The Outlaw ProMod field was an eight car field with Scott Braskett’s BAE 511 Hemi powered ‘53 Corvette running a 6.122 @ 229.06 to outclass the rest of the field. Tony Pugliese was second, coaxing  a 221.56 mph pass from his 526 Hemi ‘63 Corvette. Tony Christian was on hand to give his new driver, Jimmy Keen, help with his turbocharged 400 ci Ford Mustang and he was third with a 6.425 @ 221.62. Frank Cersosimo drove his former Billy Harper Dodge Viper to a 6.475 @ 214.48, good for fourth. Cersosimo then powered his Charlie Buck-built 801 ci nitrous powered Viper to a first round win over Ben Donhoff’s Hemi Powered ‘93 Daytona and ran a 6.18 in the semis to stop number one qualifier Braskett. In the final it was all Cersosimo, as he shut down Pugliese who shook the tires and had to lift. Cersosimo’s Viper sped to a 6.19 for the win.

Open Outlaw is a heads-up class for altereds, alcohol funny cars, and dragsters without Lencos. All the cars are blown, and it makes for some truly exciting racing. Sheldon Bissessar has the premier car in the class, and he was the number one man this year as he has been in years past. Bissessar’s Hemi powered dragster blasted out a 5.820 @ 229.18 run Saturday afternoon. Tom Wirth ran a good 6.117 @ 224.27 in his blown red ’23 Model T for second. Matt Gilmore’s wild ‘32 Bantam was next in line with a 6.179 @ 225.39. 

After qualifying fifth, Chris Smith, who came from Bangor, MI to escape the cold, made it worthwhile by wading through the field and meeting up with the quickest car there, Bissessar. Even with his string of victories, he would need luck in his matchup, and that’s what he got when Bissessar picked the front end up and had to lift momentarily, just long enough for Smith to motor by with a 6.05 @ 220, his quickest run of the weekend.

Chris Smith