KIRK SHATTERS OUTLAW 10.5 RECORD AND WINS, LOCAL RACER HAUSE WINS 7.0 CLASS AT ORSCA RACE
by Tim Glover
Photos
(Commerce, GA - October 23-24) As they did in March, the Outlaw Racing Street Car Association (ORSCA) show at Atlanta Dragway was packed full of wildly overpowered "street" cars setting new records by the round and putting the front wheels way up in the sky on a regular basis. ORSCA events are run "southern style" on an eighth mile course. Records were broken almost by the pass. In qualifying, the Outlaw 10.5 record was set and reset not once, but four times. Jack Barfield, the current record holder, set the bar at 4.615. Steve Kirk, who was first in the 4.60s, quickly took the luster off that accomplishment with a first ever for ORSCA 4.598, 159.46mph blast. Tim Lynch came back with a 4.591 in the round three qualifier. Not to be outdone, Kirk's car owner Rex Green pulled out all the stops and moved the record down to a stunning 4.568 at 160.73mph! Billy Smith took the top spot in the EZ Street field with a 5.43 second pass, and Darren Hoyle locked up the top spot in Limited Street with a 4.91 second effort. Saturday was qualifying day for all classes except Top Eliminator, which had a separate race each day. Sunday got off to a good start with the Racers For Christ Service, but rains wet the track overnight, and it took a while to dry the racing surface. Everything was wide open by 1:00pm, and the rest of the day went well. Promoter Johnny Fenn was pleased with the way the race ran, thanking Atlanta Dragway for a great track surface and "Quick" Vandiver, the ORSCA race director, for running the race smoothly and professionally.
Pro Modified featured the fastest cars on the grounds, thrilling spectators with very low four second passes. Although not the fastest, Joey Martin from Milton, FL was first to the finish line each time it counted. Martin's '41 Willys carded a 4.99, 102.97mph victory against Rex Kelley's '63 split window Corvette in the final. Kelley got just a bit too anxious, and left the starting line before the tree was activated, resulting in a foul start. Johnny Pilcher 9'63 Corvette - Chancellor, AL) and Terry Housley ('41 Willys - Lenoir City, TN) were the semi-final pair. Ed Marx, a former Top Alcohol racer, brought his brand new NHRA Pro Stock '05 Cavalier to test, making half track passes.
The first winner of the weekend was Saturday Top Eliminator winner Ed Nalley from nearby Maysville, GA, who still couldn't believe he had won the race with his Footbrake '76 Vega. The Top Eliminator format paired the winner of the Footbrake field versus the winner of the Super Pro field in the final. Nalley faced Mike Holman's show quality '70 Buick GSX in the final, and saw the win light pop on in his lane the moment Holman left the starting line. Holman had switched off his delay box during the previous pass, and had forgotten to turn it back on, causing his car to leave the starting line almost the same time as Nalley. Nalley went a little quicker than his 6.48 dial, with a 6.42, 107.56mph pass. Holman lifted to a 7.20, 72.31mph pass (6.27 dial). "I figured my chances to win were slim and none! I wish my wife Diane was here to see it," added Nalley. Terrence Arrowood ('70 Nova - Hiwassee, GA) and Thomas Bell ('01 Undercover dragster - Toccoa, GA) were the semi-finalists.
A Footbrake racer almost won Sunday's Top Eliminator final, missing it by just .0007 seconds. Cindy William's hubby, Gerry, recently bought Jesse Young's '89 Horton dragster, and earned his first win against Toby Barnes from Palmetto, GA. Barnes was driving a '70 GTO, which went 7.70, 89.83mph on its 7.68 target. Williams' Snellville, GA based dragster crossed the finish line first by .0007 seconds, running 5.09 at 133.25mph on a 5.06 dial. For the second day in a row, Terrence Arrowood ('70 Nova - Hiwassee, GA) finished in the semi-final round. Jeremy Hancock ('95 S&W dragster - Commerce, GA) was the other semi-final finisher.
