Texas Speedzone - Clash of the Titans, Outlaw Street Car Nationals @ San Antonio Raceway 9/2-3/06

Labor Day Nationals, Clash of the Titans, Outlaw Street Car Nationals
@ San Antonio Raceway 9/2-3/06By J M Hallas

Marion, Tx.(Sept. 3rd 2006)
Labor Day weekend brought the 4th Annual Clash of the Titans, Outlaw Street Car Nationals to San Antonio Raceway, just east of San Antonio, Texas. The Clash features some of fastest, baddest street and outlaw cars from across the south and as far away as Missouri. The unique Clash concept pits a variety of cars and motor combinations in 'heads up' racing with some of the most exotic blown, turbo-charged, nitrous bad boys to your basic 14 second street car.

It’s always a wide variety of cars ranging from you basic grocery getter Mustangs and Cameros to the wild Pro and Outlaw 10.5 cars. All have one thing in common, they are still door slammers.

Saturday night was scheduled to have three rounds of Pro Qualifying, along with the San Antonio Electronics, Footbrake and Jr. Dragster classes. Mother Nature had other ideas as she dumped a little rain in the early evening delaying the events and forcing cancellation of one round in Pro Qualifying. Even the shower couldn’t dampen anyone’s spirits and after an hour to dry the track, qualifying resumed for Pro classes and eliminations for the local classes.

In the Pro Outlaw class it was Buddy Farmer from Ganby, Missouri setting a standard that no one would touch as he posted a pass of 6.356 @ 213.98 despite running out of fuel at 1000'. It was the best pass ever for the 2003 Corvette, powered by an alcohol injected, Keith Black 541 CI motor with Brad Anderson stage 6 heads and sponsored by Stouffer Communications. The car is completely garage built from the ground up in a year long project between Farmer and his sons.
"We came all this way because we're second in points," said Farmer. "My sons and crewman talked me into to coming, saying that they would drive. We had a good pass even though we ran out of fuel and threw off the blower belt. We've got more in it. If we make the finals it assures us enough money to make it back home. We may step on it and go for the record."

Outlaw 10.5 class points leader, Kevin Hargett, showed why he was number one laying down the best lap of 7.034 @ 207.37. Hargett runs a 2001 Mustang with a 398 CI single turbo-charged motor, sponsored by Lone Star Performance and Hoosier Tire.
"We're looking for the win, of course," replied the Dallas native, Hargett. "Isn't everybody. Almost nothing else will pay the bills for the weekend. It would be nice if we could run a six second pass."

Local San Antonio driver, David Marroquin put down the best lap in the Super Street class. Marroquin's 360 CI turbo-charged 1990 Mustang sponsored by the Hot Rod Store and Murrillo Motorsports ran a pass of 7.906 @ 178.22.
Pro Street saw Katy, Texas' Cory Wheat set the fastest qualifying time with a 4.607 @ 159.24 , in his 648 CI 1968 Camero with a 3-stage nitrous system. Wheat is sponsored by American Racing Wheels and Wholesale Wheel and Tire.

In the highly competitive True 10.5 class Kean Wang's 7.912 @ 187.03 was the best time in his 1994 Toyota Supra powered by a stroked 6-cylinder, 3.4 liter, turbo-charged, nitrous injected motor sponsored by Boost Logic, Tuning Concepts and Performance Motorsports.

Chad Baker, from Deer Park, Texas put his 1987 Mustang on top of the Cheap Street qualifying with 8.648 @ 158.39. Baker's 427 CI small block(that's what the man told me) is sponsored by Clear Lake Speed and C&T Race Cars.

Saturday night top qualifiers;
Pro Outlaw
1. Buddy Farmer, 6.356 @ 213.98–3rd in points
2. H.T. Wilson, 7.017 @ 189.87
3. Charles Osborne, 7.040 @ 201.16 (fire on top end-unable run eliminations)

Outlaw 10.5
1. Kevin Hargett, 7.034 @ 207.37–points leader
2. Grant McCreary 7.221 @ 205.10(off end of track after chute failed)
3. Stan Williams, 7.277 @ 193.05

Super Street
1. David Marroquin, 7.906 @ 178.22--points leader.
2. Brad Lind, 9.715 @ 158.39–2nd in points.
3. B. Frazier, 10.468 @ 120.06

Pro Street(1/8 mile)
1. Cory Wheat, 4.607 @ 159.24
2. B. Stocklin, 4.710 @ 157.23
3. Tim Rivette, 5.015 @ 143.49–2nd in points

True 10.5
1. Kean Wang, 7.912 @ 187.86
2. Kyle Huettel, 7.954 @ 178.86–2nd in points
3. Michael Genoveac, 8.084 @ 174.01

Cheap Street
1. Chad Baker, 8.648 @ 158.39
2. J. Robinson, 8.739 @ 160.83
3. Greg Eaton, 8.744 @ 158.95–3rd in points

Heads up eliminations were also run for 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 index classes.
10.00 Index;
Ralph Hernandez 10.067 @ 126.02 over Clay Kennedy 10.148 @ 118.92
11.00 Index
Josh Huckeba 11.308 @ 113.32 over Michael Andrews 11.400 @ 119.27
12.00 Index
Lupe Davilla 12.003 @ 113.12 over Chuck Hoekstra 11.817 @ 113.78(broke out)
13.00 Index
Steve Gomez 13.186 @ 95.40 over Bill Buck 13.326 @ 102.18
14.00 Index
Roger Hernandez 14.272 @ 84.99 over Gari Valdez 14.470 @ 91.35

Mike "Hojo" Hojnaki in the Interceptor Jet Funny Car capped off Pro qualifying with a fire show topped off with a run of 6.317 @ 239.49 mph.

