We headed out a day early to get in a few test passes on the world-class surface at VMP. After making some substantial changes to the car over the last few weeks, we needed to check everything without all of the pressures that come with race day. At the end of the day Friday, we had made five passes and recorded our career-best elapsed times and speeds for both the eighth and quarter-mile. A 4.106 @ 175.68 mph run in the evening proved to be the best that we would do on this day. That pass was timed through the quarter-mile and yielded a stunning 6.58-second elapsed time at only 171 mph, as Dwayne clicked the car off 4.7 seconds into the run and pulled the parachutes before the end of the quarter. Our previous quarter-mile best was an early shutoff 6.8-second run at 202 mph.
We were feeling pretty good about the newly found performance gains and headed into the EOPM event on Saturday with high hopes. Walking through the pits brought a bit of reality for us, as we found that there were quite a few cars in attendance and most of them were well known Pro Mod racers. At the driver's meeting, we were told that there were in fact 40 cars attempting to qualify for the 8-car field. As a result of this car count, the event promoters decided to extend the field to include 16 cars instead of running a consolation race. Unfortunately, that meant that the number of qualifying rounds had to be cut from 3 to 2, so there was very little room for error.
The first qualifying attempt was nothing to write home about. Upon staging, the transbrake didn't hold the car and it lunged out of the staging beams. When Dwayne released the button, the chassis was still unsettled by the unplanned movement and the car smoked the tires only a few feet off the starting line. That run was basically a waste, so we would go into our second round on the outside of the 16-car field and no useful information from the first pass.
With our backs firmly against the wall, we dialed in a few adjustments and went out for the second qualifier with hopes of just getting into the ultra-competitive field. Dwayne kept the car under power the whole way down the track, but he needed to use most of the lane to do it. When the dust settled, a 4.116 @ 175 mph showed on the scoreboard and netted us the #12 qualifying position in a 16-car field that saw the top qualifier at a 3.95 and the bump spot at a 4.18. We were in the show.
This race was to be run with a sportsman ladder, so that setup a first round meeting with Brian Williams in his blown 2006 Corvette. Williams qualified 4th with a 3.99 and would have lane choice in the first round. After making a few adjustments to the tuneup, we headed out for the first round in hopes of at least lowering our career-best elapsed time. It wasn't to be, however, as Dwayne would once again pilot the car successfully down the track, but the performance gain was not realized. The car repeated with a 4.117 @ 175 mph, but Williams would take the win with a 4.02.
And so ends our first rodeo with the Pro Mods of the EOPM. It was a huge turnout for the series and considering that there were 26 other cars behind us on the qualifying sheet, we will take the results of this weekend as a success.
We are now off to Rockingham, NC on September 10-11 as we return to the XTF class of the ADRL. We hope to take the new found knowledge from VMP and put it to good use on our 10.5 tire program.
Down on "The Farm" -- Part II Carolina Clash at Farmington Dragway
Date: 08/08/2010
After almost a month of inactivity, the Wolfe Racing team finally got back into action on August 7. We traveled back to Farmington Dragway in Mocksville, NC to race with the Quick 8 Pro Mod Association for the second time in as many months. This would represent the first time in the 2010 season that we would return to a track for a second time.
The race was part of the IHRA Thunder Jam event held annually in Farmington. The stands were packed in the evening and the fans were treated to some great Pro Mod racing and a few exhibition events.
The weather was never a concern for this race as the day began with abundant sunshine that continued throughout the day. With that sunshine comes the negative effect of high track temperatures. We headed to the track for our first qualifying pass hoping to repeat or slightly improve on the 4.20-second elapsed time that we made on our last trip down the track in July. However, with the aforementioned track temperature rising to 133 degrees, this run would yield drastically different results than we had hoped. As the car left the starting line, it smoked the big Hoosier slicks instantly, ending our chance for a good run. Dwayne would pedal the car and drive it through the rest of the way in hopes of gathering as much data as possible. He would stop the clocks with a 5.20 at 162 mph. Needless to say, this left the team behind with only two qualifying rounds remaining to make it into an ultra-competitive 8-car Pro Modified field.
