Photos by Robert Richard,
1 – HOME IS WHERE YOU HANG YOUR WINS AT – Ken Quartuccio solidified his status at Bradenton Motorsports Park by capturing a $75,000 prize and the lead in the Drag Illustrated Winter Series points standings. Driving a screw-blown ’69 Camaro from Scott Tidwell Racing, Quartuccio outpaced Lyle Barnett in the final round with a 3.586-second pass at 208.62 mph.
Quartuccio’s recent successes at the venue include winning the 2023 U.S. Street Nationals and finishing as the runner-up in both the 2024 U.S. Street Nationals and Snowbird Outlaw Nationals. He expressed confidence during Friday night’s qualifying, claiming a pattern; whenever he has placed second at the Snowbirds, he subsequently wins the U.S. Street event.
“It’s just crazy the level of confidence that I have when I come here,” Quartuccio remarked. “This is a totally different team than when I runnered-up to Mark Micke last year, or the year before that when we won it.”
The driver highlighted the unique atmosphere at Bradenton Motorsports Park. “They can bury me in the back here. Let them put a house on me. I don’t care. This is where I’m going to rest my final days,” he added.
Quartuccio maintained impressive performance levels throughout the event, staying in the 3.50-second range in all but one of his elimination rounds. His slowest time was 3.607 seconds, which he noted could have been quicker if he had not lifted early from the throttle.
“This whole thing is a testament to Steve Petty and Scott Tidwell, Dustin Nesloney, and this whole entire team,” Quartuccio stated. “Last night in Q3, it broke a rear gear. ProLine put a gear together, put it in a truck, and delivered a rear end to us at the hotel at 6 o’clock this morning.”
On Saturday night, Quartuccio competed against Brazilian racer Sidnei Frigo in the first round, where both drivers recorded identical .022 reaction times. Quartuccio won the duel with a time of 3.572 seconds at 209.65 mph, eclipsing Frigo’s 3.622.
In the second round, Quartuccio faced 2023 NMCA Xtreme Pro Mod champion Ty Tutterow. Tutterow went red, handing the race to Quartuccio, who still posted a 3.607-second pass. Quartuccio continued his strong run in the quarterfinals, defeating two-time NHRA U.S. Nationals Top Dragster winner Zach Sackman with a 3.599 at 208.81.
The semifinal matchup showcased Quartuccio’s prowess with a .007 reaction time and a run of 3.595 seconds to defeat Rian Hayward, who achieved a career-best time of 3.609 seconds, ultimately finishing second.
With this victory, Quartuccio leaves Bradenton with 1,210 points, leading Kye Kelley (896), Mark Micke (714), Kurt Steding (707), Mike Decker III (700), and Melanie Salemi (700). The championship will be contested at the World Series of Pro Mod from February 27 to March 1.
“Going into that race, with points and a half, any one of them can win,” Quartuccio commented regarding the upcoming challenge. “I feel good about it, but like I said, they’re all badasses. I’m going to race this thing hard, and hopefully these guys know that if they want to beat me, they’re going to have to race hard too.”
2 – BARNETT’S PATH TO THE FINALS – Lyle Barnett rebounded from a disappointing showing last month to earn a runner-up finish at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Joining Tommy Youmans Racing this season, Barnett drove a ProCharger-powered 2018 Camaro to solidify his position, propelling himself from 41st to eighth in points.
“I’m living a dream that most will only dream of, and I’m so grateful for that,” Barnett said. “Tommy Youmans gave me an opportunity, and I’m so thankful he did.”
Barnett credited his team for their support throughout the event. “I’m trying to do the best I can for him,” he said, acknowledging contributions from the whole crew. “I’m so proud of them. I didn’t lose today; Ken Quartuccio won.”
In the first round of eliminations, Barnett faced Kenny Lang. Using a substantial holeshot, Barnett clocked in at 3.748 seconds at 194.83 mph, defeating Lang, who recorded 3.924 seconds at 156.77 mph.
