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Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals Pro Mods
Photos by Gena White ~ Text by Danny White
Wild, Wild Wes Johnston had a roller coaster weekend at the Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals at Crandall’s Dallas Raceway. The Haning Racing team made it through the ups and downs to win in the finals. Johnston ran a 3.870 at 188 mph to qualify third despite chunking two belts Saturday afternoon. Johnston beat David Baldwin 3.93 187 to 4.67 144 in the first round. In the quarter finals Johnston took out Zack Barklage 3.77 198 to an off-pace 5.75 77. In the race of the night Wes beat Gaylen Smith 3.77 197 to a close 3.79 202, this was the quickest side-by-side race in TOPMA history. In the final Johnston dodged the bullet when Ken Thomas red-lighted a 3.93 185 away while Johnston pedaled to a winning 4.76 102. The Haning/Johnston team has won back to back victories at Dallas Raceway. It has been Haning Racing domination this year at Dallas Raceway with Frankie winning the first one and Wes winning the last two.
Ken Thomas returned to his 2008-09 championship form at Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals by making it to the finals. Thomas ran 3.980 at 184 mph for the fifth spot in the LenMar backed Hell Hoss with his tried and true 18-71/AJ combination after beginning the year with a screw blower. Thomas ran a 3.92 185 to beat teammate Doug Riesterer’s troubled 5.20 105. Thomas stepped up to a 3.90 186 to beat the broken 14.35 32 of Steve Wiley in the second round. Thomas took down Turbo Todd Moyer to reach the final with a 3.92 185 to the 4.45 125 clocking of Moyer. Thomas made the final anticlimactic when he went red by .007 to let Wes Johnston win with a pedaling 4.76 102, while Thomas ran a 3.93 185.
Gaylen Smith made his presence known at the Len Mar Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals with the Texas Bounty Hunter. Smith ran 3.858 at 195 mph in the team’s 57 Chevrolet for the number two spot. Gaylen Smith stepped up to a 3.786 at 201.28, which was a new track Record MPH, to beat Kevin Hargett and his good 4.366 at 174 mph Smith squeaked by in the second round with crossed up 4.016 at 147 mph to beat Mike Bell’s 5.184 at 95 mph. In the semis Wes Johnston ran 3.776 at 192 mph to beat Smith’s 3.797 at 202.61 mph. The 202.62 run set a new Dallas Raceway track again for the LenMar team.
ADRL Extreme 10.5 racer Todd Moyer joined the Pro Mod race at the Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals with his twin turbo Cavalier. Moyer ran a 4.029 at 193 mph Friday to land in the top half of the field in the number eight spot. Moyer fought the temperamental little Cavalier the rest of the weekend but managed to reach the semis. In the first round Moyer ran a 5.16 100 while his opponent Dave Pierce red-lighted away a tough 4.04 187. In the second round Moyer got another break when low qualifier Frankie Taylor got loose and ran a 5.02 105 while Moyer got around him with a 4.24 153. Moyer’s charmed race ended in the semis when Ken Thomas beat him 3.93 185 to the off pace 4.44 125 of Moyer.
Frankie Taylor fresh off his 3.65 run at Valdosta ADRL race ran a good 3.771 at 198 mph for the number one spot in the sixteen cat field. In the first round Frankie Taylor ran a 3.757 at 199 mph to beat the turbo 10.5 Mustang of Jesse Brantley who ran a 4.370 at 176 mph. The second round Taylor got loose on a 5.02 105 run that allowed Todd Moyer to win with a 4.24 in bad black Cavalier.
The Red Reaper team of Jimmy Hector and Steve Wiley made a good showing at Crandall. Wiley got the sano red Vette to run a 3.933 192 mph for the number four spot. In the first round Steve Wiley would face Steve Gorman in the battle of Steves. Wiley was way late on the light leaving Gorman the door open for the upset. Gorman was having trouble of his own getting hooked up, this let Wiley slip by for the win 3.94 192 to 4.88 114. Wiley broke on the starting line and coasted to a 14.354 at 32 mph while Ken Thomas ran a 3.901 at 186 mph to win.
Zach Barklage came from Missouri in his new all black Camaro out of the Barklage stables. Barklage is still breaking in the new car but ran a good 3.984 at 190 mph for the number six spot. In the first round Barklage would face alternate Jim Brinkerhoff in for Randall Reid. Zach Barklage ran a good 3.992 at 189 mph while Jim Brinkerhoff rolled through the light. Zach Barklage’s 5.752 at 85 mph with -.005 red light ended his day as Wes Johnston ran a 3.777 at 198 mph.
Missouri Mike Bell appeared got rid of the gremlins haunting him since his great start in PM. Mike Bell ran a solid 4.008 at 187 mph to qualify seven in the Hinman-Bell-Fangman Camaro. Bell ran career best 3.941 at 189 mph to dispose the out of the groove Scott Hintz who ran 7.231 at 63 mph.