The crew chief made some changes and we headed out for our second round of qualifying with track temperatures still rising. The track would hold the tuneup this time and the car would go through with a 4.24 at 171 mph. Progress, but still not good enough to qualify for the race. It would take at least a 4.16-second elapsed time on the third qualifying pass in order to get us into the show.
We dialed up a few more changes that we hoped would not be too aggressive for the track conditions. Repeating the outcome of the first qualifying pass would be of no help to us, so we had to walk the ever so fine tuning line. In the third and final round of qualifying, the car responded well to the changes and Dwayne had to do a lot of driving at the top end of the track to hold the car in the groove. When the dust settled, the scoreboard showed a 4.189-second, 174 mph pass. More progress, but we were still left qualified in the #10 position and therefore outside the 8-car field.
As it turns out, it could have been much worse for us on this pass, however, as Danny Blankenship got loose in his '40 Ford while alongside Dwayne on this third run. Blankenship would keep the car in his lane, but unfortunately, he contacted the outside guardrail. Dwayne would power past without incident. Blankenship was uninjured and the car suffered only minor damage.
Since there were 16 Pro Mod cars in attendance, Bill Plemmons generously offered to put up the purse for a consolation race for the second 8 cars that didn't qualify for the main event. However, since the IHRA event was being held on this night, the officials from the sanctioning body wouldn't allow this consolation event to be held. So, instead of choosing to provide additional exciting Pro Mod entertainment for the large crowd in attendance, the officials decided to have periods of downtime on the track between runs of the exhibition vehicles.
An onboard camera was added to the car for this most recent race. It was moved around to various locations for the three runs and the video is available at the links below:
And so the streak ended. In all of our years of racing, we had never gone to a race and not qualified...until now. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but against this level of competition, we have nothing of which to be ashamed. We have already outlined multiple changes for the car before the next race that should help us to take the next step in improving our performance.
The team plans to be back in action on August 28th at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, VA for the Extreme Outlaw Pro Mod event presented by Custom T's of DC. The "Big Showdown" will serve as our first attempt at qualifying for an EOPM association event, but we believe that we will be ready for the challenge.
Down on "The Farm" Wolfe Racing Team Invades North Carolina for First Time
Date: 07/11/2010
A few weeks back, the team decided to go in search of a good race surface that would provide a stellar Pro Mod race. Enter Farmington Dragway (a.k.a “The Farm”) in Farmington, NC. They have been running Quick 8 Pro Mod races there for many years and they know how to treat the track and the racers. That was very apparent after visiting the track a few weeks ago for one of their races. It is also the home track of one Todd Tutterow, 2009 ADRL Pro Extreme World Champion.
On July 9, 2010, the team headed south, stopping along I-81 (literally) for a few minutes to pick-up the crew chief. After collecting the extra baggage, they progressed down the interstate, ending up in Farmington for the July 10 Quick 8 Pro Mod Race. It was to be the unknowns from West Virginia against the “Big Dogs” of North Carolina.
The day started with the threat of thunderstorms forecast for the entire day, but fortunately the sky was clear and there would be no rain. After joining up with the Quick 8 Racer’s Association, we prepared for our first qualifying pass. With no data at this particular track, we took the best guess that we could at the tune-up for a track that was 138 degrees and baking in the sun. The luck of the draw paired us with Todd Tutterow himself in his blown AJPE small block-powered Mustang for all 3 of our qualifying passes. On the first pass, the car would shake the tires at mid-track, but Dwayne would pedal to go through with a 4.32-second elapsed time.
On the 2nd qualifying attempt, the car improved but still shook. This time it would be very late in the run, but the improvement would be small (4.28). The third and final qualifying attempt was rather unsuccessful as the car spun the tires hard about 10 feet into the run and darted for the center line. Dwayne would shut it off and get the car under control. The 4.28 would be enough to qualify us in the number 8 position for the 8 car field.