In the second round, Barnett advanced after Scott Taylor red-lighted with a -.011, despite both drivers needing to pedal. Barnett managed only a 4.097-second run at the same speed but moved forward to the quarterfinals.
There, Barnett’s opponent was four-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown, who was driving a 2020 Lexus owned by Manny Buginga. Brown double-bulbed but left the line early with a -.002 red light, allowing Barnett to advance to the semifinals.
The semifinal race featured another red light, marking Barnett’s third round in a row benefiting from opponents’ early exits. Mike “Hollywood” Decker III left too soon, while Barnett finished with a strong run of 3.617 seconds at 209.10 mph.
“If you want to sum up our weekend with one word, I think resilience fits best,” Barnett remarked. “There’s no denying that we did not have a very good showing at the Snowbirds, and we made some yard sale changes coming into the U.S. Street Nationals.”
Barnett noted that luck played a role in their performance during the event. “We had some luck along the way, but you know, you’ve got to have that every now and again,” he said.
With this strong performance, Barnett has a renewed sense of confidence heading into the World Series of Pro Mod.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum going into the World Series of Pro Mod, and I think we’ve got a ride that come February, you’re going to know it was here again,” he concluded.
3 – THAT CRAZY PM FIRST ROUND – Sometimes the promoter’s dreams come true.
For instance, when Snowbirds winner and Street Outlaws superstar Kye Kelley matched up against one of his biggest critics in Stevie “Fast” Jackson, highly anticipated match-up seemed like an inadequate description.
Kelley took the win in his screw-blown “Can’t Get Right” ’85 Camaro, using a slight holeshot and 3.595 e.t. to beat Jackson’s 3.601.
“Growing up, Stevie Fast was my idol…and I just took him down,” Kelley said. “It was a badass feeling – it kind of feels like I won the finals by beating him.”
4 – THAT UNPREDICTABLE SECOND ROUND – The second round was highly unpredictable and anticlimactic at the same time, considering there were four of eight races were decided by the red-light.
Seven of the top 10 drivers in points coming into the event were eliminated, including Kelley and No. 1 qualifier and defending event champion Mark Micke.
5 – SHOWING THE YANKS A THING OR TWO – Grantley Schloss secured a victory for Australia in the Pro 275 final at the U.S. Street Nationals, defeating New Hampshire’s Tim Dutton. Schloss qualified fourth in his ProCharged ’67 Nova, advancing through the rounds to claim the title.
In the opening round, Schloss faced YouTube star and track co-owner Garrett “Cleetus McFarland” Mitchell. Mitchell’s new “Eagle” ’69 Camaro lost traction early, enabling Schloss to finish with a time of 3.739 seconds at 201.73 mph, compared to Mitchell’s 4.025.
Schloss continued his strong performance in the second round, defeating Chad Opaleski’s ’66 Chevelle with a run of 5.47 seconds at 155.17 mph against Opaleski’s 6.372. In the semifinals, Schloss left first against drag radial veteran Brad Edwards, finishing with 3.718 seconds at 203.34 mph, while Edwards clocked in at 4.173.
In the final round, Schloss and Dutton left the line together, but Schloss quickly gained the lead. He crossed the finish at 3.672 seconds and 203.31 mph, while Dutton recorded a 6.07 at 96.32, marking Schloss’s successful day in the finals.
6 – BLEVINS WINS ANOTHER – Greg Blevins Jr. secured another victory in Limited Drag Radial at the U.S. Street Nationals, following his win at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals less than two months ago. Blevins, driving a Jamie Miller-tuned, ProCharged ’69 Camaro, qualified sixth and began eliminations with a 3.916-second run at 186.77 mph on a bye.
The reigning FuelTech Radial Outlaws Series LDR champion continued his strong performance with a holeshot win over Tommy Youmans, finishing at 3.952 seconds at 186.69 mph, compared to Youmans’ 3.931. In the third round, Blevins improved his time to 3.947 at 186.95 to advance past Josh Nierman.
