Texas Outlaw Pro Mod Association Kicks Off 2006 Season
Text by Danny White
The Texas Outlaw Pro Mod Association had its opening race of the year at the famed Texas Raceway in Kennedale. The race is usually held on the second Friday of every month from March to October. This race drew twelve Pro Mod entries all from the state of Texas. The nitrous cars outnumbered the blown cars by a two to one margin.
Booby Booth landed in the top spot after the second round with a 4.108, 174.32 pass in his newly painted Booth Racing ‘53 Corvette. Ken Thomas got the Thomas Motorsports "Bad Bird" to run a 4.20, 170.71 for second. The "Texas Bounty Hunter" Camaro of Gaylen Smith was third with a 4.250, 165.58. Frankie "Mad Man" Taylor rounded out the top half of the field with an off-pace 4.31, 138.41 in the Taylor Bros. ‘58 Corvette.
The "Dangerous Toy" Chevy II of Ricky Cates ran 4.522, 162.82 for fifth. Thomas Myers' 4.550, 159.49 was good for sixth in the "Tom Slick" Firebird. H.T. Wilson got the "Bird of Prey" to run a nice 4.562, 162.63 for seventh. Rounding out the field was Pro Mod newcomer Heath Harvey who ran a one shot 4.883, 109.29 to land on the bump in the J.P Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports Grand Am.
Kent Birkes topped the DNQ list with a 5.237, 133.35 in his blown Vega. Greg Green's flamed ‘57 Chevy was tenth at 5.364, 131.88. Grant Hensley ran a coasting 7.331, 56.72 in the "Agitator" Camaro, and Charlie Matthews was last with a broken 12.67, 45.67 pass in his Firebird.
Final Qualifying
1. Bobby Booth 4.108, 174.32*
2. Ken Thomas 4.202, 170.71
3. Gaylen Smith 4.250, 165.88*
4. Frankie Taylor 4.316, 138.41*
5. Ricky Cates 4.522, 162.82
6. Thomas Myers 4.550, 159.49
7. HT Wilson 4.562, 162.63
8. Heath Harvey 4.883, 109.29
DNQ's
9. Kent Birkes 5.237, 133.55*
10. Greg Green 5.364, 131.88
11. Grant Hensley 7.331, 56.72
12. Charlie Matthews 12.675, 45.47
*Denotes blown
The final field consisted of five nitrous cars and three blown cars. In the first race of the night, Heath Harvey picked up the pace but his 4.257, 163.24 fell short of Booby Booth's consistent 4.097, 174.64. This was Harvey's first Pro Mod round race and his best ever showing n the J.P Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports Grand Am. Frankie Taylor then put Rickey Cates on the trailer. The "Mad Man" ran a solid 4.062, 179.23 to Cates 4.493, 161.38. Ken Thomas won the battle of the bottled Bird's when H.T. Wilson's "Bird of Prey" broke. Thomas ran a solo 4.237, 170.04 for the win in the "Bad Bird". In the upset of the round, Thomas Myers ran his best ever at 4.177, 166.87 to turn back Gaylen Smith’s coasting 4.368, 132.71. This was "Tom Slick's" first ever run in the teens.
Round two found the field down to four with even numbers of blown and nitrous cars. Thomas Myers took a solo run when Ken Thomas broke after the first round. Myers' "Tom Slick" ran another best ever time with a 4.163, 171.42. In the best race of the night, the blown Corvettes faced off. The Paul Taylor tuned ride of the Taylor Brothers laid down a 4.003, 179.40 to beat the 4.123, 172.37 of the Don Booth tuned Booth Racing entry.
In the final, it was a blown vs. nitrous battle with Frankie Taylor taking on Thomas Myers. This time the blown car of the Taylor Bros. won with an awesome 4.000, 180.79 to kill the shut off 5.065, 100.25 of Thomas Myers. The final pass by Frankie Taylor was both the Low ET and Top Speed for the night. The next TOPMA race will be next month at Texas Raceway on April 14.
TOPMA Boxscore
Quarterfinals
Bobby Booth 4.097, 174.64 W
Heath Harvey 4.257, 163.24
Frankie Taylor 4.062, 179.23 W
Rickey Cates 4.493, 161.38
Ken Thomas 4.237, 170.04 W
HT Wilson Broke
Gaylen Smith 4.368, 132.71
Thomas Myers 4.177, 166.87 W
Semis
Thomas No Show
Myers 4.163, 171.42 W
Booth 4.123, 172.87
Taylor 4.003, 179.40 W
Finals
Myers 5.065, 100.25
Taylor 4.000, 180.79 W
Low E.T. 4.000 Frankie Taylor
Top Speed 180.79 Frankie Taylor
