Kurt Johnson Will Start Ninth in Memphis
Throughout the first three qualifying sessions at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-South Nationals, Kurt Johnson had gamely battled to maintain his position in Sunday's starting field. Even so, with a previous best of 6.850-seconds, Johnson knew further improvement would be necessary on his final attempt to guarantee his participation on race day.
In fact, as he rolled to the line on Saturday evening at Memphis Motorsports Park, Johnson found himself already outside the top sixteen necessary to qualify. However, the ACDelco Cavalier pilot quickly allayed any concerns by blasting down the quarter-mile in 6.807 seconds with a top speed of 201.61 mph to capture the ninth starting position.
"We came here planning to try a few new things in our tune-up, and the car seemed to keep fighting us. We finally went back to the way we ran the car in Brainerd, and it seemed pretty happy, running the third best sixty-foot time of the session, which is where we need to be in order to run a good elapsed time at the finish line.
"Fortunately, everything came together on the last run, although we naturally would have liked to have run faster in the back half, which is a power issue that we will have to address once we get back to the shop. For now, we'll keep working on this ACDelco Cavalier, trying to make it better, and we'll see what happens."
Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
BAZEMORE GRABS HIS SECOND STRAIGHT NO. 1 IN MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 21, 2004) - Whit Bazemore, defending Funny Car champion here at Memphis Motorsports Park, grabbed his second straight No. 1 qualifying position for this event, his fourth of the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season, and the 28th of his career, with a 4.856-second pass at 306.26 mph.
Driving the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus, Bazemore, who held No. 1 since the first qualifying session, had only Gary Densham in the other lane in the final pass of the last session who could out-qualify him. Bazemore's teammate Gary Scelzi had already posted a 4.863-second ET for second place,Tim Wilkerson came up with a 4.874 for fourth, Tony Pedregon a 4.892, and John Force was in seventh with a 4.899.
It was close, but while Force's teammate Densham roared to a 4.866-secondpass at 308.99 mph, Bazemore beside him bettered his own pole-sitting ET set last night of 4.862/309.77 with the 4.856.
"We knew we could have run quicker," he said. "In fact, we had a mechanical failure just before the finish line. The burst panel blew out so we lost all blower boost, so it was close. Our win light came on and we were coasting and I heard Densham 'brrrp' right there. And it was like Oh, man. But I thought, OK, as long as we get to the other end first, no matter what he does, we should go quicker. Who would've known it would have been that close.
"But they're a great team and it's tough when people are taking shots. We know who's capable of doing it. Force certainly is, Scelzi is right there. As long as we were in the top three or four it would have been a good night for us. But the fact that we stayed No. 1 is icing on the cake.
"It's nice to come and run well and not just be No. 1 qualifier but be competitive," added the two-time U.S. Nationals champion, "which our Matco Tools team always is. To really fight it out for the No. 1 qualifying award is an honor.
"It's also a credit to the team and the hard work that they've done trying to rebound from our mini-slump this summer," he said of his six early-round losses in the last seven events.
Bazemore faces Ron Capps in the first round of eliminations on Sunday for the fifth time this season.
Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Grubnic, Bazemore, Connolly and Hines Are Top Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil
David Grubnic is #1 in Top Fuel with a 4.580 @ 315.34. Bob Vandergriff is #11 with a best of 4.727 @ 285.65.
Whit Bazemore's 4.856 @ 309.77 is #1 in Funny Car.
Dave Connolly holds onto the #1 spot in Pro Stock with a 6.777 @ 202.61. Kurt Johnson steps up in the fourth session and runs a 6.807 @ 201.61 that is good for the #9 position. Warren Johnson fails to qualify for his third straight event with a 22nd best 6.859 @ 199.40. Mark Whisnant fails to make the final field after being in the top sixteen for the first three sessions. Mark's best of 6.831 @ 201.67 was only good enough for #17. Points leader Greg Anderson is qualified #5 after dominating the class.
Andrew Hines is #1 in Pro Stock Bike with a 7.132 @ 188.17 on his HD.
