Kurt Johnson Starts 14th in Dallas

Kurt Johnson and the AC Delco Cavalier Racing team put in a yeoman's effort in qualifying for Sunday's final eliminations of the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals. On their first attempt on Friday afternoon, a cylinder head bolt in their primary racing engine snapped, forcing the crew to quickly change engines.

After completing their second run, they then split their efforts between repairing the first engine while adjusting the back-up powerplant for Saturday morning's run. The tireless crew then switched everything back to the original drivetrain configuration for the fourth and final qualifying session.

In the end, their efforts were rewarded with a 6.812-second, 202.88 mph pass which earned them the 14th starting position.

"In four qualifying attempts, we used two different engines and made decent runs every time down the track. On our last three, we were consistently in the 6.81 to 6.82 range. Naturally, we would like to have been a little faster, but we seem to have an issue getting to the eighth mile. Our elapsed time is competitive, but the top speed just isn't what we'd like it to be, which we know hurts us at the finish line. But the important part is that we're in the show.

"We have a few things we'll work on for the first round. It would have been nice to have lane choice, but we've been able to make good runs in both lanes, so hopefully it won't be an issue. The bottom line is that we want to be quicker, so we'll just keep working on our ACDelco Cavalier trying to make it even better."

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

Warren Johnson Rolls Off 16th in Dallas

Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Grand Am Racing team completed a solid qualifying performance on Saturday at the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas, Texas. In each of his first three attempts, Johnson bettered his previous performance, with his best effort of 6.819 seconds, 202.73 mph slotting the GM Performance Parts Grand Am in the sixteenth and final qualifying position at the Texas Motorplex.

"The most important part of today's performance is that we qualified for Sunday's final eliminations. After all, you can't win if you don't first establish a position from which to strike. The encouraging news for the entire category, however, is that the performance gap from top to bottom has shrunk considerably from where it was a few months ago. Other cars have stepped up recently, and I'm confident we will be doing so shortly.

"Our DRCE 3 program continues to show steady progress to where it now matches up well with our strongest DRCE 2 engines. Unfortunately, it's a little too late for us this year, but I believe it gives us a good springboard for next year.

"However, for now our attention is squarely focused on tomorrow's eliminations. Over the last few months, we have had to continually adapt our chassis set-up to the different power levels and engines we've been using. However, we now have a pretty good handle on things and our GM Performance Parts Grand Am is making nice straight runs. We'll make a few adjustments trying to pick up the pace, and see what we can do tomorrow."

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

Bazemore Goes to No. 4 in Final Texas Qualifying

ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 25, 2004) - Following three outstanding qualifying passes this weekend for the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals, Whit Bazemore and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car team stumbled a bit in the final qualifying pass and fell to No. 4 in the 16-car field, based on last night's run of 4.834/322.04.

Bazemore's 5.511/184.19 pass in the final round was a result of the tires hazing at half-track.

"We've had a good weekend," he said. "We were really pushing it hard that last run and the track just didn't hold what we were trying to do down track in the middle.

"I don't know if a .78 or .77 was going to be in the cards," he said, alluding to John Force's pole time of 4.784 seconds. "We were definitely trying to run quicker than our .83 which we ran at night. It just didn't hold it in the middle.

"We make a lot of power and our car historically has run very strongly in the middle of the race track and we make a lot of our elapsed time there and it just didn't happen this afternoon.

"All in all, it was not a bad effort for the Matco Tools team. The car's been consistent and it's done exactly what we expected it to, for the most part. I feel good about the effort we've made going into tomorrow."

Bazemore will face his teammate Johnny Gray, in Don Schumacher's Wonder Wagon, in first round of eliminations, which begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Courtesy Judy Stropus
Don Schumacher Racing

Kalitta, Force and Coughlin are Top Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec

NHRA Saturday Recap

Georgia notes:

Whit Bazemore is #4 in funny car ( 4.834 @ 322.04 ).

Three of the four Georgia Pro Stock teams at Dallas qualified for the sixteen car field - Kurt Johnson ( #14- 6.812 @ 202.88 ), Mark Whisnant ( #15- 6.816 @ 202.61 ) and Warren Johnson ( #16- 6.819 @ 202.73 ) made the cut, but Barry Grant came up a little short ( #21 - 6.843 @ 201.70 ).

