Remember the Alamo!
by Jerald Baker & Danny White (10/15/98)
The Texas Quick 8 Association made a stop at Alamo Dragway
in historic San Antonio on October 2. George Gulutti brought twelve of the circuit's best
to do battle on the tricky Alamo surface.
Jim Brooks from Round Rock, Texas, was the low qualifier after two rounds of qualifying in
the 698 cubic inch Hans Fuestal powered Big Jim 1994 Lumina at 4.638, 156.59. The number
two qualifier was Desoto, Texas', very own Gaylen Smith in the blown 526 BAE Texas Bounty
Hunter at a 4.689, 136.83. The Satterwhite Racing Cold Bear III 1969 Rally Sport Camaro
powered by a 632" Pontiac driven by Ferris, Texas, resident Jamie Satterwhite was a
solid third at 4.712, 156.33. The Ain't Nuthin Nice Racing entry of Earl Folse took fourth
as the 632" Pontiac 1988 Cutlass Ciera went 4.724, 153.04. The multicolored car
formerly owned by Don Beverly rebounded nicely from a wreck at Sealy a couple of months
ago.
The consistent running G Force Racing team of Grant and Linda Hensley took the fifth spot
with a 4.740, 143.02 in their 1992 Trans Am powered by 632" Hans Fuestal Pontiac
power. The ageless 509 cubic inch Chevrolet powered 1969 Camaro of longtime racer Tommy
Adams landed in the sixth spot with a 4.891, 145.10 pass. Texas Quick 8 points leader
Frankie "Mad Man" Taylor of Dickerson, Texas, debuted a new all yellow 1998
Firebird owned by Jim Brooks, complete with Taylor's potent blown 526 cubic inch Pontiac.
Frankie drove the new car to a 4.890 at an off pace 121.87 to garner the seventh spot. The
dreaded number eight spot was earned by Conrad Ignasiak in his 588 cubic inch Chevrolet
powered 1990 Beretta, previously owned by Ash & Worden. Conrad went 4.897 at 141.76.
The first alternate was Robbie Murphy from Springland,
Louisiana, in a 1988 Cutlass at 4.935, 143.78. The number ten machine was local San
Antonio racer Reginald Kelly in his new Controversy 1998 Camaro at 4.950, 143.77. The
number three alternate was newcomer Steve Torrance of Mesquite in the Torrance Racing 1992
Grand Am, raced at one time by Richard Aaron, complete with a 706 cubic inch Hans Fuestal
Pontiac for power. Mark Waller from Liberty Hill was the number four alternate in his
unique 1971 Pinto with a blown 526 Rodeck.
Big Jim Brooks started the first round with a win over the much quicker reacting Conrad
Ignasiak. Jim ran a 4.785 to Conrad's trailing 6.00, 78.81 shutoff pass. The Cutlass Ciera
of Earl Folse broke, allowing Grant Hensley to take a solo run of 9.604, 45.51 to advance
to the semis. The next race was a minor upset with Tommy Adams' run of 4.997, 140.24,
taking the win over Jamie Satterwhite's 4.654 second red lighting pass. Satterwhite fouled
with a .389 reaction time to throw away the top speed of the meet run of 158.35 miles per
hour. The two blown cars of Gaylen Smith and Frankie Taylor ended the first round with
Smith taking the win. Smith ran a good 4.680, 138.86, with a .457 reaction time to beat
Taylor's early shutoff 8.01, 59.05.
The best race of the night occurred between Grant Hensley and Jim Brooks during the semi
finals. Grant Hensley showed his bracket racing past with a superior .498 reaction time to
Brooks .618 and Hensley kept that advantage all the way to the finish line with a winning
4.668 to Brooks' trailing 4.669 run. The other pair in the semi finals had Gaylen Smith
defeating Carrolton, Texas, based Tommy Adams with a soft 4.529, 140.89 to Adams' shutoff
6.809, 72.14.
The final was between two Metroplex based racers with Hensley from Ft. Worth and Smith
from Desoto. The final was anticlimactic with as Smith broke, allowing Grant Hensley to
solo for the win with a coasting 6.677, 73.94 pass. The win was Grant and Linda Hensley's
biggest of year in one of their limited Texas Quick 8 Association appearances with their
super clean 1992 Trans Am.
Jerald Baker & Danny White
