Bret Kepner
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2004
These results reflect the record holders, qualifiers, and final round contestants at each of the
SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series events held each Tuesday at Gateway
International Raceway in Madison, Illinois.
Tuesday SCSS Track Records can be set during official qualifying or championship rounds. The
official qualifying period begins at 6:30 PM and concludes at 9:00 PM, barring unforeseen
circumstances. At 9:30 PM, the two quickest qualifers meet in a no-handicap championship round for
trophies. Each of the Top 16 qualifiers receives a "Fastest Street Car Qualifier" decal. The SCSS
trophies and decals are presented by SX Performance Fuel Systems in St. Louis, MO (6
Sunnen Drive, 314-644-3000, http://www.sx-performance.com ). Additionally, the two
quickest Sport Tuner drivers, (open to all passenger cars except Rear-Wheel-Drive vehicles with
engines of six cylinders or more), also meet in a no-handicap championship round for trophies
presented by St. Louis Street Racing.com (http://www.stlsr.com) and the two quickest Super
Truck drivers, (open to all trucks and utility vehicles), meet in a no-handicap championship round for
trophies presented by http://www.GatewayRaceway.com .
GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MADISON, ILLINOIS
2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT TRACK RECORDS
Class Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine ET MPH Date
RWD Brett Heidgerken, Decatur, IL 67 Chevelle 505 Chevy 8.871 10/11/2005
RWD Sam Moore, East Alton, IL 93 Mustang 352 Ford 161.25 7/18/2006
TRK Kevin Autenrietch, Bethalto, IL 84 S-10 355 Chevy 9.772 9/28/2004
TRK Kevin Autenrietch, Bethalto, IL 84 S-10 355 Chevy 135.39 9/28/2004
6CYL Rob Nolan, Granite City, IL 87 Regal 231 Buick 11.041 10/11/2005
6CYL Rob Nolan, Granite City, IL 87 Regal 231 Buick 124.56 4/11/2006
4CYL Joe Laramee, Decatur, IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford 10.544 4/11/2006
4CYL Joe Laramee, Decatur, IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford 129.87 4/18/2006
FWD Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, MO 85 Golf 122 Volks 11.583 5/23/2006
FWD Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, MO 85 Golf 122 Volks 126.95 5/30/2006
RTY Gary Hagner, St. Charles, MO 94 RX-7 79 Mazda 11.568 7/11/2006
RTY Derek Coffman, Valley Park, MO 94 RX-7 79 Mazda 122.21 8/10/2004
DSL Phillip Blackburn, Springfield, IL 03 2500 HD 403 Chevy 11.835 8/2/2005
DSL Phillip Blackburn, Springfield, IL 03 2500 HD 403 Chevy 114.29 8/2/2005
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT QUALIFIERS
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine ET MPH Date
EVENT 18 8/22/2006
1 Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy 9.983 132.56
2 Brandon Carter High Ridge MO 86 Mustang 306 Ford 10.592 129.39
3 Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford 10.869 127.16
4 Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy 11.289 118.86
5 Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy 11.501 118.04
6 Jim Harris O'Fallon MO 03 Corvette 346 Chevy 11.565 126.34
7 Hal Marshall Collinsville IL 86 S-10 383 Chevy 11.646 117.71
8 Joe Hatleli O'Fallon IL 06 Corvette 427 Chevy 11.757 122.47
9 Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford 12.062 117.37
10 Bryant Storey St. Louis MO 87 Mustang 310 Ford 12.150 116.71
11 Chris Lambert Belleville IL 03 Mustang 281 Ford 12.255 86.33
12 Jeff Fritz Florissant MO 01 Lightning 330 Ford 12.302 111.91
13 Ed Croak Belleville IL 06 Corvette 346 Chevy 12.329 117.15
14 Frank Ashmore Fenton MO 04 Corvette 346 Chevy 12.397 113.16
15 Tom Cherryhones Villa Ridge MO 67 Coronet 440 Dodge 12.401 108.08
16 Paul Rosner Florissant MO 04 Mustang 281 Ford 12.426 114.08
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova 0.533 10.801 115.20
RU Brandon Carter, High Ridge, MO 1986 306 Mustang 0.168 11.034 126.39
Tony Huff continued his reign in the 2006 SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series, scoring a
record-tying fifth win in his eleventh final round appearance. The victory was anything but easy,
however; Huff somehow managed to salvage a victory in a bizarre championship dash against
Brandon Carter’s Missouri Mustang which ended in the closest finish in SCSS history!
