Rome, Georgia's Bunky Bobo holding his 2005 National Hot Rod Reunion Memory Lane "Best of the Best" Award. Bunky (and the Bobo family) won the award for their Hemi Hurricane Willys that they had just finished restoring before heading to Bowling Green. Congratulations to Bunky, Tony and the whole Bobo family for your well deserved honor!

From the Barn to the NHRR Memory Lane Best of the Best Award -the restoration of Bunky Bobo's Hemi Hurricane Willys!

From the Barn to the NHRR Memory Lane Best of the Best Award -the restoration of Bunky Bobo's Hemi Hurricane Willys!

The story continues

Dixon, Wilkerson, KJ and Hines Top Day One Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade Sears Craftsman Nationals

NHRA Recap

GeorgiaDragRacing.com NHRR Photos

NHRR Photos

More NHRR Photos

More to come!

KJ Works to Make Madison Race the Gateway to His First 2005 Win

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

Last-minute test has ACDelco Cobalt crew primed for Sears Craftsman Nationals

Sugar Hill, Ga., June 22, 2005 - By all accounts, Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing team have had a solid start to the 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season. In the first ten races, they have posted one No. 1 qualifying performance (in Englishtown, NJ one week ago) with six starts in the Top 3 and a 5.27 average starting position. In addition, they have been equally effective on race day, with one final round appearance (in last month's Columbus race) and four semifinal finishes, accomplishments that further enhanced by the fact that the team switched to the completely new Cobalt after the first five races. This showing has landed Johnson solidly in the fifth position in the championship standings.

Although many in the highly competitive Pro Stock category would be more than pleased with this performance, Johnson’s standards are set higher than most. Therefore, he added a last-minute test prior to this weekend’s Sears Craftsman Nationals, and arrives in Madison, IL determined to put it all together and score his first win of the year.

"Overall, we've done a pretty good job this season, but in order to win we need to get better on Sunday, because that is when it counts," said Johnson. "Take last week for example. Our ACDelco Cobalt was fantastic in qualifying, and we felt like we had found the car’s sweet spot. Unfortunately, it threw us a bit of a curve during eliminations, spinning the tires, which wasn't good.

"We know we have the power to win, as shown by our qualifying performances during the season. So if power isn't the issue, we know we need to get a better handle on our race car. That’s why we decided to test before heading to St. Louis. We needed to be at a racetrack, so that’s where we went."

An added benefit from the Johnson team’s impromptu test session is the extra tuning data they will gather on their still-new race car. With blistering temperatures forecast for this weekend, teams will encounter conditions unlike any other they have faced in the first eleven races, even with most of the on-track activity taking place in the late afternoon and early evening. Therefore, any passes made under similar conditions prior to their arrival at Gateway International Raceway will serve to give them a direction for their baseline set-up at this weekend’s race.

"It was 90 degrees when we tested, which should be close to what we see this weekend," said Johnson. "We're expecting the track to be extremely slick, so we didn'’t even spray the racetrack in Atlanta, keeping it as close to what we'll race on. In that fashion, we thought we would get a pretty good idea of where we needed to go with the tune-up.

"If anything, this ACDelco Cobalt team is even more determined than it was before. We had to pick up our performance to the sixty foot mark, as well as to the 330, and from what we saw in testing, I'm confident we’ve come close to accomplishing that goal. However, we still need to translate that into four round wins on Sunday. Looking ahead to this weekend, I like our chances."

Notes on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering the Sears Craftsman Nationals:

KJ in Madison: This will be Kurt's ninth appearance at Gateway International Raceway, where he has one win in 1998 and one No. 1 qualifying performance in 1999.

One year ago: Kurt qualified thirteenth with an elapsed time of 6.766 seconds and a top speed of 204.42 mph, but fell in the first round.

Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.671 sec., Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05
Career best top speed: 207.13 mph, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05

WJ Looking Forward to a Scorcher in St. Louis

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

GM Performance Parts Racing Team Tests for Hot Track at Sears Craftsman Nationals

Sugar Hill, Ga., June 22, 2005 - This weekend, the weather forecast for the St. Louis metropolitan area is calling for a typical Midwestern summer scorcher, with warmer than normal temperatures and highs in the mid 90's. In order to make the Sears Craftsman Nationals easier on the fans and the competitors, in recent years the NHRA has moved the majority of the on-track activities to the late afternoon and early evening.

Even so, after a day of baking in the sun, the racing surface at Gateway International Raceway should retain the majority of its heat, making it slick and difficult for the high-powered straight-liners to gain traction. It is a scenario that suits Warren Johnson and his GM Performance Parts Pontiac Racing team just fine.

"I grew up racing in the Midwest, and back then very few dragstrips had lights," recalls Johnson. "Therefore, we raced in the middle of the day when it was hot enough to melt the asphalt. On top of that, the composition of most tracks was marginal at best compared to what we have today. In fact, at some of our better facilities such as Las Vegas, the pavement in the pit area is better than what we used to race on.

"As a result, we had to figure out how to get down marginal tracks under the worst conditions. Even though the technology has changed and the tracks have improved, the lessons we learned back then are still valuable today, helping us to potentially make or save runs when others are unable to. The way I see it, the hotter and slicker the track, the more I like it.

"However, I understand and support the reasoning behind moving this race to the nighttime. The primary reason we are here is to entertain the fans, and we certainly don't want them broiling all day in the sun. Although the air will be a little better at night, which is conducive to making power, the big factor will be the track temperature. Looking at the forecast, I'm betting the track will still be plenty hot in the evening, and the entire GM Performance Parts crew is ready to take a crack at it."

As part of their preparation for this weekend's race, the Johnson crew spent a day testing at Atlanta Dragway. The combination of a warm summer day and a race track with little in the way of surface preparation offered the team a perfect opportunity to fine tune their race car for the conditions ahead, which look to be unlike any others experienced so far this season. Coming off a dramatic runner-up finish in Englishtown last weekend, Johnson is primed to score his third win at Gateway International Raceway.

"We made it to the final last week on sheer determination by my crew and a little luck," said Johnson. "The GM Performance Parts Pontiac has already shown it has race-winning potential. It's up to us to read what the track will give us and adjust our car accordingly. We usually do well under adverse conditions such as we are looking at this weekend, but we're not about to take anything for granted.

"That's why we tested in Atlanta. The conditions should be close to what we'll see at Gateway, and we wanted to make sure everything was in order with our race car. Hopefully, we'll come in with a solid baseline tune-up for the first qualifying session on Friday afternoon, and fine tune it from there."

Notes on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Racing team entering the Sears Craftsman Nationals:

WJ is a Master in Madison: This will be Warren's ninth NHRA appearance at Gateway International Raceway, where he has two wins in 1997 & 2001 tying him with Ron Krisher for the most wins by a Pro Stock driver at the track. In addition, WJ was the No. 1 qualifier three times at Gateway. Overall WJ has an elimination round record of 12-6 in his previous eight Madison starts.


No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 94 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 this O'Reilly Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals in Bristol, TN.

Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.679 seconds, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05
Career best top speed: 207.50 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 6/19/05

Event Schedule:
Friday, June 24 - Two qualifying sessions at 5:00 & 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 25 - Two qualifying sessions at 5:00 & 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 26 - Pre--race ceremonies begin at 3:30 p.m. followed by the first round of eliminations at 4:30 p.m.

Television Schedule:
Qualifying: Sunday, June 26 - 12:00 - 1:00 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, June 26 - 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
NHRA2Day: Sunday, June 26 - 11:30 a.m. - 12 noon
(Please consult your local listings for exact times, as the schedule is subject to change.)

Jeff Tinsley Honored at Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Jeff Tinsley Honored

Update on Ken Johnson 6-22-05

Ken was released from the hospital Monday afternoon, June 20th.

