Words by Pete Duhart
Photos courtesy US 13 Dragway
6/2/05
Local favorite Tim O’Hare (Ocean View,
Delaware) took the victory at the inaugural Outlaw Pro
Street Madness! event presented by the 15th annual Cruisin’ Ocean
City 2005 at US 13 Dragway. O’Hare used a final round
7.06 at 208.14 mph to defeat Straussburg, Virginia’s
Steve King’s 7.16/191.81 in a wild, crossed up pedaling
battle between two of the best Outlaw Pro Street drivers
in the nation.
Because of constant rain on Friday night May 20, the event
was rescheduled for the next day. O’Hare’s
blown '69 Camaro and King’s blown Dodge Viper were
featured with Pat Bennett’s Virginia-based Mountain
Motor/NOS '66 Chevy II, and Mid-Atlantic driver John Stanley
(Camp Stanley Racing) in a blown '69 Camaro.
Things got even more exciting in the opening round as
John Stanley got seriously out of shape at half-track,
eventually careening off the guardwall twice. Stanley did
a great job in saving the car from serious damage, and
he vowed to return for the second round of competition.
Meanwhile, Steve King had troubles of his own, smoking
the tires and pedaling numerous times until finally throwing
in the towel at the 800 foot mark, running a 7.58 at a
slowing 138 mph. O’Hare and Bennett fared no better
in the second pairing, as the brand new US 13 Dragway racing
surface gave both drivers fits. O’Hare got to the
finish line first in a race that saw both drivers use every
bit of skill in negotiating the tricky track, leaving the
fans cheering loudly and buzzing excitedly.
In the second round consolation heat, Stanley and Bennett
were the first pair up. Bennett took the win light, using
a tire shaking, on and off the throttle 7.99 at 183 mph.
Stanley was still having troubles hooking up his Camaro,
as the car was wandering around in the middle of the track.
He thought better of it, and shut off.
The final round saw Steve King bring the fans to their
feet with an awesome half-track burnout. King didn’t
stop until after the 660-foot clocks, fogging in the entire
US 13 Dragway facility. O’Hare waited for King to
back up after his own 200-foot smoker, and both cars staged.
O’Hare charged off the line at the green with an
.066 reaction time (King had a .116) and fought his Camaro
the entire way down the quarter mile with a 7.06/208.14
to King’s close 7.16/191.81. Both drivers were in
and out of the throttle at least three times, with the
Viper getting out of the groove at half track. King never
gave up, but O’Hare got to the finish line first.
In the Quick 32 eliminator category, Whaleysville Maryland’s
Mike Bradford took the final round win over Eric Donovan
of Marshall, Virginia. Bradford’s '69 Mustang ran
an eighth mile 4.96 at 144.50 to defeat Donovan’s
'68 Camaro, which ran a 5.41 at 131.71 mph.
Troy Absher, of Brogue, PA, captured the “King of
the Burnouts” contest. Absher lit up the rear tires
of his Ford Mustang from the US 13 water box all the way
past half track timing blocks, taking a decisive victory.
“The constant rain on Friday washed every bit of surface
rubber off the race track,” said US 13 Dragway’s
Charlie Cathell. “We prepped the track thoroughly on
Saturday, but the brand new surface didn’t have enough
rubber on it yet. I expect that with a year of seasoning,
our surface will be awesome come next May. We are expecting
to bring back the Outlaw Pro Street Madness! event on Friday
night, May 19, 2006, bigger and better than ever."