Atmospheric conditions were virtually indentical to the August 15th event, (which presented the best
“air” since mid-May), and included a corrected elevation of just 975 feet above sea level. Although
numerous racers recorded career-best performances, Huff’s evening was filled with stress. After an
intake explosion on August 8th, Huff was forced to assemble a new 468-cubic inch bigblock Chevy
powerplant for his silver ‘68 Nova but the Illinois native’s return on August 15th resulted in a
disappointing fourth qualifier which kept him out fo the trophy dash. Armed with a larger nitrous
system, Huff planned to jump quickly back into the fray but he eventually was forced to make the
Super Sixteen field on one pass!
Qualifying initially appeared to be a Ford battle between Brandon Carter’s bronze ‘86 Mustang and
the 2006 SCSS Season Championship point leader, Tony Buhl. Carter opened with a best-ever
10.67/128.85 only twenty minutes after the start of the official qualifying period but the run came after
a complete change of plans from the previous week. “We hurt the engine while running a small shot
of nitrous last week”, explained Carter, “and we just got the engine back together last night. After the
backfiring problem we had, we elected to run ‘all motor’ this week and just try to figure things out”.
Carter only qualified eighth a week ago despite a strong 10.89/126 but the 306-inch smallblock,
capped with a monstrous 1050 Holley Dominator four-barrel carburetor, seemed to work even better
with ambient oxygen.
Buhl’s maroon supercharged Mustang hit a 10.86/127.16 on its first run but the 331-inch Ford
struggled with low eleven-second runs for the remainder of qualifying. Huff did not appear until
almost ninety minutes into qualifying but shocked the crowd by pushing out of line and back to the
pits without turning a tire under power. “We had some kind of electrical problem”, said Huff as he and
his crew thrashed to solve the dilemma, “and we couldn’t get it to fire. On top of that, most of the
switches for the fan and other things don’t seem to be working. Obviously, we’ve got to make a pass
to get in the show and keep our place in the points”. With only thirty minutes of qualifying remaining,
Huff finally returned to the starting line and unleashed a 9.98 at 132.56 mph to qualify on the pole.
Carter made only one other run, an even quicker 10.59/129.39, before qualifying ended but elected
to make a timed trial prior to the final round against Huff. The home-built Ford launched with
numbers similar to its previous ten-second passes but soon began stumbling before Carter got off
the throttle entirely. After pulling in front of the main grandstands prior to the championship bout, a
grim-faced Carter said, “It’s got a problem and I’m not even sure it’ll run in the final. I guess I’ll just go
to the line and see what happens”.
“What happened” was the most amazing possible SCSS race. Carter gained the holeshot he
needed, nearly a quarter-second, and actually led the silver Nova by three feet at the sixty-feet mark.
By 330 feet, however, Huff’s Nova had motored to a seventeen feet advantage and, nearing the
eighth-mile, Carter’s Ford ran into trouble. “It wouldn’t shift!”, exclaimed Carter after the run, “I was
fumbling around trying to get it to shift and it just didn’t want to make the gear change!”. As Huff
stretched his lead to two car lengths at half-track, the Nova pilot suddenly found himself in a worse
situation. “I watched the fuel pressure drop to almost nothing”, said Huff after the race, “and I knew
he’d be comin’ by me any second. I just kept hitting the nitrous button trying to make something
happen but I finally got off the spray and just kept my foot planted”.
At the thousand-feet mark, Carter was quickly gaining ground. A car-length defecit quickly began to
shrink and, in the last 320 feet of the race, the Ford pulled right alongside the Chevy. “I thought I got
him but it was so close!”, said Carter, remembering the run. Huff, recalling his confusion, said “I
was pretty sure I got there first but I was slowing down so fast I just couldn’t tell”.