Steve Kirk, Jr. set and reset the Outlaw 10.5 record during qualifying with his Rex Green owned '68 Camaro SS, lowering the record from 4.615 to 4.598 to 4.568 at 160.73mph in qualifying. He met the number two qualifier, Tim Lynch of Woodstock, GA in Sunday's Outlaw 10.5 final and took the finish line by a huge margin against Lynch. Kirk's Monroe, GA based racer put down a 4.69, 156.57mph pass, while Lynch lifted off the throttle to a 6.71, 71.11mph effort. Kirk then had his hands full at the end of his run. The steering arm broke off the right front spindle the moment he took his foot off the throttle. Kirk held on, bringing the car to a safe stop. In the winner's circle, Rex Green added, "This is an expensive trophy." Kirk thanked David Young of Atlanta Dragway for the great track preparation. "It takes an excellent track to put that kind of number down (4.568 seconds) with a 10.5 inch tire," he added. His wife Lynne and daughter Brooke also enjoyed watching his win. Terry Robbins of Mooresboro, NC made it to the semi-final round in the March ORSCA race with his now retired '67 Chevy II, and repeated the feat in this race with his new ride, an '02 Camaro. The other semi-final finisher was Lance Styck ('04 Mustang - Americus, GA).
Several of the racers in the Limited Street class were faster than most Super Pro dragsters. Darren Hoyle secured the number one spot late Saturday with his Hickory, NC based '69 Camaro, running a phenomenal 4.910 seconds. He backed off the pace a little during eliminations, and made it all the way to the final round. Unfortunately for Hoyle, an apparent nitrous explosion ended his day when he hit the throttle in the final. His opponent, John Iannuzzi ('67 Camaro - Lithonia, GA) "cruised" on down the track to a leisurely 5.77, 134.42mph win. Iannuzzi said he burned a hole in his number eight piston during round one, effectively turning his engine into a smoky seven cylinder powerplant for the remainder of the day. "Even a bald dog gets lucky sometime. Thanks to Bryan Renfroe. I couldn't have done this without him," stated Iannuzzi. Shannon Ragsdale had such a huge wheelstand in his '95 Corvette during the Saturday qualifying session that all four wheels came off the ground and damaged the fronts when the car came back to earth. The Marietta, GA racer just borrowed some extra wheels and came back racing. Ragsdale was one of the semi-final finishers. Terry Woodson ('81 Z-28 - White, GA) was the other semi-final finisher.
Although Billy Smith's Rossville, GA based '72 Nova qualified number one in EZ Street, Thomas Taylor of Mt. Holly, NC took first place at the end of Sunday's action with his '88 Mustang. Smith had to run Taylor in the semi-finals, but lost when his car went in to an eight mile long wheelstand, tripping the finish line timers with his rear wheels. Near half track, his front end was so high in the air it looked like his car was ready to flip over backward! Taylor crossed the final round finish line slightly ahead of long time racer Ed Lavender's '86 Mustang. Smith carded a 5.65, 126.87mph pass, while Lavender was close with a 5.67, 121.74mph. Smith was one of the semi-finalists and Jerry Plemmons ('74 Nova - Old Fort, NC) was the other. "I loved the track. It was a good race. That was a much needed win," said Taylor.
David Harvey from Richmond Hill, GA was a semi-final finisher in the March race with his '84 Trans Am, and went all the way to the 6.0 Heads Up winner's circle tonight, courtesy of a 6.04, 113.40mph pass. (His opponent, Matt Davis ('68 Camaro - Acworth, GA) did make it easier for him by leaving the starting line .003 seconds before the tree was activated.) Davis went on to a 6.07, 117.71mph pass. Trent Sanders of Gainesville, GA was the number one qualifier Saturday, but finished Sunday eliminations in the semi-finals with his '70 Nova. Marty Collier ('73 Nova - Griffin, GA) also earned the semi-final portion of the purse.