In the semifinals, Blevins delivered a stellar run of 3.888 seconds at 193.63 mph to defeat Rob Goss, who lost traction early and coasted to 9.194.
Blevins capped off his day with a final round performance of 3.878 seconds at 187.83, securing a decisive win over Alabama’s Jamie Hancock, who slowed to a 6.793 at 90.75.
7 – TAKES ADVANTAGE OF X275 PARITY – Marty Pearcy, the No. 13 qualifier, secured a $10,000 victory in X275, demonstrating that any competitor has a chance at triumph. Pearcy defeated quicker-qualified cars in each elimination round, culminating in a win over DJ McCain in the final.
In the opening round, Pearcy faced fellow Mopar driver Jeff Miller. He posted a time of 5.725 seconds at 168.70 mph in his turbocharged ’10 Challenger, defeating Miller’s 5.904 in a ’10 Jeep SRT.
In the second round, Pearcy showcased improved performance with a run of 4.25 seconds at 172.70 mph, surpassing No. 5 qualifier Chris Taylor, who posted a 4.306.
In the semifinals, Alton Clements struggled at the starting line, allowing Pearcy to advance with a time of 4.212 seconds at 174.01 mph, while Clements clocked a 7.708.
In the final, Pearcy faced DJ McCain but did not have lane choice. When McCain’s nitrous-fed “Vecna” C6 Corvette encountered issues after launch, Pearcy capitalized, finishing with a winning time of 4.528 seconds at 163.65 mph.
8 – COULTER’S ULTRA DOMINATION – Jessie Coulter’s turbocharged ’03 Mustang was in a zone while competing in the Ultra Street category, culminating in a dominant win. The Bowling Green, Kentucky-based driver began race day with a test run, coasting to a 6.53 during a first-round bye.
Coulter resumed strong performance in the second round, defeating Mark Browne with a time of 4.413 seconds at 163.93 mph, while Browne clocked in at 4.597. He continued to excel in the third round, setting the low elapsed time with a run of 4.422 at 164.39 to outpace Kieffer Simpson’s 4.448.
The semifinals saw Coulter secure another victory, firing off a 4.388 at 164.69 to narrowly defeat Davey Hull, who finished with a quicker 4.386 due to a holeshot loss.
In the final round, Coulter faced Terry Wilson and solidified his dominance with a low E.T. of 4.378 at 164.97, defeating Wilson’s nitrous-fed ’95 Mustang, which posted a time of 4.489 at 157.37.
9 – A HOMESTATE WIN IN L235 – Eddie Ramirez claimed victory in the Limited 235 class at the U.S. Street Nationals, keeping the win in his home state of Florida. Competitors traveled from as far as Texas, Ohio, and Australia, but Ramirez navigated his way to the top.
He began with a fortunate break in the first round and then defeated Troy Pirez Sr. with a run of 4.958 seconds at 140.07 mph, while Pirez finished at 7.996. The Sanford resident cut a .005 reaction time in the third round and posted 4.936 at 140.53, beating Brandon Simmons, who recorded 5.101.
Ramirez then delivered his best performance in the semifinals, clocking in at 4.904 seconds at 140.65 to edge out Bryan Wright’s 4.982. In the final, he faced Australian Michael Konstandinou, who drove a right-hand-drive ’88 Holden Commodore.
Ramirez led throughout the final round, claiming the win with a time of 4.931 seconds at 140.53 mph, while Konstandinou finished with 5.155 at 117.68.
10 – FIORELLI GETS THE WIN – Mike Fiorelli captured his first victory in Outlaw 632, defeating class favorite Walter Lannigan in the final round. Despite Lannigan taking the top qualifying spot, Fiorelli’s Clayton Murphy-tuned ’68 Camaro proved dominant throughout eliminations.
In the opening round, the Hollywood, Florida driver recorded a .012 reaction time and a run of 4.157 seconds at 169.89 mph, overcoming Phil Swales, who finished with 4.481. Fiorelli improved in the semifinals, leveraging a .005 light and a time of 4.135 at 170.23 to defeat Lenny Grawburg, who slowed down to 5.799.