In the Electronics class finals N. Thompson was awarded the win after he and Brett Zampese both broke out. Thompson’s 12.687 @ 127.41 on a 12.69 dial was the lesser of the breakouts by 2/100 to Zampese’s 7.855 @ 168.16 on a 7.86 dial in.

Dustin Bradford took the Footbrake class finals with a run of 10.554(10.55 index) @ 126.30 over R. Hudel 9.604 @ 148.03.

It was Megan Hubbell beating all the boys in Jr. Dragsters as she posted a 9.03 @ 68.49 to D. Tindall’s break out of 8.941 @ 74.04 on a 8.96 dial in.

Sunday Pro Eliminations

Sunday's last chance qualifying saw several drivers step up their times throughout the Pro classes, but no one was able to de-thrown the top dogs. So the ladders were set for first round eliminations. With an odd number of cars in most classes, all but one of the top qualifiers received bye runs.

H. T. Wilson grabbed top honors in the Pro Outlaw class when fast qualifier, Buddy Farmer shook the tires and was forced to pedal his car and shut off early. Wilson’s 6.953 @ 196.42 easily beat Farmer’s 11.961 @ 67.19. It was a first ever class win for the Azle, Texas driver in his unsponsored, 2000 Jerry Haas Pontiac Firebird powered by a Hans 706 motor with a two stage nitrous system.
“Luck,” said Wilson. “It was a big part of winning tonight. If he(Farmer) hadn’t shook the tires I doubt I could have won. We were several tenths off his times. I’ve won back-to-back divisional races, but never run a Clash show before.”

The Outlaw 10.5 class saw another first time winner as Stan Williams got the win after Chris Shortridge lit the red light. Williams, a former two-time Super Street Champion in 2004-2005 ran a 7.266 @ 190.76. The Marion, Kansas native drives a 1986 Camero powered by a big block Chevy on nitrous and sponsored by Marion Auto Supply, Williams Service and Dial Race Shop.

Super Street saw Brad Lind upset local hotshoe and fast timer, David Marroquin in the finals. Lind, from Kyle, Texas drives the turbo-charged 360CI, 1993 Ford Mustang sponsored by Stang Gear, Kutzer Race Engines and American Racing Technology. Lind laid down a 8.798 @ 167.35 to Marroquin’s 9.591 @ 171.82.

In True 10.5 it was two Cypress, Texas friends squaring off for the win between Kyle Heuttel and Chip Raderchak. Heuttel ran a 7.864 @ 180.07 , while Raderchak, who was having motor problems, red lit. The win puts Heuttel into the True 10.5 points lead in the 1996 Z-28 Camero with a 598 Chevy on a two stage nitrous system. Heuttel, sponsored by his father and the Bad 9-er Crew leads the class with three wins this season as well.

Fast qualifier Cory Wheat completed the weekend sweep easily when his competition was unable to make the call for the finals. Wheat, who had the only contested first round run, didn’t take it easy and busted off a pass of 4.646 @ 159.01 down the 1/8 mile.

Deer Park, Texas’ Chad Baker put a holeshot on Greg Eaton to take the win in Cheap Street. Baker’s reaction time of .074 was better than Eaton’s .186 as the green flashed. Eaton ran a quicker 8.586 @ 161.17 to Baker’s 8.671 @ 158.34, but was unable to drive around fast qualifier, Baker on the big end.
Jason Traugott had the fans standing and cheering after one of the most incredible runs in semi-finals. Traugott launced his Mustang off the line and immediately stood it on the rear bumper. He continued dragging the bumper down to the 1/8 mile mark where it came back down. Undaunted, Traugott was back on the throttle and back on the rear bumper to complete a near 1/4 mile “wheelie.” All this in a street car!

Mike “Hojo” Hojnaki lit up the skies and shook the ground with two passes in his Jet Funny Car. Hojnaki’s best pass was 6.335 @ 249.58 mph.

Consistency was the key as Lupe Davila took the win in the Electronics class over Jeb Edwards. Davila, from Dickinson, Texas ran a 12.116 @ 110.00 on a 12.08 dial in to beat Edwards’ 8.094 @ 161.87.

In the Footbrake class, San Antonio local, Ryan McDonnell was able to drive around Tom Beck after spotting him nearly two and a half seconds. McDonnell posted a pass of 9.388 @ 131.77 on a 9.34 dial in to Beck’s 11.752 @ 111.94.

Taylor McMillan took the Jr. Dragster victory with a holeshot and run of 7.965 on the 1/8 mile to beat Brandon Bass’ 7.934 @ 81.48.

McMillan swept the Jr Dragster class with a victory over Aaron Cole in the Quick 32 field. McMillan posted a 4.868 running the 330' to Cole’s 4.894.

It's always a pleasure and a thrill to get back to my roots of racing, so to speak. The Zampese's and entire SAR Staff are great to work with and run a fine facility. I have a lot of fun getting to hang out on the starting line with TXSZ regular Tommy Freeman(tommy33) and not afraid to jump in when help is needed for clean up or this time track drying.