LYNCH ROCKS SATURDAY'S SHAKEDOWN AT E'TOWN QUALIFYING
Sun, 2010-10-03 13:00
Outlaw drag-racing dominator Tim Lynch had some unfinished business at Englishtown, N.J.'s Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.The Pro Line engine builder from Woodstock, Ga., was No. 1 qualifier here once again last November with a 6.400-second elapsed time that no one touched for the rest of the weekend. But Lynch, feared up and down the East Coast, dropped out in the 2009 race in the semifinals, unable to make a pass against eventual winner Tommy Deez Fernick.
But Lynch left his mark on this ADRL.us Shakedown at E-Town VIII Saturday, thoroughly dominating the Mickey Thompson Outlaw 10.5 class in his new Corvette. He set the bar in the first of three qualifying sessions with a 6.385-second pass at 230.76 miles an hour and used the cooler evening temperatures to cement his No. 1 qualifying position with a 6.623-second E.T. and 232.51-mph speed.
It is another achievement here for Lynch, who was the first to cover the quarter-mile in less than seven seconds at the 2004 Shakedown at E-Town. He has been the hot shoe to beat here ever since. And in 2007, he even ignited a pre-race buzz excitement with a Saturday afternoon warm-up pass of 6.57 / 232 mph. So he knows the quickest route down this this track -- in October or in November, no matter who's in the other lane, no matter whether in his traditional twin-turbo Mustang or his new 2010 'Vette.
Outlaw drag-racing dominator Tim Lynch had some unfinished business at Englishtown, N.J.'s Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.
Georgia engine builder Tim Lynch once again showed off his Southern-style grit at the Shakedown, along with his new Corvette that had the same power under its slick-looking body. He wowed the crowd and his Mickey Thompson Outlaw 10.5 rivals with a low E.T. of 6.263 seconds and a top speed of 232.51 mph.
But Lynch left his mark on this ADRL.us Shakedown at E-Town VIII Saturday, thoroughly dominating the Mickey Thompson Outlaw 10.5 class in his new Corvette. He set the bar in the first of three qualifying sessions with a 6.385-second pass at 230.76 miles an hour and used the cooler evening temperatures to cement his No. 1 qualifying position with a 6.623-second E.T. and 232.51-mph speed.
It is another achievement here for Lynch, who was the first to cover the quarter-mile in less than seven seconds at the 2004 Shakedown at E-Town. He has been the hot shoe to beat here ever since. And in 2007, he even ignited a pre-race buzz excitement with a Saturday afternoon warm-up pass of 6.57 / 232 mph. So he knows the quickest route down this this track -- in October or in November, no matter who's in the other lane, no matter whether in his traditional twin-turbo Mustang or his new 2010 'Vette.
But outstanding performances in all classes took a back seat at the end of the day.
Benny Alfonso's top-end accident during the third and final Blown Pro Modified qualifying session halted Saturday's activity around 9:25 p.m. Cool temperatures had set in, and the lengthy clean-up would have eaten up the time left before the local noise curfew tolled.
Blown Pro Mod was unable to finish its time trials, and the Nitrous Pro Mod and 1/8-Mile Challenge classes did not have a third session. Race officials had not decided immediately whether to resume qualifying Sunday morning or begin the day with eliminations.
Alfonso, of Bohemia, N.Y., reportedly was conscious, alert, and talking with emergency medical personnel while the rescue team was extracting him from his '68 Firebird with the help of the Jaws of Life equipment. He was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in nearby New Brunswick. Competition Plus will provide an update as it receives confirmed information.
Making the most dramatic leap in the Speedtech Nitrous Pro Modified class order was Mike Castellana. He came from last in the 15-car field to third with a 6.197-second pass at 231.44 in his Al Anabi Racing '69 Camaro.
Brad Personett, who won the NHRA's U.S. Nationals on Labor Day then two weeks alter at Charlotte set the lowest E.T. for a turbocharged car in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge history, fared well at Raceway Park, too. The Elkhart, Ind., driver topped the Blown Pro Mod list right out of the gate, registering a 5.841-second E.T. and a runaway speed of 240.89 mph that he improved in the second qualifying session to 253.75.
Chip King stormed to the No. 2 position with a 5.946 that edged out No. 3 Tim O'Hare's 5.957. Pete Farber joined them in the five-second range as No. 4 qualifier at 5.971 with a stellar 243.72 mph.
Alfonso was seventh after two sessions, behind Larry Plummer and Von Smith, who jumped from last on the list to sixth.
Nitrous Pro Mod ended its two-session show with Fredy Scriba still relying on his first-session pass of 5.980 / 230.65 to stay ahead of the 15-car pack.
Matthew Deutsch remained second at 6.108. But the biggest improvement came from Mike Castellana, who vaulted from last in the order to third (6.197 / 231.44). Notables at the bottom of the lineup are Nos 12-14 Harold Martin, the so-called EFI Wizard; Shannon "The Iceman" Jenkins; and John Bartunek, who survived a spectacular crash here last year.
The Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association -- the newest class in Dave Hance's showbox -- lived up to its "thrilling" billing. Pete Berner used his third run to recapture the No. 1 spot he had a grip on through two sessions at 6.253.
Cary Goforth tried to rock him from his comfort zone in Session 3, taking the lead temporarily on the strength of his 6.234-second run at a class-best 225.94. But Berner, of Crete, Ill., had one more chance, and he rallied immediately with a 6.220-second blast to lead the field of 13.
Paul Major seized control of the Drag Radial class at the outset, setting the pace in his '01 'Vette with a 6.947-second run at 220.51 mph, more than six mph faster than No. 2 Hance. The Port Salonga, N.Y., resident lowered his time in the second qualifying session to 6.743 and raised his speed to 223.62 mph.
Meanwhile, Hance, who has had nothing but terrible luck on the track at his own event, saw his jinx continue. He put his '93 Mustang in the No. 2 slot in the opening session with a 7.106 / 214.28 and found even more power on his second run to stay in second place with a 6.823 / 219.69. However, he wrecked at the top end of the track and destroyed the engine and front end of his car and doesn't expect to make the call at Sunday morning eliminations.
Mel Nelson, of Ft. Myers, Fla., qualified third, just five-hundredths of a second behind Hance at 6.873 as the class' only other driver with a sub-seven-second effort.
In Heavy Street action, Tom Tarsia, of Binghamton, N.Y., overtook day-long leader Sam Gottier as the No. 1 driver with a thundering third-session run of 6.641 second at 204.60 mph -- far quicker and faster. Tarsia, who hadn't made a run in the previous two sessions in his '70 Camaro, stole the limelight from Gottier by nearly three-tenths of a second and more than nine more mph.
Joaquin Pedro, of South Salem, N.Y., heads the 8.50 Index category in his '99 Ford (8.501, 164.87). This class has the biggest car count -- 39 for a 32-car field.
Veteran pro Mod racer Mike Stawicki, of Medina, N.Y., driving his '68 Firebird, zipped to the top of the 1/8-Mile Challenge order in the second session. He trumped John Stanley's 3.825-second E.T. and 193.13-mph speed with a run of 3.741 / 203.46.
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