IHRA Summit Pro-Am Tour @ San Antonio Raceway, Sat. 5/31

By J M Hallas

Marion, TX. (May 31st, 2014) San Antonio Raceway hosted the IHRA Summit Pro-Am Tour, pitting national and divisional points chasers against some of the best local racers, in a special two-day race format. Friday was check in day, plus tech inspection and an open test-n-tune session on the 1/4 mile drag strip, just east of San Antonio.

Saturday’s activities began with time trials for the ten Pro-Am classes (Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Super Stock, Stock, Quick Rod, Super Rod, Hot Rod and three separate Jr. Dragster classifications varied by experience.) Pro-Am eliminations began directly after time trials.

A few hit-n-miss showers did nothing to cool the temperatures as they neared the 90* mark(air temp) and 125* track temp. If anything it raised the heat index to well into the mid-90’s, with track temperatures around 140*.

Following The Pro-Am finals, the local ET Class drivers (Electronics and Foot Brake) had their turn to run time trials, before starting eliminations in the evening on the 1/8 mile track.

During ET Class eliminations the Pro Mods had a special shootout, with some of the wildest door slammers making runs while trying to keep it between the concrete barriers. Only the fastest eight Pro Mods would qualify for a shot at the win.

Top Sportsman

Local racer, Matt Crisp (Castroville, Tx.) proved to me Top Sportsman with his win over Kameron Wright (Odessa, Tx.) in the finals. Crisp, in his Napa Auto Parts, Greg Hubbell Race Car, 2009 Mustang got .030 on the tree, and needed every 100th to hold off Wright’s, 2012 GXP at the finish line.

Matt Crisp, 7.682 (7.66) @ 175.30 defeats Kameron Wright, 7.304 (7.30) @ 188.68

Top Dragster

Out of a 51-car Top Dragster field it came down to Gray La.’s Eli McGee paired up with local Mark DeBerry (Shavano Park, Tx.) in the final round. McGee, in his DA Fab Shop, 2012 Racecraft Chassis left first on DeBerry’s 2001 Undercover Dragster by a 100th, then ran his number to easily take the victory.

Eli McGee, 6.866 (6.86) @ 195.48 defeats Mark Deberry, 7.574 (7.55) @ 177.03

Super Stock

The high-flying Super Stock finals saw Tony Cowell (Hudson Oaks, Tx.) going up against Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. (Donaldsonville, La.), looking for perhaps a personal double. Hidalgo’s 99 Pontiac Firebird cut a .06 better light, lifted the front wheel higher than usual, unloaded the rear end and headed towards the wall. This was the break Cowell, in his 81 Camaro, needed to get past Hildalgo for the big win.

Tony Cowell, 10.833(10.59) @ 125.70 defeats Jimmy Hidalgo jr., 12.790 (10.04) @ 76.67

Stock

Jimmie Hutto Jr. (Houston, Tx.) took the first step in the father/son daily double picking up the Stock win over Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. (Donaldsonville, La.) Both left with nearly identical reaction times with Hutto’s Trumble Race Engines, Double T Transport, 67 Camaro running a 10.448 on his 10.33 dial in, while Hidalgo’s 04 Pontiac GTO ran an 11.134 on his 10.94

Jimmie Hutto Jr., 10.448 @ 116.76 defeats Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. 11.134 @ 120.64

Quick Rod (8.90 index)

Corpus Christi’s Jay Fitzgerald grabbed the honors in Quick Rod over John Oliver (Abilene). Fitzgerald, in his Steve Schmidt Racing Engines, 2009 American Dragster, hung a .002 light on Oliver’s Lone Star Cabinets, Mullis Dragster and Oliver was never able to recover.

Jay Fitzgerald, 8.920 @ 161.93 defeats John Oliver, 8.942 @ 161.06

Super Rod (9.90 index)

In the scariest run of the day the Super Rod finals pitted Jarod Wilson (Mission, Tx.) against Tommy Maedgen (Troy, Tx.), both in ’27 Ford Roadsters. In the double break out finish, Maedgen was the least offender to pick up the victory. Once Maegden crossed the line his car veered hard left sliding sideways towards Wilson. In a miracle the two avoided a serious high-speed crash on the top end. Eerily enough Wilson’s car was sporting a memorial sticker for Tommy ‘Dr Hook’ Freeman, a past starting line official for San Antonio Raceway, who recently passed away.

Hot Rod (10.90 index)

It was a battle of old Corvettes in the Hot Rod finals between Tommy Costales (Manvel, Tx.) and Mike Frederick (Beaumont, Tx.). Costales in his Houson Engine & Balancing, 67 Corvette got .04 on the tree then ran a 10.923 while Frederick in Beaumont Engine & Balancing, 63 Corvette run too quick with a 10.875.

Tommy Costales, 10.823 @ 144.83 defeats Mike Frederick, 10.875 @ 146.39

Junior Masters

Justin Hutto (Spring, Tx.) completed the father/son daily double in the Jr. Dragster Masters class with the win over Morgan Torres (LaPlace, La.) in the finals. The win came after Torres, in her 2007 Halfscale Chassis went just a little too quick and broke out on the top end giving the win to Hutto in his 2004 Hardens Chassis.

Justin Hutto, 8.058 (8.03) @ 78.26 defeats Morgan Torres, 7.891 (7.90) @ 81.17

Junior Advanced

Fort Worth’s Aaron Jordan took home the win in the Jr Dragster Advanced class with his win over Chance Turman (Thorndale, Tx.), who broke on the line. Jordan ran it through in his Jordan Racing, K&N Filters, Jr Dragster.

Aaron Jordan, 9.093 (9.03) @ 66.12 defeats Chance Turman (Broke)

Junior Beginners

Grace Rufenacht (Round Rock, Tx.) got the victory in the Jr Dragster Beginners class with her win over Payton Simoneaux (Napoleonville, La.) Simoneaux got a huge advantage off the line, but Rufenacht, in her Quality Auto of Austin, 2009 Halfscale Chassis, drover around Simoneaux for the win.

Grace Rufenacht, 12.335 (12.15) @ 51.80 defeats Payton Simoneaux, 12.697 (12.45) @ 49.50

Pro Mods

After having trouble in the first time trial, Steve Wiley found the sweet spot making his way to the finals to meet Doug Riesterer. Wiley had all three elimination runs in the three second bracket as was the case in the finals. Wiley’s Texas Grim Reaper 63 Corvette got a slight edge off the line against Riesterer in the Capitol Dragway 68 Camaro, then powered through for the victory over Riesterer who had trouble and clicked it off..

Steve Wiley, 3.911 @ 197.80 defeats Doug Riesterer, 5.890 @ 74.32

Electronics

The Electronics (Box) saw two people no stranger to the final round action with Preston Pennington (Three Rivers, Tx.) going heads up with former track and World Champion, Scott Ball (San Antonio, Tx.). Reaction times were nearly identical but it was Pennington in the Pennington Brothers Racing 23 Roadster running his number to pick up the win over Ball, in a ride from the Zampese stables.

Preston Pennington, 4.728 (4.72) @ 140.45 defeats Scott Ball, 4.840 (4.82) @ 139.28

Foot Brake

Jesse Garza (Pflugerville, Tx.) snagged the Foot Brake(No-box) trophy and cash taking the victory over Michael Turman. Garza, in his 67 Camaro left Turman and his 67 Camaro at the lights by several hundredths. Turman ended up breaking out on top of things, giving the win to Garza

Jesse Garza, 7.368 (7.33) @ 93.93 defeats Michael Turman, 6.248 (6.29) @ 104.60

For more info visit www.sanantonioraceway.com