HUBINETTE AND COOK WOW CROWDS WITH DRIFTING EXHIBITION, WOHLER HAS QUICKEST AND FASTEST STREET LEGAL CAR ON GROUNDS AT TUNERFEST SHOOTOUT
FROM: Tim Glover
EVENT: Tunerfest event at Atlanta Dragway in 2007
(Commerce, GA - August 25) Thousands of spectators enjoyed the fourth annual Tunerfest Shootout, held at Atlanta Dragway and presented by Mopar and ImportAtlanta.com. Fans had many different activities to choose from, including watching Test and Tune cars on the racetrack, drifting exhibitions by Mopar racers Chris Cook and Samuel Hubinette, a large Car Show, dyno tuning on a chassis dynamometer, a manufacturer's midway and much more.
The star attractions were the Mopar Team Nuformz drifting cars driven by Samuel "Crazy Swede" Hubinette and Chris Cook for the drifting exhibition. Although some of us may have been detained by authorities in the past for an activity similar to "drifting", those efforts pale in comparison to the skill levels displayed by Hubinette and Cook. While the cars appeared to be
out of control, sliding sideways with smoke boiling off the tires, the drivers were actually in complete charge, placing the cars precisely where they wanted them. Hubinette was piloting a modified 2007 Charger which featured a Paxton supercharged 392 Hemi, carbon fiber body, trick suspension with 19 inch front wheels and 18 inch rears and a lot of other modifications. Cook, whose day job is coaching NASCAR and Busch drivers how to compete on road courses, wheeled a former Mopar prototype 2005 Copperhead Viper. Both cars shredded several sets of BF Goodrich radials during the demonstrations. A young fan, Sebastian Edge, exclaimed, "Mom, I wish your car was in there!" His mom drives a modified '03 Mitsubishi Galant. Four lucky fans did win the chance to ride along with Hubinette and Cook. They were Josh Johns, Drew Lourtsema from Gainesville, GA, Dustin Johnson and a nervous Richard Scott of Anderson, SC.
The car show attracted a lot of visitors, with many different types of vehicles, ranging from Maseratis to an in-progress Ranger lowrider. Craig Butler from Thomson, GA enjoyed winning several awards with his '97 Viper, including Best Mopar. A Freightliner "pickup" was one of the larger attractions. Sound systems dominated some areas of the competition, with high output speakers surrounded by immaculately prepared machines. Steve Flynn's Detail Products supplied many of the competitors with the supplies they needed to win. Team Carma brought two very interesting cars to display. One was a street legal Indy car powered by a mostly stock 3.5 liter Chrysler V6 engine, supplying about 270 ponies through a 1900 pound chassis. The
other was a 1991 BMW V12, which looked a lot newer than it really was.
Aftermarket parts, custom wheels, detailing supplies and other high performance merchandise was availably for purchase all around the car show area. A DJ was on hand playing music to keep everyone entertained while they enjoyed the various activities.
Mike Wohler brought his '97 Eclipse to the track to do some more tuning, hoping to get it into the high eight second range by day's end. He didn't make it, but still succeeded in becoming the quickest and fastest street legal car on the grounds, turning in a 9.756 second pass at 144.84mph. A fouled spark plug prevented an even quicker pass later in the day. Richard Lohr of Doraville, GA came to the track just to see what his '92 Civic would do, and was rewarded handsomely when he won the Best Reaction Time competition with a 0.001 second react. "Turbo Dave" Batson does engine swaps and tuning for Mainstream Performance in Powder Springs, and demonstrated his skill by pushing his '95 Tacoma to an 11.494 second pass at 117.81mph. Of course a big turbocharger attached to a six cylinder 3.0 liter 2JZ Supra engine didn't exactly hurt his chances. Batson's machine won the Closest to 11 Second award. Matthew Cunningham ('03 EVO - Cumming, GA) won Closest to 12 with a 12.010 second pass, Brandon Finley ('03 EVO - Seneca, SC) got closest to 13 seconds with a 13.107 pass, and Anthony Parman ('03 Cobra - Kennesaw, GA) was closest of all to the 14 second mark with a 14.001 second pass. Although he didn't win any awards, Osiel Cienos from Lawrenceville, GA had a lot of fun with what was probably the oldest street legal car on the track, a mostly stock 1980 Corolla which posted 18.50s at around 79mph. Local racer Ed Nalley enjoyed uncorking his Vega race car for the quarter mile course, running 9.43 seconds at 140.85mph.
D and D Dynos brought their chassis dynamometer to the track to allow anyone to see what kind of power their car really put to the ground. Many contestants enjoyed watching their car perform at full throttle, and by the end of the event, Jack Winter's 2006 Viper with a stock 500hp engine managed to put the top numbers of the day, 422 horsepower and 435 foot pounds of torque, through the rear wheels.
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 2006 events, including the Hayes Mopar Meet September 7-8, may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/ .
