Photos by Robert Richard
Some drag strips bring out the best in certain drivers and when it comes to Mark Micke and Bradenton Motorsports Park, the transmission specialist operates at a whole ‘nother level.
Micke set the pace in Pro Modified qualifying on the first day of the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks at Bradenton Motorsports Park. The driver of the twin-turbocharged M&M Transmission ’69 Camaro recorded a 3.591-second pass at 218.87 mph, placing him at the top of the 32-car qualifying order.
Micke’s performance in both qualifying sessions highlighted his mission to establish low elapsed times (E.T.) throughout the event. He edged out six-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, who clocked a 3.628 in the first session with his quick 3.625 at 217.21 mph. Micke’s final qualifying run saw him reclaim the provisional No. 1 position over Canadian Pro Mod veteran Kenny Lang, who recorded a 3.624.
“We were trying to run a little faster [in Q1], but the car shook a little early,” Micke said. “Luckily this car recovered and we got lucky to beat Erica by just a little bit.” He added that adjustments made to the car gave him confidence going forward, stating, “Our mindset this weekend is we want to win this deal, period. We’re not here to do anything else.”
Lyle Barnett, competing in multiple classes at the event, took the provisional No. 1 spot in Pro 275. Driving Tommy Youmans’ ProCharged “Salvage Title” Mustang, Barnett ran a 3.676 at 202.30. He recognized the day’s unique circumstances, as this was the same E.T. he used to qualify No. 30 in Pro Mod.
“It’s been an interesting day, but we’re focused on maximizing our performance across all classes,” Barnett said. Nick Lacerenza finished second in Pro 275, posting a 3.773 at 199.70 in his ProCharged ’90 Mustang. Ocala’s Chad Opaleski rounded out the top three with a 3.803 at 198.79 in his screw-blown ’66 Chevelle.
Greg Blevins Jr. claimed the top spot in the Limited Drag Radial class with a 3.899 at 193.71 in his ProCharged ’69 Camaro. Blevins, the newly crowned FuelTech Radial Outlaws Series champion, was the only driver to dip into the 3.80s and maintained a clear lead over Matt Bell, who qualified second with a 3.927 at 194.60 in his turbocharged ’93 Mustang. Jamie Stanton took the third position with a 3.935 at 189.07 in his ’02 Camaro.
Port Charlotte’s Kyle Salminen topped the Outlaw 632 class, achieving a 4.152 at 171.10 in his Nelson-powered ’03 Cavalier. Mike Fiorelli followed closely, setting a career-best 4.16 at 171.03 in his Clayton Murphy-tuned ’68 Camaro, while Clermont’s Chris Holdorf drove his Jamie Miller-tuned Freedom Grow ’10 GTO to a 4.165 at 169.00 for third.
In Ultra Street action, Shawn Pevlor emerged as the quickest driver, qualifying first at 4.405 at 161.87 in his ’93 Mustang. Dave Fiscus and Terry Wilson followed with 4.443 at 156.99 and 4.456 at 155.88, respectively, in ’93 and ’95 Mustangs.
As qualifying continues Saturday with 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. sessions, the day’s lineup features the Jet Jam Night of Fire. Fans can look forward to performances by Rick Knobb’s “Boneshaker” Jet Truck, Hayden Profitt II’s “Hot Streak” Jet Truck, and the Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragsters, with shows set for 4 and 8 p.m.