In the final, Lannigan, driving Chris Holdorf’s Jamie Miller-tuned Freedom Grow ’10 GTO, had a quicker launch, leaving first. However, Fiorelli responded with a career-best performance, posting 4.106 seconds at 171.36 mph to secure the win over Lannigan’s 4.192 at 168.22. Fiorelli’s victory marks a significant milestone in his racing career.
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - MICKE DOES WHAT HE DOES BEST - SETS THE PACE
1 – MICKE SEALS 12-IN-A-ROW – When it comes to qualifying at Bradenton Motorsports Park events, Mark Micke seems to be as automatic as the transmissions he manufactures.
Micke extended his No. 1 qualifier streak to 12 events in a row on Saturday night with his 3.567-second pass at 219.36 mph. He gave a hint in jest that he was going to provide the screw-supercharged combination a chance to pace the field, but in the end, Micke wasn’t willing to share.
“The screw-blower guys, they’ve all made a hell of a lap,” said Micke. “I was going to kind of let them go, but Vic’s [Alvarez] up there prodding me, telling me to let it hang out. I came back here and said, ‘I can’t take it no more. We’re going to go for it.’ These things, they’re animals; you don’t know if they’re going to make it, but we looked at the track, and Wade [Rich] had that track on kill. This car’s just a testament to the crew and what we’ve done as a program.”
As efficient as he has been in qualifying, Micke understands Sunday’s eliminations will be a tough proposition. Sunday’s field was pared from 69 entries down to 32. Sunday’s competition will face warmer temperatures, and while there were seven cars in the 3.50s, Micke understands eliminations could be less predictable.
“A .56 is stout,” Micke said. “That’s fast out there, but you won’t get these conditions tomorrow. It’s going to be warmer, and the track will get hotter. But I mean, how badass of a series do we got going on here? It just shows the testament of the quality of the rules package. I really believe these teams are the best of the best. Everybody’s on edge. Whoever you draw can just beat your ass in any minute.”
Micke is the defending event champion, having beaten Friday’s provisional low qualifier, Ken Quartuccio, in the final round. Quartuccio dropped to second with a 3.572 at 211.36 mph.
“I’m almost speechless just to think that we’ve been able to maintain this since January of last year,” said Micke. “I’ve been fortunate enough to win this event a couple of times. We always sponsor this event, so we kind of feel like this is our event. This is our home. We own this event. And we won’t settle for anything else but a win.”
2 – THE QUICKEST EVER – Matt Deitsch sits on the 32-car bump spot with a 3.655 in his nitrous-fed ‘69 Camaro. It stands as the quickest 32-car field in the history of the series.
3 – QUARTUCCIO ON MICKE’S HEELS – Quartuccio races a screw-blown ’69 Camaro out of the Scott Tidwell Racing camp. He runnered-up to Kye Kelley here last month at the Snowbird Nationals, and came into this weekend second in points. With 3.57-second passes on both Friday and Saturday, Quartuccio is incredibly confident headed into race day. He faces Brazilian native Sidnei Frigo in the first round.
“I feel good about all of it,” Quartuccio said. “I know I can race well tomorrow. I mean, it’s like a bracket car right now. Everybody here is hard, and you can’t make a mistake; it doesn’t matter if they didn’t qualify as good; we just got to go out there and race hard.”
4 – THE MARQUEE MATCH UPS – The first round of competition features a highly anticipated matchup between the 2024 Snowbirds winner Kye Kelley and two-time NHRA Pro Mod champion “Stevie Fast” Jackson. After Saturday night’s chip draw, both drivers exchanged banter ahead of their upcoming race.
“We’ve been going back and forth in the pits all day,” Kelley said. “It’s all fun and games. We come up here and draw each other; it’s like, you can’t make this s*** up. It’s gonna be badass. I know we’re gonna let it all hang out, and people are gonna get to see a drag race.”