One of Atlanta Dragway's Sportsman racers took the top spot in the 7.0 Heads Up eliminations. Al Hause from Grayson, GA nailed the 7.0 index with his '70 Cutlass 442 W30 several times during eliminations. Although he was a little off in the final, running a 7.05, 97.82mph pass, the win light was his the instant opponent George Bolton left the starting line with the big red tomato colored bulb glowing. Bolton's Trinity, AL based '67 Chevy II reacted with a -.016 react and then recorded an otherwise great 7.03, 95.34mph pass. Making Hause's first 7.0 Heads Up win even sweeter was his niece Morgan won her soccer game Saturday by two goals, which she scored, his stepmother Bobbie Hause won her golf tournament on Sunday and his dad
Jerry finished second in his golf tournament. Steve Kiesel ('80 Spirit - Covington, GA) and Ken Buckner ('69 Camaro - Ellaville, GA) finished in the semi-final round.
A division of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Atlanta Dragway is located just off I-85 at Exit 149 in the Banks Crossing area of Commerce, Georgia. Information on all 2004 events may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to www.atlantadragway.com.
------------------------------------------------
OUTLAW 10.5 CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Steve Kirk, Jr. '68 Camaro SS Monroe, GA 4.69 156.57
R/U: Tim Lynch '02 Mustang Woodstock, GA 6.71 71.11
Semi: Terry Robbins '02 Camaro Mooresboro, NC
Semi: Lance Styck '04 Mustang Americus, GA
------------------------------------------------
LIMITED STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: John Iannuzzi '67 Camaro Lithonia, GA 5.77 134.42
R/U: Darren Hoyle '69 Camaro Hickory, NC broke - no time
Semi: Terry Woodson '81 Camaro Z/28 White, GA
Semi: Shannon Ragsdale '95 Corvette Marietta, GA
------------------------------------------------
EZ STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Thomas Taylor '88 Mustang Mt. Holly, NC 5.65 126.87
R/U: Ed Lavender '86 Mustang Gordon, GA 5.67 121.74
Semi: Billy Smith '71 Nova Rossville, GA
Semi: Jerry Plemmons '74 Nova Old Fort, NC
------------------------------------------------
6.0 HEADS UP CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: David Harvey '84 Trans Am Richmond Hill, GA 6.04 113.40 (6.00)
R/U: Matt Davis '68 Camaro Acworth, GA 6.07 117.71 (6.00)
Semi: Trent Sanders '70 Nova Gainesville, GA
Semi: Marty Collier '73 Nova Griffin, GA
------------------------------------------------
7.0 HEADS UP CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: Al Hause '70 Cutlass 442 W30 Grayson, GA 7.05 97.82 (7.00)
R/U: George Bolton '67 Chevy II Trinity, AL (foul) 7.03 95.34 (7.00)
Semi: Steve Kiesel '80 AMC Spirit Covington, GA
Semi: Ken Buckner '69 Camaro Ellaville, GA
------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY TOP ELIMINATOR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Ed Nalley '76 Vega Maysville, GA 6.42 107.56 (6.48)
R/U: Mike Holman '70 Buick GSX Covington, GA (foul) 7.20 72.31 (6.27)
Semi: Terrence Arrowood '70 Nova Hiwassee, GA
Semi: Thomas Bell '01 Undercover dragster Toccoa, GA
------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY TOP ELIMINATOR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Gerry Williams '89 Horton dragster Snellville, GA 5.09 133.25 (5.06)
R/U: Toby Barnes '70 GTO Palmetto, GA 7.70 89.83 (7.68)
Semi: Terrence Arrowood '70 Nova Hiwassee, GA
Semi: Jeremy Hancock '95 S&W dragster Commerce, GA
------------------------------------------------
PRO MODIFIED CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Joey Martin '41 Willys Milton, FL 4.99 102.97
R/U: Rex Kelley '63 Corvette Hueytown, AL (foul - no time)
Semi: Johnny Pilcher '63 Corvette Chancellor, AL
Semi: Terry Housley '41 Willys Lenoir City, TN
------------------------------------------------
Photos
