The NMRA moves into its fourth points race of the year as they join forces with the NMCA in Joliet for the Superbowl. We will be covering all the NMRA action here and the NMCA reporting will be on www.streetmusclemag.com. Tune in all weekend for reporting from the track!
Special thanks to our event sponsor SCT Performance. Check out www.sctflash.com for all their great tuning solutions.
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Saturday Photo Gallery – Click Here
Sunday Gallery – Click Here
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY VIDEO
Qualifying Round 1 – Part 1 of 2 – Factory Stock, Pure Street, Real Street, Hot Street, & EFI Renegade
Qualifying Round 1 – Part 2 of 2 – Drag Radial, Super Street Outlaw, & Outlaw 10.5
5.0 Liter & 4.6 Liter Tuning Technology with Brenspeed and SCT
SATURDAY VIDEO
Eliminations Round 1 – Factory Stock, Pure Street, Real Street, & Hot Street
Eliminations Round 1 – EFi Renegade, Drag Radial, Super Street Outlaw, and Outlaw 10.5
SUNDAY VIDEO
News from the Pits with Brandon Alsept, Sean Lyon, and Steve Thompson.
Ride Along with Drag Radial Event Winner Sean Lyon
Final Round Eliminations – All Classes
NMRA vs. NMCA Super Bowl Shootout
Friday Morning Pit Notes
Excitement is brewing here at Route 66 Raceway as the on-track action starts to heat up for the 2010 NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Drag Racing. Things are getting underway with test and tune this morning followed by the first round of qualifying this afternoon. As always here in the midwest during the middle of the summer season, the hat and humidity will play a factor with the racers, their machines and the track conditions.
Texan Daniel Pachar is here this weekend competing in the Super Street Outlaw category with his Mustang, powered by a 4.6L modular engine fed by an F2 Procharger. Pachar and the Triangle Speed Shop team also competed in the Bradenton event where they made respectable 7.8-second laps that they hope to better here in Joliet.
Don Bowles and crew were taking care of some routine maintenance in the pits this morning. Bowles pulled the engine from his championship-winning Maverick last week to install a new set of valves, and tested at Milan earlier this week, netting an 8.59 best pass.
Local racer Nick Rusnak is trying his hand at the ultra-tough Drag Radial class this weekend behind the wheel of his ’03 Cobra. Rusnak, along with car owner Nick Versetto, typically run in the TSDRA series on 28×10.5 tires, but chose to bolt on a set of radials, feeling they could be more competitive in Drag Radial than super Street Outlaw. The Cobra, which Rusnak built himself earlier this year, is powered by a 363 cubic inch SBF with AFR 205 cylinder heads and a GT47-88 turbocharger.
Super Street Outlaw competitor Sam Vincent was performing some routine maintenance this morning before the test and tune session. Vincent, who reset the national record earlier this season, will certainly be a contender in the warm weather.
Test and Tune Notes
Testing is underway here in Joliet!
Super Street Outlaw racer Vinny Barber spent just a little too long building boost on his test and tune pass, sending transmission fluid onto the hot turbo piping and creating quite the pyrotechnics show for the fans.
More Test and Tune Notes
On his first test hit earlier today, Sam Vincent powered into a monster wheelstand out to nearly the 330-foot cones, but came back on his second pass with the tuneup lined out, laying down a stout 7.40 that leads the rest of the class to this point.
Qualifying Round 1 Notes
Notes from Qualifying Round 1
Pro Outlaw 10.5
Mike Murillo ran a stellar 6.837 at a booming 215.96 miles per hour to grab to lead the quickest class in the NMRA series. His competition struggled in the opening round, with Jim Monson’s 7.41 holding down second.
Jim Brown had the third quickest lap of the round with his 7.428 at 182.53 miles per hour. Conrad Scarry, arguably the favorite to win nearly every weekend, struggled down the quarter mile to a 7.76. Dwayne James and the Hellion team bobbled early and never got charging again, finishing out the round at the bottom of the sheets with his 8.26 pass.
Super Street Outlaw
Johnny Mac made a big statement in the heat, with a straight and true 7.380 at 193.21 miles per hour. Sam Vincent continued his consistent performance with a 7.416 that nearly matched his earlier 7.40, and John Urist slid into third with an off-pace (for him) 7.50.
Drag Radial
David guy led the field in the opening session of Drag Radial that features a fairly strong field of 13 cars. Guy’s 8.165 at 179.68 miles per hour leads Adam Jude’s 8.20, Steve Thompson’s 8.31, Chad Doyle at 8.31, and Dennis Bell at 8.50.
