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 8th, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT QUALIFIERS
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine ET MPH Date
EVENT 16 8/8/2006
1 Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy 9.727 134.89
2 Bill Scholl St. Louis MO 66 AC Cobra 347 Ford 10.727 125.00
3 Ben Nungester Arnold MO 69 Camaro 400 Chevy 10.781 126.98
4 Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford 10.901 127.34
5 Brandon Carter High Ridge MO 86 Mustang 306 Ford 11.015 126.26
6 Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy 11.605 119.60
7 Adam Corbitt St. Charles MO 85 Golf 122 Volks 11.614 123.44
8 Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy 11.726 119.08
9 Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford 11.765 117.85
10 Ralph Meek Luebbering MO 68 Mustang 302 Ford 11.853 109.21
11 Bill Buell Fenton MO 93 3000 GT 176 Mitsu 12.136 119.19
12 Brian Orsborn Granite City IL 02 Neon 146 Dodge 12.157 120.75
13 Joe Fairmon St. Peters MO 99 Camaro 346 Chevy 12.197 110.83
14 Paul Rosner Florissant MO 04 Mustang 281 Ford 12.236 111.68
15 Kenny Woolsey Festus MO 99 Camaro 346 Chevy 12.344 111.63
16 Pat Goessling St. Peters MO 99 Trans Am 346 Pont 12.368 114.09
AUGUST 8th, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Ben Nungester, Arnold, MO 1969 400 Camaro 0.098 10.935 125.58
RU Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova 0.533 10.700 108.23
Mother Nature finally smiled on Gateway International Raceway and allowed a return to more
traditional summertime weather for the SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series, resulting in the
quickest field since June 13th and an event filled with upsets and surprises. No match featured a
shock greater than the one delivered by Ben Nungester, whose show-quality 1969 Camaro Rallye
Sport capped its first attempt at an SCSS title by beating out low qualifier Tony Huff’s ‘69 Nova with
the largest holeshot in SCSS history!
With a (normal) high temperature of 89 degrees, the corrected elevation hovered at 2523 feet above
sea level when gate opened and fell to 2087 feet during the championship finals...more than 1100
feet less than only seven days prior. The track temperature, measured at 137 degrees only a week
ago, rose no higher than 119 degrees and the surface, used by a half dozen of NHRA’s quickest Pro
Stock vehicles during the afternoon, presented exceptional traction for all but the most hopeless
combinations.
Even during early timed trials prior to the start of the official qualifying session, big numbers
prevailed. The very first pair of cars down the track included Brandon Carter’s Hgh Ridge,
Missouri-based ‘86 306 Mustang on an amazing 10.76-second blast at 126.72 miles per hour. Carter
put down subsequent 11.05/127.78 and 10.85/127.25 efforts before qualifying and Bill Scholl, whose
familiar silver ‘66 AC Cobra was making its first appearance of 2006, hit a 10.81/124.58.
Only nine minutes after qualifying began, Scholl’s 347-cubic inch sports roadster clocked a
career-best 10.74/124.71 and backed it up seven minutes later with a 10.72/125.00 to take the early
qualifying lead. Although SCSS regulars knew that Scholl’s work schedule prevents him from staying
at the track late enough to run in the final round, (thereby always allowing an alternate in his place),
it soon became evident Scholl would have plenty of competition for a final-round berth. When
unheralded Ben Nungester pulled to the line with his immaculate ‘69 Camaro, nobody knew what to
expect; Nungester had crewed Gary Tripp’s ‘69 Camaro to the low qualifying spot one week earlier
and, this time, decided to bring his own entry. To the surprise of the fans, the smallblock Chevy
yanked the front end and charged to a 10.83/125.51 to move into the second spot.
Only minutes later, Tony Huff fogged in the starting line while heating the tires in preparation for his
first qualifying effort. The Collinsville, Illinois, campaigner struggled with fuel delivery problems
during the previous two SCSS events but used the Wednesday, August 2nd, test session to solve
the dilemma and clock three straight 9.70 runs. Sure enough, Huff’s silver 468 Nova charged to a
9.86 at 132.36 mph right off the bat to take back the pole position. Nungester returned to hit an
improving 10.78/126.98 but Huff reiterated his point with a career-best 9.72 at 134.89 mph.