Ken's home is built on Lake Blackshear and the living quarters are upstairs. See attached photo of the lift that a group of his friends installed for him to be able to get up into his house.

George, Julie and I visited Ken and Kassi last night. He, of course, was very glad to be back in his own home which immediately made him feel better. He was able to give us a demonstration of the lift (see second photo attached).

He is using crutches most of the time and sometimes a walker to get around. He's in good spirits but is still having to deal with a lot of phantom pain. Ken has lost 25 pounds and is regaining his strength from the multiple surgeries and sixteen day hospital stay.

Many of you will remember Prosthetic Design in Dayton, Ohio, who sponsored Reggie Showers in 2003. We have maintained a business and personal relationship with PDI owner, Tracy Slemker who has been in constant communication with Ken and Kassi since the accident. Tracy visited Ken in the hospital and has already started developing a rehabilitation plan. As soon as Ken regains some of his strength and has healed, he will be traveling to Dayton for the initial fitting of the prosthesis.

Ken and Kassi want to thank everyone for their kindness and generosity during this difficult time. There is no prognosis yet on when either one of them will be able to return to work. Anyone who wishes to send donations to the Ken Johnson Recovery Fund can mail them to: Ken Johnson, C/O Star Racing, PO Box 1241, Americus, GA 31709.

A fundraiser is in the initial stages. We will let everyone know details as we make more definite plans.

Sincerely,
Jackie

Courtesy Jerry Battle (and Jackie Bryce)

Richard Knowles Update

Courtesy Jerry Battle

Richard Knowles, the Super Street racer that crashed June 18 at Macon National Dragway, is still in critical condition at the Macon Medical Center. He sustained serious head injuries when his helmet came off at the finish line.

Please keep Richard, his wife Gail, his children and grandchildren in your thoughts and prayers.

They do not have any medical insurance.

A fund has been set up for those wishing to help out:
Richard Knowles Fund
729 Bluebird Trail
Fortson GA 31808

BAZEMORE IN POSITIVE MODE HEADING TO ST. LOUIS

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

MADISON, Ill. (June 22, 2005) - Whit Bazemore is in a positive frame of mind as he and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car team head to Gateway International Raceway for this weekend's 12th round of 23 2005 POWERade Drag Racing Series events.

With one full race completed under the leadership of crew chiefs Dan Olson and Todd Okuhara, Bazemore is confident that the team will soon return to the winning form it enjoyed earlier this season, when Bazemore won twice and led the points through three events.

In Englishtown, N.J., last weekend, the Matco Tools Dodge team saw improvement through the second round of eliminations and are encouraged with those results. The two-time U.S. National champion is eighth in the point standings and in the midst of a seven-car battle for third place. A strong performance in St. Louis could easily re-arrange the rankings.

Returning to this race where Top Fuel racer Darrell Russell lost his life last year will also be on Bazemore's mind.

"Everyone is going to have emotions coming back to this place," he said,"but, for our team, we're coming here with renewed optimism with our new crew chiefs. The Matco Tools Dodge team ran smoothly and it was a very positive weekend for us in Englishtown, actually, in spite of the problems(struggling to qualify 15th).

"Our car is going to be better and better. Everything is just going to get more comfortable and everyone is going to become more and more optimistic as time goes on.

"I'm looking forward to another race with these guys and to see what we can do here in St. Louis."

As for racing at night: "I don't care about it either way. It doesn't matter. It's very hard to see in a Funny Car at night, but I grew up match racing at night in the Southeast, so I'm used to it."

Bazemore has never won at Gateway International Raceway in his 16-yearcareer, which includes 19 career victories in 43 final rounds.

SCHEDULE: On Friday, June 24, professional qualifying sessions are at 5 and 8 p.m.
On Saturday, June 25, pro qualifying continues at 5 and 8 p.m.
On Sunday, June26, final pro eliminations begin at 4:30 p.m.