Perennial favorite Jason Lee and his intimidating 1986 Mustang made a big move around half track. Lee pedaled and got it straightened back out to the tune of an 8.97 to finish the session eight out of 13 cars.
Canadian Enzo Pecchini got loose early in his qualifying attempt and slowed to a coasting 10.92-second run.
Renegade
George Seeger powered his way to the second spot on Renegade with an 8.619, while Chris VanGilder nailed down the best run of the round at 8.565 at 159.64 miles per hour.
Real Street
Bruce Hemminger (far lane) and Craig Baldwin grabbed the second and third positions in Real Street, at 9.708 and 9.727, respectively. Dan Baumann leads the category in his 1988 Mustang with a great 9.681 at 139.95 miles per hour.
Tim Matherly qualified his ultra sharp MV Performance 2010 Mustang in the fifth spot with a 9.948 at 139.31 miles per hour.
Hot Street
Reigning champ Don Bowles leads the exciting all-motor class after round one with an 8.621 that just edged Robbie Blankenships’ 8.631. Charlie Booze Jr. holds down the third spot with his 8.687.
Rob Valden drove the School of Automotive Machinists 1995 Mustang to a game 8.775 at 151.73 miles per hour.
Pure Street
Steve Gifford (far lane) had the quickest lap of the round with his 10.320 at 131.04 miles per hour. Local racer Amy Sherwin qualified sixth with a 10.626.
Brandon Alsept experienced troubles on his attempt, slowing to a 13.74 that will have his tram looking for more in the next round later this evening.
Factory Stock
Jay Dold (far lane) nailed down the best run of the round in Factory Stock with an 11.313 at 117.96 miles per hour in his 2003 Mach 1. Matt Amrine trailed closely behind with an 11.389 to call in second behind Dold.
Strong runners John Leslie Jr. and Lois Sylvester both struggled on their attempts, with Leslie qualifying fifth with an off-pace 11.702 and Sylvester experiencing troubles and coasting to an 18.08.
Notes from the Pits
Notes from the Pits after qualifying round 1
Vinny Barber and crew were seen hard at work trying to make repairs to the transmission after burning it up in a big way during testing earlier this morning.
George Seeger had the valve covers off of the powerplant in his 1989 Mustang looking for the source of a knocking sound heard during his first qualifying hit that placed him second at 8.61.
Sean Lyon broke the stador support in the transmission during his test hit earlier in the day and missed the first qualifying session to completely rebuild the transmission. Lyon and team had the car all buttoned up and ready to roll well before the second session.
Qualifying Round 2 Notes
Friday’s Final Round of Qualifying
Pro Outlaw 10.5
Mike Murillo and the SCT gang stepped it up a notch in the late evening qualifying session, bettering his earlier 6.83 with a great 6.797 at a coasting 187.86 miles per hour – which gives the rest of the class even more reason for concern on race day.
Conrad Scarry stepped up in the second session with a 7.108 at 200.02 miles per hour to move up to the second spot behind Murillo, but that team can’t be happy with their performance thus far. Scarry, who is commonly one of if not the man to beat in the class, should still serve as a threat on raceday. Jim Monson (far lane) was unable to better his earlier 7.410.
Super Street Outlaw
John McDonald (far lane)was on a mission in the cool evening air to further cement his dominance thus far this weekend, lowering the standard from his earlier 7.380 to a 7.344 at 193.24 miles per hour. Sam Vincent wasn’t far behind with a 7.439 that didn’t quite match his earlier 7.410.
Drag Radial
The champ Jason Lee delivered in the second session, jumping from the bottom half of the order after using up a lot of his lane in the first session all the way to top of the leaderboard with a great 8.140 at 173.56 miles per hour.
Sean Lyon,, who had transmission troubles following testing this morning and had to completely rebuild the unit, made the most of the evening session after missing the first round. Lyon led the class with his 8.164 before Lee stole it away in the very next pairing.
David guy, who was the class leader coming into the second session, sits third going into tomorrow with an 8.165 that is right in the mix with Lee and Lyon.
Renegade
Bob Cook leapfrogged two positions in the second session, going to the top of the pack with an 8.523 at 161.96 miles per hour. Chris VanGilder was unable to better his earlier 8.565. Brian Mitchell stepped up more than a tenth, but remains in the fourth spot.