Oklahoma based raced Dave Pierce bought the Dave’s RV Camaro to the Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals. Pierce was the quickest nitrous car with a 4.045 at 187 mph to garner the ninth spot. Pierce would face Turbo Todd Moyer in the first round. Pierce red lighted a good 4.04 187 to Todd Moyer who ran a 5.16 100 allowing Moyer to advance.
Pro Stock racer Scott Hintz entered the Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals Pro Mod field to do some testing. Hintz ran a solid 4.128 at 173 mph in beautiful blue Mustang for the number ten spot. Hintz fell in the first round 7.23 63 to Mike Bell’s 3.94
Doug Riesterer had an off weekend at the Outlaw Door Slammer Spring Nationals at Crandall. Riesterer managed to run a 4.218 at 177 mph that slipped into the eleventh spot in qualifying. Riesterer redlighted a 5.209 at 105 mph run to Ken Thomas and his 3.927 at 185 mph.
2007 ADRL Extreme 10.5 World Champion Steve Gorman has been sticking close to home this year with his Viper. The Mad Dog Racing Viper ran a nice 4.312 at 174 mph to make the field. Gorman got a major holeshot on Steve Wiley but traction issues ensued with Gorman running a 4.88 to Wiley’s winning 3.93.
David Baldwin turned the wick up on his Outlaw Top Sportsman making both fields. Baldwin ran a 4.331 at 164 mph in Pro Mod with the Butler Motorsports Corvette. Baldwin ran an early shut off 4.69 144 that was a distant second to 3.93 197.
Famed Outlaw 10.5 racer Kevin Hargett made the final field with his twin turbo Mustang. Hargett got the twin turbo car to run a good 4.391 at 173 mph. The run landed him the number fifteen spot and the right to face Gaylen Smith in the first round. Hargett ran a good 4.366 174 but it was not enough for Smith’s 3.78 201.
Outlaw 10.5 racer Jesse Brantley just got into field with a nice 4.401 at 169 mph in the final session. Brantley would face the Mad Man in the first round of racing. Brantley was late off the line and second to the stripe with a 4.37 176 that was not enough for Taylor’s 3.75 199.
2009 Outlaw Top Sportsman champion Jim Brinkerhoff tried to make the Pro Mod field at Crandall. Brinkerhoff's 4.436 at 162 mph landed him in the first alternate spot just .03 out of the field. Brinkerhoff took Reid place in the field for the first round. Brinkerhoff had staging issues and redlighted the win away to Zach Barklage and his 3.992 at 189 mph.
Randall Reid and the Reid Motorsports team is a three-second pass waiting to happen. The team had famed TOPMA racer Jeremy Brown helping out this weekend at Crandall. In the last session Reid ran a 4.132 at 158 mph on a run where the car did not get out of low gear! The team was not able to get the car fixed in time for the first round allowing Jim Brinkerhoff to take his place. Reid made a couple of unsuccessful test shots during Pro Mod eliminations.
Nick Williams could not get Danny Humphries Corvette down the track under full power in Pro Mod qualifying. Williams got the blown, black suede Vette to run a 4.660 at 160 mph. That run was good for the number two alternate spot in the final field.
Louisiana Pro Mod racer Jim Jolley came up from Abbeville, Louisiana to race with the TOPMA gang at Crandall. Jolley’s beautiful Corvette with a blown Chevy ran a 4.678 at 145 mph to end up the number three alternate.
Todd Martin had a forgettable weekend at Crandall in the beautiful Studebaker called the Lethal Threat. The 4.735 at 172 mph was a pedaling run that turned for the worse in the shutdown area when the brakes locked up on Martin. That sent Martin into the wall in the opposite lane. The damage on the car was from the pump forward.
Infamous grudge racer Mel Jackson made an appearance at Crandall in his "old school" style Pro Mod. Jackson better known to Texas race fans as Peanut tried to make the field but fell short. The flamed black Camaro ran 4.859 at 151 mph for the number 21 spot.
The Queen of ADRL Extreme 10.5 racing Michelle Wilson had an off weekend at Crandall. The Wilson team fought tire shake gremlins in qualifying leaving her number 22 in the final field. In the final session Wilson pedaled the car to a 4.885 at 156 mph. The run was good considering how long Wilson had to get out of the throttle to tame the little Speedtek Firebird down.
Outlaw Top Sportsman racer tried to make the Pro Mod field in the final session in blown, black Beretta. Chuck Poindexter just missed the OTS field but his 4.894 at 142 mph left him number 23 off the 4.40 bump.
New Mexico racer Clint Satterfield made a last ditch effort to make the Pro Mod field at Crandall. Satterwhite run in the OTS class without the nitrous but would turn on the laughing gas to make the field. Something did not go right as he was only able to run a 5.299 at 124 mph. Satterfield shook it off and won the OTS race at Crandall.
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