TELEVISION: On Saturday, June 25, ESPN2 will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at midnight (ET).
On Sunday, June 26, ESPN2 will televise three hours ofelimination highlights beginning at 9 p.m. (ET).

WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Eighth in 2005 Funny Car point standings after 11 events, 208 points out of lead
* Won two events this year (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once(Columbus)
* Qualified No. 4 at 2004 NHRA Nationals in Madison, Ill., lost first round to Del Worsham
* Has never won at Gateway Int'l Raceway.
* Qualified in the top two in nine events in 2004, four times in No. 1
* No. 6 in 2004 Funny Car points, with two wins, five final rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* Career quickest ET is 4.713 seconds, career fastest speed is 333.25 mph, both set at Route 66 Raceway in 2004 in what was at the time the quickest and fastest speed in Funny Car history
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in in 43 final rounds in 306 races
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was second twice in the Funny Car championship in 2001 and 2003, third in1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 12 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 42, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with wife Michelle, a competitive amateur cyclist, and son Dashiell Aidan, born March 12, 2005
* 2005 is his fifth season with Don Schumacher Racing

Fourth Annual York US 30 Musclecar Madness Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-York, PA

The latest Legend of Drag Racing to confirm attendance at the Fourth Annual York US 30 Musclecar Madness show presented by Cloister Car Wash & Lube is none other than "Rapid Red" Lange of the famous Dead End Kids top fuel race team.

Lang won the NHRA Northeast Division Top Fuel Crown several times during the '60's and is a member of the NHRA Northeast Division Hall of Fame and is slated for induction into the Legion of Honor in 2006.

The show will present a special tribute to Ronnie Sox of the famed Sox & Martin race team and will present the largest display of Sox & Martin cars to ever be at one show at one time.

Other Legends to be in attendance include Tom Raley of the Jim & Alison Lee top fuel Champions in the Northeast Division in the '70's, Herb McCandless a formidable four-speed campaigner in his own right, "Coney Island" Ralph Landolfi and his famed '48 Anglia out of the Jack Merkel racing stables, the star of the movie Two Lane Blacktop which is the original '55 Chevrolet appearing in the movie, a star studded array of Sox & Martin race cars, Dick Brannan and his '68 Mustang, "Wild Bill" Collett and his West Virginia Hillbilly '68 Plymouth Barracuda, Tom Sneden and his Bounty HunterDodge, George Allen, Jr. and his '23 T "Bloody Mary", the wife of Fred Gibb (the father of the '69 ZL1 Camaro), Helen, will have an original '68 Copo Nova, the famed "Winged Express" AA fuel altered of Wild Willie" Borsch, and the list goes on.

The show supports the York County SPCA and features a giant two-day cruise in, with over 600 entries on the outside plaze, in addition to, a Corvette show presented by the York County Corvette Club on Saturday. Two day discount tickets are $20.00, single day $12.00, children under 12 free, and free parking. The show runs Friday, July 8th from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. and Saturday, July 9th from 10 a.m . until 9 p.m.

For Information:
Darwin Doll 717.755.5849, www.yorkus30.com or mcmyork02@suscom.net

Photos Added to the National Hot Rod Reunion Album

NHRR Photos

Douglas Motorsports Park Upcoming Event

Douglas Motorsports Park - SATURDAY JUNE 25th

POINTS BIG BUCKS BRACKET BASH

$1500.00 TO WIN SUPER-PRO

$750.00 TO WIN SPORTSMAN

Regular Entry Fee!
Gates Open 4:00 P.M.
Time Trials 6:00 P.M.
Eliminations 8:00 P.M.

Jeff Tinsley Update

I just talked to Jeff Tinsley (at home) and he said that he is undergoing radiation and chemotherapy to try to reduce the ping pong ball sized tumor. He is in good spirits and appreciates everyone's concerns and prayers. He is suffering double vision and an echoing in his head that is really bothering him.

Richard Strauss had sent me an email (this morning) to let me know that Jeff proposed to Beth last night (his girlfriend of 15 years). Congratulations are in order as Beth accepted!

