Outlaw Radial Tire Championship event at SGMP

By Marvin T. Smith

Some of the best Drag Radial cars in the East crowded into South Georgia Motorsports Park May 8-9 for the Outlaw Radial Trie Championship Series presented by Proline Race Engines. Headlining the event was the Wolfe Racecraft Boost vs. Monte Smith Performance No Boost race for radial tire competitors. In the Wolfe Boost category, Steve Jackson dominated the 21 car field. He qualified Number 1 at 4.609 speeding to the best-ever elapsed time in race competition. Jackson was actually outrun in the third round by Terry Elam, 4.71 to 4.73, but Elam’s car caught fire and was hauled off the track. When Elam bypassed the scales, Jackson was reinstated in accordance with the rules. In the final round, Jackson defeated John Kolivas with a great run of 4.635 at 164 to Kolivas’ 4.72 at 159.66. David Hance had top speed at 167.36.
In the Monte Smith Performance No Boost category, Number 1 Qualifier Troy Pirez ran 4.88, 4.89, 4.81 and low elapsed time of the class 4.794 in the final to defeat Scott Gurdagno in the field of 22.

The winners and runner-ups then faced off in the Boost vs. No Boost race. Steve Jackson defeated Scott Gurdagno 4.70 161 to 4.956 at 150. John Kolivas beat the broken Troy Pirez in the other semifinal. In the final, it was Boost vs. Boost. John Kolivas got revenge on Steve Jackson when he ran 4.678 at 160.56 to defeat the fouling Jackson’s 4.97 at 160.44.

Twenty-four cars lined up for the Real Street class. Charlie Pixley ran all four rounds in the 5.30s to win. He had top speed and low elapsed time of the class at 132.57 and 5.326. His final round opponent was number one qualifier Bart Tobener, who ran a troubled 6.90 in the final.
Five cars raced for the Outlaw 632 class. In a final round battle of flamed Camaros, Robert Remek defeated Mike Schmidt with a 4.952 at 153 to the losing 5.06 at 149.

Ten cars made up the Pro Street class. Number one qualifier Jake Carlton ran as quick as 4.13 during eliminations, but broke in the final round, giving the win to number two qualifier Ray Chavez in his beautiful 2006 GTO Judge. Chavez ran as quick as 4.17 in eliminations.

Keith Szabo qualified number one in the seven car Limited Street class over such heavies as Eric Dillard and Carlton Thompson. In the all Mustang final round, Szabo ran 4.929 at 157.50 to defeat Carlton Thompson’s troubled 5.79 at 112. Szabo had low elapsed time of 4.871 and Eric Dillard had top speed at 162.90.

Nineteen cars raced in the Open Comp category. In the final round, Viktor Adams defeated Ray Williams, Sr. Adams took the better light and ran a dead on 7.500 on his 7.50 dial to defeat Williams who was forced to break out.

John Marconi won the 6.50 index class in his beautiful 1958 Corvette. In the final, Marconi ran 6.606 to defeat Jimmy Griner who slowed to a 6.912. Twenty cars made up the field.

In the 7.50 Index class, Brandon Wood won the double breakout final over Viktor Adams. Wood’s wheelstanding Chevy ran 7.476 to Adams’ 7.432. Derek Putnam was the number one qualifier in the 18 car field.

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2009 AMS Friday Night Drags Division Rules

From Ted Austad
Event Promotions Coordinator
Atlanta Motor Speedway


We have received a good number of requests to create a class at Friday Night Drags to allow naturally aspirated cars to compete outside of the dragsters spraying nitrous in our Pro Division. We welcome suggestions from our competitors and fans to how we could improve our show at Friday Night Drags. We take all suggestions under careful consideration. The decisions may not always be what each individual desires, but we must always look out for all of our competitors and fans. These decisions are based on the best overall needs for the series to continue to be successful.

