well pics from the 12th are up now (i'm not in a single one, again... i need to wax my car or something... maybe some paint will help? ha)

ratty, they didn't put all the pictures I shot up. I did shoot your car. If you want to see them they are in the gift shop on the computer. Trub

quote:

Originally posted by bill t:
ratty, they didn't put all the pictures I shot up. I did shoot your car. If you want to see them they are in the gift shop on the computer. Trub

oh cool, thanks Bill! thought maybe my excessive Bondo was making the camera's auto-focus screw up, it isn't exactly a pretty car... lol

great pics btw!! super glad you're out there spending so much time shootin' everyone

oh sweet... they added a bunchload more pics... and i'm in some... thanks bill trudy!!!!

and i'm a rookie so i'm allowed to be annoying and brag a little, right? ...proof of my first perfect light... ha

Cool picture Ratty...been racing for 10 years and don't have a picture like that.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Romeo:
Cool picture Ratty...been racing for 10 years and don't have a picture like that.

thanks Mark! Bill Trudy is THE MAN for getting this pic... all thanks to him (no one would believe me without this pic... hah)

quote:

Bill Trudy is THE MAN for getting this pic... all thanks to him

X2000

Thanks Bill for all you do for us

holy crap it was hot today!! i think it got up to 90...

still couldn't get past Rd. 1 without a buyback... 0-6 so far... maybe my 7th race will be the charm?

pulled off a .002 RT at least... and another red... had fun though... cool to see the ProMods/TS cars there...

saw at least several kids with no ear protection at all there though, that was a bit upsetting to see (specifically during the Outlaw cars, though i'm sure it would be wise for most of the cars running) ... not the tracks fault at all of course, just bonehead parents (nicest word i could think of for them)...

and someone trashed one of the mens rooms last night? who would do that? supposedly if i heard it right, it happened overnight... i.e. someone camping there? hard to imagine, most everyone there is super nice

track put on a great race again... had a blast, even though my racing skills are pitifully bad... ha

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ratty,

Asphalt Wars at Pittsburgh Raceway Park May 26, 2012
Outlaw Pro Mods Round One Qualifying
1. John Camp 4.1895 175.23
2. Chip Forman 4.2318 178.93
3. Pat Moore 4.4284 172.35
4. Jim Shuman 4.6308 152.96
5. John Vergotz 6.0691 78.59
6. Kevin Bealko 7.6636 83.16

Outlaw Pro Mods Final Qualifying Order
1. Pat Moore 4.1458 183.37
2. Chip Forman 4.1686 174.55
3. John Camp 4.1865 174.89
4. Kevin Bealko 4.2464 169.56
5. Dave Norris 4.4566 142.72
6. Jim Shuman 4.6308 152.96
7. John Vergotz 6.0691 78.59

Outlaw Pro Mods Round One
W-Vergotz .0482 4.1230 172.88
Forman .0075 4.1764 181.38

Shuman .0868 4.3922 162.93
W-Camp .0852 4.1724 175.23

Norris .1670 5.0562 108.30
W-Bealko .0341 4.1860 170.91

BYE-Moore- No time

Outlaw Pro Mods Round Two
Moore .0698 5.3630 93.48
W-Bealko .0319 4.1976 170.78

Vergotz Broke in round one
W-Camp .3193 4.0312 180.22

Outlaw Pro Mods Final
W-Bealko .0701 5.6170 83.67
Camp .0718 9.5358 29.22

Outlaw Dragsters Round One Qualifying
1. Paul Molnar 3.8321 191.41
2. Mike Didomenico 3.8517 187.19
3. Jason Hamstra 3.9046 191.57
4. Mark McElwee 4.4074 120.64
5. Chris Bozic 4.5637 154.00
6. Dennis Dimitrov 4.6712 143.13

Outlaw Dragsters Final Qualifying Order
1. Jason Hamstra 3.7982 191.82
2. Mike Didomenico 3.8245 189.08
3. Paul Molnar 3.8321 191.41
4. Mark McElwee 3.9483 183.03
5. Chris Bozic 4.4683 154.53
6. Dennis Dimitrov 4.6712 143.13