Please keep Jeff in your thoughts and prayers as he is facing a tough fight.

If you would like to let Jeff know that you're thinking about him, cards can be sent to:

Jeff Tinsley
1805 Crystal Drive
#713
Arlington, VA 22202

Georgia Perspective on the National Hot Rod Reunion, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 2005

by Marvin T. Smith
Photos

The National Hot Rod Reunion was held in Bowling Green, Kentucky on June 17-19, 2005. Sponsored by Holley and presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes, the event was one to be remembered. According to the National Hot Rod Association, this was the biggest and best of the three events held to date.

Georgians had many reasons to be extremely proud at this event. To begin with, Hubert Platt, "The Georgia Shaker," was selected to be one of five honorees at the event. Hubert had a great career driving gassers, super stocks, pro stocks, and funny cars from the mid 50s to the mid 70s. Hubert regaled everyone with a great monolog at the ceremonies on Friday night. Sorry folks, but you had to be there!

After the awards were passed out, Hubert Platt donated a framed collage of photos of his race cars created by artist Fred Simmons of the GeorgiaDragRacing.com team. Fred's art was auctioned off to benefit the National Hot Rod Association's museum. After a frenzied bidding, the collage went to Larry Smith for $525. Congratulations to Hubert and Fred for a job well done for a worthy cause!

If that wasn't enough, Rome's Bunky Bobo, son Tony Bobo, and family displayed their Hemi Hurricane Willys in the reunion with the restored drag racing vehicles. Completed just prior to the event, the Bobo's were not sure they were going to make it at all. When they arrived, they set up the car outside the main display area on the grass, but the event officials asked them to move it to the central Memory Lane. Many people met the Bobos and enjoyed the fruits of their labor. In what was to the GeorgiaDragRacing.com team one of the major highlights of the event, on Saturday evening the Hemi Hurricane was selected for a "Best of the Best" award - being judged the best car in the display of racers in the Memory Lane area. You have to understand that there were more than 1200 cars on display on the grounds. Fifty of these were selected as the top fifty, and of these, nine were selected as "Best of the Best." Congratulations to all the Bobos for a job well done. Bunky was allowed to make a half pass down the track going through the lights at 105 mph on Sunday. Tony swears that Bunky lost about 40 years of aging on that pass! See the complete story of the Hemi Hurricane restoration on another area of the GeorgiaDragRacing.com web site.

Then there was the unveiling of the new specialty Platt and Payne 2005 Mustang supercar. This car commemorates the 35th anniversary of the Hubert Platt and Randy Payne Ford Drag Team. Rebuilt from the ground up, the Mustang has a twin turbo motor that puts out some 700 horsepower at the rear wheels. It has special suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, and aero package. The interior has fancy leather seats with Platt and Payne logos stitched in, and lots of carbon fiber trim. Hubert and Randy were both on hand for the debut, and both signed the dashboard of the first prototype in a Saturday afternoon ceremony. Be the first in your neighborhood to own one of the limited edition of 50. Price is rumored to be around $150,000! You have to see this one to believe it. Look for more photos on GeorgiaDragRacing.com

Winder, Georgia's GMP company once again took an active sponsorship role in the event. President Tom Long provided diecast models of the famed Greer, Black, and Prudhomme top fuel car as doorprizes for the Friday evening ceremonies. There was one car for each table and some additional ones for the chair seating area. These are high dollar replicas, and Mr. Long's generosity was much appreciated by the many winners, including GeorgiaDragRacing.com's own David Dilbeck. GMP also sponsored the Saturday night concert staring Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Thanks GMP for all you do.

The Saturday night cacklefest, where restored cars are push-started on the track and allowed to idle until they run out of fuel was the biggest ever held at the National Hot Rod Reunion. The show was spectacular with flames leaping in the evening darkness. Last down the quarter mile was legend Big Daddy Don Garlits. The crowd loved the spectacle.