NHRA Recap:
http://www.nhra.com/2004/events/race17/index.html
"KIDS WILL BE EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT AND IT'S LEGAL"
NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge Presented by Denny's at Tanger II to be held Saturday, August 21, 2004.
This Saturday, Atlanta Dragway will showcase the NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Junior Drag Racing League Challenge presented by Denny's at Tanger II where Junior Drag racers will have the opportunity to compete for special awards and recognition.
The event, part of the Summit Racing Series ET bracket program, will allow youngsters, ages 8-17, to compete on an eighth-mile track in dragsters powered by five-horsepower engines reaching speeds up to 85 miles-per-hour.
NHRA's O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League allows children to experience the thrill of motorsports in a controlled environment. Spectators are encouraged to come out and cheer for the junior drag racers as well as the adults who compete in four bracket racing classes. Gates will open at 11 am, with time runs at 1pm, and Final Elimination starting at approximately 4pm. For more information, please visit www.atlantadragway.com, or contact us at 706-335-2301
Contact:Atlanta Dragway
Attn: Crystal Kuhn, Sales and Marketing
500 E. Ridgeway Rd.Commerce, GA 30529
Phone: 706-423-9252 ckuhn@nhra.com
BAZEMORE LOW QUALIFIER ON FRIDAY IN MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 20, 2004) - Defending Memphis Funny Car champion and No. 1 qualifier in 2003 Whit Bazemore is low qualifier after two qualifying sessions at the O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals at Memphis MotorsportsPark. Bazemore posted a 4.862-second elapsed time tonight at 309.77 mph in the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus, which followed a low-qualifying4.979/295.85 in the first round.
Bazemore, who has struggled in the last few races and is third in the NHRAPOWERade Drag Racing Series after leading, was buoyed not only by qualifying No. 1, but by the strong performance crew chief Lee Beard and the MatcoTools team pulled off in the first qualifying session under hot and humid conditions.
"We've got a never-say-die team," he said. "It's been tough the last couple of months. We had an 80-point lead in the championship and kind of gave it all back and then some.
"The team is a tight team. We're all very focused on the same goals, and that goal is to win an NHRA POWERade championship. Just making two good runs here doesn't automatically mean we're going to be back in the hunt the way we want to be. But we definitely made progress and it's the hard work that everyone has put forth that has gotten us back to this level and hopefully it's a level that we can sustain.
"The first run is always very important in order to have a good baseline going into the night run," added the two-time U.S. Nationals champion, "and the track is new (newly-extended concrete launch pad), the groove is very narrow and that makes it hard. We ran a .97 in the first run and spun the tires the last 300 or 400 feet and as a driver you know you're knocking off at least a tenth of the ET doing that. I almost shut it off. We're just not programmed to go this slow, yet (under the new 85-percent nitromethane rule). The cars are slow, let's face it. They're way slower than they were.
"Even though tonight was a good step forward running an .86 - I think last year we ran an .81 (4.826), so that's not too bad - but in the heat it's definitely a new ballgame with the new rules and the tire that we're mandated to run. It takes some getting used to. I'm not used to it, yet. I got out of the car and I couldn't believe we were low (qualifier) in the first round. But we ran a .97 and that's about what it felt like. It is all relative and it's a good thing.
"Running good in the heat today was a big step for our team. That's where we've struggled. If you're going to win races, you've got to run well in the heat."The fans here are great. It's going to be neat to have a night race. I'm excited about that. It's going to be hard."
Courtesy Judy Stropus
Don Schumacher Racing
Schumacher, Bazemore, Connolly and Hines Lead Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil
Georgia's Bob Vandergriff ( Alpharetta, GA ) is in the #16 position in Top Fuel with his 4.967 @ 285.65 pass.
Kurt Johnson ( #13 - 6.850 @ 201.10 ) and Mark Whisnant ( #14 - 6.854 @ 200.98 ) are currently qualified in Pro Stock, while Warren Johnson ( #17 - 6.859 @ 199.40 ) is still struggling and is not qualified after two sessions.
