuquerque NM 7.672 153.58 153.58
2001 PRO ’95 Mustang Ford 440 Ed Rice Springfield IN 8.300 110.17 204.94
Compulink StarTrak ProCharger SS Outlaw Qualifying for 13 entries
Low ET 7.059 2005 John Kolivas
Top Speed 202.00 2005 John Kolivas
2005 SSO ’95 Mustang Ford 427 John Kolivas Ashland MS 7.059 202.00 202.00
1 SSO ’93 Mustang Ford 420 John Urist Albuquerque NM 7.123 198.96 200.11
2077 SSO ’88 Mustang Ford 452 Samuel Vincent Central City KY 7.149 194.63 194.63
7 SSO ’86 Mustang GT Ford 414 Andrew De Marco Malden MA 7.197 200.56 200.56
2 SSO ’01 Mustang Ford 406 John MacDonald White Lake MI 7.296 194.30 196.13
2554 SSO ’03 Cobra Ford 413 Terry Elam Prosperity SC 7.310 198.09 198.09
2002 SSO ’93 Mustang Ford 398 Travis Franklin Mansfield TX 7.323 198.00 198.00
4 SSO ’01 Mustang Ford 423 Phil Hines Lebanon OH 7.465 191.73 191.73
2023 SSO ’87 Mustang Ford 363 Chris Tuten Pelion SC 7.712 175.30 175.30
2397 SSO ’90 Mustang Ford 401 AJ Powell Briadwood IL 7.972 179.83 179.83
2849 SSO ’85 Mustang Ford 436 John Wellenkamp Greenfield IL 8.025 163.67 163.67
2000 SSO ’98 Ford Ford 427 Kenjo Kelley Brazoria TX 8.057 146.16 146.16
2228 SSO ’85 Mustang Ford 406 Dan Zylstra Plainfield IL 8.452 160.37 160.37
Compulink StarTrak Blow-By Racing EFI Renegade Qualifying for 7 entries
Low ET 8.380 2 Brian Mitchell
Top Speed 162.02 2 Brian Mitchell
2 REN ’03 Cobra Ford 310 Brian Mitchell Chadds Ford PA 8.380 161.23 162.02
4126 REN ’89 Mustang Ford 310 Alton Clements Central SC 8.474 160.06 160.06
4049 REN ’80 Capri Ford 310 Chad Almandinger Decatur In 8.510 161.98 161.98
3 REN ’90 Ford Ford 311 Bob Cook Chicago Heights IL 8.533 160.92 160.92
7 REN ’00 Mustang Ford 308 Bryan Muth Walnut Port PA 8.620 140.66 153.95
4214 REN ’93 Mustang Ford 336 Bart Tobner Winder Ga 8.707 159.59 159.59
4320 REN ’98 Mustang Ford 316 AJ Wyce Hammonton Nj 9.029 153.82 153.82
Compulink StarTrak Hot Street/Pro Stock Qualifying for 10 entries
Low ET 8.443 3 Robbie Blankenship
Top Speed 158.89 3398 Charlie Booze JR.
3 HS ’04 Mustang Ford 420 Robbie Blankenship Hudson Fl 8.443 154.49 154.49
3398 HS ’92 Mustang GT Ford 400 Charlie Booze JR. Marion PA 8.473 158.89 158.89
3139 HS ’00 Mustang Ford 399 Keith Courtney Madison IN 8.548 152.61 155.63
2 HS ’72 Mavrick Ford 420 Don Bowles Madisonville Ky 8.552 153.67 155.56
10 HS ’88 Mustang Ford 374 Mike Curcio Easton PA 8.575 155.17 155.17
5088 HS ’85 Mustang Ford 420 Andy Schmidt Griffith IN 8.590 158.20 158.20
5555 HS ’67 Nova Chev 420 Don Baskin Covington TN 8.613 156.37 156.37
3195 HS ’95 Cobra Ford 400 Merv Davis Houston TX 8.659 152.61 154.99
3148 HS ’91 Ford Ford 400 Ben Mens Petersburg MI 8.918 151.61 151.61
3339 HS ’88 Mustang Ford 399 Shane Long Odell IL 10.369 150.56 150.56
Compulink StarTrak Drag Radial Qualifying for 8 entries
Low ET 7.603 4 Sean Lyon
Top Speed 187.55 4 Sean Lyon
4 DR ’93 Mustang Ford 353 Sean Lyon Panama City Fl 7.603 187.55 187.55
1 DR ’86 Mustang Ford 360 Jason Lee Maumec Oh 7.616 61.58 182.67
10125 DR ’04 Mustang Ford 400 Brad Medlock Sherwood AZ 7.617 182.75 182.75
10088 DR ’96 Ford Ford 325 Andy Manson Woodbridge VA 7.634 178.00 183.84
10353 DR ’99 Mustang Ford 281 Orson Johnson House Springs Mo 7.871 182.77 182.77
10000 DR ’04 Cobra Ford 281 Daniel Pachar Orange TX 8.121 172.61 172.61
10136 DR ’94 Ford Ford 331 Gino Cavallo Lemont IL 8.320 167.88 168.16
6156 DR ’80 Firebird Pont 548 Jeff Lutz Callery PA 9.412 149.75 149.75
Compulink StarTrak Steda Real Street Qualifying for 6 entries
Low ET 9.189 5 Dan Baumann
Top Speed 147.29 5 Dan Baumann
5 RS ’88 Mustang Ford 302 Dan Baumann Port Washington WI 9.189 147.29 147.29
1 RS ’10 Mustang Ford 286 Tim Matherly Statham GA 9.362 146.45 146.45
2 RS ’86 Mustang Ford 302 Bruce Hemminger Burnham IL 9.394 144.58 144.58
8062 RS ’91 Mustang Ford 306 Craig Baldwin Port Byron IL 9.407 146.15 146.15
