Drag Racing Online: The Magazine

by Tim Marshall
11/27/06

The race was billed the East vs West Super Shootout and that it was!  The  PSCA and LVMS put on the second- annual,  Dyno-Flo,  Street Car Nationals  and it turned out to be the doorslammer event of the  year! Racers from New York state dominated the action in the Hughes Pro Street class that had 33 entries from around the country. Scott Shafiroff protégé Vinny Budano, and his extremely talented team from Hicksville, New York not only took $20,000 winner’s check back East, but also set Low ET during qualifying at 6.399, 220.48 mph using a 738 ci, nitrous oxide injected,  big block built by Scott Shafiroff stuffed into their ’68 Camaro.

Matt Scranton

HUGHES PRO STREET

We begin our coverage with quarter-final action.   Vinny Budano and the "boys from NY" Camaro picked up an easy win when Randy Walker shook the tires and shut off his awesome El Camino, Budano stormed to  a 6.409, 221.20 mph for the victory. That lap was just a few thousandths off of his record setting 6.39 qualifying lap ET and a full mile-an-hour faster.  Next up it was Florida vs Michigan with Mike Moran and his turbo-charged Monte Carlo taking on Matt Scranton's' torrid, turboed Toyota. Scranton's 6.577/213 lap  was completely overshadowed by  Moran’s  .011 RT backed up by a  6.411 ET at an unreal 231.48 mph (good for Top Speed of the meet). Brad Perosnett in the  Titan Racing Scion Import threw away a win with a (-0.11) red lite 6.461, 218.76 pass that would have easily covered Steve Paulauskis’ 6.561/ 216.45 mph pass.  Pro Mod hitter Dennis Radford in teammate  Billy Harper's developmental car cut a great (.019) light and easily drove away from the supercharged ’57 Chevy of West Coast Pro Mod racer John Scialpi.

In the Semi finals Mike Moran who had been “pushing” the tree pushed a little too much and caught a  (-.006) red light that gave the Budano Brothers and Shafiroff the win but Moran made his point with another huge Top End charge running a 6.416 at 232.51 which upped his own mark for Top Speed of the meet. Moran’s red light must have been especially painful and his ET easily covered
Vinny Budano’s 6.442/219.65 mph effort. Dennis Radford was also the victim of the red light start and gave driver Steve Paulauskis, Peoria AZ the automatic win and final round slot setting up a true East vs. West matchup in the final.

Vinny Budano v. Steve Paulauskis

Steve Paulauskis’  potent Cavalier backed by race sponsor Dyno-Flo had previously recorded some 6.40's and figured to be a threat against the East Coast powerhouse of The Budano Bros and Scott Shafiroff.  Budano gave  the West coast fans a trill and proved that his earlier 6.39 lap was no fluke by re-setting Low ET of the with a stellar 6.391, 220.73 lap that trailered the WFO Cavalier of Steve  Paulauskis’ 6.512, 216.27 mph.