(Commerce, GA - October 23-24) As they did in March, the Outlaw Racing Street Car Association (ORSCA) show at Atlanta Dragway was packed full of wildly overpowered "street" cars setting new records by the round and putting the front wheels way up in the sky on a regular basis. ORSCA events are run "southern style" on an eighth mile course. Records were broken almost by the pass. In qualifying, the Outlaw 10.5 record was set and reset not once, but four times. Jack Barfield, the current record holder, set the bar at 4.615. Steve Kirk, who was first in the 4.60s, quickly took the luster off that accomplishment with a first ever for ORSCA 4.598, 159.46mph blast. Tim Lynch came back with a 4.591 in the round three qualifier. Not to be outdone, Kirk's car owner Rex Green pulled out all the stops and moved the record down to a stunning 4.568 at 160.73mph! Billy Smith took the top spot in the EZ Street field with a 5.43 second pass, and Darren Hoyle locked up the top spot in Limited Street with a 4.91 second effort. Saturday was qualifying day for all classes except Top Eliminator, which had a separate race each day. Sunday got off to a good start with the Racers For Christ Service, but rains wet the track overnight, and it took a while to dry the racing surface. Everything was wide open by 1:00pm, and the rest of the day went well. Promoter Johnny Fenn was pleased with the way the race ran, thanking Atlanta Dragway for a great track surface and "Quick" Vandiver, the ORSCA race director, for running the race smoothly and professionally.
Pro Modified featured the fastest cars on the grounds, thrilling spectators with very low four second passes. Although not the fastest, Joey Martin from Milton, FL was first to the finish line each time it counted. Martin's '41 Willys carded a 4.99, 102.97mph victory against Rex Kelley's '63 split window Corvette in the final. Kelley got just a bit too anxious, and left the starting line before the tree was activated, resulting in a foul start. Johnny Pilcher 9'63 Corvette - Chancellor, AL) and Terry Housley ('41 Willys - Lenoir City, TN) were the semi-final pair. Ed Marx, a former Top Alcohol racer, brought his brand new NHRA Pro Stock '05 Cavalier to test, making half track passes.
The first winner of the weekend was Saturday Top Eliminator winner Ed Nalley from nearby Maysville, GA, who still couldn't believe he had won the race with his Footbrake '76 Vega. The Top Eliminator format paired the winner of the Footbrake field versus the winner of the Super Pro field in the final. Nalley faced Mike Holman's show quality '70 Buick GSX in the final, and saw the win light pop on in his lane the moment Holman left the starting line. Holman had switched off his delay box during the previous pass, and had forgotten to turn it back on, causing his car to leave the starting line almost the same time as Nalley. Nalley went a little quicker than his 6.48 dial, with a 6.42, 107.56mph pass. Holman lifted to a 7.20, 72.31mph pass (6.27 dial). "I figured my chances to win were slim and none! I wish my wife Diane was here to see it," added Nalley. Terrence Arrowood ('70 Nova - Hiwassee, GA) and Thomas Bell ('01 Undercover dragster - Toccoa, GA) were the semi-finalists.
A Footbrake racer almost won Sunday's Top Eliminator final, missing it by just .0007 seconds. Cindy William's hubby, Gerry, recently bought Jesse Young's '89 Horton dragster, and earned his first win against Toby Barnes from Palmetto, GA. Barnes was driving a '70 GTO, which went 7.70, 89.83mph on its 7.68 target. Williams' Snellville, GA based dragster crossed the finish line first by .0007 seconds, running 5.09 at 133.25mph on a 5.06 dial. For the second day in a row, Terrence Arrowood ('70 Nova - Hiwassee, GA) finished in the semi-final round. Jeremy Hancock ('95 S&W dragster - Commerce, GA) was the other semi-final finisher.