Jackson expressed anticipation for the duel, noting the significance of the matchup. “I believe things happen exactly like they’re supposed to,” he said. “This round right here will set the internet on fire. We race cars because of moments like this.”
He added, “This is probably going to be the biggest round of the year for the internet and maybe for the sport. And this guy just won the last one. He’s at the top of the heap, right? I’m used to being on top and swinging down. Now I’m swinging up. I like it.”
In addition to Kelley and Jackson, the first round pairings include: Matt Deitsch vs. Erica Enders, Craig Sullivan vs. Zach Sackman, Cameron Hensley vs. Travis Harvey, Spencer Hyde vs. Kurt Steding, Jason Scruggs vs. Isaias Rojas, Ken Quartuccio vs. Sidnei Frigo, Kenny Lang vs. Lyle Barnett, Raymond Matos vs. Ty Tutterow, Antron Brown vs. Joel Wensley Sr., Mark Micke vs. Steve King, Scott Taylor vs. Andrew Handras, Mike Decker III vs. Bob Glenn, Jim Whiteley vs. Melanie Salemi, and Jerico Balduf vs. Jeff Rudolf.
5 – BARNETT SETS THE PACE FOR PRO275 – Several Pro 275 drivers improved significantly during the second qualifying session, reshaping the leaderboard entirely after a tough Friday. Lyle Barnett, winner of the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, secured the No. 1 qualifying position with a time of 3.689 seconds at 204.79 mph in Tommy Youmans’ ProCharged “Salvage Title” Mustang.
Tim Dutton also made strides, moving up to second place with a time of 3.696 seconds at 203.40 mph in his ProCharged C7 Corvette. Reigning FuelTech Radial Outlaws Series Pro 275 champion Mo Hall rounded out the top three with a run of 3.711 seconds at 202.36 mph in his nitrous-fed 2017 Corvette.
6 – HENDERSON PACES LIMITED DRAG RADIAL – The top of the qualifying order in Limited Drag Radial shifted on Saturday as conditions favored high-horsepower, small-tire machines. Chad Henderson of Alabama secured the No. 1 qualifying position with a 3.902-second run at 190.46 mph in his supercharged 1987 Buick Grand National.
Rob Goss claimed the No. 2 spot with a 3.924-second pass at 186.69 mph in his ProCharged 2023 Challenger. Matt Bell, who was Friday’s provisional No. 1 qualifier with a time of 3.928 seconds at 195.65 mph, fell to third in his turbocharged 1993 Mustang.
7 – SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS FILL THE X275 FIELD – The X275 class saw significant improvements on Saturday as Alan Felts secured the No. 1 qualifying position with a time of 4.197 seconds at 163.41 mph in his turbocharged 1991 Mustang.
DJ McCain, competing in both X275 and Pro Modified, narrowly missed the 4.10s, finishing second with a run of 4.201 seconds at 168.14 mph in his Musi-powered “Vecna” C6 Corvette. Jeff Moses qualified third after improving to 4.235 seconds at 166.23 mph in his Mustang from Tennessee.
8 – SHAWN PEVLOR SETS NEW E.T. RECORD – Shawn Pevlor and John Kolivas solidified their dominance in Ultra Street as Pevlor drove Kolivas’ KBX Performance 1993 Mustang to a new class E.T. record with a time of 4.340 seconds at 166.89 mph. This achievement secured Pevlor the No. 1 qualifying spot.
Brunswick, Georgia’s Davey Hull held onto the No. 2 position with a pass of 4.41 seconds at 157.61 mph in his 1993 Mustang, a time set on Friday. Jessie Coulter rounded out the top three with a run of 4.417 seconds at 158.63 mph in his 2003 Mustang from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
9 – FLUHART.SAVES HIS BEST FOR LAST – Dean Fluhart of Jacksonville, Florida, secured the No. 1 qualifying position in Limited 235 during the final session with a time of 4.847 seconds at 141.00 mph in his nitrous-fed 1968 Mustang.