Outlaw Dragsters Round One
W-Hamstra .1026 3.8479 193.30
Dimitrov .0453 7.5798 56.78

W-Didomenico .1500 3.7927 190.36
Bozic .1205 4.5629 154.16

W-Molnar .0102 3.8136 192.39
McElwee -.0081 3.9814 183.15 Red light

Outlaw Dragsters Round Two
W-Didomenico .0443 3.7627 191.57
Molnar -.0595 9.4058 45.38 Red light

BYE-Hamstra .0516 3.8152 192.31

Outlaw Dragsters Final Round
W-Didomenico .0030 6.4484 70.59
Hamstra -.0168 3.7832 192.64 Red light

Notes-A few of the Pro Mod teams were talking when they saw a trailer in the pits with Jason Hamstra’s name on it. Turns out the family now has an Outlaw Dragster to have some fun with. Very nice looking car, nice patriotic paint scheme. Great job by the family, getting to the final in their first race out with the car. They also took the bonus for Top Speed with a 193.30.

For me, one of the best parts of being involved in this deal is getting to meet new people. It’s always a treat to meet a reigning World Championship like the Hamstra Family. This week I also got to meet Artie McElwee, AKA “The Buzzman” and his team for the first time. I can see why they call him Buzz, I think he was vaccinated with a phonograph needle. Dedicated bunch of guys on the Powershield Coatings team, they seem more dedicated to having a good time than anything else and in that they succeed.

It certainly looks like the Outlaw Dragster class is going to be very competitive. Didomenico, Molnar, Hamstra, McElwee can all run 3.70’s and a few others can run in the 3.80’s.

John Camp has been on a bit of a rollercoaster the last couple weeks. He had a battery issue at Thompson last week that forced him to miss the first qualifying session, but he stepped up during eliminations to reach the final round. There he ran into Scott Brasket who was on a low 4.0 freight train all day. At Pittsburgh they ran a couple 4.18’s and a 4.17 in qualifying and the first round of eliminations. From discussions with the team before their bye run in the semifinals I thought they were just going to break the beam and back out saving their stuff for the final. I was a little surprised when John did a full burnout and then churned out a 4.0312 which earned him the Low ET bonus. The team’s fortunes turned the other direction in the final. After a good launch the car got loose on John. It looked like it was up on two wheels heading into Kevin Bealko’s lane but John got it turned back to his lane and hit the guardrail head on. John was unhurt but the car suffered a lot of damage.

Congratulations to Kevin Bealko and the Black Diamond Motorsports XPS team for their first win in this series. Kevin has been a big supporter of the series ever since Pittsburgh Raceway Park started running Pro Mods under various different names over the past few years. They’re a great bunch of people and it was nice to see the racing gods smile on them. Kevin’s car also got loose in the final round, forcing Kevin to lift. He told me he was waiting for Camp to come blowing by him and he was surprised when the win light came on in his lane.

Pat Moore driving the Richard Lockwood owned Pro Nitrous Corvette had decent day at the track. The team went to Carolina to have some chassis work done and then spent a couple days testing at Mooresville and The Farm, running 4.0’s in the process. Crew Chief Bruce Yeager told me it “fell off the tire” in the first qualifier but they rebounded to take the number one spot, taking the bonus for Top Speed at 183.37. The team took the tree and backed out on their first round bye run because they were concerned that they lifted a ring earlier. They came back for the semis to give Bealko a race but Kevin took them out.

After the Molnar/Quesenberry team debuted their new dragster last year they won five races between Thompson and Pittsburgh with no defeats. This year their win streak has turned south on them. Two races in a row their day has ended with a second round loss.

Mike Didomenico has started out the season on a tear with two wins in two weeks. Mike had a bit of a staging battle in the semifinals with Molnar. I was just about to start hyping it for the fans when Didomenico rolled in first. Mike set Low ET on that pass with a 3.7627.