Ironically, neither Scholl nor Nungester were ever threatened. Carter’s 306-inch Mustang could do
no better than an 11.01/126.26 during the official qualifying period and defending weekly winner
Tony Buhl’s Mustang battled numerous gremlins while running a 10.90/127.34 best. Huff made a test
pass, (without the aid of nitrous oxide injection), prior to the final round and clocked a 10.34/125.90.
“We found out the fuel pump really was bad”, explained Huff, alluding to the mysterious loss of
fuel pressure which cost him the title in the previous week, “and it was a brand-new unit with only
four runs on it. When we swapped pumps, we came out on Wednesday to get it straightened out and
it ran great. We didn’t touch it all week and it’s still in the 9.70s”.
As expected, Nungester’s Camaro was called as an alternate for the already-at-work Bill Scholl. The
Arnold, Missouri, Camaro was at a distinct disadvantage to Huff’s dominant Nova and, when the two
staged for the championship dash, not many fans held hope for an upset. When Nungester launched
to an incredible four-tenths holeshot, however, hope suddenly returned to the equation. It was
the start of one of the most insane SCSS battles ever.
In the first sixty feet, Huff closed up what seemed like a two-car holeshot to only a nine-feet lead for
Nungester and the Nova quickly began reeling in the orange Camaro. In fact, Huff passed Nungester
and, by 330 feet, held a 7.02-feet advantage and was still pulling away. However, nearing 500 feet a
loud explosion and visible fireball exited from the silver Nova’s air scoop; a backfire and subsequent
manifold explosion threw sparks and chunks of fiberglass (from the shredding scoop) across the
lane. Huff lifted off the throttle and then stabbed it again but lost plenty of momentum to Nungester.
At half-track, the Nova was only 2.06 feet ahead!
Each time Huff stomped on the gas pedal, the Nova tried to resume speed but stumbled when the
lack of manifold pressure made the engine run fat. While the Nova coughed, Nungester and his
Camaro continued its charge and, at the 1000-feet mark, Huff’s lead was down 6.03
[b[inches[/b]. In the final 320 feet, Huff’s 468-inch rat motor finally committed suicide. Nungester
looked for Huff, but the Nova wasn’t there as the Camaro crossed the finish line in the lead by 37.05
feet. Incredibly, it was the scoreboards which told the rest of the story; Nungester’s 10.93/125 had
finished ahead of Huff’s 10.70 at a coasting 108 mph.
“I think I may have dented my roof!”, exclaimed an elated Nungester during the trophy presentation
in front of the main grandstands. “I saw him almost the whole way until the very end and, when I
realized he wasn’t there and my win light came on, I was going crazy in there! And to win it on a
holeshot...man, this is pretty cool!”. Huff was completely stymied by the explosion, adding, “That
was a pretty big fireball, wasn’t it? I sure didn’t expect it. I tried to get it to recover but it just kept
killing itself the more I pushed it. We’ve got another 454 ready to go in it for next week but this was
an expensive final round. And I thought we had everything figured out!”.
NOTES FROM THE SCSS: Although Tony Buhl still leads the 2006 Season Championship
point standings, Hal Marshall’s absolutely disasterous failure to qualify has effectively put Tony Huff
in second place. 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; Huff is still one point behind Buhl and
tied with Marshall but has a season best of 9.72 seconds to Marshall’s best of 10.93...Brandon
Carter just couldn’t catch a break. The High Ridge, Missouri Mustang pilot ran 10.76 before
qualifying began, ran only 11.01/126 during qualifying and then clocked amazing 10.60/128.04
and 10.59/128.63 blasts after qualifying had ended...Kenny Woolsey’s black ‘88 Camaro pitched
a harmonic balancer early in qualifying; pieces of belt were scattered throughout the top end but the
balancer itself was missing in action...Chester Wilson’s St. Louis-based ‘79 350 Malibu provided
plenty of excitement when it threw the left rear wheel and axle at the 330-feet mark; it was all Chester
could do to avoid the richoceting assembly all the way to the 1000-feet mark. Unfortunately, Chester
and his family drove the car to the track but it left on a hook. The Gateway track crew removed the
car from the racing surface by chasing down the runaway wheel and axle, jacking up the Malibu,
reinstalling the assembly and pushing the car to the first turnoff...Paul Rosner, the chief
photographer for the National Mustang Racers Association, made strides with his 2004 Mustang GT
NMRA Project Car, hitting a best-yet 12.23/111.68...Bryant Storey and Matt Crittendon spent half the
event wringing out the 310-inch ‘87 Mustang won by the duo during the “Pinks!” episode shot at
Gateway; the Ford ran 12.59/112.94...Ben Nungester became the 44th member of the SCSS
10-Second Club while Nungester and Carter were the 91st and 92nd entries into the 120 MPH
Club...A total of 128 different drivers have earned “Fastest Street Car Qualifier” decals so far in
2006...It may not be news but it was noticable: Jim Harris missed an SCSS event!
SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT
STANDINGS (as of AUGUST 9th, 2006)
Pos Points Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine
1 (12) Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford
2 (11) Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy
3 (11) Hal Marshall Collinsville IL 86 S-10 350 Chevy
4 (8) Jim Harris O'Fallon MO 03 Corvette 346 Chevy
5 (5) Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy
6 (4) Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy
7 (3) Dave Odehnal Waterloo IL 93 Camaro 350 Chevy
8 (3) Greg Boschert St. Louis MO 66 Mustang 331 Ford
9 (3) David Starns St. Louis MO 91 Mustang 355 Ford
10 (3) Joe Laramee Decatur IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford
11 (3) William Page Gillespie IL 87 Regal 231 Buick
12 (3) Matt Crittendon St. Louis MO 89 Mustang 306 Ford
13 (3) Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford
AUGUST 8th, 2006 STLSR.COM SPORT TUNER SHOWDOWN FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, MO 1985 122 Golf 0.139 11.655 121.98
RU Bill Buell, Fenton, MO 1993 176 3000 GT 0.369 12.029 118.08
Apparently, the cooler weather was an open invitation for the area’s quickest machinery to assemble
for battle in the St. Louis Street Racing.com Sport Tuner Showdown Series. An amazing array of
vehicles produced one of the most hotly contested events of the season and an equally impressive
display of horsepower. The current SCSS Front-Wheel-Drive Record Holder, Adam and Dave
Corbitt’s turbocharged ‘85 Volkswagen Golf, led the program from wire-to-wire but had more than
enough competition.
The Polk Audio VW opened qualifying with an 11.78 at 122.48 mph and, over a series of six
consistent runs, only got quicker. A best of 11.61/123.44 was only three hundredths of a second from
the two-litre’s ET record and guaranteed the St. Charles, Missouri, brother act a spot in the trophy
dash. The real battle seemed to be for the other finalist position. In a war which lasted throughout
qualifying, Brian Orsborn’s infamous red “Boosted 4” ‘04 Dodge Neon traded jabs with Bill Buehl’s
amazing ‘93 Mitsubishi 3000GT which erased Jason Kath’s STSS records for All-Wheel-Drive
six-cylinder machines with a string of 12-teens and a best of 12.13 at a ****ping 119.08 mph.
Orsborn, the quickest SRT-4 in STSS racing with an 11.79 recorded in 2005, spent the event
chasing the numbers posted by the Mitsubishi but eventually missed the cut by a mere twenty-one
thousandths of a second with a 12.15/120.75 best. “Justin Bondurant and I just got the transmission
finished”, noted Orsborn, “and it’s been so long since I raced I’m having trouble launching it without
spin”. Orsborn eventually faced the worst nightmare of SCSS racing; after the conclusion of
qualifying, the red Neon shot to an 11.91 at an incredible 122.01 mph in late timed trials!
The big numbers didn’t end with the top three qualifiers. The rest of the top eight included Matt
Shepherd’s Hi-Tuned Performance ‘98 Mitsubishi Eclipse, (a best-ever 12.59/112.94), Curtis Wyatt’s
past event-winning Subaru Impreza, (a best-ever 13.06/105.09), defending weekly champion Ryan
Mowery’s Subaru WRX, (another career-best 13.22/102.97), Nathan Pitchford’s black SRT-4, (a
13.39 at an impressive 110.24 mph), and Glen Johnson’s ‘95 Nissan 240SX, (13.48/102.11).