MUSCLE CAR ACES POTTS, HARDWICK WIN 'POWER HOUR' AWARDS

Courtesy Tim Glover

BANKS CROSSING, GA After a four week hiatus for special events, Atlanta Dragway racers and fans returned to the northeast Georgia speed plant on a balmy fall evening for another edition of the Year One Fast Friday test & tune and grudge match program.

With spring-like weather prevailing, street-legal racers found the competition much hotter in the Year One Power Hour contest. Bobby Potts of Rabun Gap, GA blasted his 1987 Buick Grand National down the quarter-mile in 10.645 seconds, 127.86 MPH, to pick up the Fastest Lap and Quickest Elapsed Time awards, along with two $50 Year One Gift Certificate vouchers to compliment his speedy run.

Danny Hardwick of Hull, GA copped the third $50 Year One Gift Certificate voucher for his outstanding Reaction Time during the Power Hour competition for strictly street-legal cars and pickup trucks. Hardwick drilled the Christmas Tree with a nearly perfect .001 light in a 1966 Mustang, making it a clean sweep for classic American muscle cars in the 9-10 PM contest.

The next Year One Fast Friday program is scheduled for Friday, October 1st, and will feature another round of the very popular Year One Power Hour. Gates will open at 6:00 PM for both racers and spectators, with racing action beginning at 6:45 and continuing through 11:00 PM.

Sponsored by Year One Automotive Restoration in Braselton, along with the Hayes Family Dealerships in Lawrenceville, Gainesville and Cornelia, Atlanta Dragway's Fast Friday show is primarily an opportunity for drivers of street-legal vehicles to "race the strip, not the street." Racecars and motorcycles are also welcome for test & tune and grudge match racing on most Friday nights at "Georgia's House of Speed" through November 19th.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Craig Armstrong (706) 423-9265

OUTLAW 10.5 SHOW TO REPLACE 'FALL FOOTBRAKE FRENZY' ON ATLANTA DRAGWAY

ATLANTA DRAGWAY NEWS RELEASE
Courtesy Tim Glover

COMMERCE, GA A return of the highly acclaimed Outlaw Racing Street Car
Association (ORSCA), featuring super-fast, modified street cars on 10.5-inch
slick tires, is slated for Atlanta Dragway on Saturday, October 23rd and
Sunday, October 24th.

The weekend was originally planned as a special non-electronics bracket
race, but scheduling conflicts with other similar events in the southeast
region made switching to the 'Outlaws' a better option for track management.

"We might be able to reschedule the 'Fall Footbrake Frenzy' next year," said
Craig Armstrong, General Manager at the northeast Georgia dragstrip. "But
with conflicting bracket racing events on the calendars at other venues, it
just made sense to seek another type of show for that weekend. We are
certainly pleased to have the Outlaw 10.5 folks back again after their very
successful show here in March."

In addition to the Outlaw 10.5 cars, the show will offer supercharged,
alcohol-burning Outlaw Pro-Modifieds, indexed drag racing with 6.0 and 7.0
second cars, Limited Street cars, and a Top Eliminator Bracket program
paying $1,500 to win. According to promoter Johnny Fenn of ORSCA, total
awards will exceed $50,000 for the event, which will also feature a Car Show
and Vendor Midway.

Gates will open at 8:00 AM on both Saturday, October 23rd and Sunday,
October 24th, with drag racing action beginning at 9:00 AM on Saturday and
10:00 AM on Sunday. A two-day spectator pass will be available for $40, and
children 12 and under will be admitted free with a paying Adult. Additional
information on the event, including entry fees for racers and vendors, is
available on the official Outlaw 10.5 website, www.outlawracing.com, or on
the track's website at www.atlantadragway.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Craig Armstrong (706-423-9265)

Bazemore Qualifies No. 3 on Friday in Texas

ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 24, 2004) - Whit Bazemore posted two strong runs today in qualifying for the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, placing himself No.3in the field, with his best pass a 4.834-second run at 322.04 mph.