Hot Street
Robbie Blankenship (far lane) bettered his earlier 8.63 with an 8.590 at 155.81 miles per hour to surpass Down Bowles and take over the top spot on Hot Street. Charlie Booze Jr. also picked up a few hundredths with an 8.601 that almos moved him around Bowles into the second spot.
Real Street
Tim Matherly moved to the top of the qualifying sheet in the second session, picking up over four tenths from his earlier 9.94 to a 9.525 at 144.15 miles per hour.
Craig Baldwin followed suit along with Matherly, jumping up from his earlier 9.72 to a 9.579 to finish the round in the second spot. Bruce Hemminger picked up a tenth himself, placing himself third with his 9.602 that left round one leader Dan Baumann down in the fourth slot.
Pure Street
Steve Gifford remained atop the Pure Street field with his earlier 10.320 second pass. The rest of the field only saw minor improvement under the warm late afternoon conditions. Brian Meyer improved two spots in the order with a 10.467 from his earlier 10.533.
Factory Stock
Matt Amrine (near lane) showed everyone in the class how its done in the second session, improving more than two tenths to take over the top spot with an 11.120 at 120.60 miles per hour that paces early leader Jay Dold’s 11.206.
Friday Videos
Saturday Morning News from the Pits
Saturday Morning News from the Pits
The third and final round of qualifying is currently underway here at Route 66 Raceway with the heads-up competitors set to roll out from under the timing tower for their shot shortly. The conditions look to be even muggier than yesterday which should throw an extra wrench in the tuning of these wild machines. This is never a sight you want to see on the day eliminations began, as Brandon Alsept and crew have the transmission in his ’98 Mustang on the ground after struggling to make a good run thus far this weekend.
Super Street Outlaw competitor Christian Helms and his crew were busy pulling the 337-inch small block Ford engine in his ’90 Mustang apart this morning in search of an issue that they haven’t yet diagnosed. Helms is currently at the bottom of the qualifying order with a 9.058 best.
Final Round of Qualifying
Final Round of Qualifying Notes
Pro Outlaw 10.5
Conrad Scarry, who has really struggled to this point here in Joliet, poured the coals to his turbocharged Mustang but got extremely out of shape around the 330-foot marker, sahsaying between the centerline and the wall before clicking it off to keep his car in one piece for eliminations.
Dwayne James made a nice, straight pass after a strong wheels-up launch, but could only muster a well off-pace 7.620 at 176.49 MPH. Mike Murillo made a 6.91 second pass in the heat to again stake his claim to the category this weekend.
Super Street Outlaw
Sam Vincent served notice in the final session to top qualifier John McDonald that he’s here to play and Johnny Mac’s name isn’t on the trophy just yet. Vincent powered his nitrous-fed entry to a 7.368 at 191.08 MPH in the heat of the day that just came up short of snagging the pole.
After thrashing all day on Friday following his fire, Vinny Barber took to the track in the final session hoping to get a tune up run for the first round of eliminations. Barber’s car popped and banged all the way down the quarter mile to 10.287 lap, leaving a trail of smoke as it went through the shutdown area.
Drag Radial
Drag Radial saw some big moves and surprises in the heat of the day, as David Guy got the action rolling with a stout 8.066 at 178.83 to retake the top spot. Four pairs later, Sean Lyon upped the ante, laying down a great 8.049 at 177.35 to claim the pole going into this afternoons eliminations.
Renegade
Bob Cook remained atop the Renegade field headed into eliminations with his 8.532 pass from the second session Yesterday.
Brian Mitchell and Chad Almandinger ran side-by-side 8.74-second laps in the final session. The pair completed qualifying in the 4th and 5th positions, respectively.
Hot Street
Don Bowles gave it everything he had in the last session to reclaim his early lead in Hot Street, coming up just short of Robbie Blankenship’s pole-earning 8.590 with an 8.602 in the heat that just missed Charlie Booze Jr.’s second-best 8.601 to qualify third.
Robbie Blankenship closed out qualifying with an 8.649 at 154.78 MPH.
Real Street
Tim Matherly was able to improve on his earlier 9.525 lap that easily grabbed the top position in Real Street, with a slightly quicker 9.522 at 143.84 MPH.
Craig Baldwin ran a strong 9.606 at 138.60 MPH that came close to matching his earlier 9.579. Baldwin will start eliminations from the second spot.