The Farm uses a sportsman ladder, so that setup a first round matchup with the #4 qualifier Tommy Mauney, esteemed chassis builder, in his nitrous-powered ‘68 Camaro. Mauney ran a 4.08 in qualifying, so we had our work cut out for us. Unfortunately for Mauney, his car was unable to start to come out for the run, giving Dwayne a solo for the first round win. Dwayne would do some driving down track as the car slid around on the slick surface, but he would stay with it to take the car through with a 4.23 at 171 mph. That represented the first full pass of the day for us and would setup yet another run with the #2 qualifier Todd Tutterow (4.04 seconds). In this matchup, Dwayne was off the starting line first and Tutterow spun the tires before the 60 foot mark and shut it off. The team was ecstatic and celebrated the 4.20 second, 171 mph run, before the party crashed. Dwayne had a red-light start by only 0.010 seconds, which handed the win to Tutterow. He would make the best of the second chance and come back to win the final with a 4.07 second, 178 mph pass.
The foul would end our day, but it was a successful outing nonetheless. We were able to attain our first ever sub-1 second 60 foot times (0.994 and 0.987 seconds) and we qualified for our first-ever Pro Mod race in the Carolinas in our first attempt.
We had a great time and we can’t say enough about Don Plemmons and the staff at Farmington Dragway. They are well organized, extremely helpful and just overall know how to put on a race. We would like to thank Don and everyone at The Farm (track officials and fans) for their hospitality in welcoming us with open arms. It was a pleasure for us to run with this group of Pro Mods and we look forward to making the trip again at some point in the future.
The Tripleheader Team Embarks on Three Races in Three Days
Date: 06/20/2010
On June 18, the Wolfe Racing team set off for a three-day tour of Maryland race tracks with three races in three days. This has never before been attempted by the team, but we were ready to find out if we were up to the challenge.
The first was a Friday night Outlaw Kwik 8 event at Mason Dixon Dragway in Hagerstown, MD. After walking the track once we arrived, we were a bit concerned about the lack of rubber on the surface. That accompanied by 130+ degree track temperatures did not bode well for our high-horsepower, blown Pro Mod. On the first pass of the evening, we crippled our 2002 Firebird in an effort to try to just make it down the racetrack to get a baseline. The car still skated down the length of the track due to constant tire spin, but Dwayne handled it to stop the clock with a 4.78 @ 158 mph.
It turns out that only three cars showed up to qualify for the Kwik 8 event: us, John Powell and Ronnie Proctor. After a crash in qualifying, Powell was uninjured but unable to compete in the event, leaving only Dwayne and Ronnie Proctor. Originally, we agreed to run a best 2 out of 3 to put on a show for the crowd, but circumstances required us to cut that back to a single race to determine a winner.
After making some changes to the tune-up and getting the added benefit of nightfall, we setup for a “final” round against Proctor in his Mustang. At the flash of the green, Dwayne was off with a 0.030 second advantage on the starting line. The car had a bit more grip down the racetrack on this pass, but still skated around on the slick surface. Dwayne went on to take the win with a 4.510 @ 164 mph as Proctor faded to a 5.64.
The next stop on the tour was 75-80 Dragway in Monrovia, MD on Saturday night. This was our first visit to the track this year for entry into their Big Tire Outlaw class. Starting with a baseline from the night before, we made a few small changes and went out for the first qualifier. Unfortunately, one of those small changes caused us to spin the tires about 20 feet off the starting line. Dwayne would pedal the car and then shutoff 3.98 seconds into the run; the car drifted through at a 4.80 @ 140 mph, which placed us third after the first qualifying session. On the second qualifier, the issues were corrected and the car performed fairly well as it went straight down the groove with only a small amount of tire shake. Dwayne would take the #1 qualifier spot away from Proctor on that pass with a 4.41 @ 164 mph.
