Wild Wild Wes Wins First! Booth Goes 3.99!

By Danny and Gena White

Redline Raceway held its last Pro Modified show of the year last Saturday night. A field of 16 racers competed for the final 8 spots. The Texas Outlaw Pro Modified Association put on a good show as the air was cool and dry. There were several best ever elapsed times and the three second barrier was broken at Redline Raceway by Bobby Booth.

Bobby Booth broke the track record with a 3.990!

Eddie Roach ran a 4.65 best for the third alternate spot.

Outlaw Top Sportsman racers Kenny Duke and Jetty Wright started out the qualifying. Kenny Duke was in the Pole Machinery Sales Lumina, while Wright was in his Nova. The race was anticlimactic as both cars left the line with wheels up and both slammed back down to Earth hard. Both Duke and Wright had broken the input shafts in their transmissions. Only Duke received an E.T. of 32 seconds at 7 MPH! Bobby Booth and Chuck Poindexter were the next racers to try the Redline surface. Booth showed  his potential when he ran a 4.09, 178.57 to Chuck’s early shut off 4.82, 141.20.

Thomas Myers ran a 4.13 in the semis next to Booth's 3.99.

HT Wilson and crew prepping fora run.

Two more Outlaw Tops Sportsman racers were next as Eddie Roach in his Firebird took on Steve Gorman’s Grand Am. Gorman was fresh off his win at Kennedale ran his best ever time of 4.46, 156.89. Roach ran a good 4.67, 150.70 in his ‘bird. It should be noted that Gorman runs one carb and an automatic transmission. Thomas Myers then took the battle of the nitrous 63 Corvettes over Chuck Nuytten. Myers ran 4.31, 171.76 to Nuyttens crossed up 5.43, 129.98.

Wes Johnston won his first TOPMA race.

The aftermath of Gaylen Smith blower explosion and fire.

Jeremy Brown ran a good 4.18, 168.81 in Mike Calanga’s Twisted Lemon Corvette to defeat Jr. Boiles’ 4.41, 164.11 in his blown Willys. Boiles made a spectacular first appearance at Caddo Mills as the burst panel took out part of the front end at the finish line. Wes Johnston then ran a good 4.18, 172.99 in the Napa backed Corvette to take out OTS racer HT Wilson who ran 4.65, 155.93 in his Firebird.

HT Wilson is talking to Steve Gorman, while Gorman's voodoo dolls look on.

Thomas Myers has run a 4.09 best in his Tom Slick Corvette.

David Baldwin was back in the seat of his beautiful Corvette as he took on Jackie Deaver in his Underdawg II Camaro. It was a close as Deaver took the stripe with a 4.40, 145.77 shut off to Baldwin’s 4.43, 160.03. Baldwin runs both OTS and TOPMA races with a small 582 c.i. one stage nitrous combo. Frankie Taylor took a solo run when Gaylen Smith could not start. Taylor got crossed up with a 4.83, 140.80 pass that saw him pedal a couple of times. Smith then took an ill-fated test run after he got the Texas Bounty Hunter to crank. The supercharger backfired causing a small fire that melted the windshield behind the blower.

The first round of qualifying follows.

1. Booth 4.09

2. Johnston 4.18

3. Brown 4.18

4. Myer 4.31

5. Deaver 4.40

6. Boiles 4.41

7. Baldwin 4.43

8. Gorman 4.46

9. Wilson 4.65

10. Roach 4.67

11. Taylor 4.80

12. Poindexter 4.82

13. Nuytten 5.43

14. Duke 32.00

15. Wright N/T

16. Smith N/T

The Twisted Lemon Corvette.

Don and Bobby Booth's Corvette.

The first round was tough on the field as Gaylen Smith, Jetty Wright, Kenny Duke, Chuck Nuytten, Chuck Poindexter, and Jr Boiles did not run the second session. Steve Gorman and Ed Roach were the first racers out. Gorman got it up on two wheels past mid track, but he still ran 4.51, 157.40 with a late chute. Roach was dialing the car in for next weeks OTS race with a 4.70, 156.90 run. Gorman and Roach keep their spots.

Steve Gorman ran a 4.46 best ever.

Frankie Taylor ran a 4.23, but went out in the first round.