If not for electronic win lights, nobody else would’ve been able to call a winner, either. At the finish
line, it was Tony Huff who coasted across the stripe first by a margin of one solitary
THOUSANDTH of a second. The closest finish in SCSS history had the two finalists separated
by 2.65 INCHES.
“That was a drag race!”, grinned Huff during the trophy presentations. “There’s no way it should have
been that close but it was. It just goes to show you...”. Although a million variables could’ve changed
the outcome, Carter discovered a fried converter as he tried to drive the Mustang away from the
winner’s ceremonies. “It’s definitely dead”, he yelled to his crew. “That’s what cost us the win!”.
NOTES FROM THE SCSS: Although Tony Buhl still leads the 2006 Season Championship
point standings, the pressure is now on both Buhl and Huff to continue to qualify for the remaining
2006 events. The point championship is determined by the number of Qualifier stickers earned with
each driver’s best ET of the season used as a tie-breaker. If Buhl fails to qualify at any event in
which Huff makes the field, Huff would assume the lead based on his season-best 9.72 elapsed time
even though both would be tied for number of decals earned...Ray Arthur’s “Suspicion” ‘67 427
Camaro hit a best-ever 11.50/118.04 to qualify fifth but stunned everybody--including
Ray--by unloading an 11.15 at 118.69 on the next-to-last run of late timed trials after qualifying
was completed...Chris Lambert’s ‘03 Cobra is notorious for making early shut-off runs and his
qualifying effort of 12.25 at only 86 mph was a classic example. In late timed trials, Lambert ran a
best-ever 11.86 at only 90 mph but the eighth-mile numbers showed 11.00/120 potential...Officially,
the quickest six-cylinder machine was Glen Johnson’s ‘03 Nissan 350Z with an exceptional
13.16/106.66 but Scott Keller arrived late with his white ‘87 Buick Regal T-Type and charged to an
11.84/112.36 after qualifying had concluded!...Several Corvette Clubs sent representatives to the
event and, with eleven of the machines on the property, no less than four qualified for the Super
Sixteen. Likewise, eight Grand Prix GTP/GXPs were in competition with the quickest being Kenton
Spann’s slick blue ‘98 model at 13.73/99.85...NMRA Photographer Paul Rosner qualified on the
bump at 12.42/114 with his ‘01 Mustang Project Car but managed to hit a 12.12 at 116.80 in late
timed trials for his best numbers yet...Chester Wilson rebounded from his three-wheeled death ride
on August 8th by running 12.70s in his yellow ‘79 350 Malibu with some of the event’s biggest
wheelstands...The Super Sixteen field included eight Chevys, seven Fords and the lone ‘67 Dodge
Coronet of Tom Cherryhones...Who will be the number eight qualifier on September 19th???
SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT
STANDINGS (as of AUGUST 23rd, 2006)
Pos Points Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine
1 (14) Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford
2 (13) Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy
3 (13) Hal Marshall Collinsville IL 86 S-10 383 Chevy
4 (10) Jim Harris O'Fallon MO 03 Corvette 346 Chevy
5 (7) Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy
6 (6) Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy
7 (4) Matt Crittendon St. Louis MO 89 Mustang 306 Ford
8 (4) Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford
9 (3) Dave Odehnal Waterloo IL 93 Camaro 350 Chevy
10 (3) Greg Boschert St. Louis MO 66 Mustang 331 Ford
11 (3) David Starns St. Louis MO 91 Mustang 355 Ford
12 (3) Joe Laramee Decatur IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford
13 (3) William Page Gillespie IL 87 Regal 231 Buick
14 (3) Adam Corbitt St. Charles MO 85 Golf 122 Volks
15 (3) Brandon Carter High Ridge MO 86 Mustang 306 Ford
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 STLSR.COM SPORT TUNER SHOWDOWN FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Andy Lemons, O’Fallon, IL 2004 146 Neon SRT-4 0.305 13.086 111.47
RU Steve Sweet, Wildwood, MO 2005 146 Neon SRT-4 0.776 14.648 99.71
Since he is best known for racing Hondas of all shapes and sizes for the past three seasons, it was a
shock to see Andy Lemons in a gloss black Dodge Neon SRT-4. The Illinois racer owned the St.
