April Heads Up Madness Coverage Sponsored by:
7.50 Index
Robert Wilson led qualifying in the large twenty-six car field with a 7.513, that’s up from seventeen cars in the last race. February winner Billy Hamilton was the number two qualifier.
Stephanie Singer faced off against Mark Mullen with Singer going to fast and home early with a 7.44 to Mullen’s 7.52. Chris Adams also got his first round of the day on a too fast opponent with Walt Shipley running a .37 to Adams’ 7.44. Matt Cummings put up a 7.502 to take the win over Greg Maples’ Zephyr.
William Duncan put his Malibu out in front of Mark Staton’s ‘62 Fairlane .181 light and 7.506 to Staton’s sleepy .367 and 7.49 breakout pass.
James Stover got a holeshot win over Derek Burns thanks to a nice .020 light. This is Burns’ first 7.50 index race since installing a new engine with enough power to run the number. Derek moved from the Jr’s to this 87 Firebird last year.
Herman Hernandez and Shawn McNaughton had a close race with just a .010 starting line advantage going to McNaughton. Hernandez took the stripe by .006 running a 7.539 to McNaughton’s 7.555
Round Two
Craig Gingerich had an easy win over Brett O’Neal in round one and getting a single in round two where he ran a 7.47 @ 92 MPH.
Adams won over Victor Franco in another double breakout match for him. Billy Hamilton advanced over mark Mullen. Cummings took out Evin Chamberlain with a .053 and 7.63 run. Stover also got an easy round as William Duncan also was way off his light. Wilson was off his light as well with a .082 to Aaron Hobley’s .024. At the finish it was Wilson though running a 7.51 to an off pace 7.61 for Aaron Hobley Jr.
Round Three
Chris Adams took out Stover’s 65 IMP with a nice .018 tree and 7.503 as Stover Broke out by .002 trying to make up his .054 tree. Billy Hamilton had the best light of the round with a .014 and needed it against Matt Cummings’ 7.52. Hamilton advances to meet Adams with a 7.56 @ 85. Gingerich got another easy one after troy Gotschall red lit in his 1970 Chevelle. Wilson had the single this round putting up a .032 and 7.522 @ 92.
Semi Finals
It was Hamilton’s turn to go red this round in a loss to Chris Adams .026 and 7.42 @ 90 MPH breakout no penalty run. Gingerich and Wilson were the other half and Wilson got a perfect tree and lost the race on the top end to to Gingerich’s .005 light and 7.557 pass for another race with just .006 separation.
Chris Adams gave this one away with a -.002 red bulb. Sarasota racer Craig Gingerich was .011 on his light putting his 69 Camaro in the winners circle.
RMP Automotive 6.50 Pure Street
Mark Walker brought his ’79 Malibu back this month and won first round over Eddie Chamberlain. Near identical reaction times had it close early but on the top end Chamberlain fell off to a 6.64 giving Walker the round.
Bill Lilly took out Chris Durden’s clean 72 Dart with a .069 tree and 6.52 @ 102 while Durden slowed to a .62 @ 89.
JR Sosa and Wesley Lee paired up with Sosa getting the win with a .042 light and Lee breaking out by .001 trying to catch up. Chris Adams was entered in this class as well driving for Bobby DeBlasio in his Vega. He put up a fine .009 light in his win over Norman Crade.
Eric Waklup brought his ’64 Nova out and matched up with Spring Hill’s Mike Reedy for round one. A .082 light and 6.64 was good enough to advance over the tardy Reedy driving the Scumbag Inc. ‘79 Bu in its first race. Shaun Smith went red against Rodney Ristau. Matt Schiano was paired with February winner Ed Wester and got a lucky win after a bad reaction time in a double break out match.
Nicole Markwart and George Barnett were up next with Markwart better on the tree enough to stay in front despite her slower 6.523, to George’s 6.513. Russell Smith and Bobby Padgett were also part of a double breakout run with Smith going to round two with his 1970 Chevy Nova. Joe Castro had the single running a 6.66 @ 103 in the nineteen car field.
Round Two would have Schiano advance over Ristau and Bill Lilly getting a win over Waklup’s breakout 6.46. Walker took out Russell Smith with a .076 and 6.70 @ 92 MPH run on the brakes.