In the first round of eliminations, Dwayne would face Gary Walker in his red, blown Chevy II Nova. About 80-100 ft into the run, the car spun the tires and headed for the left wall. Dwayne backed out of the throttle, took about 0.3 seconds to get the car pointed in the right direction and then slammed the pedal again. The car hooked up and Dwayne blasted past Walker to take the win with a 4.52 @ 161 mph (with a 0.1 second margin of victory). In the final, Dwayne would once again face Ronnie Proctor in a rematch from the night before. Dwayne would again be out of the gate first by 0.050 seconds, but there would be too much horsepower in the tune-up to allow for a clean pass. Dwayne pedaled the car four times, but the car failed to hook up this time. Proctor’s 4.52-second elapsed time provided a 0.077 second margin of victory for him, relegating us to the runner-up spot.
The last race of the tripleheader was to be the Pro Outlaw Doorslammers race at MIR on Sunday, June 20. Unfortunately, we found a small issue with the engine that couldn't be fixed in the amount of time that we had between races. So, we decided to forego the third race and headed for home. The weekend ended with the team achieving two number one qualifier positions, one win and one runner-up in two races. Even though our first attempt at a tripleheader was not completed, it still wasn't too bad of a weekend at the races.
Wolfe Makes ADRL XTF Debut First Outing on 10.5W’s Yields Promising Results
Date: 05/22/2010
On May 21, the team set off for Richmond and the ADRL Speedtech U.S. Drags III event in our first attempt to compete in the challenging Extreme 10.5 (XTF) class. Putting 2000 horsepower to the ground is difficult, but coupling that with a 10.5 inch wide tire adds a new set of problems. It had been 6 years since we had run this small of a tire on one of our cars and that car was running over 1 second slower in the eighth-mile than our current ride.
With our attempts to make a couple test passes thwarted over the last few weeks, we traveled to Richmond with a car that had not been on the track this season at all and one that had never been run on 10.5” tires. So, with no data and no baseline, we set off hoping for the best.
In the first qualifying pass, we were met with hot track conditions and a starting tune-up that just had too much horsepower. About 80 feet into the run, the car lost traction and headed for the left side retaining wall. After gathering the car and pointing in the right direction, Dwayne slammed the throttle again, but only managed a 5.43 second elapsed time. That was good enough to be in the field after the first round of qualifying, but we knew we had issues that needed to be resolved quickly.
On the second qualifying attempt, some changes were made to take even more power out to just get the car down the racetrack. Luckily for us, it worked. The car ran fairly straight down the groove, stopping the clocks at a 4.56. Considering that was only the second pass on 10.5W’s for us, we took that as a moral victory knowing that the car was crippled from a horsepower standpoint.
The evening qualifying session allowed us to improve yet again with a 4.38-second effort that caused a few anxious moments as the car left the groove and headed for the wall. Without lifting, Dwayne got the car righted, putting it back in the groove and into 12th place on the grid following the Friday sessions.
For the fourth and final qualifier on Saturday morning, we put some power back in to see what we could put down on a much cooler race track than we had experienced the day before. Unfortunately, it proved to be too much, as the car smoked the tires before the 60-ft mark and only managed a 5.13 as it was pedaled down the track. After that qualifying round, we ended up 15th on the ladder…BUT, we had qualified for the XTF field in our first attempt on 10.5 tires!
What did we get for that? Well, we received a first round pairing with the most recent winner on the ADRL XTF tour, Gary White. White qualified number 2 in the field with a stellar 3.96. We made the best tuning decisions that we could, hoping to improve to the low 4.20’s, knowing that we didn’t have the data or knowledge to run competitive numbers to White’s. However, it wasn’t to be, as the Wolfe Racing Firebird managed only a 4.36 @ 168 mph to White's 3.99, eliminating us from competition. Gary White would go on to win the XTF event at the Speedtech U.S. Drags III.
And so ends our first attempt at racing in an ADRL event. While it wasn't an overwhelming success, we achieved promising results for the future of our 10.5 tire program.
Winchester Metals Becomes Associate Sponsor for ADRL Richmond
Date: 05/20/2010
The Wolfe Racing team is proud to welcome Winchester Metals, Inc. as an associate sponsor for the ADRL race in Richmond, VA on May 21-22. Winchester Metals, Inc. offers comprehensive metals processing, distribution and service solutions to a variety of commercial, contracting and residential customers.
