Bengt Blomberg’s nitrous-injected Camaro.

Words and photos by Joe McHugh

The Texas Automatic Outlaws doorslammer series came to Houston Motorsports Park on May 5 for their fifth race of the 2012 championship season. In addition to the TAO Pro Mods there was also a car show, nostalgia racing for pre-1972 vehicles as well as other street legal class racing.

Qualifying

Fourteen Automatic Outlaw cars, the most ever entries for one of these TAO events at Houston Motorsports Park, were trying to qualify for the eight-car field.

The winner of the previous TAO event at North Star Dragway, Doug Morales, made the trip down from north Texas for the event but could only muster a best of 5.02 at 137.15 and that effort resulted in a DNQ for this ultra tough eight-car field that ended up having a 4.74 bump spot.

Paul Brandt

Others making their 2012 campaign debut at this race and not qualifying included Glenn Gustafson (6.27/122.15), Tyler Stubbe (5.06/137.15) and Bengt Blomberg (4.97/123.80). Series rookie Paul Brandt set the early pace during the first qualifying session with a trouble free 4.43 at 152.18.  Then current TAO point leader Chris Domino stepped up the pace with a straight and true 4.30/168.35 lap. 

Eric Clark came up with the Clark Brothers Blown ‘68 Mustang and ripped off an attention-grabbing 4.10 at 171.23. That effort held up as Low ET of the meet. Series regular Jeff Benham broke a rocker on the burnout for his first lap and had to trailer his ‘59 Corvette for the day.