Nicole Markwart met up with Joe Castro next. Castro’s .321 light had him out of the hunt early and Nicole went on to a 6.65 @ 91 after a not so great .126 light herself. The last pair in this round would be Adams and Sosa with Adams putting a .021 light on the board and taking the stripe with a 6.542 to Sosa’s losing but quicker 6.523.
Bill Lilly’s .018 tree put him way out front in his round three match with Matt Schiano. He earned the win with a 6.544 to Schiano’s quicker 6.536. Walker got the starting line advantage over Markwart and kept it through to the finish getting the win with a 6.529. Adams had the single this round running a .022 and 6.589 @ 107.
Bill Lilly had a single going into the final and he used it well. A decent .038 tree and 6.520 @ 102 was the result. Adams schooled Walker with a .006 light getting a nice holeshot win with a 6.533 to Walker’s .035 reaction and 6.504 @ 105 MPH run.
The final had Adams again with the better light, his .030 to Lilly’s .053 and getting the stripe on the top end with a 6.529 to Lilly’s quicker 6.517.
5.50 Index
February event winner Steve Tiona qualified number one with a 5.503 ahead of Dwaine Ressler’s 5.508.
Ressler would meet with Sam Berardi’s 53 Stude in round one, getting the win in a double break out race, 5.482 to Berardi’s losing 5.460. Mike Harrison got past Bill Lee Jr. on a holeshot, .039 to .069 and 5.553 to Lee’s quicker 5.523.
Neil Watkins and Ray Degiovine paired up in a battle of old school Chevy muscle next. Degiovine left first with a .032 reaction time in his ’69 Nova but ran an under index 5.487 @ 124 to Watkins’ 5.524 winning run.
Jeff Gibbud and Darren Burns had another pair of old muscle with Darren in a SBC ’75 Vega on nitrous and Gibbud in Phil Maquen's trusty 69 Mach. Gibbud took the advantage at the tree and stayed out front with a 5.60 @ 105 to Burn’s 5.58 @ 123.
Bradenton Florida racer Kenny Puffenburger had his hands full with his Camaro this month with some crooked launches but still managed a win over Rick Griffen’s 93 Chevy 1500 with a 6.01. Dave Marcus Jr. is part of the Bill Lee Race Cars crew with a 92 Z28 Camaro. He paired with February Winner Steve Tiona taking a holeshot win .058/5.571 to Tiona’s losing .096/5.550.
Marcus was paired up with Ressler’s Vega in round two but went -.006 red allowing Ressler to advance. Gibbud and Watkins were next with advantage to Watkins, .036 to .076 reactions. The Elky seemed to misfire a bit and slowed to a 5.77 allowing Gibbud to get by for a round win.
First time here for Mike Harrison in 5.50 index and he’s going to the semis after this round win over Puffenburger. .058 light and 5.557 @ 118 for Harrison’s ’71 Corvette.
Ressler and Harrison were up first for the semi final and Ressler was out first with a .005 light. Harrison’s 5.548 wasn’t enough to catch the little Vega despite the slower 5.562 ET. Gibbud put up a .089 light and 5.509 pass on his single.
A Ford vs. Chevy final, with Ressler getting away first with a .042 tree only to break out on the top end with a 5.480 @ 126. Gibbud had a .066 light and 5.656 @ 177 winning run.
X275
The second race for this new class did bring out some cars with twelve showing and making it for first round. Troy Pirez led qualifying with a 5.29 @ 141. Troy Fredrickson was second in the now Procharged, Fast Forward powered 92 Camaro. Adam Vetter took third qualified position for the turbo crowd posting a 5.39 @ 141 MPH.
Troy Pirez and Justin Brayman were first pair out in class with Pirez sporting the little tires on the Camaro and the engine from the Old Reliable Nova. Brayman came out hard in a wheel stand and had to lift early as Pirez went on to a 5.19 @ 140 win.
John Fernandez has been doing well driving the Lopez Racing Mustang. He met with Eustis, Florida’s Dave Steffy and ran a 5.26 @ 138 taking the win over a nice pass for Steffy’s little 317 ci. SBF, a 5.76 @ 119.
David Hill made the haul from Casselberry with the TRZ Motorsports crew and posted a 5.29 @ 137 to get the round over Mike Miller’s 5.49 @ 133. Drakeford unleashed a 5.10 @ 139 on Robert Riddell taking the win.
Adam Vetter and Mike Walanda were game for a turbo vs. supercharger match.
