Ideal track and weather conditions provided fans with national record setting performances as well as top notch racing all-weekend long at the 22nd Annual Ford Fever Classic event presented by Mid-Atlantic Ford at Maryland International Raceway on October 9-11.
The biggest performance of the weekend came courtesy of Rich Bruder of Edison, New Jersey and his ’88 Mustang. Bruder took advantage of the track conditions laying down a new national X275 ET record with a 4.408 lap in the first round of qualifying Saturday followed by an amazing 4.389 second hit at 167.53 MPH during night qualifying!
Bruder continued his consistent and dominant performance over the weekend winning the UPR Products X275 Ford vs. The World class and taking home the $2,500 winnings. 2015 MDIR season X275 track champion; Ron “Back Split This” Rhodes of Townsend, Delaware would finish the race in the runner-up spot. 13 racers in all made qualifying attempts for the event to finish out the exciting 1/8 class track series for ’15.
In the Ford vs. The World format for Outlaw Drag Radial, Ford once again took top honors for the event. Scott Bitzer of Hughesville, Maryland and his ’90 Mustang bested the field with a winning 4.275 pass, taking out Hamptonville, North Carolina’s Barry Mitchell who cut a better light with a .007 reaction time to Bitzer’s .109 light, but couldn’t hold off Bitzer with a 4.409 pass in the all Ford final.
The Ford’s did surrender one class to Chevy during the weekend as New Castle, Delaware’s Jeff “The Cheater” Kinsler took his ’68 Firebird to the Winner Circle in Ultra Street with a 4.895 ET over Ronny Rhode’s 4.932 effort in is ’68 nitrous Camaro.
In addition to the three Ford vs. The World heads-up classes, several “All Ford” classes performed over the weekend in both Open Comp and Bracket formats. Ford enthusiasts of all ages enjoyed watching different makes and models from all generations compete on the track as well as off the track in car show competition.
422 Motorsports brought its wild Nostalgia Racing to the track for the event; featuring A/FX’s, Thunderbolts, Light Weight Galaxies, Falcons, Fairlanes, and Comets. In the end, Dan Woods used a .044 reaction time and a 10.18 ET to win the class over Dan Parson Jr’s ’67 Comet in the final round.
In JPC Racing Super Stang, Roxanne Shepard in her Virginia Beach, VA based ’04 Mustang took the win using a .015 reaction time in the final to win the class.
Adam Shockley won the JLP Lightning Shootout in his ’93 model running 15.316 ET on a 15.23 dial, over Lewis Ives and his ’00 model in the class final.
As an added treat, fans enjoyed a Match Race between MDIR track Hall-of-Fame competitor Dick Estevez and his “Daddy Warbucks” Falcon taking on James Houston’s Ford Fairlane all weekend! Long-smoky burnouts and 7-second passes brought the crowd to their feet with each race between the two teams.
Last, but not least, Danny O’Day and his 8-second Superwich Wheelstander thrilled the crowds each day with the tail gate to the ground super charged runs.
Weekend Winners:
Outlaw Drag Radial: (W): Scott Bitzer; Hughesville, MD – (R/U): Barry Mitchell; Hamptonville, NC
UPR Products X275: (W): Rich Bruder; Edison, NJ – (R/U): Ron Rhodes; Townsend, DE
Ultra-Street: (W): Jeff Kinsler; New Castle, DE – (R/U): Ronny Rhodes; Townsend, DE
JPC Racing Super Stang: (W): Roxanne Shepard; Virginia Beach, VA – (R/U): Matthew Crowe; Mechanicsville, MD
422 Motorsports: (W): Dan Woods; Gilbertville, PA – (R/U): Dan Parson Jr.; Bellwood, PA
JLP Lightning Shootout: (W): Adam Shockley; White Plains, MD – (R/U): Lewis Ives; Amandale, NJ
Top ET – Saturday: (W): Danny Brown; Westminster, MD – (R/U): Cory Maloney; Pasadena, MD
Three Mules Mod ET – Saturday: (W): Brian Shaffer; Gettysburg, PA – (R/U): Pat Estevez; White Plains, MD
American High Performance Street ET – Saturday: (W): David Gates; Mechanicsville, MD – (R/U): Tony Anthony; Indian Head, MD
Stick ET – Saturday: (W): Ryan Davis; Aberdeen, MD – (R/U): Fred Swainson; Spotsylvania, VA
Top ET – Sunday: (W): Shawn Riley Jr.; Hoopersville, MD – (R/U): Randy Perdue; Oxford, PA
Three Mules Mod ET – Sunday: (W): Tim Foskey Jr.; Rhodesdale, MD – (R/U): Ben Garnett; Smyrna, DE
American High Performance Street ET – Sunday: (W): Eddie Smith; Richmond, VA – (R/U): Jimmie Taylor Jr.; Elkton, MD
Stick ET – Sunday: (W): Merv Moyer; Annville, PA – (R/U): Fred Swainson; Spotsylvania, VA