NHRA Recap:
http://www.nhra.com/2004/events/race17/index.html
Warren Johnson Enlists Help to Maximize Short Week Before Memphis - GM Performance Parts Racing team spreads out to prepare for O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals
SUGAR HILL, GA., August 17, 2004 - Warren Johnson is the acknowledged "Professor of Pro Stock", a racer who has contributed as much to the sport from outside the vehicle as he has from the driver's seat. Over the course of his career, he has maintained a "hands-on" approach to his racing, building and developing virtually every piece on his GM Performance Parts Grand Am, as well as making many of the crucial tuning decisions. It is a competitive philosophy that has carried him to a class-leading 92 national event wins and six Pro Stock championships.
Even so, Johnson is the first to recognize that others have played a huge role in his continued success, and has called upon one of these sources to help with his preparations for this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, TN.
With only three days between races, Johnson has been ensconced in the team's shop in Sugar Hill, GA continuing with the development of the third generation General Motors Drag Racing Competition Engine (DRCE). In the meantime, the team will be working with veteran chassis builder Jerry Haas to hopefully sort out the problems that have handicapped their race car of late, with Haas scheduled to make several test runs on Wednesday.
"With only three days between Brainerd and Memphis, we've had to deploy additional forces," said Johnson. "I've been working non-stop on our engine program, and really don't have time to leave the shop, so, after spending an extra day in Minneapolis getting some work done on the trailer, the GM Performance Parts team is going to head to St. Louis.
"If it doesn't rain, Jerry (Haas) is going to drive our car to see if he can get it to run better in the first sixty feet. After all, it is a product of his work, and he has driven enough of them to be able to point out any inconsistencies that may have eluded us. It's not as if we're completely out of the ball park. We've flashed the ability to run well - what we need is to do so on a consistent basis."
This weekend, Johnson and the POWERade Drag Racing Series will head south to Memphis Motorsports Park, a track where world's best quarter-milers have faced a variety of atmospheric conditions. Although the majority of the on-track activities have been scheduled for the later afternoon and early evening to avoid the mid-summer heat, Johnson and his veteran crew are geared to handle whatever Mother Nature and the racing surface will throw at them.
"In looking at the forecast on television, it looks like the temperatures will be in the high 80's and low 90's throughout the weekend, and it stays warm relatively late, so we're not looking for great conditions, even racing later in the day," stated Johnson. "Other than the sun not being on the track, the Pro Stock cars, that don't have the luxury of the liquid dynamite or belt-driven tunnel ram that the fuel cars enjoy, will have to make the best of whatever air is there.
"I've raced at Memphis Motorsports Park when we had the best conditions we've ever had in 50 years, as well as when it was so hot you couldn't breathe. The racing surface has had its own challenges in the past, with new bumps and lumps arising every year. However, with the track being resurfaced, we're not sure what to expect. However, the conditions will be the same for everyone, so it should not be the deciding factor. In any case, the track is the least of our worries. Our primary concern will be getting our GM Performance Grand Am to perform up to its potential, and with the combined effort we have going in to this race, we should be just fine."
Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering The O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-South Nationals:
* WJ is the Man in Memphis: This will be Warren's 17th NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance in Memphis, where he has four wins (the most by any NHRA driver) in five final round appearances, and a 26-12 elimination round record for a .742 win percentage.
* Warren's Qualifying Stats in Tennessee: In his sixteen previous starts at Memphis Motorsports Park, WJ has three No. 1 qualifying performances and only one start outside of the top six, with an average starting position of 3.3.
* One year ago: WJ qualified third with an elapsed time of 6.774 seconds with a top speed of 203.46 mph, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
* Winning Streak: Warren Johnson is looking to extend a streak where has won at least one race a year for 22 consecutive years, which is the longest in NHRA history.
