It didn’t take Texas Automatic Outlaws racer Chris Domino long to find success with his new Pat Musi-built 903 cubic inch nitrous motor.  In his first race out with the newly acquired power plant, Domino reset his personal best elapsed time and speed on his way to taking a win at his hometown track of Evadale Raceway just outside of Beaumont, Texas.  A hung throttle in a Friday night test run almost ended Domino’s weekend, but the team was able to make the necessary repairs to get his Pro Mod 1968 Camaro ready for Saturday’s competition.
 
The Texas Automatic Outlaws is an organization aimed at giving the ‘little-guy’ a chance to run heads-up Pro Mod.  Performance restrictions are in place on all of the power-adders in an effort to maintain parity and control costs.  Eliminations are run using a sportsman ladder.
 
The event featured 14 cars vying for the eight car field.  Tim Ortiz paced qualifying in Richard Otwell’s “Team-O” nitrous assisted entry with a 4.061 second e.t. at 179.64 mph.  Domino followed with a 4.080 at 180.14, while Texas veteran Jerry Hicks rounded out the field with a 4.387 at 158.39.
 
Bob Gulitti, who qualified third, entered the event with a sizable points lead over Ortiz for the series championship.  Defending series Champ Bengt Blomberg opened eliminations with a 4.307/166.05 win over Hicks.  Eddie Roach then upset points leader Gulitti with a 4.469/163.22 mph after Gulitti was forced to lift.  Domino carded a 4.042/180.14 mph lap to defeat E.J. Hickl’s 4.251/178.86 in his screw-blown Willy’s.  Ortiz was unable to take advantage of Gulitti’s first round loss as he got out of shape himself and was forced to lift, while Harry Crane recorded a game 4.170/174.96 to move to the semifinals.
 
The first pair of the semifinals was a pedal-fest with Crane coming out on top with a 5.32/143 to Blomberg’s 5.92/122.  In the next pair, Roach jumped out to a sizable lead off the line over Domino, but could not hold off Domino’s booming 4.025/180.80 with his own 4.612/147.
 
Both drivers had to pedal in the final, but it was Domino holding on to turn on the win-light with a 4.31/155.
 
“We had a major mishap Friday night with the throttle hanging wide open,” said Domino.  “I almost wrecked the car, it blew out one front tire, damaged one of the zoomies and knocked a hole in the oil pan.  We were able to get it all fixed up and race Saturday night.  First race out with a new engine and new three-speed transmission.  I want to thank Pat Musi and Mark Mickie for such great stuff.  We went 4.08 Q1, spun in Q2, 4.04 first round and 4.02 in the second, pulling power out each time.  Dealt with adversity every round, but a great crew got us to the line every time.  The dew was setting in on the track in the final and I had to lift when it shifted into high gear, so it only went a 4.31.”
 
Gulitti was able to leave the event with the points lead still intact over Ortiz.  Evadale Raceway will host the final TAO event of the season Saturday, Nov. 19.