Jimmy Harris held onto the No. 2 spot in his 1993 Mustang with a previous run of 4.857 seconds at 141.65 mph. Brad Schehr slipped to third despite improving his time to 4.875 seconds at 143.11 mph in his 1989 Mustang.
10 – LANIGAN HOLDS ON TO 632 TOP SPOT – Walter Lannigan Jr. maintained his No. 1 position in Outlaw 632 qualifying while driving Chris Holdorf’s Nelson-powered 2010 GTO, recording a time of 4.109 seconds at 171.29 mph. Lannigan was unable to improve upon his Friday effort in Saturday’s final qualifying session.
Mike Fiorelli achieved a career-best time of 4.117 seconds at 171.29 mph in his Clayton Murphy-tuned 1968 Camaro, moving up to the second spot. Local racer Lenny Grawburg also improved, posting a time of 4.143 seconds at 174.80 mph in his 1969 Camaro to secure the No. 3 position heading into Sunday eliminations.
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - QUARTUCCIO TOPS ONE AND DONE FRIDAY SESSION
1 – QUARTUCCIO’S SPLENDID FRIDAY – Scott Tidwell Racing’s Ken Quartuccio notched a 3.572-second pass during the this second event of the three-race Winter Series, barely edging out Jason Scruggs’ 3.579 seconds. Quartuccio’s performance comes on the heels of a final-round appearance at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, where he is currently second in points behind winner Kye Kelley.
After his return from the Snowbirds, Quartuccio’s team identified and corrected an issue causing his car to drift towards the centerline. Confident in their adjustments, the team entered Bradenton eager to continue their success.
In the first qualifying round, Quartuccio faced Kelley again, claiming victory and gaining a small measure of revenge.
“We took the car back after Snowbirds and found something bent in the rear suspension, so we fixed that,” Quartuccio said.
He attributed his car’s previous performance issues to the bent part that was fixed prior to this event. The team opted to run the same tune-up from the final round at Snowbirds, feeling confident about their adjustments.
“To be honest, as cars ran, I was getting a little nervous. But the team felt good about it, and the car did exactly what it should,” he added.
Despite inclement weather limiting test sessions throughout the week, Quartuccio remained optimistic. His history at Bradenton Motorsports Park is impressive, including a recent Pro Mod win at the 2023 U.S. Street Nationals and runner-up finishes at both the 2024 U.S. Street Nationals and the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals.
“Historically, I run really good here,” Quartuccio noted. “I’ve won a ton of races here. I come here whenever I’m not doing good, and I usually win at U.S. Street after runner-up finishes.”
He also expressed relief about the lack of testing days.
“I knew it would hurt some of the other teams more than it would hurt us,” he said.
With cooler temperatures anticipated for Saturday’s qualifying, Quartuccio predicts there will be faster times posted. He believes his 3.57-second pass may not hold up.
“I would make a bet that the handcuffs are off now,” he remarked, anticipating significant improvements among the turbo cars. “I’d be surprised if Mark Micke doesn’t go 3.55. We plan on going faster in the morning.”
2 – QUARTUCCIO’S CHALLENGERS – Outlaw Pro Modified legend Jason Scruggs is second with a 3.579 at 211.49 mph in his screw-blown 2020 Camaro. Mark Micke, who won the 2024 U.S. Street Nationals, ran a 3.599 at 219.36 mph, the fastest speed of the session, to end the day in the third spot. Travis Harvey is fourth (3.600, 211.73), while Kelley rounds out the top five (3.601, 209.49) in his third-gen Camaro. Twenty-eight of the 32 cars currently qualified are in the 3.60’s. Dmitry Samorukov sits on the bump spot at 3.739.
3 – TOUGH SLEDDING – While parts of Florida received snow, Bradenton was on the gifting end of rain and cold temperatures which wiped out a robust schedule of testing leading into the event.
Mother Nature’s unusual activities moved into Thursday where all qualifying was postponed until Friday.
And then, just as the event was about to kick off, a race team’s tent was blown into a power line forcing a delay necessitating a visit from the power company to restore electricity.