Winchester Metals, Inc has locations in the Winchester, VA and Richmond, VA areas, but provides services to customers in 5 states. Visit their website for more information: www.steelsupplier.com.
Acknowledging Our Sponsors
Date: 05/08/2010
Well, it has been a long offseason for the Wolfe Racing team and we could not be more ready for it to be over. We are ready to get back to the track and embark on a new journey into the extremely competitive world of the ADRL. Before we get this season started on May 21 in Richmond, VA, we need to pause and acknowledge our sponsors for this season. As the years have passed and performance has increased, it is nearly impossible to continue improving without some help and support from good people. Below is a brief message about each of our sponsors, but please visit our new Sponsors page for more detailed information on these companies.
Thanks to Wolfes Garage, LLC of Moorefield, WV for all of their help and support in getting us the auxiliary equipment that we need to compete at the race track. Wolfes Garage, LLC is a family-owned business that provides all types of auto and truck repair and offers the sale of used 4x4 trucks. They are currently in their 32nd year of providing quality service to their customers.
Thanks to South Fork Auto & Body of Moorefield, WV for the help in getting the new toterhome painted up and looking great. For all of your auto body and paint needs, call Jerry at South Fork Auto & Body.
Thanks to Skyline Oil, Inc of Winchester, VA for their assistance in keeping our 526" Alan Johnson 481X blown powerplant lubricated for the past few seasons.
Thanks to J.R. Hill Construction of Moorefield, WV for their support of the toterhome project and the overall support of the race team over the last few years.
New Crew Shirts in the Works
Date: 04/19/2010
The time has come for the Wolfe Racing team to upgrade their wardrobe for the bigger races that we plan to attend in 2010. To make that happen, we turned to Champion System. Below is a sneak preview at our new look. The shirts are scheduled for delivery just prior to our first ADRL race in Richmond on May 21-22.
2010 Schedule Released for Wolfe Racing ADRL, Shakedown and Orlando highlighted as marquee events
Date: 04/03/2010
The 2010 schedule has been released for the Wolfe Racing team (see the schedule of major events here). We will be making our first attempt at competing in the ADRL in 2010. In all, we plan on attending 3 ADRL events (Richmond, Rockingham and Norwalk) in the coming season.
Also on the schedule is the 8th Annual Shakedown at E’town on October 2nd-3rd. In 2009, Dwayne Wolfe finished in the runner-up spot to Mike Janis in the Barwa 1/8th-mile Challenge at the Shakedown.
The final stop on the schedule will be the Real World Street Nationals in Orlando, FL. We have spent many years in the Pro Street ranks, with never having the opportunity to make it to Orlando. The plan is to change that in 2010 and throw our hat into the Super Pro Street category.
The team will add some quick-8 events at our local tracks as well. More information will come on that as we get closer to the individual events.
Dwayne Wolfe Reaches Final Round at Shakedown at E'Town Surprise runner-up performance by an unknown team
Date: 11/8/09
The Wolfe Racing team traveled to Englishtown, NJ in hopes of learning a few things and qualifying for the “Al-Anabi Shakedown at E’Town” event in the Barwa Outlaw 1/8-mile Challenge. Expecting to compete against many of the competitors in the ADRL Pro Extreme category, our hopes of qualifying were slim, but our plan was to simply run our own race and look to improve on our personal bests. The $20,000 grand prize for the event was not even viewed in the realm of possibilities for the team. Little did we know that by the end of the weekend, we would find ourselves in the final round with a chance to race for that coveted prize.
Saturday morning (Nov 7th) started as a cold, frosty morning in NJ. The temperature was in the mid-20’s and it was not the scene that one would view as a day to go drag racing. After a substantial warm-up, we made our first qualifying run. The car shook the tires a bit and got out of the groove. Dwayne pedaled the car twice and still managed a 4.33 second elapsed time, improving the team’s previous best of 4.38. After that pass, we were the #1 qualifier and it stayed that way until Mike Janis came to the line. Janis ripped off a 3.92 second pass to take the top spot away, but we still managed to hold onto the #2 position.