* No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 92 national event victories are the most ever in the history of the Pro Stock division and place him second on the all-time NHRA win list. His most recent win came last year at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Reading, PA.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.715 seconds, Englishtown 2003
* Career best top speed: 205.69 mph, Englishtown 2003
Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Kurt Johnson Burns Gas & Midnight Oil in Search for Power - ACDelco Racing team looks for first win at Memphis Motorsports Park
Sugar Hill, Ga., August 18, 2004 - Across the world of motorsports, there is one basic need common to every racer. From the "weekend warrior" competing on his or her local track, to the multimillion dollar organizations racing at the highest level of the sport, the search for more power is never ending. As the lead engine builder responsible for the powerplants in both his father's race car as well as his ACDelco Cavalier, Kurt Johnson is a prime example of this tireless pursuit.
With only three days between the last event and this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-South Nationals, most of the competitors in the POWERade Drag Racing Series have been content to perform simple between-race maintenance before heading to Memphis. Johnson, however, has been immersed in the team's engine room, working non-stop to squeeze as much power as he can from the massive 500 cubic-inch engines.
"There are two main ingredients necessary in the search for power, namely time and money," explained Johnson. "Just as the saying goes, money buys speed, but unless you are merely leasing an engine, you also have to spend long hours on the dyno, trying different combinations, seeing what works and what doesn't.
"Basically, you have to make the whole package happy. It's not always one thing that is going to give you tons of power. Over the years, our motors have traditionally been the standard by which others were measured, but right now, there are obviously a few teams that have gone down a different path and found something that works.
"We're right in the ballpark, but we're never happy unless this ACDelco Cavalier is in the lead, so I've been holed up in the back room at our shop in Sugar Hill working to find a few extra horses. We have a few ideas in the works that I believe should produce some positive results in the near future, perhaps as early as this weekend in Memphis.
" Should Johnson unearth additional horsepower for this weekend's race, it would come at an opportune time, as Memphis Motorsports Park is one of the few stops on the NHRA circuit where he has yet to reach the winner's circle. As such, there is extra motivation for every member of the ACDelco crew, and they arrive in Millington determined to add this track to their long list of successes.
"Memphis is one of those tracks, where, for one reason or another, the winner's circle has eluded us," stated Johnson. "I was the runner-up to Dad (Six-time champion Warren Johnson) in 1998, but we're still looking for that first Mid-South Nationals "Wally", something we hope to take care of this weekend.
"The racing surface should be pretty good, having been resurfaced, ground and fluffed and buffed, but a lot will depend on the track preparation. If they can get the track in the condition it gets to just before the final, we could see some great racing. I haven't looked at the forecast, but we can handle anything as long as it's not raining.
"As for the ACDelco crew, we'll go into this weekend looking to pick up where we left off in Brainerd, working to pick up a half-hundredth at a time. But until we get there, we'll be working in the engine room, having fun."
Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-South Nationals:
* Kurt has Memphis in his sights: This will be Kurt's 12th appearance at Memphis Motorsports Park, where he has one final round appearance in 1998 and one No. 1 qualifying performance in 1997. Overall, he has an 11-9 elimination round record in Millington.
* One year ago: Kurt qualified seventh with an elapsed time of 6.785 seconds and a top speed of 203.71 mph, and advanced to the quarter-finals.
* Winning percentage: Kurt's .646 elimination round winning percentage (370-203) ranks 10th among all active NHRA professional drivers.
* National event wins: Kurt's 28 national event victories ties him for 14th on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and tie him for fourth on the all-time Pro Stock win list. Kurt's most recent win came at this year's Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, AZ.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.716 seconds, Englishtown, NJ. 2003
* Career best top speed: 206.61 mph, Englishtown, NJ. 2003
Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
BAZEMORE LIKES THE PRESSURE, LOOKS TO REPEAT IN MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 18, 2004) - Whit Bazemore's victory here at the 2003 O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals propelled him into first in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series point standings for the first time in his 15-year Funny Car career. It was his second final-round appearance at this track since 1992.
This weekend, the two-time U.S. Nationals champion and fastest Funny Car driver on the planet (4.713 seconds at 333.25 mph, set at Route 66 Raceway this year), who is third in the rankings, would like to repeat and move closer to claiming his first Funny Car championship.
"The win in Memphis was really great last year," he said. "It was the track where I went to my first final in 1992, so we obviously have good memories of this track. We like coming here.
