Night of Fire at San Antonio, Texas

Words and photos by J.M. Hallas

Steve Wiley lost in the semifinal, but still took the 2016 TOPMA championship.

It was time again for another 'Night of Fire' event Sunday, Oct. 23, on the eighth-mile San Antonio Raceway surface. The action was high-lighted by the Texas Outlaw Pro Modified Association(TOPMA), Southwest Superchargers(SWSC) and the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association(OFAA) in some of the wildest, fire breathing racecars around. Also on the nights racing card were the Nogolitas Gear 5.80 and 7.00 index classes.

TOPMA is a 'run what ya brung' series featuring some of the baddest door slammers on the planet. Current points leader, Steve Wiley, had a rough outing in the Memorial weekend show at SAR when he crashed in the first qualifying session. Ed Hickl and Bob Alexander were scheduled to meet in the finals, but Mother Nature ended the night earlier than expected. Wiley, who also took a big 50k to win No-Prep race here in March, basically had to just show up to secure the TOPMA championship over Alexander.

The SWSC group is a mix of any fuel injected, blower car ranging from dragsters, to altereds to funny car bodies. They were also cut short in that early summer event with Don David slated to face off with points leader, Joe Navar before the rains came. Navar held a 48 point margin over David in the championship chase coming into the nights action. Christian Leffew and Jacob Penner were about 90 back, but separated by only one.

In the running for the OFAA title are it's much closer with Raymond Dawson leading the way over Nick Poloson, by only eight markers. With bonus points and dropping a race, the decision came down to the final run of the night. The OFAA brings a nostalgia look to the racing circuit with all open bodied fuel altereds of the past.

TOPMA

Bob Alexander

Well, Steve Wiley (Burleson) showing up in the final didn't happen, but Bob Alexander (Weatherford) went down fighting. Even going out in the semi's, Wiley locked the championship, while Alexander advanced to the finals to meet Jay Ligon (Iowa Park).

Alexander, in his old school Camaro, killed Ligon, driving a ’34 Chevy pickup on the tree. Alexander was .078 to Ligon's .417 for a huge advantage, pretty much giving him the win off the line. Couple that with Alexander's sub-four second pass and Ligon was just a spectator watching Alexander sail into the night for the win.

Alexander beat Chuck Poindexter in round one, then took a bye in the semi's doing a stage and break the beams. Ligon bested Eric Clark, who went red, and Wiley in round 2.

Bob Alexander, 3.997 @ 185.19 def. Jay Ligon, 6.028 @ 98.64

SWSC (4.50 index)

Lubbock's Andy Mears matched up with Buck Woolen Jr. (Alamogordo, NM) in the finals for the Southwest Superchargers. Both left with nearly identical reaction times, but at the top end it was Mears with the better number, scoring the win.