Louis Street Racing.com Sport Tuner Showdown Series, however, taking a long-overdue first victory
in Tuesday night racing.
Lemons’ new ride, which he insists in nothing more than “a basic Stage III package car”, hit a best of
13.01 at a surprising 111.37 mph to lead the Tuner field by almost a quarter-second. Behind the
black Dodge were Dave Oakley’s red ‘03 Neon, (13.24/105.47), Dave Rutley’s unique ‘92 Nissan
NX2000, (13.83 at a shocking 109.19 mph), Steve Sweet’s white ‘05 ACR Neon, (13.730/105.16),
and Kenton Spann’s blown six-cylinder Grand Prix GTP, (13.735/99.85). When neither Oakley nor
Rutley reported for the final round, however, it was Sweet’s Dodge which earned a spot in the trophy
dash as second alternate.
When Sweet spun badly in the championship match, Lemons hit a consistent 13.08 at another 111
mph clip to secure the trophy. “I still own two Hondas”, said Lemons during winner’s circle
ceremonies, “and one of them is going to be gone next week. I definitely like the Neon, though. I was
hoping for a 12-second run tonight but it’s obviously just around the corner!”.
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 GATEWAYRACEWAY.COM SUPER TRUCK SHOWDOWN FINAL
ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Hal Marshall, Collinsville, IL 1986 383 S-10 0.471 11.979 115.10
RU Jeff Fritz, Arnold, MO 2001 330 Lightning 0.136 12.840 112.12
Hal Marshall’s August 8th engine disintegration was barely noticeable to the fans who watched him
score yet another victory on August 15th with a brand-new 383-cubic inch “stroker” smallblock but
the King of Tuesday Night incurred a bit more damage en route to another record of seventeen wins
and twenty final round appearances since May 10th, 2005.
After a career-best 10.71/124 last week, Hal’s new powerplant perfomed flawlessly in its debut. His
first qualifying run of the August 22nd event, however, culminated in an 11.64/117.71 and a quick
retreat to the pits where he remained for the duration. “I’m only runnin’ on seven”, he admitted when
he finally appeared in front of the main grandstands to prepare for the final round. “It poked a hole in
a lifter, so it’s hurt. I think it might run in the elevens on this last run but it sure doesn’t have
much more than that. I just can’t believe I’m gonna have to take it apart and work on it again!”.
Jeff Fritz, whose gorgeous Steigemeier Porting-sponsored 2001 Ford Lightning had already scored a
win and a runner-up in prior GatewayRaceway.com Super Truck Showdown competition, was making
his first championship dash since losing to Marshall at the final event of the 2005 SCSS season.
Qualifying with a best-ever 12.30/111.91, Fritz was followed by the amazing 2006 GMC Sierra diesel
of Jeremy Homeyer, (13.04/108.74 to become the second-fastest SCSS diesel ever), and Matt
Hamilton’s equally-potent ‘01 Ford F150, (13.47/102.87). Unfortunately for Fritz, he knew nothing of
Hal’s problems and promptly lost a third-of-a-second holeshot to tirespin. As Hal’s wounded Chevy
S-10 sputtered to an 11.97, Fritz needed only another 12.30 to win but a tire-frying 12.84 handing yet
another trophy to “Animal Hal”.
Photos of the August 22nd SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series event are now available for
viewing at Bret Kepner Photos.
Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova
Brandon Carter, High Ridge, MO 1986 306 Mustang
Andy Lemons, O’Fallon, IL 2004 146 Neon SRT-4
Steve Sweet, Wildwood, MO 2005 146 Neon SRT-4
Hal Marshall, Collinsville, IL 1986 350 S-10
Jeff Fritz, Arnold, MO 2001 331 Lightning
SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series events held each Tuesday at Gateway
International Raceway in Madison, Illinois.