As we sat under the tower at Raceway Park awaiting our second qualifying pass, we watched as the previous pair (Mike Stawicki and Tommy Gray) both made runs that bumped us down to #4 on the qualifying sheet. As the 2002 Firebird made its way down the track during the second and final qualifier, it was clear that there was to be no tire shake on this run. Instead, Dwayne stopped the clocks with a 4.130 second elapsed time at 175+ mph, again improving on the team’s personal best. With that pass, we grabbed the #3 qualifying position back, bumping Tommy Gray to fourth. See the final qualifying results here.
Well, what exactly did the #3 qualifying spot get us? It got us lane choice in the first round, but in this case it also matched us up against 1/4-mile Outlaw Pro Mod world record holder Scott Cannon. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem fair…
On Sunday, the weather was much warmer over Saturday and it was time to go racing. While we were ecstatic to qualify, we weren’t expecting to move past Scott Cannon in the first round. During that first round run, we again experienced tire shake and due to a great pedaling job and killer reaction time by Dwayne, he was able to get the win light over Cannon. That victory earned us the right to take on Mike Stawicki in the semi-finals, the #2 qualifier with a 3.93. Good fortune and consistency again reigned supreme as Dwayne took an 0.042 second starting line advantage over Stawicki and drove it straight down the groove for another 4.13 pass and the win. Stawicki shook the tires and faded down the stretch.
We then found ourselves in a most improbable position: we were about to race in the final round of the “Shakedown at E’Town” for $20k against 2-time World Champion, Mike Janis. While we couldn’t quite believe what was happening, we had work to do. We turned the wrenches a bit to put some more horsepower in the car to hopefully get our first 4.0 second run…and of course win $20,000.
The final started as any other pass until the burnout was complete. As the car sat at mid-track for an extended period of time, it was clear that there was a problem. The car wouldn’t idle properly and therefore, couldn’t back up after the burnout. After several unsuccessful attempts to re-fire the car, track officials made the call to shut us off and allow Janis to make a solo pass for the win.
Even though we weren’t able to take the win, this weekend was a huge success for the Wolfe Racing team. We improved on our personal best ET and speed and found our way into the money round of one of the biggest Pro Mod races of the year. We can definitely say that not many people had heard of us before we came to E’town, but they have at least heard of us now. The full ladder for the Barwa 1/8 Mile Challenge can be seen here courtesy of Competition Plus.
We would like to thank Camp Stanley, Mike Janis and Mike Janis Jr. for all of their help this year. We have learned a significant amount in 2009 and we hope to continue that process in 2010.
Video of all of the elimination rounds at the Shakedown can be seen on YouTube:
Track Record Set at 75-80 Dragway Wolfe Runs 4.391 @ 171 mph
Date: 10/10/09
Fresh off the first win of the year, the Wolfe Racing team decided to make some major changes to the car. Off came the polished Littlefield blower and Enderle hat and on went the Jan-Cen prepared PSI roots blower and JBR carbon fiber hat. This was done in order to allow us to begin preparations for the 2010 racing season. After the transformation, the team set off for Monrovia, MD once again for the Big Tire Outlaw (BTO) race at 75-80 Dragway on Saturday, October, 10.
The first round of qualifying brought a mediocre 4.577 second pass, but it was good enough for the #3 spot on the ladder after the round was completed. After some adjustments in the tune-up, the car picked up in the second round to a 4.397 second elapsed time at 165+ mph on a pass in which Dwayne was off of the throttle for over 0.1 seconds. The car quickly darted toward the wall at 70 feet out and forced him to lift. True to form, Dwayne got it straightened out and slammed the throttle again. The 4.397 second ET would represent the track record at 75-80 Dragway for the BTO class, although a backup was still required before it was official.