The Corbitt brothers took special interest in Buell’s 3000GT before the championship bout. “It’s just
my weekend cruiser”, said Buell prior to the final round, “and I’ve only had it down the track four
times before tonight. I hang with the guys from the United Society of 3000GT and Stealth Owners, (
http://www.us3s.org/ ), and it’s a twin-turbo three-litre V6 but I don’t use nitrous because it really is a
dependable street car”. After scoping out the bone-stock interior of the Morgan Motorsports
Mitsubishi, Adam Corbitt gave a wry smile and said, “It would really be stupid to underestimate this
car.”
Corbitt was right. Although the STLVW.org Volkswagen gained a healthy quarter-second holeshot
and cruised to a consistent 11.65/121.98, Buell’s 3000GT wasn’t far behind with an incredible
12.02/118.08 effort. When the two returned to the front of the grandstands for trophy presentation,
the Corbitts were the first to shake hands with Buell and his son, Billy.
AUGUST 8th, 2006 GATEWAYRACEWAY.COM SUPER TRUCK SHOWDOWN FINAL
ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Matt Crittendon, St. Louis, MO 1983 440 Ram 0.553 14.057 98.48
RU Cory Hall, St. Charles, MO 2003 345 Ram 0.004 14.871 89.99
Well, it had to end sometime!. Hal Marshall’s incredible streak came to an explosive halt during
qualifying when the all-conquering God of Tuesday Night completely destroyed the 350 smallblock
which powered him to fifteen wins since August, 2005, nine wins in 2006, seven consecutive
victories since May 9th and one solitary loss in 343 days!
Hal made two troubled qualifying runs but the second pass was the killer. “Well, it’s got a few valves
sticking into a few pistons”, recounted a disgusted Marshall, “so it’s done...finished. I’ve got a new
388-incher coming tomorrow to make sure we don’t miss any events but I know what I’ll be doing for
the next few days. Not qualifying was hard to take. It’s been a tough night”. Indeed, Marshall’s best of
12.56 at only 108 mph kept him from qualifying in the Super Sixteen and effectively gave up his
second place standing in the 2006 Season Championship chase. Hal loaded his white S-10 long
before the final roud of the GatewayRaceway.com Super Truck Showdown but stuck around to watch
the outcome.
Matt Crittendon has been a player in the SCSS series since its first event and his recent conquest on
the top-rated “Pinks!” series only increased his star status. When he and Bryant Storey decided to
test the Mustang which Crittendon won on the Pinks! show, he drove his trusty “parts chaser”, a
white ‘83 Dodge Ram, to the track...and decided to run it, too. It eventually qualified third behind
the 2003 Hemi Ram of Cory Hall and, when Marshall abdicated, Crittendon got called in as an
alternate.
“I wasn’t going to run it in anymore because it just doesn’t have enough carburetor for the stock 440
wedge that’s in it”, said Crittendon after answering the call to the lanes. “It’s only got a little 830 cfm
four barrel on it and it’s running out of gas on the top end”. Incredibly, Hall and Crittendon qualified
only twenty-seven thousandths of a second apart, 14.742/89.93 to 14.769/82.42, so a close
match seemed imminent.
Hall was just happy to be in a final round, noting, “It’s a bone-stock 345 Hemi with some
programming and filter changes but it seems to run pretty well for what it is”. However, Hall’s biggest
performance enhancer was his own great driving ability. At the green, Hall murdered the ‘Tree with a
0.004 Reaction Time, the best ever recorded in the Super Truck Showdown and a tie with Tony
Buhl’s identical number from May 9th as the best ever in SCSS racing! Unfortunately for the St.
Charles, Missouri, Hemi pilot, Crittendon’s “parts truck” managed to get a bit more fuel in the final
round and the 9-second Mustang campaigner cruised to his first Super Truck victory with a 14.05 at
98.48 mph.
Photos of the August 8th SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series event are now available for
viewing at Bret Kepner Photos.