Tuesday SCSS Track Records can be set during official qualifying or championship rounds. The
official qualifying period begins at 6:30 PM and concludes at 9:00 PM, barring unforeseen
circumstances. At 9:30 PM, the two quickest qualifers meet in a no-handicap championship round for
trophies. Each of the Top 16 qualifiers receives a "Fastest Street Car Qualifier" decal. The SCSS
trophies and decals are presented by SX Performance Fuel Systems in St. Louis, MO (6
Sunnen Drive, 314-644-3000, http://www.sx-performance.com ). Additionally, the two
quickest Sport Tuner drivers, (open to all passenger cars except Rear-Wheel-Drive vehicles with
engines of six cylinders or more), also meet in a no-handicap championship round for trophies
presented by St. Louis Street Racing.com (http://www.stlsr.com) and the two quickest Super
Truck drivers, (open to all trucks and utility vehicles), meet in a no-handicap championship round for
trophies presented by http://www.GatewayRaceway.com .
GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MADISON, ILLINOIS
2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT TRACK RECORDS
Class Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine ET MPH Date
RWD Brett Heidgerken, Decatur, IL 67 Chevelle 505 Chevy 8.871 10/11/2005
RWD Sam Moore, East Alton, IL 93 Mustang 352 Ford 161.25 7/18/2006
TRK Kevin Autenrietch, Bethalto, IL 84 S-10 355 Chevy 9.772 9/28/2004
TRK Kevin Autenrietch, Bethalto, IL 84 S-10 355 Chevy 135.39 9/28/2004
6CYL Rob Nolan, Granite City, IL 87 Regal 231 Buick 11.041 10/11/2005
6CYL Rob Nolan, Granite City, IL 87 Regal 231 Buick 124.56 4/11/2006
4CYL Joe Laramee, Decatur, IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford 10.544 4/11/2006
4CYL Joe Laramee, Decatur, IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford 129.87 4/18/2006
FWD Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, MO 85 Golf 122 Volks 11.583 5/23/2006
FWD Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, MO 85 Golf 122 Volks 126.95 5/30/2006
RTY Gary Hagner, St. Charles, MO 94 RX-7 79 Mazda 11.568 7/11/2006
RTY Derek Coffman, Valley Park, MO 94 RX-7 79 Mazda 122.21 8/10/2004
DSL Phillip Blackburn, Springfield, IL 03 2500 HD 403 Chevy 11.835 8/2/2005
DSL Phillip Blackburn, Springfield, IL 03 2500 HD 403 Chevy 114.29 8/2/2005
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT QUALIFIERS
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine ET MPH Date
EVENT 18 8/22/2006
1 Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy 9.983 132.56
2 Brandon Carter High Ridge MO 86 Mustang 306 Ford 10.592 129.39
3 Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford 10.869 127.16
4 Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy 11.289 118.86
5 Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy 11.501 118.04
6 Jim Harris O'Fallon MO 03 Corvette 346 Chevy 11.565 126.34
7 Hal Marshall Collinsville IL 86 S-10 383 Chevy 11.646 117.71
8 Joe Hatleli O'Fallon IL 06 Corvette 427 Chevy 11.757 122.47
9 Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford 12.062 117.37
10 Bryant Storey St. Louis MO 87 Mustang 310 Ford 12.150 116.71
11 Chris Lambert Belleville IL 03 Mustang 281 Ford 12.255 86.33
12 Jeff Fritz Florissant MO 01 Lightning 330 Ford 12.302 111.91
13 Ed Croak Belleville IL 06 Corvette 346 Chevy 12.329 117.15
14 Frank Ashmore Fenton MO 04 Corvette 346 Chevy 12.397 113.16
15 Tom Cherryhones Villa Ridge MO 67 Coronet 440 Dodge 12.401 108.08
16 Paul Rosner Florissant MO 04 Mustang 281 Ford 12.426 114.08
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova 0.533 10.801 115.20
RU Brandon Carter, High Ridge, MO 1986 306 Mustang 0.168 11.034 126.39
Tony Huff continued his reign in the 2006 SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series, scoring a
record-tying fifth win in his eleventh final round appearance. The victory was anything but easy,
however; Huff somehow managed to salvage a victory in a bizarre championship dash against
Brandon Carter’s Missouri Mustang which ended in the closest finish in SCSS history!