Crew chief Lee Beard and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car team have been working hard to get a handle on their hot-weather tune-up and Bazemore's 4.924/313.07 lap in the first session in the heat - good for No.2 in that round - was encouraging.

John Force claimed the No. 1 spot with a 4.784/324.20 run.

"It's been a really good day," said Bazemore. "The key to success is going down the race track all the time and being consistent, and to be in the top two or three in both sessions is a really good sign for the Matco Tools team. Lee Beard and the guys are on it.

"First round was in the heat and that was exciting to get down the track and be second," he added. "Any time you're in the top two or three consistently
it's a good thing. Obviously we would have liked to have been low (qualifier) tonight, but the car moved around quite a bit down track. It's very, very hard to see. As it is, we may have turned a 4.82 into a 4.83, but we weren't going to run a .78. We're pretty happy with that.

"It looks like tomorrow we'll be able to work on our race-day setup a little bit and hopefully get some hot weather and get a good feel for race-day conditions."

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

Kalitta, Force and Coughlin Top Pro Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec

NHRA Friday Recap

Georgia Notes:

Whit Bazemore is #3 in Funny Car with a best of 4.834 @ 322.04.

Kurt Johnson ( #14 - 6.829 @ 202.36 ) and Warren Johnson ( #15 - 6.831 @ 202.42 ) are currently qualified in Pro Stock - Mark Whisnant ( #19 - 6.863 @ 201.34 ) and Barry Grant ( #24 - 6.902 @ 200.11 ) are not quite quick enough in first day qualifying.

Robert Burgin ( Cuthbert, GA ) qualified #19 in Super Stock with his GT/CA '01 Firebird. Robert's qualifying time was a 9.921 (-0.779 ).

An Optimistic WJ Appreciates Added Prep Time for Dallas

Early return from Reading rainout offers GM Performance Parts team valuable development days

SUGAR HILL, GA., September 21, 2004 - Warren Johnson is a self-proclaimed optimist, preferring to view things in a positive light whenever possible. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the Pro Stock legend would find a benefit in last weekend's unfortunate rainout in Reading.

Within moments of the cancellation, the GM Performance Parts Grand Am Racing team leapt into action, immediately shifting their focus to this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall Nationals in Dallas, TX. In a sport where a thousandth of a second can be the difference between winning and losing, the 36 hours of added preparation time were an invaluable opportunity that Johnson was not about to miss.

"Although a rainout truly benefits no one, I simply elected to take an optimistic approach and make the most of the extra day and a half we had at our disposal before Dallas," stated Johnson. "I was back in the shop by late Saturday night, and laid everything out so I could get an early start the next morning. That gave me all of Sunday and Monday to work on things that otherwise I might not have had time for and will have a positive impact on our power level. For example, being in the shop for an extra day should allow me to bring another DRCE 3 up to speed. You could almost say it (the postponement) was a blessing in disguise."

A review of Johnson's record at the Texas Motorplex, site of this weekend's stop on the POWERade Drag Racing circuit, shows little need for improvement, as his approach to racing in the Lone Star State has been quite effective. In twenty-one previous races at the Ennis quarter-mile, "The Professor" has advanced to the championship round eleven times, with his five wins and eleven No. 1 qualifying performances the most among all Pro Stock competitors.

"If you stay in the groove at the Texas Motorplex, it is one of the best racetracks we run on all year," said Johnson. "The only negative aspect of the all-concrete surface is how narrow the groove can be, but that is why they put steering wheels in these race cars.

"But the racing surface is not the deciding factor in determining who will do well at a particular event, mainly because we're all dealing from the same deck of cards. It is more a matter of which team does the best job of adapting to the track's idiosyncrasies. Over the years, the Motorplex has been a facility where the GM Performance Parts team has been quite effective at figuring out what we need to run, which we will naturally look to continue doing this weekend."

Armed with the combination of increased preparation time, a substantial library of tuning notes and an unparalleled record of success at this unique speedplant, Johnson and his talented crew are quietly confident heading into this weekend's event.

"I'm pretty optimistic that we will pick up our performance level in Dallas," said Johnson. "Our engine program has started to show signs of improvement, and the single run we made under fairly adverse conditions in Reading has us enthused about our GM Performance Parts Grand Am. Finally, the added preparation time can only help. All in all, we're seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, and, for once, it's not an oncoming train!"

Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering
The O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall Nationals:

* WJ is the Top Hand at the Texas Motorplex: This will be Warren's 22nd NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at the Texas Motorplex, where he has five wins (the most by any Pro Stock driver) in eleven final round appearances, and a 42-15 elimination round record for a .737 win percentage.

* WJ's Dallas Qualifying Stats: In his 21 previous starts in Ennis, WJ has 11 No. 1 qualifying positions, with an average starting position of 2.43, with only three starts outside the top three spots. In fact, WJ has never started lower than eighth at the Motorplex.

* One year ago: WJ qualified eighth with an elapsed time of 6.862 seconds with a top speed of 202.11 mph, but was upset in the first round.

* 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 at Maple Grove Raceway one year ago at the 2003 Lucas Oil Nationals.

* 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 Looks to Use Dallas as Late Season Launching Pad

ACDelco Racing team sets sights on winning start to three-race swing

Sugar Hill, Ga., September 21, 2004 - With only five races left in the 2004 season, every stop on the POWERade Drag Racing circuit grows in importance. Throughout the pit area, every team has targeted these final few events as a means to help accomplish goals set before the season.

Following last week's rainout in Reading, this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall Nationals in Dallas, TX has become the first of three consecutive races, which Pro Stock standout Kurt Johnson sees as the initial step of a late-season surge in the standings by the ACDelco Cavalier Racing team.

"Our goal for the rest of the season is the same as it has been all year - to win as many races and climb as high in the standings as possible," stated Johnson. "Therefore, with Reading being postponed, this weekend's race in Dallas becomes the first of a very important three-race swing for the ACDelco Racing team, If we are able to put together a string of strong performances, I believe we can make a significant move up."

Two factors play into Johnson's plans. The first is the Texas Motorplex, site of this weekend's race. Best known as the only all-concrete racing surface on the NHRA tour, it has been one of the second-generation racer's favorites throughout his career. Starting with his first visit in 1993, when he powered to the winner's circle as a rookie, KJ has accumulated an impressive record at the Ennis quarter-mile with three wins in five final round appearances, bolstering his confidence heading into this year's edition.

"I love racing in Dallas," said Johnson. "I know some people may have a difficult time with the all-concrete surface, but I enjoy going down that racetrack. If you know what you're doing, stay in the groove, and the weather cooperates, the potential is there for some quick times.

"The set-up will be the key, because even though the track looks good, there is a tendency to spin the tires. Therefore, the four-link, clutch and shock set-ups will be critical. Fortunately, our ACDelco Cavalier has been making clean, straight runs, so we should be in good shape."

The second aspect buoying the team's hopes is their race car, which has shown the consistent performance necessary to contend for the win this weekend. With an added day's preparation, further progress has been made in the never-ending search for horsepower.

"We're comfortable with our ACDelco Cavalier's performance to the point that we don't need to test, preferring instead to work on finding horsepower," said Johnson. "Fortunately, we have some projects going together at the moment that look quite promising, and having an extra day to work on things before coming to Dallas was one of the few favorable results from last weekend's rainout.

"We were able to do a little unexpected R & D which will help us be even better prepared for this weekend's race. I've been to the final round a few times at the Motorplex, and won three, including my rookie year in 1993, so we know what it takes. I'd certainly like to add another Texas-sized win and start this stretch run off on the right foot."


Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall Nationals:

* KJ Matches Up Well with the Motorplex: This will be Kurt's 16th appearance at the Texas Motorplex, where he has three wins (second only to his father Warren Johnson for the most by a Pro Stock driver) in five final round appearances, and an 28-12 elimination round record for a .700 win percentage.

* Kurt on the Clock in Ennis: Kurt has two No. 1 qualifying performances in Ennis and an average starting position of 5.53.

* One year ago: KJ qualified fourth with an elapsed time of 6.843 seconds and a top speed of 202.70 mph, and advanced to the quarter-finals.

* Texas Track Record Holder: Kurt holds both ends of the Texas Motorplex track record with his 6.785-second elapsed time and 204.03 mph efforts from October 2002.