Ben Nungester, Arnold, MO 1969 400 Camaro
Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova
Dave and Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, IL 1985 122 Golf
Bill Buell, Fenton, MO 1993 176 3000GT
Matt Crittendon, St. Louis, MO 1983 440 Ram
Cory Hall, St. Charles, MO 2003 345 Ram
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 8th, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT QUALIFIERS
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine ET MPH Date
EVENT 16 8/8/2006
1 Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy 9.727 134.89
2 Bill Scholl St. Louis MO 66 AC Cobra 347 Ford 10.727 125.00
3 Ben Nungester Arnold MO 69 Camaro 400 Chevy 10.781 126.98
4 Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford 10.901 127.34
5 Brandon Carter High Ridge MO 86 Mustang 306 Ford 11.015 126.26
6 Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy 11.605 119.60
7 Adam Corbitt St. Charles MO 85 Golf 122 Volks 11.614 123.44
8 Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy 11.726 119.08
9 Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford 11.765 117.85
10 Ralph Meek Luebbering MO 68 Mustang 302 Ford 11.853 109.21
11 Bill Buell Fenton MO 93 3000 GT 176 Mitsu 12.136 119.19
12 Brian Orsborn Granite City IL 02 Neon 146 Dodge 12.157 120.75
13 Joe Fairmon St. Peters MO 99 Camaro 346 Chevy 12.197 110.83
14 Paul Rosner Florissant MO 04 Mustang 281 Ford 12.236 111.68
15 Kenny Woolsey Festus MO 99 Camaro 346 Chevy 12.344 111.63
16 Pat Goessling St. Peters MO 99 Trans Am 346 Pont 12.368 114.09
AUGUST 8th, 2006 SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Ben Nungester, Arnold, MO 1969 400 Camaro 0.098 10.935 125.58
RU Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova 0.533 10.700 108.23
Mother Nature finally smiled on Gateway International Raceway and allowed a return to more
traditional summertime weather for the SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series, resulting in the
quickest field since June 13th and an event filled with upsets and surprises. No match featured a
shock greater than the one delivered by Ben Nungester, whose show-quality 1969 Camaro Rallye
Sport capped its first attempt at an SCSS title by beating out low qualifier Tony Huff’s ‘69 Nova with
the largest holeshot in SCSS history!
With a (normal) high temperature of 89 degrees, the corrected elevation hovered at 2523 feet above
sea level when gate opened and fell to 2087 feet during the championship finals...more than 1100
feet less than only seven days prior. The track temperature, measured at 137 degrees only a week
ago, rose no higher than 119 degrees and the surface, used by a half dozen of NHRA’s quickest Pro
Stock vehicles during the afternoon, presented exceptional traction for all but the most hopeless
combinations.
Even during early timed trials prior to the start of the official qualifying session, big numbers
prevailed. The very first pair of cars down the track included Brandon Carter’s Hgh Ridge,
Missouri-based ‘86 306 Mustang on an amazing 10.76-second blast at 126.72 miles per hour. Carter
put down subsequent 11.05/127.78 and 10.85/127.25 efforts before qualifying and Bill Scholl, whose
familiar silver ‘66 AC Cobra was making its first appearance of 2006, hit a 10.81/124.58.
Only nine minutes after qualifying began, Scholl’s 347-cubic inch sports roadster clocked a
career-best 10.74/124.71 and backed it up seven minutes later with a 10.72/125.00 to take the early
qualifying lead. Although SCSS regulars knew that Scholl’s work schedule prevents him from staying
at the track late enough to run in the final round, (thereby always allowing an alternate in his place),
it soon became evident Scholl would have plenty of competition for a final-round berth. When
unheralded Ben Nungester pulled to the line with his immaculate ‘69 Camaro, nobody knew what to
expect; Nungester had crewed Gary Tripp’s ‘69 Camaro to the low qualifying spot one week earlier
and, this time, decided to bring his own entry. To the surprise of the fans, the smallblock Chevy
yanked the front end and charged to a 10.83/125.51 to move into the second spot.
Only minutes later, Tony Huff fogged in the starting line while heating the tires in preparation for his
first qualifying effort. The Collinsville, Illinois, campaigner struggled with fuel delivery problems
during the previous two SCSS events but used the Wednesday, August 2nd, test session to solve
the dilemma and clock three straight 9.70 runs. Sure enough, Huff’s silver 468 Nova charged to a
9.86 at 132.36 mph right off the bat to take back the pole position. Nungester returned to hit an
improving 10.78/126.98 but Huff reiterated his point with a career-best 9.72 at 134.89 mph.
Ironically, neither Scholl nor Nungester were ever threatened. Carter’s 306-inch Mustang could do
no better than an 11.01/126.26 during the official qualifying period and defending weekly winner
Tony Buhl’s Mustang battled numerous gremlins while running a 10.90/127.34 best. Huff made a test
pass, (without the aid of nitrous oxide injection), prior to the final round and clocked a 10.34/125.90.