Atmospheric conditions were virtually indentical to the August 15th event, (which presented the best
“air” since mid-May), and included a corrected elevation of just 975 feet above sea level. Although
numerous racers recorded career-best performances, Huff’s evening was filled with stress. After an
intake explosion on August 8th, Huff was forced to assemble a new 468-cubic inch bigblock Chevy
powerplant for his silver ‘68 Nova but the Illinois native’s return on August 15th resulted in a
disappointing fourth qualifier which kept him out fo the trophy dash. Armed with a larger nitrous
system, Huff planned to jump quickly back into the fray but he eventually was forced to make the
Super Sixteen field on one pass!
Qualifying initially appeared to be a Ford battle between Brandon Carter’s bronze ‘86 Mustang and
the 2006 SCSS Season Championship point leader, Tony Buhl. Carter opened with a best-ever
10.67/128.85 only twenty minutes after the start of the official qualifying period but the run came after
a complete change of plans from the previous week. “We hurt the engine while running a small shot
of nitrous last week”, explained Carter, “and we just got the engine back together last night. After the
backfiring problem we had, we elected to run ‘all motor’ this week and just try to figure things out”.
Carter only qualified eighth a week ago despite a strong 10.89/126 but the 306-inch smallblock,
capped with a monstrous 1050 Holley Dominator four-barrel carburetor, seemed to work even better
with ambient oxygen.
Buhl’s maroon supercharged Mustang hit a 10.86/127.16 on its first run but the 331-inch Ford
struggled with low eleven-second runs for the remainder of qualifying. Huff did not appear until
almost ninety minutes into qualifying but shocked the crowd by pushing out of line and back to the
pits without turning a tire under power. “We had some kind of electrical problem”, said Huff as he and
his crew thrashed to solve the dilemma, “and we couldn’t get it to fire. On top of that, most of the
switches for the fan and other things don’t seem to be working. Obviously, we’ve got to make a pass
to get in the show and keep our place in the points”. With only thirty minutes of qualifying remaining,
Huff finally returned to the starting line and unleashed a 9.98 at 132.56 mph to qualify on the pole.
Carter made only one other run, an even quicker 10.59/129.39, before qualifying ended but elected
to make a timed trial prior to the final round against Huff. The home-built Ford launched with
numbers similar to its previous ten-second passes but soon began stumbling before Carter got off
the throttle entirely. After pulling in front of the main grandstands prior to the championship bout, a
grim-faced Carter said, “It’s got a problem and I’m not even sure it’ll run in the final. I guess I’ll just go
to the line and see what happens”.
“What happened” was the most amazing possible SCSS race. Carter gained the holeshot he
needed, nearly a quarter-second, and actually led the silver Nova by three feet at the sixty-feet mark.
By 330 feet, however, Huff’s Nova had motored to a seventeen feet advantage and, nearing the
eighth-mile, Carter’s Ford ran into trouble. “It wouldn’t shift!”, exclaimed Carter after the run, “I was
fumbling around trying to get it to shift and it just didn’t want to make the gear change!”. As Huff
stretched his lead to two car lengths at half-track, the Nova pilot suddenly found himself in a worse
situation. “I watched the fuel pressure drop to almost nothing”, said Huff after the race, “and I knew
he’d be comin’ by me any second. I just kept hitting the nitrous button trying to make something
happen but I finally got off the spray and just kept my foot planted”.
At the thousand-feet mark, Carter was quickly gaining ground. A car-length defecit quickly began to
shrink and, in the last 320 feet of the race, the Ford pulled right alongside the Chevy. “I thought I got
him but it was so close!”, said Carter, remembering the run. Huff, recalling his confusion, said “I
was pretty sure I got there first but I was slowing down so fast I just couldn’t tell”.