Chris and his father Joe Bozic have been playing David to the Goliath of Molnar/Quesenberry, Didomenico, and the rest of the Outlaw Dragster field. The Bozics campaign a C/Dragster in NHRA Competition Eliminator. They have entered both Outlaw Dragster races that have been run at Pittsburgh even though they are hopelessly outgunned in the engine department. Their car sports a 341 cubic inch small block, carbureted on gasoline; no blower, no nitrous. Joe told me they know they are in deep against the blown cars but they enjoy racing close to home and aren’t afraid to take on faster cars as the fast guys don’t always make it down the track.

John Vergotz struggled during qualifying but laid down a 4.12 in his first round win over Chip Forman. That 4.12 was accompanied by a lot of smoke forcing the team to sit out round two. John’s MOV was .0127 on that run.

The next Asphalt Wars race will be at Thompson Raceway Park June 16. The series will return to Pittsburgh on June 23 .

There will be a full report on Rappin’ on Racin’ on Monday May 28 at 8:15, followed by an interview with Peter Gallen driver of the Poverty Stricken Prostalgia Funny Car which will be competing at the Nitro Jam event at Pittsburgh next week. You can listen to the show and access the archives through Speedway Productions website: http://www.speedwayproductions.biz/

A couple of notes I'd like to add. I've heard from many of the Outlaw Pro Mod and Outlaw Dragster teams. They wanted me to extend their thanks to the track crew at PRP for providing the teams with a great racing surface in spite of the brutal heat.

And I'd also like to say that it was a pleasure to work with Steve again. He has an uncanny ability to put his own spin on things that never gets dull.

Ratty, slight correction... Bill TruBy. Bill doesn't care what you call him, unless it's late for dinner. No, wait, that's me. Keep hanging in there, the round wins will come, and then you'll string a bunch together and get a class win. I know Jimmy and Steve announced a few times on Saturday for parents to take care of at least their kids ears, if not their own. Shame that the parents didn't listen. And it's a damn shame, when PRP allows the ovrnights stays, keeps the bathrooms open, and this is the how they get treated in return, by someone thinking it's funny to mess them up. You wonder what their parents taught them, or how they treat their own home. Idiots (nicest word I could think of).

Big time props to all of the PRP employees. They worked 4 straight nights/days in increasingly oppressive heat. They do their jobs and they do them well, and kept it up through the high temps. Thanks to all of them.

More big time props to PRP management. Yesterday's box - no box, car count was pretty low, I belive 62 cars total. Before first round, the announcement came over the p.a. that the FULL purse would be paid as advertised, all of it! I just wish I would have gotten a piece of it. Thanks to PRP.

oops, yeah, Sorry Bill! i'm realllllly bad with names, my apologies to everyone who i forget their names or get them wrong... my memory is incredibly bad (i blame the late 60's / early 70's in HS for that... ha), i have a hard enough time remembering my own name (not that much of an exaggeration)...

and yeah, major props too to all the crew at PRP... it took all day Sunday and part of today for me to get my energy back after being destroyed by the heat and sun, i can't imagine what the track crews had to deal with going several days in a row....

Great track prep and hard work by the crew the entire weekend. Also great decision by management to pay full purse on Sunday.

Congrats to ken reismann and Scotty for bringing home the victory in box and no box. good job to the boy Markie Brewer you were there all weekend and got the RU on Sunday in a close one.

Does anyone have any info on the Q 16? how many cars were there? Who won? what was the bump? Stuff like that.

If you're a member of 1320go.com you can get the historical details. I'm not. But you can also get the time trial details. Numbers with a D in front are dragsters.

http://www.1320go.com/pittsburgh/getDates.php

8 door cars even, Lenny Mumau on the bump at 5.79. 9 on the dragster side, it looks like, 5.09 bump. Final was Tim Vislosky from the door cars, and Robby Bercschneider I believe. Good race, Robby got the W. I have the details at home.

On the door car side, I think the lower seed won all 4 races in round 1. On the dragster side, only Mary Lou Norris won as the higher seed in round 1.

I have to give a big congrats to my buddy AJ Casini for winning not only Friday night...but then taking down the MOD win on Saturday!! Good job!!

congrats AJ! so does this mean beer's on you?

Thanks C.

forecast is lookin' pretty grim for this weekend's NitroJam