GEORGIA ON THEIR MINDS
Two-time ORSCA champ Jack Barfield drove his heart out on Saturday trying to get his car dialed in. Barfield was rewarded with a 4.512 during a time trial on Sunday, but fell in round two against former NMCA champ Spiro Pappas in a battle of turbo 1969 Camaros.
Gather some of Outlaw 10.5’s biggest names on an NHRA track with $20k to win and what do you get? An exciting race that will be talked about and remembered for some time to come.
That was the scene at Fun Ford Weekend’s 18th annual stop at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA. With the $20,000-to-win Battle of the Brands race within a race for Street Outlaw 10.5, this event was open to every make of vehicle. The rules had been tweaked to give the big block nitrous cars a better weight advantage while the length of the race was shortened to an eighth mile. The money and prestige of this event drew entries to Atlanta from as far away as California, Arkansas and Illinois. Former champions from Fun Ford, NHRA Sport Compact, NMCA, NSCA and ORSCA were all there.
Even so, it was the status quo that ruled the day. National record holder Grant McCrary came into this event with two consecutive series wins and plenty of momentum. McCrary led the field in qualifying with a 4.464 at 168.30 mph with Tim Lynch just behind that with a 4.504. Bryan Markiewicz’s nitrous car followed in third with a 4.510 with Jimmy Blackmon and Ron Lummus rounding out the top five.
Street Renegade winner Ronnie Wilson (far right) was oblivious to his significant other’s glee in victory lane, but might have missed the $3,000 in earnings after they got home. |
Of course, all of that was just a prelude to what was to come. Frank Mewshaw, Jack Barfield, Ron Lummus, Eric Dillard, Spiro Pappas, Tim Lynch and Grant McCrary all advanced. The big surprises came when Barfield, Pappas and Lummus all ran in the low 4.50’s on Sunday to spread the odds on who might win. In the next round, Pappas overcame Barfield’s slight holeshot to take a 4.602 to 4.720 win light. McCrary ran low ET of the round with a 4.531 to win against Mewshaw while Lummus posted a 4.545 in beating Dillard. Lynch then advanced with a bye.
In the semifinals, former Sport Compact champ Lummus had a tall order when he was faced with stopping McCrary, but he was in the ballpark. McCrary would have none of it, however, as he ran a 4.523 to win by more than a tenth. Pappas faced a similar task when he was forced to take on Lynch. Pappas, however, was closer to pulling the upset, but Lynch’s .075 holeshot and 4.533 pass sent him home and Lynch into the finals.