In addition to the more than 1200 cars on display, there were hundreds of race cars at the event. Several Georgians made the trip to Bowling Green to race. Mike Pittman of Roswell qualified his 64 Impala in the Quick 64 field as did Jake Brinson of McDonough in his 64 Galaxie. Dave Cox (Dacula), Joe Sannutti (Baxley), and Mark Adams (Valdosta) qualified in the Nostalgia Comp class. Clarence Cloud of Vidalia qualified in Nostalgia Gas. Andy Sarratt (Social Circle) and Barry Camp (Monroe) both qualified in Classic Super Stock. Congratulations to all of our racers! Unfortunately, none of them reached the finals this time.

The racing was spectacular. In Top Fuel, Jack Harris took both ends of the track record with outstanding times of 5.913 at 245.94 mph. Unfortunately, Harris went up in smoke on Sunday and did not make the finals. The final round saw Sean Bellemeur win with a 6.42 over Brendan Murry’s breaking 9.29.

The National Hot Rod Reunion started out three years ago as the premier nostalgia event east of California. It has grown larger every year. Don't miss it in 2006!

HAYES MOPAR TUNER FEST GOES ON IN SPITE OF RAIN AND HAIL

By Tim Glover
Photos

(Commerce, GA - June 18, 2005) The Hayes / Mopar Tuner Fest, version 2.0, held at Atlanta Dragway, drew an even larger crowd of enthusiasts than the 2004 edition of the event. Participants who came through the gate had their choice of being involved in many different activities, including drag racing, car showing, chassis dyno pulls, listening to the on site DJ, purchasing genuine Mopar merchandise, or simply watching all the various activities. A late day rainstorm with lots of lightning, thunder and even a bit of hail did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the many participants.

The Hayes Mopar booth featured lots of go fast goodies, including performance exhaust goodies. They also offered body dress up items, as well as Mopar apparel. Kauffman Tire had a wide selection of import and domestic performance wheels and tires on display. Another vendor involved with the show was All in 1 Detailing, owned by Michael Otting. In addition to a bikini car wash, Otting also offered car detailing supplies, neon lights, pinstriping and other car body modification services.

All participants in the Hayes Tuner Fest were entertained with tunes brought to the track courtesy of ImportAtlanta.com. Forty 5 Entertainment and SHI Nasty Sounds kept the music going strong enough that thunder in the distance couldn't be heard near the control tower area for a while.

Dave Dunbar set up his Diesel Performance Motorsports DynoJet Mobile Dyno on the grounds to let people see what their vehicles actually do, at the point where the rubber meets the road. He was able to keep all comers happy, on a first come, first served basis. One example was Bobby Bowden's mid 11 second (1/4 mile times) S10 truck, which registered 319 horsepower and 374 lb. ft. of torque at the rear wheels. Terry Hayes' restored 1970 Chevelle, with a factory rated 325hp 396 engine, actually put down 284hp and 346 lb ft of torque to the ground.

The most powerful car on the grounds was the 1000 horsepower Darrell Cox Racing NHRA Sport Compact '04 SRT-4 Mopar Neon, driven by Mike Crawford of Eden, NC. Crawford, who is currently second place in the 2005 NHRA Sport Compact points series, and his fans were looking forward to seeing some 8.50, 180mph passes, but shortly after Crawford went to the staging lanes, torrential rains hit, ending the day's racing activities.

Although, it didn't quite make 1000 hp, Mopar technician John Stahl's street legal 2003 Neon SRT-10 Stage III packed a big punch, registering 384hp and 408lb ft of torque on the chassis dyno. Today, Stahl could only coax a best of 13.08 seconds at 107.09mph out of his car. He then convinced Mike Crawford to drive his car, and was rewarded with a still not perfect but much quicker 12.75 second pass at 117.75mph. Crawford's car owner, Darrell Cox, took the wheel later and one upped Crawford with a 12.73 second pass in Stahl's car.