Pure Street
Steve Gifford led the Pure Street field all weekend with a 10.32, but in the final session, Jim St. Charles overtook the spot with a great 10.275 at 131.23 MPH.
Gifford himself improved in the heat to a 10.293 at 130.38 but just didn’t have enough to run with St. Charles.
Factory Stock
Jay Dold improved slightly in the final session of Factory Stock with an 11.196 that eclipsed his earlier 11.206, but still couldn’t catch leader Matt Amrine’s 11.120.
Factory Stock champ Tommy Godfrey made his first attempt at the Route 66 quarter mile during the final qualifying session, struggling to a coasting 12.748 second lap that put him at the bottom of the order.
Final Qualifying Order
Final Round of Qualifying Order
Compulink StarTrak Turbonetics Pro Outlaw Qualifying for 5 entries
Low ET 6.797 2 Mike Murillo
Top Speed 215.96 2 Mike Murillo
2 PRO ’93 Mustang Ford 541 Mike Murillo San Antonio Tx 6.797 187.86 215.96
3 PRO ’04 Mustang Ford 550 Conrad Scarry Deerfield Beach FL 7.108 200.02 209.2
1023 PRO ’03 Mustang Ford 632 Jim Brown Ofallon MO 7.305 185.54 189.36
1224 PRO ’87 Mustang Ford 409 Jim Monson Brighton MI 7.41 187.03 187.03
1540 PRO ’03 Cobra Ford 440 Dwayne James Albuquerque NM 7.62 176.49 176.49
Compulink StarTrak ProCharger SS Outlaw Qualifying for 10 entries
Low ET 7.344 2 John MacDonald
Top Speed 193.24 2 John MacDonald
2 SSO ’01 Mustang Ford 406 John MacDonald White Lake MI 7.344 193.24 193.24
2077 SSO ’88 Mustang Ford 452 Samuel Vincent Central City KY 7.368 191.08 191.08
1 SSO ’93 Mustang Ford 420 John Urist Albuquerque NM 7.502 189.98 189.98
2023 SSO ’87 Mustang Ford 363 Chris Tuten Pelion SC 7.513 189.68 190.24
2008 SSO ’01 Mustang Ford 423 Phil Hines Lebanon OH 7.627 183.82 185.66
2035 SSO ’93 Mustang Ford 359 Chip Havemann San Antonio TX 7.79 182.82 182.82
2007 SSO ’04 Cobra Ford 281 Daniel Pachar Orange TX 7.819 176.07 177.93
2002 SSO ’93 Mustang Ford 398 Travis Franklin Mansfield TX 7.947 184.22 184.22
2184 SSO ’90 Mustang Ford 337 Christian Helms Crown Point IN 9.058 168.22 168.22
2025 SSO ’05 Mustang Ford 323 Vinny Barber Cox’s Creek Ky 10.287 123.92 123.92
Compulink StarTrak DiabloSport Renegade Qualifying for 6 entries
Low ET 8.523 8 Bob Cook
Top Speed 161.96 8 Bob Cook
8 REN ’90 Mustang Ford 310 Bob Cook New Lenox IL 8.523 161.96 161.96
4401 REN ’90 Mustang LX Ford 309 Chris VanGilder Quakertown Pa 8.565 159.64 159.64
4168 REN ’89 Mustang Ford 309 George Seeger Enola PA 8.619 159.21 159.21
5 REN ’04 Mustang Ford 310 Brian Mitchell Wilmington DE 8.627 160.33 160.33
4049 REN ’80 Capri Ford 310 Chad Almandinger Decatur In 8.741 157.34 157.37
4998 REN ’01 Mustang Rous 323 Mike Catapano Lombard IL 8.848 158.5 158.5
Compulink StarTrak Edelbrock Hot Street Qualifying for 7 entries
Low ET 8.590 2 Robbie Blankenship
Top Speed 156.83 3398 Charlie Booze JR.