"We're coming in this year with a totally different set of circumstances," he said of his 188-point deficit to leader John Force. "We're in a position now where, as far as our championship goes, we have to have good races from here to the rest of the year."
Bazemore's 2004 season has been on an even stronger path than in 2003. He took over the points lead in the eighth event and extended it in the next after two wins. Five early-round losses, however, in the last six races have dropped him into third. "It's not really the ideal situation, but it's the way it's played out," he said.
"Personally, I like the pressure. I think the Matco Tools team can do well under these sort of circumstances. We just have to go out and make it happen, get a good handle on our race car and our tune-up and have a good outing.
"You can't predict the outcome of races," said the Indianapolis resident and avid cyclist. "All you can do is prepare yourself and the race car the very best way possible and go to the race and do the very best job you can and try to have a good result."
On Friday, Aug. 20, professional qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 21, pro qualifying continues at 3 and 6 p.m., with final eliminations beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22.
On Saturday, Aug. 21, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, Aug. 22, ESPN2 will televise two hours of eliminations at 10 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, Aug. 22, ESPN2 will broadcast NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute weekly news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Quickest and fastest Funny Car driver in NHRA history: 4.713-second ET (national record) at 333.25 mph
* Qualified No. 1 at O'Reilly Mid-South NHRA Nationals in 2003, defeated Dean Skuza
* Has qualified in the top two in eight events so far in 2004
* No. 3 in NHRA Funny Car points after 16 races, with two wins, five final rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* 2003 Funny Car points runner-up
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 17 career Funny Car event wins
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an exciting final round
against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was also second in the NHRA Funny Car championship in 2001, third in 1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 11 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 41, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with wife Michelle, a semi- pro cyclist
* 2004 is his fourth season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion
Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
BAZEMORE EXITS IN FIRST ROUND IN BRAINERD
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 15, 2004) - Whit Bazemore made an early exit in hisMatco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car in final eliminations of theLucas Oil NHRA Nationals today, losing in the first round to Tommy Johnson, Jr. Johnson took the win with a 4.978/305.77 pass over Bazemore's 5.004/307.46.
"Basically, we just got outrun and there's just no room for error," said No.5 qualifier Bazemore, who fell to third in the NHRA POWERade Drag RacingSeries Funny Car point standings, behind leader John Force and his teammateGary Scelzi, who was runner-up today after defeating Force on a holeshotadvantage."
Everyone on the Matco Tools team is obviously disappointed. Going out inthe first round was certainly not what we had planned for the day and therace. The car was set up to go quicker than that and it didn't."We kind of know a little bit about what went wrong. It's just the way it goes sometimes."
NHRA FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. John Force, 1208
2. Gary Scelzi, 1044
3. Whit Bazemore, 1020
4. Del Worsham, 1004
5. Eric Medlen, 991
Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Schumacher, Medlen, Connolly and Treble Win the NHRA POWERade Lucas Oil Nationals
The Georgia connected teams didn't fare very well as Whit Bazemore ( Funny Car ) and Mark Whisnant ( Pro Stock ) lost their first round races and Kurt Johnson ( Pro Stock ) was defeated in the second round.
NHRA Recap:
http://www.nhra.com/2004/events/race16/index.html
SUMMER SIZZLER AT ATLANTA DRAGWAY A BLAST FROM THE FAST PAST
By Tim Glover
Photos: http://community.webshots.com/album/175624893cyPFKp
(Commerce, GA -August 14) The weather was fantastic, and fans who came to the Summer Sizzler event at Atlanta Dragway received more than their money's worth all day long. Activities on the grounds included the Blast From the Fast Past Charity Car Show, a Super Gas Association Southeast race, an on track Test and Tune open to all participants, a lively vendor's midway and swap meet, live music, Doug Geiser, aka KOTO (King of the Oldies) playing 50s, 60s and 70s rock and roll music all day, Marc Fenyo's mobile pinstriping service, Waddles the Clown and more.