If not for electronic win lights, nobody else would’ve been able to call a winner, either. At the finish
line, it was Tony Huff who coasted across the stripe first by a margin of one solitary
THOUSANDTH of a second. The closest finish in SCSS history had the two finalists separated
by 2.65 INCHES.
“That was a drag race!”, grinned Huff during the trophy presentations. “There’s no way it should have
been that close but it was. It just goes to show you...”. Although a million variables could’ve changed
the outcome, Carter discovered a fried converter as he tried to drive the Mustang away from the
winner’s ceremonies. “It’s definitely dead”, he yelled to his crew. “That’s what cost us the win!”.
NOTES FROM THE SCSS: Although Tony Buhl still leads the 2006 Season Championship
point standings, the pressure is now on both Buhl and Huff to continue to qualify for the remaining
2006 events. The point championship is determined by the number of Qualifier stickers earned with
each driver’s best ET of the season used as a tie-breaker. If Buhl fails to qualify at any event in
which Huff makes the field, Huff would assume the lead based on his season-best 9.72 elapsed time
even though both would be tied for number of decals earned...Ray Arthur’s “Suspicion” ‘67 427
Camaro hit a best-ever 11.50/118.04 to qualify fifth but stunned everybody--including
Ray--by unloading an 11.15 at 118.69 on the next-to-last run of late timed trials after qualifying
was completed...Chris Lambert’s ‘03 Cobra is notorious for making early shut-off runs and his
qualifying effort of 12.25 at only 86 mph was a classic example. In late timed trials, Lambert ran a
best-ever 11.86 at only 90 mph but the eighth-mile numbers showed 11.00/120 potential...Officially,
the quickest six-cylinder machine was Glen Johnson’s ‘03 Nissan 350Z with an exceptional
13.16/106.66 but Scott Keller arrived late with his white ‘87 Buick Regal T-Type and charged to an
11.84/112.36 after qualifying had concluded!...Several Corvette Clubs sent representatives to the
event and, with eleven of the machines on the property, no less than four qualified for the Super
Sixteen. Likewise, eight Grand Prix GTP/GXPs were in competition with the quickest being Kenton
Spann’s slick blue ‘98 model at 13.73/99.85...NMRA Photographer Paul Rosner qualified on the
bump at 12.42/114 with his ‘01 Mustang Project Car but managed to hit a 12.12 at 116.80 in late
timed trials for his best numbers yet...Chester Wilson rebounded from his three-wheeled death ride
on August 8th by running 12.70s in his yellow ‘79 350 Malibu with some of the event’s biggest
wheelstands...The Super Sixteen field included eight Chevys, seven Fords and the lone ‘67 Dodge
Coronet of Tom Cherryhones...Who will be the number eight qualifier on September 19th???
SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT
STANDINGS (as of AUGUST 23rd, 2006)
Pos Points Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine
1 (14) Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford
2 (13) Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy
3 (13) Hal Marshall Collinsville IL 86 S-10 383 Chevy
4 (10) Jim Harris O'Fallon MO 03 Corvette 346 Chevy
5 (7) Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy
6 (6) Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy
7 (4) Matt Crittendon St. Louis MO 89 Mustang 306 Ford
8 (4) Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford
9 (3) Dave Odehnal Waterloo IL 93 Camaro 350 Chevy
10 (3) Greg Boschert St. Louis MO 66 Mustang 331 Ford
11 (3) David Starns St. Louis MO 91 Mustang 355 Ford
12 (3) Joe Laramee Decatur IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford
13 (3) William Page Gillespie IL 87 Regal 231 Buick
14 (3) Adam Corbitt St. Charles MO 85 Golf 122 Volks
15 (3) Brandon Carter High Ridge MO 86 Mustang 306 Ford
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 STLSR.COM SPORT TUNER SHOWDOWN FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Andy Lemons, O’Fallon, IL 2004 146 Neon SRT-4 0.305 13.086 111.47
RU Steve Sweet, Wildwood, MO 2005 146 Neon SRT-4 0.776 14.648 99.71
Since he is best known for racing Hondas of all shapes and sizes for the past three seasons, it was a
shock to see Andy Lemons in a gloss black Dodge Neon SRT-4. The Illinois racer owned the St.