2 HS ’04 Mustang Ford 420 Robbie Blankenship Hudson Fl 8.59 155.81 156.1
3398 HS ’92 Mustang GT Ford 400 Charlie Booze JR. Marion PA 8.601 156.83 156.83
1 HS ’72 Mavrick Ford 420 Don Bowles Madisonville Ky 8.602 155.67 155.72
3707 HS ’81 Capri Ford 400 Rick Riccardi Toms River NJ 8.746 149.18 153.16
3072 HS ’89 Mustang Ford 360 Max Gross Cattaraugus NY 8.751 151.9 151.9
3195 HS ’95 Mustang Ford 400 Rob Valden Houston TX 8.767 154.39 154.39
3139 HS ’00 Mustang Ford 399 Keith Courtney Madison IN 9.188 125 125
Compulink StarTrak BFG Tires Drag Radial Qualifying for 14 entries
Low ET 8.049 4 Sean Lyon
Top Speed 179.68 3 David Guy
4 DR ’93 Mustang Ford 353 Sean Lyon Panama City Fl 8.049 177.35 177.35
3 DR ’96 Mustang Ford 325 David Guy Dillsburg Pa 8.066 178.73 179.68
10030 DR ’88 Mustang Ford 415 Steve Thompson Finksburg Md 8.135 169.98 169.98
1 DR ’86 Mustang Ford 360 Jason Lee Maumec Oh 8.14 173.56 173.56
7 DR ’99 Mustang Ford 281 Orson Johnson House Springs Mo 8.178 176.33 176.33
10366 DR ’95 Mustang Ford 357 Adam Jude Burns Tn 8.205 170.06 170.11
10210 DR ’93 Mustang Ford 357 Chad Doyle Holland OH 8.249 174.8 174.8
10070 DR ’91 Mustang Ford 330 Brian Tuten Lex SC 8.256 173.32 173.32
10132 DR ’92 Mustang Ford 360 Dennis Bell Bridge City TX 8.365 170.39 170.39
2 DR ’88 Mustang Ford 353 Enzo Pecchini Woodbridge Ontario 8.583 139.8 153.51
10115 DR ’04 Mustang Ford 330 Steven Biggs Millington TN 8.689 172.87 172.87
10387 DR ’03 Cobra Dart 363 Nick Rusnak Tinley Park IL 8.831 161.56 162.18
10407 DR ’92 Mustang Ford 358 Jeff Lorch Ann Arbor MI 9.261 134.03 134.03
10370 DR ’87 Mustang Ford 427 Mike Senn Oconomowoc WI 10.051 145.23 145.3
Compulink StarTrak Steda Real Street Qualifying for 6 entries
Low ET 9.522 1 Tim Matherly
Top Speed 144.15 1 Tim Matherly
1 RS ’10 Mustang Ford 286 Tim Matherly Statham GA 9.522 143.84 144.15
8062 RS ’91 Mustang Ford 306 Craig Baldwin Port Byron IL 9.579 140.17 140.17
2 RS ’86 Mustang Ford 311 Bruce Hemminger Burnham IL 9.602 139.52 139.6
8040 RS ’88 Mustang Ford 302 Dan Baumann Port Washington WI 9.681 139.95 139.95
3 RS ’04 Mustang Ford 286 Jim Breese Transfer PA 9.763 139.07 139.07
7 RS ’86 Mustang Ford 306 Kevin Scott Indy IN 9.992 135.4 135.4
Compulink StarTrak Eiback Springs Pure Street Qualifying for 8 entries
Low ET 10.275 5852 Jim St Charles
Top Speed 131.95 5852 Jim St Charles
5852 PS ’99 Mustang Ford 284 Jim St Charles Arcadia IN 10.275 131.23 131.95
3 PS ’98 Mustang Ford 289 Steve Gifford Bennington In 10.293 130.38 131.04
5005 PS ’89 Mustang Ford 311 Brian Meyer Red Bud IL 10.463 128.21 129.79
5020 PS ’97 Mustang Ford 281 Bob Alexander Clinton IL 10.477 127.11 127.11
5300 PS ’03 Cobra Ford 281 Shawn Johnson Byron Genter MI 10.522 128.33 128.33
5189 PS ’87 Mustang Ford 311 Amy Sherwin Joliet IL 10.626 127.08 127.08
8 PS ’88 Mustang Ford 306 Drew Lyons Ellettsville In 10.711 125.05 125.05
4 PS ’98 Mustang Ford 289 Brandon Alsept Cincinnati OH 13.172 108.13 108.13
Compulink StarTrak ACT Factory Stock Qualifying for 8 entries
Low ET 11.120 5 Matt Amrine
Top Speed 120.60 5 Matt Amrine
5 FS ’98 Mustang GT Ford 289 Matt Amrine Batavia OH 11.12 120.6 120.6
3 FS ’03 Mach 1 Ford 289 Jay Dold Harrison OH 11.196 117.94 118.49
10 FS ’86 Mustang Ford 310 Carlos Sobrino Fairview NJ 11.351 118.12 118.48
2 FS ’89 Mustang Ford 310 John Leslie Jr Munster IN 11.479 117.15 117.15
6160 FS ’93 Mustang Ford 308 Alan Cann Muskego WI 11.503 117.19 117.19
7 FS ’91 Mustang Ford 308 Louis Sylvester Matteson IL 11.663 118.85 118.85
8 FS ’89 Mustang Ford 311 Zane Reed Trenton Ga 12.138 111.29 111.29
1 FS ’89 Mustang Ford 311 Tommy Godfrey Sunderland MA 12.748 75.47 75.47
Eliminations Round 1 Notes
Eliminations Round 1 Notes
Pro Outlaw 10.5
Conrad Scarry stepped up into the six-second zone that he’d been looking for all weekend right when he needed it after being dead-late at the tree with a .284 reaction time alongside Dwayne James. Scarry’s 6.981 at 215.86 still easily handled James’ 7.541. Mike Murillo received the first round bye run as a result of the odd number of cars, and chose to take the tree and drive on through the quarter mile.