“We found out the fuel pump really was bad”, explained Huff, alluding to the mysterious loss of
fuel pressure which cost him the title in the previous week, “and it was a brand-new unit with only
four runs on it. When we swapped pumps, we came out on Wednesday to get it straightened out and
it ran great. We didn’t touch it all week and it’s still in the 9.70s”.
As expected, Nungester’s Camaro was called as an alternate for the already-at-work Bill Scholl. The
Arnold, Missouri, Camaro was at a distinct disadvantage to Huff’s dominant Nova and, when the two
staged for the championship dash, not many fans held hope for an upset. When Nungester launched
to an incredible four-tenths holeshot, however, hope suddenly returned to the equation. It was
the start of one of the most insane SCSS battles ever.
In the first sixty feet, Huff closed up what seemed like a two-car holeshot to only a nine-feet lead for
Nungester and the Nova quickly began reeling in the orange Camaro. In fact, Huff passed Nungester
and, by 330 feet, held a 7.02-feet advantage and was still pulling away. However, nearing 500 feet a
loud explosion and visible fireball exited from the silver Nova’s air scoop; a backfire and subsequent
manifold explosion threw sparks and chunks of fiberglass (from the shredding scoop) across the
lane. Huff lifted off the throttle and then stabbed it again but lost plenty of momentum to Nungester.
At half-track, the Nova was only 2.06 feet ahead!
Each time Huff stomped on the gas pedal, the Nova tried to resume speed but stumbled when the
lack of manifold pressure made the engine run fat. While the Nova coughed, Nungester and his
Camaro continued its charge and, at the 1000-feet mark, Huff’s lead was down 6.03
[b[inches[/b]. In the final 320 feet, Huff’s 468-inch rat motor finally committed suicide. Nungester
looked for Huff, but the Nova wasn’t there as the Camaro crossed the finish line in the lead by 37.05
feet. Incredibly, it was the scoreboards which told the rest of the story; Nungester’s 10.93/125 had
finished ahead of Huff’s 10.70 at a coasting 108 mph.
“I think I may have dented my roof!”, exclaimed an elated Nungester during the trophy presentation
in front of the main grandstands. “I saw him almost the whole way until the very end and, when I
realized he wasn’t there and my win light came on, I was going crazy in there! And to win it on a
holeshot...man, this is pretty cool!”. Huff was completely stymied by the explosion, adding, “That
was a pretty big fireball, wasn’t it? I sure didn’t expect it. I tried to get it to recover but it just kept
killing itself the more I pushed it. We’ve got another 454 ready to go in it for next week but this was
an expensive final round. And I thought we had everything figured out!”.
NOTES FROM THE SCSS: Although Tony Buhl still leads the 2006 Season Championship
point standings, Hal Marshall’s absolutely disasterous failure to qualify has effectively put Tony Huff
in second place. 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; Huff is still one point behind Buhl and
tied with Marshall but has a season best of 9.72 seconds to Marshall’s best of 10.93...Brandon
Carter just couldn’t catch a break. The High Ridge, Missouri Mustang pilot ran 10.76 before
qualifying began, ran only 11.01/126 during qualifying and then clocked amazing 10.60/128.04
and 10.59/128.63 blasts after qualifying had ended...Kenny Woolsey’s black ‘88 Camaro pitched
a harmonic balancer early in qualifying; pieces of belt were scattered throughout the top end but the
balancer itself was missing in action...Chester Wilson’s St. Louis-based ‘79 350 Malibu provided
plenty of excitement when it threw the left rear wheel and axle at the 330-feet mark; it was all Chester
could do to avoid the richoceting assembly all the way to the 1000-feet mark. Unfortunately, Chester
and his family drove the car to the track but it left on a hook. The Gateway track crew removed the
car from the racing surface by chasing down the runaway wheel and axle, jacking up the Malibu,
reinstalling the assembly and pushing the car to the first turnoff...Paul Rosner, the chief
photographer for the National Mustang Racers Association, made strides with his 2004 Mustang GT
NMRA Project Car, hitting a best-yet 12.23/111.68...Bryant Storey and Matt Crittendon spent half the
event wringing out the 310-inch ‘87 Mustang won by the duo during the “Pinks!” episode shot at
Gateway; the Ford ran 12.59/112.94...Ben Nungester became the 44th member of the SCSS
10-Second Club while Nungester and Carter were the 91st and 92nd entries into the 120 MPH
Club...A total of 128 different drivers have earned “Fastest Street Car Qualifier” decals so far in
2006...It may not be news but it was noticable: Jim Harris missed an SCSS event!
