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Sunday Morning News from the Pits
Sunday Notes from the Pits
It’s raceday here at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet! Eliminations got underway yesterday afternoon and the pits have already begun to empty out, but today we’ll crown champions in every category, as well as the Super Bowl runoff’s. The racers and spectators have been treated to overcast skies today, and although the air is still muggy, the lack of a beating sun is a relief and should change the ways these cars are tuned and perform today. competitors are unloading their rides and making final preparations for the second round that should roll off around noon.
Bruce Hemminger was making some final preparations before the next round of Real Street eliminations, where he will face Craig Baldwin. Hemminger stated that he’d be making adjustments based on the conditions, but otherwise everything is business as usual. He expressed that with the overcast conditions, racers would be “putting some back in it.”
Eliminations Round 2 and Semi Finals
Eliminations Round 2 and Semifinals Notes
Pro Outlaw 10.5
Conrad Scarry received a single run into the money round and used it to his full advantage to check out his ride for the final, posting a great 6.900 at 208.62. There, he will face Mike Murillo who downed Jim Brown with a 6.844 at 205.26 to earn lane choice in the final.
Super Street Outlaw
Sam Vincent used a great 7.370 at 190.11 MPH to down Chris Tuten’s 7.53 to advance to the semis.
John Urist advanced to the semifinals with a 7.435 that sent Phil Hines to the trailer with an off-pace 8.10. John McDonald got a solo run in the second round, clicking it off early to an 8.550 at 114 MPH.
Round 3
John Urist continued his consistent pace in the semifinals to upset John McDonald who had been stellar all weekend but fell off his torrid pace, just getting edged by Urist, 7.460 to 7.492. In the final, he will meet Sam Vincent who ran 7.388 on his single to earn lane choice.
Drag Radial
Jason Lee stepped up in a big way in round 2, taking down Chad Doyle in a great 8.025 at 177.58 to 8.140 176.04 hard charge to the stripe.
Orson Johnson upset David Guy to advance to the final round with a great 8.181 at 175.55 MPH. Steve Thompson sent Adam Jude home, 9.26 to 10.08, and Sean Lyon received a bye run, laying down an 8.086 at 176.93.
Round 3
Sean Lyon and Steve Thompson engaged in a great battle all the way to the stripe with a trip to the final on the line, as Lyon just edged Thompson on a holeshot, 8.056 to 8.052.
Jason Lee indicated before the semifinals that he had been struggling with issues keeping him from getting the power down early in the run, but clearly got it all lined out in the semi’s, running low Et of the weekend with a 7.988 at 177.25 to sent home Orson Johnson and his 8.26 effort.
Renegade
Bob Cook ran an 8.652 at 160.6 MPH on his semifinal bye run to earn lane choice in the final against Chad Almandinger, who also singled to a slowing 20.26.
Hot Street
Don Bowles and Robbie Blankenship squared off in a great battle in the semifinals of Hot Street, with Blankenship coming out on the winning end of a holeshot decision, 8.675 to the quicker 8.650. In the final, he will meet Rick Riccardi who won an equally exciting matchup with Max Gross, 8.750 to 8.752.
Real Street
Bruce Hemminger made an outstanding pass in the semifinals of Real Street, coming up just short of his own national record in the hot and humid Craig Baldwin’s 9.638.
Hemminger will meet Tim Matherley in the final round with lane choice after Matherly singled to a 9.613 at 143.54.
Pure Street
Brandon Alsept fell from his dominant pace in the first round but was still able to easily handle opponent Steve Gifford with a 10.331 to Gifford’s shut-off 11.24. In the final, Alsept will face off with Brian Meyer, who defeated Shawn Johnson with a 10.422 at 129.18 as Johnson slowed on the topend to an 11.567.
Factory Stock
Matt Amrine advanced on to the final round with an 11.267-second defeat of Carlos Sobrino and his 11.495 effort. There, Amrine will meet tommy Godfrey, who bested Jay Dold with an 11.182 to 11.280 count.