We have decided to add another division for the 2009 Friday Night Drags season. We will now have a Super Pro division and a Pro division. I have pasted the updated rulebook below for all to review. We also added divisions to better separate the import cars and trucks this season. We are looking for our fans and competitors to assist in spreading the word of our changes for the 2009 season. Pass this e-mail along to friends, co-workers and fellow competitors. Let’s work together to make this season of Friday Night Drags the best one so far.

Thank you!

This Friday, May 15th – Test & Tune
Gates Open at 6pm.
Tech & Registration Open at 6pm.
Practice Runs begin at 6:15pm.
Tech & Practice Runs end at 9pm.
$10 per person. Infield entrance only.



2009 Friday Night Drags Division Rules

SUPER PRO (SUPER) – Any and All. This is the class that is wide open.

PRO (P) – Naturally aspirated engines only. Open chassis rules. Open tire rules.

STREET OUTLAW (SO) – Any car or truck with stock appearing body. Minimal tubbing allowed (full tubbing ‘narrowed up’ is not allowed). Four links, ladder bars and coil over shocks are permitted. Any engine modification is allowed. Maximum 29 x 10.5w size tires. No wheelie bars.

SPORTSMAN (SM) – Foreign and Domestic cars or trucks with stock body and six cylinder powered race cars with power adders. All control arms, shocks and springs must be in stock location. No cutting of inner or rear fender wells (only outside can be rolled). Any engine modification allowed. Maximum tire size is 28 x 10.5. No ‘W’ tires allowed. No wheelie bars allowed.

TRUCK ADVANCED (TA) – All diesel powered or modified gas powered full size trucks only. Ford F-Series, GM C and K Series, Dodge Ram Series, Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra. Any tire allowed.

TRUCK (TR) – Stock, eight cylinder, gas powered full size trucks only. Ford F-Series, GM C and K Series, Dodge Ram Series, Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra. No modifications allowed with the exception of bolt-on and exhaust air cleaners. HARD TREADED RADIAL tires only. No drag radials, DOT slicks or bias ply tires. No power adders. No points championship in this division.

DOMESTIC ADVANCED (DA) – Same rules as the Domestic class only nitrous is allowed. DRAG RADIALS ONLY. No E.T. Streets, bias ply or special tires. Maximum tire size of 295/50/15.

DOMESTIC (DM) – American made cars with stock suspension in stock location, stock interior, no cutting of the body, fender wells or floor pan. No nitrous allowed. HARD TREADED RADIAL tires only. No drag radials, soft compound, bias ply or special tires. No points championship in this division.

PRO FOUR (P4) – Foreign and Domestic cars or trucks with three or four cylinders that have anything more than stock along with six cylinder race cars with naturally aspirated engines. Racing slicks, nitrous, modified suspension, rotary engines, power adders (except six cylinders) and drive train modifications are allowed. This is the top class for the Tuner guys.

TUNER (TU) – Any three, four or six cylinder vehicle with power adders. Must have stock body and interior. No aftermarket turbo or superchargers. No race cars or trucks allowed. DRAG RADIALS ONLY. No E.T. Streets, bias ply or special tires.

SPORT COMPACT (SC) – Naturally aspirated foreign and domestic sport compact cars and trucks with three, four or six cylinders (no diesel and no nitrous) with stock suspension in stock location, stock interior and no cutting of the body, fender wells or floor pan. HARD TREADED RADIAL tires only. No drag radials, soft compound, bias ply or special tires. No points championship in this division.

ATV (ATV) – Any four wheeled vehicle that falls outside our car and truck divisions (i.e. ATV, go-kart, Legends Cars, Bandolero Cars).

SUPER BIKE (B) – Any super bike type motorcycle or drag bike. This class is wide open for our two wheel speed fanatics. Atlanta Motor Speedway recommends long sleeves, long denim pants, full finger gloves, full face helmet, above ankle boots and a jacket.

MOTORCYCLES (M) – Harley-Davidsons; Interstate type motorcycles; Dirt Bikes and any other motorcycle not classified as a Super Bike. Atlanta Motor Speedway recommends long sleeves, long denim pants, full finger gloves, full face helmet, above ankle boots and a jacket.