SX PERFORMANCE STREET CAR SHOOTOUT SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT
STANDINGS (as of AUGUST 9th, 2006)
Pos Points Name Hometown ST Vehicle Engine
1 (12) Tony Buhl Lebanon IL 89 Mustang 331 Ford
2 (11) Tony Huff Collinsville IL 68 Nova 468 Chevy
3 (11) Hal Marshall Collinsville IL 86 S-10 350 Chevy
4 (8) Jim Harris O'Fallon MO 03 Corvette 346 Chevy
5 (5) Joe Williams Maryville IL 70 Nova 454 Chevy
6 (4) Raymond Arthur Edwardsville IL 67 Camaro 427 Chevy
7 (3) Dave Odehnal Waterloo IL 93 Camaro 350 Chevy
8 (3) Greg Boschert St. Louis MO 66 Mustang 331 Ford
9 (3) David Starns St. Louis MO 91 Mustang 355 Ford
10 (3) Joe Laramee Decatur IL 77 Pinto 147 Ford
11 (3) William Page Gillespie IL 87 Regal 231 Buick
12 (3) Matt Crittendon St. Louis MO 89 Mustang 306 Ford
13 (3) Rusty Schneider Owensville MO 99 Mustang 281 Ford
AUGUST 8th, 2006 STLSR.COM SPORT TUNER SHOWDOWN FINAL ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, MO 1985 122 Golf 0.139 11.655 121.98
RU Bill Buell, Fenton, MO 1993 176 3000 GT 0.369 12.029 118.08
Apparently, the cooler weather was an open invitation for the area’s quickest machinery to assemble
for battle in the St. Louis Street Racing.com Sport Tuner Showdown Series. An amazing array of
vehicles produced one of the most hotly contested events of the season and an equally impressive
display of horsepower. The current SCSS Front-Wheel-Drive Record Holder, Adam and Dave
Corbitt’s turbocharged ‘85 Volkswagen Golf, led the program from wire-to-wire but had more than
enough competition.
The Polk Audio VW opened qualifying with an 11.78 at 122.48 mph and, over a series of six
consistent runs, only got quicker. A best of 11.61/123.44 was only three hundredths of a second from
the two-litre’s ET record and guaranteed the St. Charles, Missouri, brother act a spot in the trophy
dash. The real battle seemed to be for the other finalist position. In a war which lasted throughout
qualifying, Brian Orsborn’s infamous red “Boosted 4” ‘04 Dodge Neon traded jabs with Bill Buehl’s
amazing ‘93 Mitsubishi 3000GT which erased Jason Kath’s STSS records for All-Wheel-Drive
six-cylinder machines with a string of 12-teens and a best of 12.13 at a ****ping 119.08 mph.
Orsborn, the quickest SRT-4 in STSS racing with an 11.79 recorded in 2005, spent the event
chasing the numbers posted by the Mitsubishi but eventually missed the cut by a mere twenty-one
thousandths of a second with a 12.15/120.75 best. “Justin Bondurant and I just got the transmission
finished”, noted Orsborn, “and it’s been so long since I raced I’m having trouble launching it without
spin”. Orsborn eventually faced the worst nightmare of SCSS racing; after the conclusion of
qualifying, the red Neon shot to an 11.91 at an incredible 122.01 mph in late timed trials!
The big numbers didn’t end with the top three qualifiers. The rest of the top eight included Matt
Shepherd’s Hi-Tuned Performance ‘98 Mitsubishi Eclipse, (a best-ever 12.59/112.94), Curtis Wyatt’s
past event-winning Subaru Impreza, (a best-ever 13.06/105.09), defending weekly champion Ryan
Mowery’s Subaru WRX, (another career-best 13.22/102.97), Nathan Pitchford’s black SRT-4, (a
13.39 at an impressive 110.24 mph), and Glen Johnson’s ‘95 Nissan 240SX, (13.48/102.11).