Super Street Outlaw
The leaders in qualifying fell off their dominating paces in the first round, but each of the higher-qualified cars advanced to tomorrows second round that should prove to be a very competitive one.
John McDonald slowed to a 7.560 at 191.81 but easily defeated Chip Havemann’s 10.251.
Phil Hines was the benefactor of a competition single after Vinny Barber – who had a weekend he’d just as soon forget – was a no-show.
John Urist isn’t the quickest car in the class this weekend, but he’s certainly consistent, running a 7.525 at 191.70 to sent Travis Franklin home early.
Drag Radial
Sean Lyon continued his torrid pace in the first round, setting low ET of the event with an 8.027 177.42 defeat of Brian Tuten.
Jason Lee just edged Steven Biggs on a holeshot, as he struggled to an 8.554 to 8.542 following a slight .041 to .061 edge at the tree.
#3 qualifier David Guy kept relative pace with Sean Lyon in the opening round with an 8.101 defeat of David Bells’ 8.65.
Renegade
Top qualifier Bob Cook had the second quickest run of the round with his 8.639 at 160.75 that easily edged Brian Mitchells’ 8.932. Chris VanGilder served notice that he’s still in this race with his 8.631 158.41 to send Chad Almandinger home. George Seeger and opponent Mike Capatano both were no-show’s in the first round, and as a result, Cook and Almandinger will both receive bye runs into the final.
Hot Street
Charlie Booze Jr. was the on the losing end of a huge upset holeshot loss to Max Gross, compliments of a nearly .05 edge out of the gate and an 8.741 to 8.696 count at the stripe.
Don Bowles went low for the round with an 8.656 155.56 MPH lap to down the SAM Racing mount of Rob Valden, who could only muster a 9.088 in the other lane. Top qualifier Robbie Blankenship singled to an 8.72, and Rick Riccardi downed Keith Courtney, 8.85 to 9.04.
Real Street
Bruce Hemminger made the best pass of the opening round in Real Street with his 9.500 at 143.08 to put Kevin Scott’s off-pace 10.17 on the trailer.
Tim Matherly bested Dan Baumann after an almost dead-even .092 to .096 start and ran it out of the back door to a 9.562 that was well ahead of Baumann’s 9.646. Craig Baldwin advanced to round two tomorrow with a 9.689 140.08 defeat of Jim Breese.
Pure Street
Brandon Alsept came out of nowhere in the first round of eliminations after struggling all through qualifying, laying down a great 10.186 at 132.17 MPH lap to defeat Bob Alexander that was more than two tenths quicker than the closest competitor in the class.
#1 qualifier Jim St. Charles fell in the opening round on a huge holeshot loss to $6 qualifier Shawn Johnson, 10.541 to 10.479 following a massive .039 to .173 edge out of the gate.
Steve Gifford ran a game 10.413 at 130.13 MPH to send Amy Sherwin packing with her 10.723.
Factory Stock
Top qualifier Matt Amrine ran low ET of the round in defeating alan Cann, 11.145 to 11.553.
In a battle of Factory Stock heavyweights, reigning champ Tommy Godfrey edged out last seasons class runner-up John Leslie with an 11.153 at 120.04 MPH to 11.553 at 117.35 count. Jay Dold advanced to round two with a 11.179 second win over Louis Sylvester, and Carlos Sobrino advanced with a defeat of Zane Reed, 11.43 to 12.00.
Saturday Videos
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.