Louis Street Racing.com Sport Tuner Showdown Series, however, taking a long-overdue first victory
in Tuesday night racing.
Lemons’ new ride, which he insists in nothing more than “a basic Stage III package car”, hit a best of
13.01 at a surprising 111.37 mph to lead the Tuner field by almost a quarter-second. Behind the
black Dodge were Dave Oakley’s red ‘03 Neon, (13.24/105.47), Dave Rutley’s unique ‘92 Nissan
NX2000, (13.83 at a shocking 109.19 mph), Steve Sweet’s white ‘05 ACR Neon, (13.730/105.16),
and Kenton Spann’s blown six-cylinder Grand Prix GTP, (13.735/99.85). When neither Oakley nor
Rutley reported for the final round, however, it was Sweet’s Dodge which earned a spot in the trophy
dash as second alternate.
When Sweet spun badly in the championship match, Lemons hit a consistent 13.08 at another 111
mph clip to secure the trophy. “I still own two Hondas”, said Lemons during winner’s circle
ceremonies, “and one of them is going to be gone next week. I definitely like the Neon, though. I was
hoping for a 12-second run tonight but it’s obviously just around the corner!”.
AUGUST 22nd, 2006 GATEWAYRACEWAY.COM SUPER TRUCK SHOWDOWN FINAL
ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Hal Marshall, Collinsville, IL 1986 383 S-10 0.471 11.979 115.10
RU Jeff Fritz, Arnold, MO 2001 330 Lightning 0.136 12.840 112.12
Hal Marshall’s August 8th engine disintegration was barely noticeable to the fans who watched him
score yet another victory on August 15th with a brand-new 383-cubic inch “stroker” smallblock but
the King of Tuesday Night incurred a bit more damage en route to another record of seventeen wins
and twenty final round appearances since May 10th, 2005.
After a career-best 10.71/124 last week, Hal’s new powerplant perfomed flawlessly in its debut. His
first qualifying run of the August 22nd event, however, culminated in an 11.64/117.71 and a quick
retreat to the pits where he remained for the duration. “I’m only runnin’ on seven”, he admitted when
he finally appeared in front of the main grandstands to prepare for the final round. “It poked a hole in
a lifter, so it’s hurt. I think it might run in the elevens on this last run but it sure doesn’t have
much more than that. I just can’t believe I’m gonna have to take it apart and work on it again!”.
Jeff Fritz, whose gorgeous Steigemeier Porting-sponsored 2001 Ford Lightning had already scored a
win and a runner-up in prior GatewayRaceway.com Super Truck Showdown competition, was making
his first championship dash since losing to Marshall at the final event of the 2005 SCSS season.
Qualifying with a best-ever 12.30/111.91, Fritz was followed by the amazing 2006 GMC Sierra diesel
of Jeremy Homeyer, (13.04/108.74 to become the second-fastest SCSS diesel ever), and Matt
Hamilton’s equally-potent ‘01 Ford F150, (13.47/102.87). Unfortunately for Fritz, he knew nothing of
Hal’s problems and promptly lost a third-of-a-second holeshot to tirespin. As Hal’s wounded Chevy
S-10 sputtered to an 11.97, Fritz needed only another 12.30 to win but a tire-frying 12.84 handing yet
another trophy to “Animal Hal”.
Photos of the August 22nd SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series event are now available for
viewing at Bret Kepner Photos.
Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova
Brandon Carter, High Ridge, MO 1986 306 Mustang
Andy Lemons, O’Fallon, IL 2004 146 Neon SRT-4
Steve Sweet, Wildwood, MO 2005 146 Neon SRT-4
Hal Marshall, Collinsville, IL 1986 350 S-10
Jeff Fritz, Arnold, MO 2001 331 Lightning