3 RS ’04 Mustang Ford 286 Jim Breese Transfer PA 9.530 142.72 143.72
8006 RS ’92 Mustang Ford 308 Michael Bell Dayton Oh 12.219 111.25 111.25
Compulink StarTrak Eiback Springs Pure Street Qualifying for 5 entries
Low ET 10.204 3 Brandon Alsept
Top Speed 131.77 1 Shawn Johnson
3 PS ’98 Mustang Ford 289 Brandon Alsept Cincinnati OH 10.204 131.73 131.73
1 PS ’03 Cobra Ford 288 Shawn Johnson Byron Genter MI 10.230 131.77 131.77
5050 PS ’90 Mustang Ford 308 Brad Carroll 10.351 130.29 130.29
5 PS ’88 Mustang Ford 306 Drew Lyons Ellettsville In 10.666 124.66 124.71
8 PS ’97 Mustang Ford 311 Mark Anderson Lexington IL 21.882 42.26 42.26
Compulink StarTrak BFGoodrich Factory Stock Qualifying for 7 entries
Low ET 10.883 6 John Leslie Jr
Top Speed 123.50 6 John Leslie Jr
6 FS ’89 Mustang Ford 310 John Leslie Jr Demotte IN 10.883 123.50 123.50
2 FS ’86 Mustang Ford 310 Carlos Sobrino Fairview NJ 11.048 121.81 122.06
6116 FS ’93 Cobra Ford 311 Michael Washington Bentwood NY 11.091 120.87 121.21
8 FS ’91 Mustang Ford 308 Louis Sylvester Matteson IL 11.115 121.01 121.49
6001 FS ’98 Mustang Ford 281 Brian Campbell Milford OH 11.195 120.75 120.75
6009 FS ’89 Mustang Ford 302 John Leslie Sr Munster IN 11.693 115.52 115.90
3 FS ’03 Mach 1 Ford 289 Jay Dold Harrison OH 11.699 114.31 114.31
Eliminations Ladders – Click Pictures for a Larger Version
Johnny Lightning talks about tuning with SCT and his new BOSS 302
Remaining Eliminations Round 1 has been rained out for today
Team mates Tim Matherly and Jim Breese faced off for the first pair of Real Street cars during the first round eliminations. It would be a close race, but Matherly would pull it off on the top end with a 9.417 @ 145.45 mph to Breese's 9.538 @ 142.61. Bruce Hemminger with his freshly rebuilt engine would beat a lifting Matt Bell with a lifting 9.781 @ 118.21. Dan Baumann would pull out the win over Baldwin with a 9.428 @ 143.49.
Alton Clements set low ET of the round when he took out an out of shape Muth with a 8.540 @ 158.74 pass. Almandinger would nudge out Bart Tobner with a 8.595 to 8.782 pass. Number one qualifier Brian Mitchell would take a solo pass to advance him to the next round. Bob Cook would take a single win against a no show Wyce.
Sean Lyon reset his own record in Drag Radial with an amazing 7.533 @ 188.15 blast to take out Johnson. Medlock would win over Cavallo with a 8.630 to a 9.506.
Jason Lee would be second quick with a 7.631 @ 181.54 to take out Pachar's 8.971 @ 178.17. Manson would take out new comer Lutz who is still creeping up on his combination.
John Leslie Sr would take out Factory Stock veteran Mike Washington with a 11.882 @ 115.23 to a 12.859 @ 86.22. The semi final round will be a Leslie Jr and Leslie Sr - battle of father versus son. Carlos Sobrino won barely over Campbell with a margin of victory being .088 at the stripe. Sylvester would take a broken bye against Jay Dold.
Brandon Alsept took his number one qualifier advantage to the first round with a competition bye. Carroll would take out a spinning Anderson with a 10.459 to a 11.202. Johnson would take out Drew Lyons with a 10.175 to a 10.626.
Don Bowles' Maverick broke on the burnout, although rather unconspicuously, but a redlight by Ben Mens handed the wounded "Coal Digger" the win. Robbie Blankenship advanced and will receive the bye in round two, while Keith Courtney will face Mike Curcio and Charlie Booze Jr. will meet Bowles, if indeed he can return.
This photo pretty well tells the story of the evening. After persistent sprinkles that weren't quite enough to halt the racing, the skies opened up just as Super Street Outlaw was rolling out from under the tower and after an hour delay, the call was made to pull the plug. We'll start tomorrow with the first round of Pro Street and continue through the order from there.