------------------------------------------------
Quickest ET 9.756 Mike Wohler '97 Eclipse McDonough, GA
Fastest MPH 144.84 Mike Wohler '97 Eclipse McDonough, GA
Best Reaction Time .501 Richard Lohr '92 Civic Doraville, GA
Closest to 11 ET 11.494 David Batson '95 Tacoma Powder Springs, GA
Closest to 12 ET 12.010 Matthew Cunningham '03 Mitsubishi Evo Cumming, GA
Closest to 13 ET 13.107 Brandon Finley '03 Mitsubishi Evo Seneca, SC
Closest to 14 ET 14.001 Anthony Parman '03 Cobra Kennesaw, GA
EVENT: Tunerfest event at Atlanta Dragway in 2007
(Commerce, GA - August 25) Thousands of spectators enjoyed the fourth annual Tunerfest Shootout, held at Atlanta Dragway and presented by Mopar and ImportAtlanta.com. Fans had many different activities to choose from, including watching Test and Tune cars on the racetrack, drifting exhibitions by Mopar racers Chris Cook and Samuel Hubinette, a large Car Show, dyno tuning on a chassis dynamometer, a manufacturer's midway and much more.
The star attractions were the Mopar Team Nuformz drifting cars driven by Samuel "Crazy Swede" Hubinette and Chris Cook for the drifting exhibition. Although some of us may have been detained by authorities in the past for an activity similar to "drifting", those efforts pale in comparison to the skill levels displayed by Hubinette and Cook. While the cars appeared to be
out of control, sliding sideways with smoke boiling off the tires, the drivers were actually in complete charge, placing the cars precisely where they wanted them. Hubinette was piloting a modified 2007 Charger which featured a Paxton supercharged 392 Hemi, carbon fiber body, trick suspension with 19 inch front wheels and 18 inch rears and a lot of other modifications. Cook, whose day job is coaching NASCAR and Busch drivers how to compete on road courses, wheeled a former Mopar prototype 2005 Copperhead Viper. Both cars shredded several sets of BF Goodrich radials during the demonstrations. A young fan, Sebastian Edge, exclaimed, "Mom, I wish your car was in there!" His mom drives a modified '03 Mitsubishi Galant. Four lucky fans did win the chance to ride along with Hubinette and Cook. They were Josh Johns, Drew Lourtsema from Gainesville, GA, Dustin Johnson and a nervous Richard Scott of Anderson, SC.
The car show attracted a lot of visitors, with many different types of vehicles, ranging from Maseratis to an in-progress Ranger lowrider. Craig Butler from Thomson, GA enjoyed winning several awards with his '97 Viper, including Best Mopar. A Freightliner "pickup" was one of the larger attractions. Sound systems dominated some areas of the competition, with high output speakers surrounded by immaculately prepared machines. Steve Flynn's Detail Products supplied many of the competitors with the supplies they needed to win. Team Carma brought two very interesting cars to display. One was a street legal Indy car powered by a mostly stock 3.5 liter Chrysler V6 engine, supplying about 270 ponies through a 1900 pound chassis. The
other was a 1991 BMW V12, which looked a lot newer than it really was.
Aftermarket parts, custom wheels, detailing supplies and other high performance merchandise was availably for purchase all around the car show area. A DJ was on hand playing music to keep everyone entertained while they enjoyed the various activities.
Mike Wohler brought his '97 Eclipse to the track to do some more tuning, hoping to get it into the high eight second range by day's end. He didn't make it, but still succeeded in becoming the quickest and fastest street legal car on the grounds, turning in a 9.756 second pass at 144.84mph. A fouled spark plug prevented an even quicker pass later in the day. Richard Lohr of Doraville, GA came to the track just to see what his '92 Civic would do, and was rewarded handsomely when he won the Best Reaction Time competition with a 0.001 second react. "Turbo Dave" Batson does engine swaps and tuning for Mainstream Performance in Powder Springs, and demonstrated his skill by pushing his '95 Tacoma to an 11.494 second pass at 117.81mph. Of course a big turbocharger attached to a six cylinder 3.0 liter 2JZ Supra engine didn't exactly hurt his chances. Batson's machine won the Closest to 11 Second award. Matthew Cunningham ('03 EVO - Cumming, GA) won Closest to 12 with a 12.010 second pass, Brandon Finley ('03 EVO - Seneca, SC) got closest to 13 seconds with a 13.107 pass, and Anthony Parman ('03 Cobra - Kennesaw, GA) was closest of all to the 14 second mark with a 14.001 second pass. Although he didn't win any awards, Osiel Cienos from Lawrenceville, GA had a lot of fun with what was probably the oldest street legal car on the track, a mostly stock 1980 Corolla which posted 18.50s at around 79mph. Local racer Ed Nalley enjoyed uncorking his Vega race car for the quarter mile course, running 9.43 seconds at 140.85mph.
D and D Dynos brought their chassis dynamometer to the track to allow anyone to see what kind of power their car really put to the ground. Many contestants enjoyed watching their car perform at full throttle, and by the end of the event, Jack Winter's 2006 Viper with a stock 500hp engine managed to put the top numbers of the day, 422 horsepower and 435 foot pounds of torque, through the rear wheels.
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 2006 events, including the Hayes Mopar Meet September 7-8, may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/ .
------------------------------------------------
Quickest ET 9.756 Mike Wohler '97 Eclipse McDonough, GA
Fastest MPH 144.84 Mike Wohler '97 Eclipse McDonough, GA
Best Reaction Time .501 Richard Lohr '92 Civic Doraville, GA
Closest to 11 ET 11.494 David Batson '95 Tacoma Powder Springs, GA
Closest to 12 ET 12.010 Matthew Cunningham '03 Mitsubishi Evo Cumming, GA
Closest to 13 ET 13.107 Brandon Finley '03 Mitsubishi Evo Seneca, SC
Closest to 14 ET 14.001 Anthony Parman '03 Cobra Kennesaw, GA
posted by David @ 7:29 PM