All competitors must register their vehicle prior to being eligible for competition. Registration takes place at the Drag Race Tech Area located inside the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage. All cars must pass through an annual tech inspection prior to their first competition. Points follow the vehicle registration number and will not be combined. Accumulated points do not transfer divisions.


Ted Austad
Event Promotions Coordinator
Atlanta Motor Speedway
www.atlantamotorspeedway.com

“DOC” BURFORD WINS SPORTSMAN, GOES TO SEMIS IN PRO WITH STOCK VETTE

By: Amy Glover

(Commerce, GA – May 9) After a long break from the Summit ET series, racers came in ready to roll, despite the threat of scattered thunderstorms. The race track had recently hosted the Southern Nationals, as well as being a filming site for the Speed TV series Pass Time, garnering excitement for the summer season. According to JD Burford, it was “the courageous and the cabin-fevered that showed up,” perhaps eager to obtain a Mother’s Day surprise.

The Super Pro finals pitted regulars Jesse Young and Mardy Kennedy against one another. The starting line was tight, when Young (Danielsville, GA) cut a .013 light in his ’00 Undercover, while Kennedy (Auburn, GA) had a .027 reaction time in his ’67 Camaro. It all came down to the finish line, when Kennedy crossed too early, with a 6.56 elapsed time on his 6.65 dial-in, at 103.67 mph. This mattered little compared to Young’s numbers – Young ran dead-on his 4.86 dial-in, at 141.68 mph, securing victory with an excellent run. Young reported, “I ran all day with a broken rear-end…I worked until one last night on it.” Young, an absolute family man, thanked his wife and baby, and his dad for helping him work on the dragster, as well as his sponsor James D. Young Contracting. Jason James out of Taylorsville, GA finished in the semi-final round, in his ’95 Cutlass.

The Pro final was an exciting one, resting ultimately on Justin Buchanan and former Summit champion Kelly King’s skills at the Christmas tree. Buchanan’s ’72 Nova launched with a .002 light, surpassing King’s .072 light in his modified ’90 Jeep. Both men ran slower than their predictions, Buchanan (Six Mile, SC) finishing with a 7.14 ET on a 7.11 dial-in at 93.55 mph, while King (Stockbridge, GA) ran a 6.90 on his 6.89 dial-in at 96.93 mph. Buchanan’s impressive start at the tree won the night. Buchanan thanked his family – mom, dad, and sister – for the win, and made sure to say “Go Tigers!” in the spirit of his student life at Clemson University. JD “Doc” Burford, a medical doctor from Greenville, SC, made it to the semis in his ’07 Corvette.

Burford was kept busy, following his semi-final finish in the Pro class with the Sportsman final. “I was just hot-lapping, and didn’t seem to get out of my car for three hours!” It was student against teacher, as Burford ran against his mentor Mel Abney (Cumming, GA). Burford’s hot-lapping produced consistently impressive reaction times, his stock ‘vette leaving the starting line with a .008 green light. Abney’s ’67 Camaro launched with a .054 light, finishing with a 13.21 ET, far from his 13.05 prediction, at 107.21 mph. “Doc” Burford sealed the deal with surgical precision, running dead on his 13.10 dial-in at 99.60 mph. Burford reflected, “It was a fun day, all the racers had a great morale.” Burford thanked Mel Abney for the win: “He taught me everything there is to know about drag racing.” Mike Puckett (Norcross, GA), good friend of Burford and Abney, made it a ‘team win’ as the sole Sportsman semi-finalist in his ’90 Thunderbird SL.