Surprisingly, the next most powerful engines on the ground were in pickup trucks. Mike Hayes and Robert Wilson brought their Viper engine powered 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 trucks, factory rated at 500 horsepower and 505 foot pounds of torque (at the flywheel). At the rear tires, however, the numbers were still impressive. Hayes' truck registered 407 hp and 414 lb ft of torque (with zero modifications to the truck), while Wilson's truck, which had the muffler replaced with a straight pipe, put down 401hp and 403 lb. ft. of torque. The only reason these trucks were not the fastest on the grounds was their massive weight of 5000 plus pounds. Still, they recorded impressive times, with Hayes turning in a best of 14.17 seconds and 102.28mph, and Wilson coming close with 14.25 at 97mph.

Hundreds of import cars, ranging in condition from mild to wild, were on the grounds. Although some were strictly show, others were made to go, with the ability to leave many domestic cars in the dust. Gull wing doors, slammed rides, gorgeous paint, and other body mods were on display in the packed car show area. One of the more unusual older imports was one belonging to Bala Almeida. Almeida brought his restored and slightly modified 1967 Mini Cooper, which was in a class by itself from the moment it entered the grounds. Edith Smith's "Daddy's Girl" Columbus, GA based '97 Honda Accord, featured beautiful paint and a very low ride (thanks to an air bag suspension).

Jim Robinson from Marietta, GA brought his exciting 1996 Mitsubishi 3000 VR4 Spyder, powered by a twin turbo inducted GTO engine ( the car was marketed in Japan as a GTO). His car was one of only 867 built that year.

Although a torrential rainstorm, including hail, struck around 6:30 (on a day when the Weather Channel predicted no rain), the only activities halted were the drag racing, the burnout contest, and the music (all the electronics were soaked by rain). The only change to the car show was all contestants were judged the same on cleanliness, due to the rain. The promoters got together and gave test and tuners a free pass to the next Year One Fast Friday event, scheduled June 24.

One of the lighter moments during the hour long rainstorm was a group of guys walking around, using their pop up canopy as a ten foot umbrella, trying to stay at least a little bit dry.

As the car show was winding down, another popular contest was held, the annual bikini contest. Five contestants vied for the crowd approval, with the winner being declared by the loudness of the crowd.

Robert Wilson, who is planning several performance modifications to his RAM SRT-10 to get better numbers on the dyno and the track, echoed the sentiment of many when he said, "I'll be back next year!"

DOUGLAS MOTORSPORTS PARK RACE RESULTS June 18, 2005

Courtesy James Jones
DOUGLAS MOTORSPORTS PARK

SUPER PRO - R/T - ET - MPH
Champion...........#2574 LEE REYNOLDS JR. BAXLEY, GA S-10 .018 6.779 100.18
R/U......................#TX96 DARRELL BARGERON JESUP, GA. DRAGSTER .012 4.987 137.55

SPORTSMAN
Champion...........#SD1822 DARRELL PITTMAN AXON, GA. 69 CAMARO . 036 7.842 86.80
R/U......................#2468 DAVID BARGERON SCREVEN, GA. 71 PLYMOUTH .067 7.911 83.94


JR DRAGSTER
Champion...........# 2468 DENNIS BARGERON JESUP, GA JR DRAGSTER .011 9.063 72.48
R/U......................# 2003 CHAD YOUNG DOUGLAS GA. JR DRAGSTER .083 11.429 54.52

Tony (L) and Bunky Bobo with their award winning Hemi Hurricane. Photo taken at the 2005 National Hot Rod Reunion.

Bunky Bobo's Hemi Hurricane Willys won the Best of the Best award in the Memory Lane category at the 2005 National Hot Rod Reunion!

Hubert Platt received a lifetime achievement award at the 2005 National Hot Rod Reunion this past weekend! Fred Simmons photo.

Randy Payne and Hubert Platt with the brand new Platt & Payne Mustang. More details soon!

New Platt & Payne limited edition Mustang unveiled at the National Hot Rod Reunion!