The Corbitt brothers took special interest in Buell’s 3000GT before the championship bout. “It’s just
my weekend cruiser”, said Buell prior to the final round, “and I’ve only had it down the track four
times before tonight. I hang with the guys from the United Society of 3000GT and Stealth Owners, (
http://www.us3s.org/ ), and it’s a twin-turbo three-litre V6 but I don’t use nitrous because it really is a
dependable street car”. After scoping out the bone-stock interior of the Morgan Motorsports
Mitsubishi, Adam Corbitt gave a wry smile and said, “It would really be stupid to underestimate this
car.”
Corbitt was right. Although the STLVW.org Volkswagen gained a healthy quarter-second holeshot
and cruised to a consistent 11.65/121.98, Buell’s 3000GT wasn’t far behind with an incredible
12.02/118.08 effort. When the two returned to the front of the grandstands for trophy presentation,
the Corbitts were the first to shake hands with Buell and his son, Billy.
AUGUST 8th, 2006 GATEWAYRACEWAY.COM SUPER TRUCK SHOWDOWN FINAL
ROUND
Pos Name Hometown ST Vehicle R.T. ET MPH
W Matt Crittendon, St. Louis, MO 1983 440 Ram 0.553 14.057 98.48
RU Cory Hall, St. Charles, MO 2003 345 Ram 0.004 14.871 89.99
Well, it had to end sometime!. Hal Marshall’s incredible streak came to an explosive halt during
qualifying when the all-conquering God of Tuesday Night completely destroyed the 350 smallblock
which powered him to fifteen wins since August, 2005, nine wins in 2006, seven consecutive
victories since May 9th and one solitary loss in 343 days!
Hal made two troubled qualifying runs but the second pass was the killer. “Well, it’s got a few valves
sticking into a few pistons”, recounted a disgusted Marshall, “so it’s done...finished. I’ve got a new
388-incher coming tomorrow to make sure we don’t miss any events but I know what I’ll be doing for
the next few days. Not qualifying was hard to take. It’s been a tough night”. Indeed, Marshall’s best of
12.56 at only 108 mph kept him from qualifying in the Super Sixteen and effectively gave up his
second place standing in the 2006 Season Championship chase. Hal loaded his white S-10 long
before the final roud of the GatewayRaceway.com Super Truck Showdown but stuck around to watch
the outcome.
Matt Crittendon has been a player in the SCSS series since its first event and his recent conquest on
the top-rated “Pinks!” series only increased his star status. When he and Bryant Storey decided to
test the Mustang which Crittendon won on the Pinks! show, he drove his trusty “parts chaser”, a
white ‘83 Dodge Ram, to the track...and decided to run it, too. It eventually qualified third behind
the 2003 Hemi Ram of Cory Hall and, when Marshall abdicated, Crittendon got called in as an
alternate.
“I wasn’t going to run it in anymore because it just doesn’t have enough carburetor for the stock 440
wedge that’s in it”, said Crittendon after answering the call to the lanes. “It’s only got a little 830 cfm
four barrel on it and it’s running out of gas on the top end”. Incredibly, Hall and Crittendon qualified
only twenty-seven thousandths of a second apart, 14.742/89.93 to 14.769/82.42, so a close
match seemed imminent.
Hall was just happy to be in a final round, noting, “It’s a bone-stock 345 Hemi with some
programming and filter changes but it seems to run pretty well for what it is”. However, Hall’s biggest
performance enhancer was his own great driving ability. At the green, Hall murdered the ‘Tree with a
0.004 Reaction Time, the best ever recorded in the Super Truck Showdown and a tie with Tony
Buhl’s identical number from May 9th as the best ever in SCSS racing! Unfortunately for the St.
Charles, Missouri, Hemi pilot, Crittendon’s “parts truck” managed to get a bit more fuel in the final
round and the 9-second Mustang campaigner cruised to his first Super Truck victory with a 14.05 at
98.48 mph.
Photos of the August 8th SX Performance Street Car Shootout Series event are now available for
viewing at Bret Kepner Photos.
Ben Nungester, Arnold, MO 1969 400 Camaro
Tony Huff, Collinsville, IL 1968 468 Nova
Dave and Adam Corbitt, St. Charles, IL 1985 122 Golf
Bill Buell, Fenton, MO 1993 176 3000GT
Matt Crittendon, St. Louis, MO 1983 440 Ram
Cory Hall, St. Charles, MO 2003 345 Ram