HT Wilson stepped up with a 4.53, 162.22, while David Baldwin ran 4.45, 157.51. Neither racer improved in the standings. Frankie Taylor got into the field with a good 4.23, 173.01 to bump Gorman out, Myer ran an improved 4.24 but fell to the number five spot. Jackie Deaver also improved over his first run with a 4.18, 168.41 to keep the number six spot in the former Dennis Griffin car. In the other lane, Johnston ran a 4.15, 172.41 to keep the number two spot.

HT Wilson ran a 4.55 on this run.

Jackie Deaver burning out in the Underdawg Camaro.

Bobby Booth ran a 4.004, 179 for the number one spot, while Jeremy Brown broke the fingers on the clutch. The 4.004 run was .001 off Booth’s own track record.

Deaver staging before running a 4.28.

Jeremy Brown in the Twisted Lemon.

The final field follows

1. Booth 4.00

2. Johnston 4.15

3. Brown 4.18

4. Taylor 4.23

5. Myers 4.24

6. Deaver 4.28

7. Boiles 4.41

8. Baldwin 4.43

9. Gorman 4.46

10. Wilson 4.53

11. Roach 4.67

12. Poindexter 4.82

13. Nuytten 5.43

14. Duke 32.00

15. Wright N/T

16. Smith N/T

Thomas Myers started off the first round with a 4.36, 166.91 win over Frankie Taylor, who crossed the center line. Jeremy Brown took the next win with a 4.18, 179.55 over Jackie Deaver who had problems on his smoky 9.23, 89.55 run. Wild Wild Wes Johnston kept improving and ran his best at 4.11, 185.59 to beat Jr. Boiles, who shut off to a 10.84, 30.11. Booth took out Baldwin next to finish the round with a crossed up 4.07, 162.51 to Baldwin’s shut off 4.95, 109.57.

Wes Johnston and Jr. Boiles backing up.

David Baldwin burning out in his beautiful Vette.

Bobby Booth made the run of the race as he busted the three second barrier at Redline Raceway. Booth ran a smooth 3.990, 181.81 to break his own track record. The run was Booth’s first three, after running four 4.00 runs this year. This was also the first three second run by an official TOPMA member at a TOPMA race. Booth earned a $1,000 bonus from Harry Hronas and Redline Raceway. The 3.99 beat Thomas Myers’ very good 4.13, 174.08. The other semi final race was predetermined as Wes Johnston took a solo 10.33, 61 mph run as Jeremy Brown could not appear in the Twisted Lemon.

Booth leaving the line on his 3.990 run, he pushed a head gasket at the finish line.

Jr. Boiles damaged the front end when the burst panel let loose in the first round of qualifying.

The 3.99 was hard on Booth’s car as he kicked out a head gasket in a ball of flame as he crossed the finish line. Don and Bobby decided not to run the final round; this handed the win to Wes Johnston who tried to take the track record away from Booth on the final run. Johnston went up in smoke right at the hit of the throttle, he shut off to a 17.63, 25 for his first ever TOPMA win.

Wes Johnston in the final round taking a solo.

Wild Wild Wes and crew in the Winner's Circle.

Johnston wanted to thank the following people: his son Skylar Johnston and his crew Dennis Stewart, Eddie Heywood, Jody Cernoch, and Terry Lewis. Wild Wes wanted to thank his girlfriend Misty Crocker and his mother. When asked how the win felt, Wes stated, "It was ugly, but felt good." Wes just laughed when asked if John Froster, his boss and lead TOPMA prognosticator, needed to get a new crystal ball to predict the races.

Redline Raceway track manager Jerry Goss and Wes Johnston.

Jerry Goss presenting Bobby Booth a $1,000 bonus check for the first 3 second Pro Mod run at Redline Raceway.

The track prep at Redline was second to none. Most of the racers agree that Jerry Goss and his crew serve up the best prepped track in Texas. The TOPMA gang put on a heck of a show this Halloween weekend. For more information about the TOPMA group, go to www.texasoutlawracing.com and for more information about Redline Raceway, go to www.redlineraceway.com. Draglist.com thanks the TOPMA group and the Redline Raceway staff for a great year and we look forward to an even better one next year.

Danny and Gena White