Steve Kirk, Jr. set and reset the Outlaw 10.5 record during qualifying with his Rex Green owned '68 Camaro SS, lowering the record from 4.615 to 4.598 to 4.568 at 160.73mph in qualifying. He met the number two qualifier, Tim Lynch of Woodstock, GA in Sunday's Outlaw 10.5 final and took the finish line by a huge margin against Lynch. Kirk's Monroe, GA based racer put down a 4.69, 156.57mph pass, while Lynch lifted off the throttle to a 6.71, 71.11mph effort. Kirk then had his hands full at the end of his run. The steering arm broke off the right front spindle the moment he took his foot off the throttle. Kirk held on, bringing the car to a safe stop. In the winner's circle, Rex Green added, "This is an expensive trophy." Kirk thanked David Young of Atlanta Dragway for the great track preparation. "It takes an excellent track to put that kind of number down (4.568 seconds) with a 10.5 inch tire," he added. His wife Lynne and daughter Brooke also enjoyed watching his win. Terry Robbins of Mooresboro, NC made it to the semi-final round in the March ORSCA race with his now retired '67 Chevy II, and repeated the feat in this race with his new ride, an '02 Camaro. The other semi-final finisher was Lance Styck ('04 Mustang - Americus, GA).
Several of the racers in the Limited Street class were faster than most Super Pro dragsters. Darren Hoyle secured the number one spot late Saturday with his Hickory, NC based '69 Camaro, running a phenomenal 4.910 seconds. He backed off the pace a little during eliminations, and made it all the way to the final round. Unfortunately for Hoyle, an apparent nitrous explosion ended his day when he hit the throttle in the final. His opponent, John Iannuzzi ('67 Camaro - Lithonia, GA) "cruised" on down the track to a leisurely 5.77, 134.42mph win. Iannuzzi said he burned a hole in his number eight piston during round one, effectively turning his engine into a smoky seven cylinder powerplant for the remainder of the day. "Even a bald dog gets lucky sometime. Thanks to Bryan Renfroe. I couldn't have done this without him," stated Iannuzzi. Shannon Ragsdale had such a huge wheelstand in his '95 Corvette during the Saturday qualifying session that all four wheels came off the ground and damaged the fronts when the car came back to earth. The Marietta, GA racer just borrowed some extra wheels and came back racing. Ragsdale was one of the semi-final finishers. Terry Woodson ('81 Z-28 - White, GA) was the other semi-final finisher.
Although Billy Smith's Rossville, GA based '72 Nova qualified number one in EZ Street, Thomas Taylor of Mt. Holly, NC took first place at the end of Sunday's action with his '88 Mustang. Smith had to run Taylor in the semi-finals, but lost when his car went in to an eight mile long wheelstand, tripping the finish line timers with his rear wheels. Near half track, his front end was so high in the air it looked like his car was ready to flip over backward! Taylor crossed the final round finish line slightly ahead of long time racer Ed Lavender's '86 Mustang. Smith carded a 5.65, 126.87mph pass, while Lavender was close with a 5.67, 121.74mph. Smith was one of the semi-finalists and Jerry Plemmons ('74 Nova - Old Fort, NC) was the other. "I loved the track. It was a good race. That was a much needed win," said Taylor.
David Harvey from Richmond Hill, GA was a semi-final finisher in the March race with his '84 Trans Am, and went all the way to the 6.0 Heads Up winner's circle tonight, courtesy of a 6.04, 113.40mph pass. (His opponent, Matt Davis ('68 Camaro - Acworth, GA) did make it easier for him by leaving the starting line .003 seconds before the tree was activated.) Davis went on to a 6.07, 117.71mph pass. Trent Sanders of Gainesville, GA was the number one qualifier Saturday, but finished Sunday eliminations in the semi-finals with his '70 Nova. Marty Collier ('73 Nova - Griffin, GA) also earned the semi-final portion of the purse.