Final Round Eliminations
Final Round
Pro Outlaw 10.5
The Pro Outlaw final was shaping up to be an epic battle after Conrad Scarry got his mount lined out in the early rounds and was right in the ballpark with Mike Murillo in the semifinals. In the money round, Scarry got a great lead out of the gate, but drifted out of the groove about 200 feet out and hugged the centerline the rest of the way, slowing to a 7.17 at just 175.23 MPH to Murillo’s winning 6.849 at 213.00.
Super Street Outlaw
Sam Vincent was a force to be reckoned with all weekend long, and in the final, cemented his performance with a defeat of John Urist with a great 7.354 at 191.81 to Urists’ 7.497 at 191.19.
Drag Radial
Sean Lyon was the class of the field nearly all weekend after struggling with transmission troubles early one, running a succession of 8.0-second laps to make his way through eliminations. In a battle of the Drag Radial heavyweights in the final, Lyon downed the champ, Jason Lee, in a great race, 8.006 at 176.51 to Lees’ 8.047 at 175.73.
NMRA vs NMCA Race for the Rings
Superbowl Shootout
Pro Street vs. Pro Outlaw 10.5
In the pairing of the quickest and fastest cars in each series, Mike Murillo was the deciding factor in the Race for the Rings, defeating Joe Dunne with a 6.888 at 217.04 MPH to Joe Dunne’s 6.419. Dunne’s Camaro made a move about 300 feet out and that was all Murillo needed.
Super Street Outlaw vs. Super Street
Sam Vincent saved his best run of the weekend for the Ring runoff, besting Mike Yedgarian and his turbo terror with a stout 7.302 at 191.95 to Yedgarian’s game 6.791 at 216.17.
Nostalgia Pro Street vs. Renegade
In one of the more lopsided of the Race for the Rings runoff’s performance-wise, Kevin Parent and his Dart sponsored Nova got the win for the NMCA over Bob Cook with a 7.391 at 186.46 to Cooks’ 8.589.
Drag Radial vs. Xtreme Street
In a battle that got a raucous applause from everyone on the property, Sean Lyon and Bill Trovato waged a great battle all the way to the stripe, with both running side-by-side 7-second laps with Trovato taking the win on a holeshot, 7.993 to a quicker 7.981.
Pro Stock vs. Hot Street
Robbie Blankenship finished off a stellar weekend of racing with a Skip Baskin in the runoff of the two exciting all-motor categories. Robbies’ 8.617 was enough to handle Baskins’ 8.672.
Real Street vs. Street Radial
Bruce Hemminger saved the best for last in the runoff alongside Brad Schehr, eclipsing his own national record elapsed time in the heat with a 9.451 at 132.28 to Schehrs’ 10.327.
Mean Street vs. Pure Street
Don Baskin got the win for the NMA side with a defeat Brandon Alsept, with a 10.078 at 129.72 to 10.228 131.57 count.
Factory Stock vs. Nostalgia Super Stock
FS winner Tommy Godfrey lined up alongside Jeff Meece, who made his way into the Race for the Rings runoff after the class winner broke and couldn’t return. Meece got the win with an 11.106 to Godfrey’s 11.244.
Renegade
Bob Cook finished off a stellar weekend in the final round of Renegade alongside Chad Almandinger, grabbing the win with an 8.594 at 161.19 to Chad’s 8.738.
Hot Street
Robbie Blankenship made the Hot Street final a little closer of a contest than he may have liked, spinning the tires out of the gate alongside Rick Riccardi, but pulling out a close 8.777 to 8.831 victory.
Real Street
Tim Matherly, who was already down on performance to opponent Bruce Hemminger, spun the tires out of the gate and never had a chance, shutting it down on the top end and watching as Hemminger cruised to a 9.535 142.31 victory.
Pure Street
Brandon Alsept dominated Pure Street all weekend, and finished it off with a 10.245-second defeat of Brian Meyer in the final, who could only muster a 10.395.
Factory Stock
Factory Stock was a great battle all weekend with no clear favorite on the performance end, but in the final, reigning champ Tommy Godfrey got the win with an 11.204 to #1 qualifier Matt Amrine’s 11.249.