During the first round of eliminations, a stunning holeshot loss sent the team home, but a 4.391 second pass established the track record with a speed of 171+ mph. After reviewing the data and investigating a few things on the car, it was found that there were issues with the car that contributed to the slowed reaction time and the loss to John Moton and his '63 Corvette in the first round.
The team now looks for redemption at one of the remaining BTO races over the next few weeks.
Wolfe Wins in First BTO Race at 75-80 Dragway Early Adversity Overcome to Get First Victory of the Year
Date: 9/5/09
After a couple of successful test passes on the car, it was finally time to go to our first race of the year. We traveled to Monrovia, MD for the Big Tire Outlaw (BTO) race on September 5, 2009 at 75-80 Dragway. This was our first visit to the track in nearly 10 years. After our two qualifying passes, we were left scratching our heads a bit as the car reverted to its old ways with significant tire shake. Dwayne was able to pedal the car and get it to go down the track for a 4.86 second elapsed time and the #4 qualifying spot.
It all started to come together in the first round, when the Wolfe Racing Pro Mod Firebird made its way down the 1/8th mile at 4.567 seconds advancing into the semi-finals and setting up a match-up with Ronnie Proctor. Wolfe gave up lane choice to Proctor, but it wouldn’t matter. As the result of a holeshot, Dwayne defeated Proctor in one of the closest drag races that you will ever see (4.489 to a 4.466). The margin of victory was smaller than 1 millisecond (0.001 seconds) , but nonetheless, it was a victory.
In the final, Dwayne would race John Powell in his 2002 Cavalier. Dwayne would take the win with a 4.457 to a losing 4.688. This would represent a new track record, but it was not sufficiently backed-up , so the record was not official. Oh well, we'll take the win.
We headed out a day early to get in a few test passes on the world-class surface at VMP. After making some substantial changes to the car over the last few weeks, we needed to check everything without all of the pressures that come with race day. At the end of the day Friday, we had made five passes and recorded our career-best elapsed times and speeds for both the eighth and quarter-mile. A 4.106 @ 175.68 mph run in the evening proved to be the best that we would do on this day. That pass was timed through the quarter-mile and yielded a stunning 6.58-second elapsed time at only 171 mph, as Dwayne clicked the car off 4.7 seconds into the run and pulled the parachutes before the end of the quarter. Our previous quarter-mile best was an early shutoff 6.8-second run at 202 mph.
This race was to be run with a sportsman ladder, so that setup a first round meeting with Brian Williams in his blown 2006 Corvette. Williams qualified 4th with a 3.99 and would have lane choice in the first round. After making a few adjustments to the tuneup, we headed out for the first round in hopes of at least lowering our career-best elapsed time. It wasn't to be, however, as Dwayne would once again pilot the car successfully down the track, but the performance gain was not realized. The car repeated with a 4.117 @ 175 mph, but Williams would take the win with a 4.02.
On Sunday, the weather was much warmer over Saturday and it was time to go racing. While we were ecstatic to qualify, we weren’t expecting to move past Scott Cannon in the first round. During that first round run, we again experienced tire shake and due to a great pedaling job and killer reaction time by Dwayne, he was able to get the win light over Cannon. That victory earned us the right to take on Mike Stawicki in the semi-finals, the #2 qualifier with a 3.93. Good fortune and consistency again reigned supreme as Dwayne took an 0.042 second starting line advantage over Stawicki and drove it straight down the groove for another 4.13 pass and the win. Stawicki shook the tires and faded down the stretch.
The first round of qualifying brought a mediocre 4.577 second pass, but it was good enough for the #3 spot on the ladder after the round was completed. After some adjustments in the tune-up, the car picked up in the second round to a 4.397 second elapsed time at 165+ mph on a pass in which Dwayne was off of the throttle for over 0.1 seconds. The car quickly darted toward the wall at 70 feet out and forced him to lift. True to form, Dwayne got it straightened out and slammed the throttle again. The 4.397 second ET would represent the track record at 75-80 Dragway for the BTO class, although a backup was still required before it was official. 