4 – LONG DISTANCE RUNNER TOPS PROVISIONAL PRO 275 – Talk about making a long-stance statement.
Grantley Schloss, made the trek from Brisbane, Austaria, and was the only driver who made a representative run in the first Pro 275 qualifying session. He laid down a 3.736 at 203.25 in his ProCharged ’67 Nova, as drag radial veteran Brad Edwards was a distant second with a 4.252 at 147.55 in his turbocharged ’97 Cobra. New York’s Paul Major went to the third spot in his turbocharged ’01 Corvette with a 4.823 at 106.87. There are ten other drivers not on the qualifying sheet who are expected to run on Saturday.
5 – NO LIMITS FOR LDR RACER BELL – There’s a boatload of racers competing in Limited Drag Radial this weekend – 24, in fact.
That’s how many took to the track for the first qualifying session, and when the lone session was complete, Matt Bell took the provisional No. 1 position with a 3.928 at 195.65 in his Bloomington, Illinois-based, turbocharged ’93 Mustang.
Double-duty runner Lyle Barnett, pulling triple duty with entries in Pro Modified and Pro 275 as well, also qualified second in the ProCharged Kohler Racing ’02 Camaro with a 3.953 at 185.31. Another Illinois-based racer, Mitch Mika, is third with a 3.956 at 183.79 in his ProCharged ’69 Camaro.
6 – AND A JEEP WILL LEAD THEM – The X275 division, like its PRO 275 counterparts, had difficulty finding traction in Florida’s version of frigid conditions.
No matter how many powerful Camaros and Mustangs made hits at the track, it was a drag racing version of a jeep that handled the conditions like a charm.
Jeff Miller in the Paramount ’10 Jeep SRT ended up in the top spot after the first session with a 5.101 at 165.38, leading Charles Hull and his turbocharged ’92 Mustang with a 5.423 at 100.34. Chris Taylor just missed the 5-second zone with a 6.003 at 122.61 in his turbocharged ’99 Mustang to qualify third out of 16 entries
7 – PEVLOR TOPS ULTRA STREET – The weather didn’t faze the Ultra Street racers as 33 entries ended up on the qualifying list for the first session. Series heavy hitter Shawn Pevlor took the No. 1 spot.
Pevlot, also the class record holder ran 4.382 seconds at 162.88 miles per hour in John Kolivas’ KBX Performance ’93 Mustang. Davey Hull rolled to the No. 2 spot with a 4.41 at 157.61 in his ’93 Mustang. Dave Fiscus, who drove his unique Buick-powered ’93 Mustang to victory at the Snowbirds in December, rounded out the top three with his 4.445 at 157.85.
8 – THE OHIO TRAILBLAZER – Cincinnati’s Jimmy Harris prevented Florida domination at the top of the Limited 235 qualifying order, as he drove his BES-powered ’93 Mustang to a 4.857 at 141.65. Brad Schehr in his Ft. Myers-based, ProCharged ’89 Mustang slid into the No. 2 spot with a 4.901 at 141.77. Sanford’s Eddie Ramirez rolled to a 4.928 at 140.68 in his ’88 Mustang to sit third after Q1.
9 – LANNIGAN LEADS OUTLAW 632 – Walter Lannigan Jr. claimed the early No. 1 spot in Outlaw 632 in the first qualifying session. Driving the same Nelson-powered Freedom Grow ’10 GTO that car owner Chris Holdorf drove to the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals win in December, Lannigan recorded a 4.109 at 171.29. Port Charlotte, Florida’s Kyle Salminen also dipped into the 4.10s with a 4.181 at 168.72 in his Nelson-powered ’03 Cavalier to qualify second. Mike Fiorelli, based in Hollywood, Florida, wheeled his Clayton Murphy-tuned ’68 Camaro to a 4.228 at 168.60 to sit third going into Saturday.
10 – WANNA GO? – Tickets are available on TheFoat.com. Single-day admissions tickets are available online or at the gate for $35 on Saturday and $30 on Sunday. Active military and children 11 and under get in free.