* Winning percentage: Kurt's .645 elimination round winning percentage (372-207) 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 Has High Hopes For Dallas

DALLAS, Texas (Sept. 22, 2004) - Five races still remain in the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, as the Reading, Pa., round was postponed until Oct. 8-10 because of Hurricane Ivan's wrath last weekend. So, the focus remains the same for Whit Bazemore and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car camp for the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals: win rounds...and races.

With a 227-point deficit to John Force's Funny Car lead and just 21 points behind his teammate Gary Scelzi, third-place Bazemore is well aware of the challenge he's facing to collect his first Funny Car championship after two career runner-up finishes.

"The fact that Reading was postponed has nothing to do with how we'll deal with Dallas. We're approaching Dallas like any other race," said Bazemore, who holds the national elapsed time record of 4.713 seconds and is the fastest Funny Car driver on Earth (333.25 mph). "We're here with the full intention of winning, and the Matco Tools team is capable of winning, so that's the only result that's going to be positive or good for us.

"There are a handful of races left this year," he continued. "It would be tremendous for the Matco Tools team to win one or more of them."

The two-time U.S. Nationals champion holds the Funny Car track record at the Texas Motorplex of 4.753 seconds and, despite the lowering of the nitromethane percentage to 85 percent, Bazemore believes it's possible for the record to be broken this weekend. "I'd say, if the conditions are good here, it will definitely be possible to run a 4.75 or quicker under the new rules. But, in order for that to happen, we have to have the right conditions, with high pressure and coolish temperatures. If we have that, it's very possible that the fans might see the track record broken."

This event is also being held a few weeks earlier in the year than it has in the recent past to avoid conflicts with other Dallas-area sporting events. "It's early fall, it will be nice, and apparently it's going to be easier for the fans to decide what they're going to do this weekend," Bazemore said.

"That should help the attendance, which is always good. Attendance has really been up this year and the crowd at the U.S. Nationals was tremendous. It is very cool when places are sold out, hopefully that will continue at the Motorplex."

The NHRA teams will also arrive at a re-vamped facility following a reported multi-million-dollar renovation project commissioned by track owner Billy Meyer. "It's good," said Bazemore. "Billy Meyer is a former racer. He approaches that race track from a racer's perspective, which is refreshing for us. He's a racer at heart, so he built a great track back in the '80s and now he's upgraded it to be more on a level with our current super tracks, such as Chicago, Vegas, Bristol, etc. It's great to have a track owner who that takes pride in his facility and runs it like a true business.

"Billy set the standard. He built the first true super track and I think the sport will always appreciate him for that."

SCHEDULE:
On Friday, Sept. 24, professional qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4 and 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 25, pro qualifying continues at noon and 2:30 p.m., with final eliminations set to begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26.

TELEVISION:
On Saturday, Sept. 25, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 4 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 will televise two hours of final eliminations at 11 p.m. (ET).

WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:

* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Quickest and fastest Funny Car driver in NHRA history: 4.713-second ET (national record) at 333.25 mph
* Qualified No. 5 at 2003 O'Reilly NHRA Nationals, lost second round to Del Worsham
* Has not won at Texas Motorplex, but qualified No. 1 in 2001
* Has qualified in the top two in nine events so far in 2004
* No. 3 in NHRA Funny Car points after 18 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

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

Billy "Cigar" Holt's Website

Thanks to Michael Holt for notifying us of his father's website. Billy "Cigar" Holt's website has a little something for just about everyone! Take a look and spread the word. Michael is currently in Iraq at Camp Freedom. Thanks to him and all of our military forces for their service.

Augusta International Raceway Dragstrip

Thanks to Henry Jones, Joe Cawley and Hoyt Grimes for providing GeorgiaDragRacing.com with some great material from the dragstrip at Augusta, GA. The track opened in 1960 and closed around 1969/1970. If you have any info or photos from Augusta, please contact us.