Darryl Hollin from Pelzer, SC may have qualified 13th in the Super Gas field, but by day's end he was the number one racer in the Super Gas Association Southeast race. Hollin's purple '27 Roadster was close to the 6.40 eighth mile index all day, and he said the car was so good he left it alone after round two and just went racing. In the final against fellow racer Ricky Purcell from Jesup, GA, Hollin was near perfect with a .006 second reaction time (.000 being perfect). When he got close to the finish line for the final round pass, Hollin realized Purcell's '97 Firebird was nowhere near him, so he eased on the brake pedal to slow his race car to a 6.50 second, 103.14mph pass on the 6.40 index. Purcell's car broke something at mid track, as cylinder compression was escaping to the atmosphere from somewhere on his engine, slowing it down dramatically to 6.95 seconds at 104.51mph. Gene Abbott's show quality Gainesville, FL based '37 Chevy finished in the semi-final round, along with Billy Crenshaw ('27 Ford Roadster - Pendleton, SC). "I'm happy," stated Hollin. "A win is a win". He was joined in the winner's circle by wife Twiss and their three "kids", puppies of various ages. The following paragraph includes the results for the Super Gas race.
SUPER GAS CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH INDEX
Win: Darryl Hollin '27 Roadster Pelzer, SC 6.50 103.14 (6.40)
R/U: Ricky Purcell '97 Firebird Jesup, GA 6.95 104.51 (6.40)
Semi: Gene Abbott '37 Chevy Gainesville, FL
Semi: Billy Crenshaw '27 Ford Roadster Pendleton, SC
Two Atlanta Dragway regulars enjoyed winning awards in the Blast From the Fast Past car show. Lonnie Cothran from Buford, GA and Joe Haddon of Oxford, GA normally run in the Sportsman class, but Cothran talked Haddon into entering his car into the car show. Haddon won the Atlanta Dragway Award, and Cothran won Best Pro Street Modified. Cothran's machine is an original '69 Super Stock Nova, ordered with all accessories deleted, which only saw 830 miles of street usage. Haddon spent a lot of money and time making his '67 Chevy II into a show quality race car.
Some of Atlanta Dragway's Junior Dragster contingent introduced more spectators to their brand of racing. Matt Gillen, Valerie Clements, Joshua Sisson, Dylan Kent, Lauren Turner and a new racer for Team PTI experimented with different changes to their cars in the never ending quest to go faster. Gillen enjoyed a much faster ride with his brand new car, and Clements's dad "uncorked" her car to gain another half second. Lauren Turner's Team PTI car picked up two tenths with a new style torque converter.
Shortly after the test and tune session opened, fans were treated to another Blast from the Past when Joe Ralph from Nicholson, GA paired up his '29 Chevy 3-window coupe against the '29 Ford 5-window coupe of Lane Wiedmann from Atlanta. Both cars went almost 100mph on the race course, and no one cared who made it to the finish line first. Ralph spent three years building his car, and Wiedmann and his dad put together the '29 Ford in Pennsylvania, where it stays most of the time.
Lots of older model cars graced the Blast from the Past car show. One of the more nostalgic examples was Wayne Andrew's '58 Impala convertible, an original 315 hp, 348cid Tri Power (three two barrel carburetors) car. The car recently underwent a frame off restoration, and was actually available for the paltry sum of only $65,000. A new Panoz Esparante was on display, close to a 1957 Rolls Royce belonging to the Haulbrook family from Marietta.
The vendor's midway featured many performance and car care products. Several twin four barrel intake manifold / carburetor setups were available. Dennis Hinton of Vintage Chevy Parts had performance parts from yesteryear on sale, and another vendor featured lots of chrome dress up items for engines.
In the center of the car show area was a 60 foot long mobile studio and nostalgic gift shop belonging to Doug Geiser, widely known as KOTO. KOTO played rock and roll oldies from the '50s '60s and '70s, and kept the crowd entertained all day with his unique brand of humor, anecdotes and pertinent show information. Local talent Connie Osborne treated fans to live performances with her mix of country, rock and gospel songs. Another character, Marc Fenyo, made his mobile pinstriping service available on site. Waddles the clown made balloon animals and performed face painting on many happy kids.
Sanctioned by 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, including the Hayes Mopar Meet, may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/.