Walanda was either up in the air or kicking the tires and he managed a 5.88 @ 121 to Vetter’s 5.29 @ 141 in the second outing for the Fordspeed Racing entry. Fredrickson and Willie Waddy were the final pair in round one. Fredrickson was way off his light posting a .655 reaction to Waddy’s .075. Waddy was way off pace however only running a 6.64 @ 115 to Fredrickson’s 5.38 @ 138 winning lap.
Round two action had Fernandez and Fredrickson out first with Fernandez getting away first with the 2009 Cobra. Fredrickson lost traction and clicked early as Fernandez went on to a 5.22 @ 139. Pirez and Drakeford were next with the little Mustang getting the advantage with a .027 tree. Drakeford went on to another 5.10 to Pirez’ game 5.14 @ 141.
Hill and Vetter were next in the all turbo match with Hill’s .021 light and 5.25 @ 139 run besting Vetter’s .040/5.31 @ 140 effort.
Fernandez and Hill semi final made for a great race with Hill a small advantage at the tree, .102 to .111, at the stripe Fernandez would squeak by with a MOV of just .012 running a 5.19 @ 139 to Hills best effort 5.211 @ 140. Drakeford had a single and took the tree and backed out to save wear and tear.
Fernandez was out first in the final with a .069 to Drakeford’s .089 light but slowed to a 5.35 @ 136 allowing Drakeford to get around him for the win running a 5.18 @ 137 making it two in a row for Drakeford and car owner Mike Burkhart.
Limited Street
February event winner Scott Husted led qualifying again with a 4.89 @ 159 this month. Archie Marasco qualified second with a 5.15 @ 147 with Chris Tedeschi and David Boger rounding out the field.
Tedeschi was struggling in qualifying and didn’t make it for round one. Husted shut it early for a 5.26 @ 111.
Boger left on Marasco’s turbo stang but only managed a 6.22 @ 138 while Marasco bettered his qualifying time with a 5.14 @ 147 making it an all turbo final.
Marasco put up another nice 5.teen with his twin turbo SBF but Husted broke into the fours posting a 4.91 @ 159 taking the second win for him this year.
Outlaw 632
Race schedule conflict had most of the OL 632 cars at PBIR this weekend so we had a short field here with only three cars. John Lastinger was qualified number one with a 4.96 @ 143, with John Townsend next with a 5.13 @ 138, then Pat Adams’ 5.26 @ 135.
Adams put a tree on Townsend’s 75 Nova with a .065 then going on to a 5.24 @ 135 MPH win to 5.79 @ 129 for Townsend. Lastinger had the earned bye and put up a 4.93 @ 143 getting lane choice.
Adams did his job posting a .011 tree to Lanstinger’s .025. His mid 5.20’s just wasn’t enough to hold off Lastinger’s 5.19 @ 134. John is having good luck with the new ride posting his first even win here in only the second outing and just coming off a runner up finish in Super Street 10.5 at the NMCA Bradenton race just a couple of weeks ago.
Pro Mod
Corky Markwart took the number one qualifier position this month with a 4.21 @ 173 MPH. Chris Mendola was second posting a 4.33 @ 174.24 for top MPH. Rob Wells was off pace with a 4.67 @ 170 in his twin turbocharged BBF OL10.5 Mustang. Mike Rein ran a 4.70 @ 151 in his Steve Schmidt 585 BBC 92 Firebird.
Round one had Mendola’s blown Camaro paired with Wells Mustang. Wells left first but was still off his usual pace with a 4.61 @ 175. Mendola has been improving a nod ran a decent 4.27 @ 176 taking the win.
Markwart laid down a fine 4.16 @ 173 against Mike Rein who fouled out at the start.
In a rematch of the February Pro Mod final it would be Markwart and Mendola once again. Markwart had a .038 reaction to Mendola’s .088 then went on to a 4.21 @ 171 taking the win over Mendola’s game 4.23 @ 174.
Open Outlaw
Melissa Huston led qualifying this month with a 3.91 @ 186.
Ron Logan was second with a 4.05 @ 178 with Joseph Trioli third with a 4.61 @ 148 setting up Logan and Trioli with Hutson having the bye.
Trioli had to shut down after the burnout giving Logan a single; he clicked it early to a 4.55 @ 113. Hutson ran a 3.93 @ 184.
Hutson had a nice .042 light in the final going on to the event win with a 3.99 @ 168 to Logan’s 4.35 @ 128.