Pro Mods at South Georgia Motorsports Park

by Marvin T. Smith
Photos

On Saturday, September 18, the Pro Mods returned to South Georgia Motorsports Park. There was a nice mix of blown outlaw cars and nitrous cars. Top qualifying spot went to Bennie McDonald with his new 1953 Corvette powered by a PSI blown hemi. McDonald has had the car out for about three races, but has yet to get it dialed in. Tonight, he finally figured it out! On the first full pass on the new car, he ripped off a 4.06 at only 166. The whole crew went absolutely nuts! Second in qualifying was Bil Clanton's Stude at 4.09. Eddie Ware had his beautiful Willys out, but broke in the first round of qualifying and had to put in on the trailer. Filling out the field was the Outlaw 10.5 tire turbo Firebird of Josh McClelland. McClelland came out for some testing, but was allowed to race with the Pro Mods to fill out the eight car field. He anchored the field with a 4.80 et.

In round one, McDonald's 4.14 took care of the game McClelland 10.5 Outlawcar's improved 4.75. McClelland had earlier told me that the hoped to get the car in the 4.70s, so they must have been happy. Clanton took a 4.12 win over Matt Gore's blue nitrous Camaro's 4.58. Jason Thomas used a 4.31 to upset David Elsberry's ex Quain Stott Vette's out of shape 4.97. Elsberry had qualified with a fine 4.17 for the number three spot. Johnny Pilcher's nitrous vette took out Doug Patten's Camaro with a 4.60.

Round two saw Pilcher run an impressive 4.11 @ 174.87 in his nitrous Vette to take out McDonald's 4.24. I suspect that this is the quickest NitrousPro Mod run ever at SGMP. This ended McDonald's night, but having made three good runs with the new car, his crew still felt like they had accomplished a great deal. In the other Semi, Clanton used a 4.07 to take care of an out-of-shape Jason Thomas.

In the final, Clanton ripped off another 4.07 @ 175.82 to take care of a badly crossed up Pilcher's 4.49 at only 144. Pilcher took out some timing cones on this heart-stopping run. This was definitely Clanton's night. He ran a 4.09, 4.12 and two 4.07s to take the Big Money back to Rome, Georgia. target="new">Photos

On Saturday, September 18, the Pro Mods returned to South Georgia Motorsports Park. There was a nice mix of blown outlaw cars and nitrous cars. Top qualifying spot went to Bennie McDonald with his new 1953 Corvette powered by a PSI blown hemi. McDonald has had the car out for about three races, but has yet to get it dialed in. Tonight, he finally figured it out! On the first full pass on the new car, he ripped off a 4.06 at only 166. The whole crew went absolutely nuts! Second in qualifying was Bil Clanton's Stude at 4.09. Eddie Ware had his beautiful Willys out, but broke in the first round of qualifying and had to put in on the trailer. Filling out the field was the Outlaw 10.5 tire turbo Firebird of Josh McClelland. McClelland came out for some testing, but was allowed to race with the Pro Mods to fill out the eight car field. He anchored the field with a 4.80 et.

In round one, McDonald's 4.14 took care of the game McClelland 10.5 Outlawcar's improved 4.75. McClelland had earlier told me that the hoped to get the car in the 4.70s, so they must have been happy. Clanton took a 4.12 win over Matt Gore's blue nitrous Camaro's 4.58. Jason Thomas used a 4.31 to upset David Elsberry's ex Quain Stott Vette's out of shape 4.97. Elsberry had qualified with a fine 4.17 for the number three spot. Johnny Pilcher's nitrous vette took out Doug Patten's Camaro with a 4.60.

Round two saw Pilcher run an impressive 4.11 @ 174.87 in his nitrous Vette to take out McDonald's 4.24. I suspect that this is the quickest NitrousPro Mod run ever at SGMP. This ended McDonald's night, but having made three good runs with the new car, his crew still felt like they had accomplished a great deal. In the other Semi, Clanton used a 4.07 to take care of an out-of-shape Jason Thomas.

In the final, Clanton ripped off another 4.07 @ 175.82 to take care of a badly crossed up Pilcher's 4.49 at only 144. Pilcher took out some timing cones on this heart-stopping run. This was definitely Clanton's night. He ran a 4.09, 4.12 and two 4.07s to take the Big Money back to Rome, Georgia.

Bil Clanton won SGMP's Pro Mod show Saturday night. Marvin T. Smith Photo