Jay “Bird” Rhyne (Athens, GA) and Jimmy “Cha Cha” Heisler (Woodstock, GA) were the Motorcycle finalists, with Rhyne’s ’81 Kawasaki against Heisler’s ’00 Kawasaki. Rhyne left the line first with a .029 reaction, Heisler following with a .135 green light. Heisler just couldn’t catch Rhyne at the top end, running a 10.58 on his 10.52 dial at 125.37 mph. Rhyne ran a much tighter 12.36 on his 12.33 prediction, at 99.61 mph. Rhyne won the race without time runs, after his first bike broke during the second time trial. After buying back from a red-lit first round, Rhyne made good lights the rest of the night. Rhyne thanked Jeff Vance and Tim Sutton for their help. Howard Bowman (Homer, GA) finished in the semis, on his ’06 Harley.

The 8-12 Junior Dragster final was a big boost for 12 year old Chris Bowden (Homer, GA), who shot from fourth to first in points after tonight’s victory. The final was a dual breakout, with Charlie Smith (9 – McDonough, GA) running a 13.096 on his 13.10 dial-in at 49.07 mph. Despite Smith’s better .069 light, against Bowden’s .215, Bowden cut it slightly closer, winning with an 8.917 elapsed time on his 8.92 dial-in, at 73.12 mph. Bowden was worried about his inconsistent engine, replacing the existing carburetor for today’s race with a smaller carburetor. This proved to do the trick, as Bowden dialed the same number all day long. Bowden thanked Roy Whaley, and Jimmy Mayfield, who lent him the carburetor that made the engine run so well. Smith’s older sister Avery Smith (12 – McDonough, GA) finished in the semi-final round.

Bailey Denton (15 – McDonough, GA) and Kiley Oliver (17 – Buford, GA) made it to the final round in the 13-17 Junior Dragster class. Oliver cut a .149 light, crossing the line with a 9.45 on a 9.32 dial, at 66.94 mph. Denton pulled off a much tighter run, with a .040 reaction time, finishing with a 7.93 on a 7.90 dial at 77.63 mph. Denton’s success gained the second place in the points standings. Ricky Hebert (15 – Evans, GA) and Jordan Thurmond (16 – Statham, GA) were the semi-finalists.


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 2009 events, including the ORSCA OUTLAW 10.5 Racing Series on May 16-May 17, 2009, may be obtained by calling the track office (706-335-2301) or logging on to http://www.atlantadragway.com/ .

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SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Jesse Young ’00 Undercover Danielsville, GA 4.86 141.68 (4.86)
R/U: Mardy Kennedy ’67 Camaro Auburn, GA 6.56 103.67 (6.65)
Semi: Jason James ’95 Cutlass Taylorsville, GA
———————————————————————————————————————————————
PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Justin Buchanan ’72 Nova Six Mile, SC 7.14 93.55 (7.11)
R/U: Kelly King ’90 Jeep Stockbridge, GA 6.90 96.93 (6.89)
Semi: JD “Doc” Burford ’07 Corvette Greenville, SC
———————————————————————————————————————————————
SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: JD “Doc” Burford ’07 Corvette Greenville, SC 13.10 99.60 (13.10)
R/U: Mel Abney ’67 Camaro Cumming, GA 13.21 107.21 (13.05)
Semi: Mike Puckett ’90 Thunderbird SL Norcross, GA
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MOTORCYCLE BIKE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Jay “Bird” Rhyne ’81 Kawasaki Athens, GA 12.36 99.61 (12.33)
R/U: Jimmy Heisler ’00 Kaw. ZX6R Woodstock, GA 10.58 125.37 (10.52)
Semi: Howard Bowman ’06 Harley Homer, GA
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8-12 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Chris Bowden 12 Homer, GA 8.91 73.12 (8.92)
R/U: Charlie Smith 9 McDonough, GA 13.09 49.07 (13.10)
Semi: Avery Smith 12 McDonough, GA
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13-17 JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Bailey Denton 15 McDonough, GA 7.93 77.63 (7.90)
R/U: Kiley Oliver 17 Buford, GA 9.45 66.94 (9.32)
Semi: Ricky Hebert 15 Evans, GA
Semi: Jordan Thurmond 16 Statham, GA———————————————————————————————————————————————

SGMP Drag Radial Photos by Marvin T. Smith

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