One of Atlanta Dragway's Sportsman racers took the top spot in the 7.0 Heads Up eliminations. Al Hause from Grayson, GA nailed the 7.0 index with his '70 Cutlass 442 W30 several times during eliminations. Although he was a little off in the final, running a 7.05, 97.82mph pass, the win light was his the instant opponent George Bolton left the starting line with the big red tomato colored bulb glowing. Bolton's Trinity, AL based '67 Chevy II reacted with a -.016 react and then recorded an otherwise great 7.03, 95.34mph pass. Making Hause's first 7.0 Heads Up win even sweeter was his niece Morgan won her soccer game Saturday by two goals, which she scored, his stepmother Bobbie Hause won her golf tournament on Sunday and his dad
Jerry finished second in his golf tournament. Steve Kiesel ('80 Spirit - Covington, GA) and Ken Buckner ('69 Camaro - Ellaville, GA) finished in the semi-final round.
A division of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Atlanta Dragway is located just off I-85 at Exit 149 in the Banks Crossing area of Commerce, Georgia. Information on all 2004 events may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to www.atlantadragway.com.
------------------------------------------------
OUTLAW 10.5 CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Steve Kirk, Jr. '68 Camaro SS Monroe, GA 4.69 156.57
R/U: Tim Lynch '02 Mustang Woodstock, GA 6.71 71.11
Semi: Terry Robbins '02 Camaro Mooresboro, NC
Semi: Lance Styck '04 Mustang Americus, GA
------------------------------------------------
LIMITED STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: John Iannuzzi '67 Camaro Lithonia, GA 5.77 134.42
R/U: Darren Hoyle '69 Camaro Hickory, NC broke - no time
Semi: Terry Woodson '81 Camaro Z/28 White, GA
Semi: Shannon Ragsdale '95 Corvette Marietta, GA
------------------------------------------------
EZ STREET CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Thomas Taylor '88 Mustang Mt. Holly, NC 5.65 126.87
R/U: Ed Lavender '86 Mustang Gordon, GA 5.67 121.74
Semi: Billy Smith '71 Nova Rossville, GA
Semi: Jerry Plemmons '74 Nova Old Fort, NC
------------------------------------------------
6.0 HEADS UP CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: David Harvey '84 Trans Am Richmond Hill, GA 6.04 113.40 (6.00)
R/U: Matt Davis '68 Camaro Acworth, GA 6.07 117.71 (6.00)
Semi: Trent Sanders '70 Nova Gainesville, GA
Semi: Marty Collier '73 Nova Griffin, GA
------------------------------------------------
7.0 HEADS UP CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: Al Hause '70 Cutlass 442 W30 Grayson, GA 7.05 97.82 (7.00)
R/U: George Bolton '67 Chevy II Trinity, AL (foul) 7.03 95.34 (7.00)
Semi: Steve Kiesel '80 AMC Spirit Covington, GA
Semi: Ken Buckner '69 Camaro Ellaville, GA
------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY TOP ELIMINATOR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Ed Nalley '76 Vega Maysville, GA 6.42 107.56 (6.48)
R/U: Mike Holman '70 Buick GSX Covington, GA (foul) 7.20 72.31 (6.27)
Semi: Terrence Arrowood '70 Nova Hiwassee, GA
Semi: Thomas Bell '01 Undercover dragster Toccoa, GA
------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY TOP ELIMINATOR CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Gerry Williams '89 Horton dragster Snellville, GA 5.09 133.25 (5.06)
R/U: Toby Barnes '70 GTO Palmetto, GA 7.70 89.83 (7.68)
Semi: Terrence Arrowood '70 Nova Hiwassee, GA
Semi: Jeremy Hancock '95 S&W dragster Commerce, GA
------------------------------------------------
PRO MODIFIED CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH
Win: Joey Martin '41 Willys Milton, FL 4.99 102.97
R/U: Rex Kelley '63 Corvette Hueytown, AL (foul - no time)
Semi: Johnny Pilcher '63 Corvette Chancellor, AL
Semi: Terry Housley '41 Willys Lenoir City, TN
------------------------------------------------
posted by David @ 1:56 AM
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